De La Paz, 51, is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and works in management at a construction company.
Hear from the candidate
Please tell voters about yourself.
I graduated from Southwest High School in May of 1989. I am United States Marine veteran and a single father of five girls. After the military in September of 1994, I became a blue-collar worker. I became a team member of a local construction company and advanced to construction management. Being self-taught, I learned how to ask questions and work with the upper echelon, engineers and city inspectors to meet or exceed the client’s needs.
List any previous experience in government or participation on local boards, commissions, or neighborhood associations.
The only prior experience I have in government was my time in the Marines. Now that I have decided to run for City Council, I have gained a wealth of knowledge. Getting out to meet my neighbors and residents of D4, I have an in-depth understanding of the community’s needs and residents’ points of view. The need for change is necessary.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how would you address them?
The three greatest issues facing D4 are: High crime (increased by 30%), homeless and homeless encampments and lack of high-paying jobs.
To resolve the high crime, we need to increase patrols in the district and make sure that all first responders have what they need to protect and serve. Increase enrollment to help replace the officers leaving the force. Also, we need to meet with local businesses and the residents of D4 and request that they be active in calling law enforcement. We need to regain the community’s trust.
Homelessness has increased by 15% to 20%. We need to go to every individual homeless camp and make sure that they have the help and care that they need to get back into society. This means we need to house them, get them into a drug program, and get them trained for a job. We need to provide the less fortunate with assistance finding a place to live while they transition back into society. We also need to pass new laws banning homeless camps, and panhandling.
The lack of high-paying jobs in D4 stems from the absence of large corporations and the lack of education for our children. First, we need to meet with large corporations and companies and get them to enter D4. Next we need to meet with our local school board and teachers and provide them with the resources to educate our children. We need to meet with local union leaders (electrical, plumbing, A/C and heating, welding) and get to open start an early career path training program.
Do you support the proposed city charter amendment, known as Proposition A or the Justice Charter, that would bar certain policing tactics, decriminalize abortion and low-level marijuana possession and create a city justice director to oversee criminal justice policy? Why or why not?
I do not support Proposition A. This is, in my opinion, a slap in the face to our first responders and police Chief William McManus. SAPD protects and serves our community; we need to ensure their safety as they do ours. Currently, SAPD training does not allow the tactics mentioned in Prop A. A city justice director is not necessary. This would only burden the taxpayers.
How do you feel the city has done at balancing the needs of downtown and the neighborhoods, from bond projects to budget priorities?
I feel that the city is spending too much on streets, parks and drainage and should prioritize safety in neighborhoods. These infrastructure projects that are currently ongoing have been long overdue and have been dragged out due to poor planning on the city’s part. Last year CPS had a $50 million windfall. It seems CPS is overburdening its users. Also, there is no free parking anywhere for the city residents. The balance seems one-sided.
If elected, how do you plan to solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
I believe in grassroots; we must get back to the basics. The elected City Council member must team up with first responders, community leaders, HOAs, churches, schools, and small and local businesses and meet with them individually to see what their needs are and how can we help strategize their protection and growth.
