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May 5, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Governor Jerry Brown has announced plans to travel throughout California discussing the budget deficit with the people. Now Senator Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) has sent a letter inviting the Governor to meet with people in El Cajon. He has collected letters of support for his invitation from prominent community leaders including elected officials, business leaders, and prominent educators.
If you would like your voice heard and want the Governor to come to East County, Senator Anderson suggests that you send your letter via fax (916-447-9008) or e-mail (senator.anderson@senate.ca.gov; his staff will then deliver it to the Governor.
“All too often in the past, these important, life-changing decisions have been made behind closed doors in the Capitol and I applaud your effort to interact with the people who will be most affected by this issue,” Anderson wrote in his letter to the Governor. “I, along with the attached list of East San Diego County elected officials, community leaders and organizations, formally invite you to meet with us and our constituents at a town hall meeting at the Ronald Reagan Community Center in El Cajon.”
Anderson, a conservative Republican, has been steadfast in opposing new taxes and calling for more spending cuts to close a more than $20 million budget gap. Democrats have opposed further deep cuts in education and other key programs. Despite these differences, Anderson's letter struck a conciliatory tone.
“Governor, we want you to directly hear from Californians from all walks of life, from small business owners and their employees to the unemployed, on their ideas how to increase jobs and prosperity in our area," the letter stated. "Then when can all work together to craft a consensus solution for California.”
Letters in support of Anderson’s invitation to the Governor were received from the following:
• Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce – Patricia Cannon, President & CEO
• Cajon Valley Union School District -
o Ken Jensen, Board President
o Suzanne Mullins, Board Clerk
• East County Chamber of Commerce – Scott Alevy, President & CEO
• City of El Cajon – Mark Lewis, Mayor
• City of El Cajon – Jillian Hanson-Cox, Councilmember
• Fallbrook Healthcare District – Stephen Abbot, Director
• Fallbrook Union High School District – Dale Mitchell, Superintendent
• Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District – Cindy Miles, Chancellor
• Grossmont Union High School District –
o Richard Hoy, Board Member
o Jim Kelly, Board Member
o Priscilla Schreiber, Board member
o Robert Shield, Board Member
o Gary Woods, Board Member
o Ralf Swenson, Superintendent
• Helix Water District – DeAna Verbeke, President
• Julian Community Planning Group – Jack Shelver, Chair
• Lakeside Chamber of Commerce – Kathy Kassel, Executive Director
• Lakeside Fire Protection District – Andy Parr, Fire Chief
• City of La Mesa – David Allan, Councilmember
• La Mesa-Spring Valley School District – Brian Marshall, Superintendent
• City of Lemon Grove – Mary England, Mayor Pro-Tem
• City of Lemon Grove – George Gastil, Councilmember
• MiraCosta Community College District – Francisco Rodriguez, Superintendent and President
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District – William Pommering, President
• Poway Chamber of Commerce
o Luanne Hulsizer, President & CEO
o Greg Farrell, Government Affairs Chair
• San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association – August Ghio, President
• San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce – Ruben Barrales, President
• City of Santee
Randy Voepel, Mayor
o Rob McNelis, Councilmember
Spring Valley Community Planning Group – Scott Montgomery, Chairman
Comments
Town hall meeting
Jerry Brown is a coward and will never attend town hall meetings. He would only agree if he set the audience. He knows how we Californians feel about raising taxes to his so called fees. This is just chicken feed. He'll never do what we expect. The unions have caused our budget to explode and until he addresses the bloded salaries and pensions nothing will change to raise revenue. Over two million people are unemployeed here, gas prices are already $5.00 per gallon in some places and he wants to stick it to us even more. People voted him in and they deserve what they got.