BURKHOLDER: I WORRY ABOUT VIRUS’ MENTAL HEALTH TOLL
Q:
What more can be done to limit the financial and environmental damage of climate change and wildfires especially? A:
Wildfires are a natural part of the ecosystem, so we know they will occur and we should have safety principles in place so that our families and homes are ready to withstand the threat. Firefighting is a public safety priority, and our current and previous governors have threatened cuts to first responders and firefighting while inefficiently spending our tax dollars on lower priority items; we cannot use our firefighters as political talking points. Homeowners, planners, developers and firefighters play a role in reducing wildfire damage in our communities. Working with our fire departments, we can learn about the behavior and science of wildfire and how to respond to the incidents, whether through risk assessments of homes and properties or through preparedness and planning.
I helped lead the Non Toxic Carlsbad effort to eliminate the use of glyphosate within Carlsbad; I understand the harm that this and other dangerous chemicals can do, and our common sense solutions added no additional tax increase to residents.
We need to leverage free-market solutions and technology to save the environment. While CALGreen’s goals are noble, the costs imposed on construction are a major contributor to the extreme expense of building in this state. We have changed residential codes six times since 2000; recent changes in 2016 added an average of $2,700 per new home constructed. We can be environmentally conscious without throwing the burdensome expense onto our citizens.
Q:
Has the pandemic and so many people working from home made you rethink housing and transportation policies? If so, how?
A:
The pandemic and so many people working from home has made me rethink retail office space because I have heard from so many people that they are much more productive from home, without the “water-cooler” distractions in a conventional office. Additionally, people are working longer hours from home, increasing productivity with fewer interruptions. In the long run, I believe employers may think differently about remote working, much like we parents are thinking about distance learning. Our students have much more free time to explore additional learning opportunities. Workers are devoting more time throughout the day to complete their career goals.
With fewer cars on the streets, the air is cleaner and the expenses of car ownership are lowered, which is a win for the owner and the environment. This could result in more households ordering greater bandwidth and connectivity, in turn driving private sector investment in advanced 5G technologies, and more broadly upgrading their work spaces at home. Perhaps we should look at increased tax credits and deductions for those who will be working from home more often.
We must make housing more affordable for all, and adopt policies that facilitate housing closer to an individual’s place of work, especially for those who earn lower hourly wages, which would reduce their time in traffic and allow them more time with their families, since many of them must work on site (such as waiters, cooks, cleaning staff and cosmetologists).
Q:
What specific policy changes do you support after months of racial justice protests to improve law enforcement practices or racial equity?
A:
As a former federal law enforcement agent, I fully support law enforcement. Having said that, there are bad actors in every career/profession. There is only one thing a good cop hates more than a bad guy and that’s a bad cop. While I understand the sentiment to defund the police and put money into social programs to help homeless people, I would not be in favor of that particular method. In fact, without improvements in our policies on homelessness, it would probably make things worse. Our police have a duty and responsibility to protect and serve all of us, and every day they wear a uniform they place themselves into the line of danger.
I want to provide law enforcement with appropriate use of force training and deescalation techniques on a yearly basis. Assessments in those areas including a confident understanding and implementation of the department’s policies would improve best practices.
We must strive to be a colorblind society and treat each other with dignity. Ethnic minorities are not political talking points, they are people, and one American citizen should be just as valued as the next. Our state has far too many policies and laws which prevent lower income individuals from pulling themselves out of the cycle of just surviving day to day with no hope of a better future. We need to empower our citi
zens, not treat them as if they are incapable of greater things.
Q:
What more should the state be doing to improve student distance learning and public education overall?
A:
It is my hope that every child who is undergoing distance learning has the tools and resources they need to be successful. That means that the districts are responsible for providing technology, to include computers and connectivity for the learner. Additionally, I hope they have the textbooks and school supplies they need as well. The state needs to ensure that the students’ needs are being met and that they are thriving in their new environment. Additional counselors need to be available to help students with their mental health needs and a centralized food distribution center needs to be established for the food unstable. We know that, in North County, estimates are that 1 in 7 go food insecure every day.
Additionally, as mandated reporters of abuse, teachers need to be able to see the children and have one-on-one time with each of them, even if it is through Zoom or another platform.
I am for greater choice and f lexibility in education and child care, especially for those parents who want to pull their kids out of failing schools. Educational content should not be a political issue; today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. We need to teach greater financial literacy to include basic money management, making a budget, investing and credit. Our students need to understand our nation’s history and the importance of civic engagement. We must put greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math as those are the jobs in the greatest demand today.
Q:
Should taxes in California be increased? If so, which ones?
A:
California has some of the highest taxes in the nation. In the last several years, personal and business income taxes and gas taxes have gone up, we have several propositions on the ballot which would raise taxes by tens of billions more, and yet in two years our state will come back to us once again asking to raise taxes “for the last time.” We need to cut taxes and get control of the spending problem in Sacramento because eventually, you run out of other people’s money. Frivolous spending and not holding politicians accountable have gotten us where we are today: Housing is unaffordable, schools are underperforming, small businesses are closing and traffic is terrible. Our leaders make promises as to how they will spend a new tax, then break them repeatedly.
While I think we all want to pay our fair share, we also want to see a return on investment and that simply is not happening. Increasing taxes on property, income and wealth have already driven many successful individuals and corporations out of the state, and this loss will accelerate if we cannot control taxation and spending.
Q:
What is the most important issue we have not raised and why?
A:
As a mental health therapist, I think the most important issue that was missed is our mental health and what it looks like on the other side of this global pandemic. Solitary confinement is a punishment, not a reward, and we have been confined for over six months. We are not made to be alone and isolated. We are already seeing increases in fear, anxiety and depression. Abuse, neglect and domestic violence are on the rise as well as food insecurity. Suicide ideation and attempts are rising, particularly in the 18-24 age group and, in North County we are not prepared for a behavioral health crisis of the magnitude we are facing.