Jedidjah de Vries, Lompoc City Council - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

Jedidjah de Vries, Lompoc City Council

Party/Affiliation: n/a
Current Job: Web Development/Online Outreach for Non-Profits

Top 3 Priorities if Elected:

WE NEED TO SHIFT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM WAIT-AND-PRAY TO POLICIES THAT MAKES LIFE BETTER TODAY

 

The point of economic development should be to make Lompoc an awesome place to live. There are a whole host of ideas that the current council hasn't so much rejected as failed to even consider because they fail to understand them as economic development. We could use existing infrastructure to offer free Wi-Fi in Old Town. We could foster neighborhood associations. We could promote the use of empty storefronts as art galleries. We could work more closely with cities around us to pursue region-wide tourism. We could improve our bike lane network. We could turn empty lots into community gardens. We could…Ideas such as these not only make Lompoc a better place to live today, but they build the infrastructure and community that will foster the economic development of tomorrow. At the end of the day we need to conceptualize economic development, not just in terms of business, but also quality of life.

WE NEED OUR CITY GOVERNMENT TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND WELCOMING, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

 

Without openness and a foundation of trust we will be unable to attract the economic investment this community needs. This has been a problem for our city. The collapse of the Lompoc Housing and Community Development Corporation—which was supposed to manage our low income housing and redevelop our downtown—was, according to a Grand Jury report, "a failure of oversight". We can no longer afford a culture of complacency, that shies away from tough questions and airing concerns in public. Transparency is vital, both for the fiscal responsibility of the city and to create a welcoming business climate. My passion for public service was inspired by my grandfather, who was part of the resistance in the Netherlands during World War II. Having worked as a community organizer, I have experience bringing people together to make things happen. My master's degree in social theory and public affairs gives me an academic background in understanding and tackling complex economic and public policy issues. And I have lived on three continents, and have chosen to bring that life perspective here to Lompoc.

 

 

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