Ron Roberts - Fourth District Supervisor

Ron Roberts - Supervisor, Fourth District

Date: February 6, 2002	Contact: Darren Pudgil
	tel: (619) 531-5894

ROBERTS PRESENTS AMBITIOUS COUNTY AGENDA
New Chairman Declares State of the County “Strong and Healthy”

SAN DIEGO – Amid a capacity crowd at the San Diego
Hall of Champions in Balboa Park, Board of Supervisors’
Chairman Ron Roberts tonight laid out his agenda for 2002
at the annual State of the County Address.

Roberts unveiled a lengthy list of new initiatives that focus on healthcare, terrorism preparedness, and the restructuring of regional government,
among others.

Before outlining his proposals, Roberts reflected on a county government that just a few years ago was lethargic and on the brink of fiscal collapse. “Not too long ago, as some of you may remember, this Board of Supervisors assumed command of a County on the verge of financial disaster. Today, however, we have significant reserves, a high credit rating, and five-year labor agreements with our employees.”

“We’ve wiped away the dust, and cleaned off the rust, and for our work, Governing Magazine just last week named the County of San Diego one of the best-run counties in America,” said Roberts.

Among Roberts’ goals for 2002:

Waterfront Park
Chairman Roberts this year will ask his colleagues to fund a visionary proposal to create a magnificent 10-acre waterfront park around the historic County Administration Building downtown. Amid all the development downtown, Roberts says more parkland is needed. Designs for the park have already been prepared, and now Roberts is calling on his colleagues “to take that final step,” and fund the park.

Regional Security Commission
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are likely headed for San Diego for terrorism readiness efforts through the Office of Homeland Security. To take the politics out of how that money would be spent, Chairman Roberts announced the creation of the Regional Security Commission, to be chaired by former Marine Brigadier General Mike Neil, a recipient of the Navy Cross and Purple Heart. Each member of the Board of Supervisors will also select an appointee. “With our nation fighting terrorism abroad, we must also provide for the security of our residents here at home,” said Roberts.

Life Safety Helicopter
The San Diego region lacks a full-time helicopter capable of responding to fires. If we had such a helicopter, fire officials say last year’s devastating fire in Alpine would not have been so destructive. Last year Supervisor Roberts began working with San Diego City Councilman Byron Wear and Assemblymember Juan Vargas to bring to San Diego a state-of-the-art life safety helicopter – what Roberts refers to as a “flying firetruck.” Some funding has already been secured. Roberts vowed to find the remainder this year.

Healthcare
Chairman Roberts also announced four new healthcare initiatives:

Trauma System – Roberts announced that at next week’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting, he will ask his colleagues to direct the County’s Chief Administrative Officer to launch a full-scale audit of the region’s trauma system, which has been the subject of much controversy lately. Roberts said once the findings are in, he will call for a special Board of Supervisors conference to determine our trauma system’s viability.
Nursing Academy – To address the looming shortage of nurses in California, Roberts also announced a partnership between the County of San Diego, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Hospital Association to create a first-of-its-kind Nursing Academy in San Diego. By the year 2006, California will need an additional 45,000 nurses just to keep our hospitals adequately staffed.
Children’s Asthma – According to the American Lung Association, Asthma is the leading serious chronic illness among children. To address this, Chairman Roberts announced a collaborate effort between the County, Children’s Hospital and other child health providers to improve our system of care for those suffering with Asthma.
Child Obesity – The number of seriously overweight children has more than doubled over the last three decades. To address this growing problem, Chairman Roberts announced the creation of the San Diego County Coalition on Children and Weight, made up of medical professionals and community organizations and schools. Their mission will be to create a comprehensive regional plan to get our kids on track and in shape.

Regional Government
With the debate taking place over regional government, Chairman Roberts also announced that he will ask his colleagues to place a measure on the November ballot to create a new regional government. What this new structure will look like will be determined through a very public process. Roberts wants to make sure that “the people have the final say.” He also wants to ensure that the officials who serve on this new authority be directly elected by the voters of San Diego.

E-Bus
To help our kids make it over the bridge of the Digital Divide, Chairman Roberts announced that the County of San Diego, in partnership with Union Bank of California, next month will roll out the E-bus. “The E-bus is basically a computer lab on wheels, said Roberts. “It will travel to every community and help children from low-income families cross the bridge of the Digital Divide.”