The Republican candidates appeared at a forum put on by San Diego’s Urban Land Institute. The Republicans covered a range of issues, from infrastructure to a new Chargers stadium. Councilman Carl DeMaio said San Diego has three main issues it needs to confront.
"Pensions, potholes and prosperity," he said. "How do we fix the financial crisis, starting with pension reform but going down a whole list of issues that are important to everyone in this room?"
Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher defined himself as someone who can be principled without being polarizing. He said the next mayor needs to be a regional leader as well.
"If there’s an economic opportunity for San Diego, I could care less if it goes in Chula Vista, Linda Vista or Vista, because it benefits our region," he said. "And we need to view ourselves as a region."
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis stressed her executive experience and joked she’s been working in San Diego longer than DeMaio or Fletcher has been alive. She said the city needs to be more coordinated in its approach to infrastructure.
"We need to look at a systematic approach to our city so that one person isn’t fixing the pothole and then the next week somebody comes back and takes up the pothole and goes underneath fixes a sewer line," she said.
Democratic Congressman Bob Filner was slated to attend the forum as well but said he was sick and canceled his appearance.
