 Built in 1936, the San Diego County Administration building is a classic in art deco design and architecture. By Tommy Hough I was honored to be selected by District 3 Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer as her office's appointment to the San Diego County Planning Commission earlier this month. Following a unanimous vote on consent approving the appointment by the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 9th, I was sworn in to my new position on Feb. 19th. In the wake of last fall's election and subsequent political realignment on the Board of Supervisors, we've already seen a great deal of positive leadership and change at the county. One of the most notable is the supervisors' unanimous vote to move San Diego County to zero carbon emissions by 2035, making it the largest county in the U.S. to commit to achieving this important, and tangible, goal. We've also seen the county decisively draw a needed leadership line on social justice by declaring racism a public health crisis in San Diego County. With violent attacks on elderly AAPI neighbors and community members increasing in California and around the nation, including an egregious incident this past weekend on the San Diego Trolley, this declaration comes not a moment too soon, with the county administrative officer tasked to deliver an actionable plan to the board within 90 days. On the conservation front, a marvelous watershed was reached when the board voted to purchase 98 acres of land declared surplus by the Helix Water Board in the El Monte Valley near Lakeside for recreation and conservation, with the intent of tying local trails into nearby El Monte County Park along the south side of the valley. With new leadership in place, this too passed the board with a unanimous vote. As an environmentalist, I'm exceptionally proud to also mark a change in the approach to the planning commission as Supervisor Lawson-Remer's appointee. With rising sea levels and more frequent wildfires in wildland-urban interface zones, San Diego County is already fighting a two-front war against climate change. But we also have issues relating to preserving biodiversity, endangered species, wildlife corridors, and the need for more holistic approaches to wildfire prevention as the most biodiverse county in the lower 48 states. This too is part of what makes San Diego County such a spectacular locale and desirable place to live and work. I pledge to fully balance and weigh our various community, economic, and environmental interests in the pursuit of the highest quality of life for our neighbors and communities in San Diego County. I'm eager to get started. Thank you again to Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer for her trust and support in this role, and thank you to my neighbors, community, and family for their ongoing support. May you and your loved ones be safe and well. 
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 Still from Tuesday's ABC 10 story on the attack on a Filipino woman on the San Diego Trolley. By Tommy Hough
As San Diegans, we cherish our diverse, multicultural city and heritage, and we put a premium on safe, welcoming neighborhoods and communities. But like you, I've grown increasingly concerned, and incensed, at the increase in attacks and violence against our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) neighbors and community members over the last several weeks. This monstrous trend has escalated from verbal assaults and the screaming of unprovoked insults, to spitting and coughing on someone, to punching, shoving, and even hitting someone from behind. An elderly man in San Francisco died in January after he was shoved to the pavement, and on Tuesday KGTV ABC 10 reported an elderly Filipino woman was punched in the face while riding the San Diego Trolley. The attack occurred, apparently, without any provocation. This made me ill to my core. This is someone's grandmother. This violence must stop. It must end NOW. I condemn any and all hateful rhetoric or violence against our AAPI neighbors, friends, and family members in the strongest terms. Those responsible for the attack on the San Diego Trolley must be held accountable, and hate crime statutes must be applied in prosecuting these reprehensible actions. Much of this terror directed at our AAPI neighbors, from New York to California, is attributable to our former president, who kicked open the pandora's box of American intolerance, and fueled anti-Asian sentiment over the last year with racist rhetoric in reaction to, and to deflect attention from, his administration's inability to respond to the coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic. A report from the Stop AAPI Hate Youth Campaign recorded over 2,800 firsthand incidents of anti-Asian hate in the U.S. from March 19th to Dec. 31st, marking a clear correlation between the current plague of attacks, the pandemic, and the former president's rhetoric throughout 2020. And it's become worse since the New Year, with elderly AAPI citizens specifically targeted. As we've seen throughout history, hoping a violent trend will stop or "go away" is no solution. This epidemic of violence against some of our most vulnerable, elderly residents is something we cannot ignore. Coupled with the cruelty and debasement of the hateful or violent act, racism in all its forms is a health risk to us all. Our city must increase investment and partnerships with programs that promote AAPI-owned businesses and AAPI-led community organizations, as it pledged to do with the city council's adoption of Resolution 313068 on June 4th, which denounced xenophobia and anti-Asian racism in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the city and our police must do more so all our neighbors, especially the elderly, are safe in our neighborhoods, on our streets and sidewalks, and in our local businesses and parking lots. I'm committed to working with neighborhood resources to combat racism and hate. Our county board of supervisors has already declared racism to be a public health crisis, but that can only be the beginning. As terrible as violence is, it is the corrosive result of the long-simmering societal cancers of racism and hate. Please look after your neighbors, especially your elderly neighbors. Ensure they feel safe, and that they know you or a friend or family member is nearby. Offer a ride if they need one. Be seen, make yourself available, and let your neighbors know you're only a few doors away. We are a nation of laws, but punishment and justice will not change hearts or cure hate that has had decades to take hold. We must begin with each other, with responsible rhetoric, and the common decency far too many of us deny our neighbors and strangers. I hope you'll join me in this simple, needed task, and I encourage you to visit Stop AAPI Hate for more. |
AuthorA former San Diego broadcaster and media personality, Tommy Hough is a wilderness and conservation advocate, communications professional, California Democratic Party delegate, and the co-founder and former president of San Diego County Democrats for Environmental Action. Archives
February 2021
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