THE HOMELESSWhat is your stance on Measure D, and how will you clean-up crime in Barstow?
Joe Gomez
Public safety should be our #1 priority. We can't expect new businesses and residents to relocate to Barstow and improve our local economy when the latest FBI statistics indicate Barstow's crime rate is the highest among Inland communities. I'm the only candidate for mayor with a solid record of support for Barstow's hardworking police officers; and the only candidate for mayor to have ever been endorsed by the Barstow Police Officers' Association. Over the last eight years, others have effectively dismantled our police department and have ignored, and even denied Barstow has a crime problem. As Mayor, I'll make sure the police have the resources they need to combat gangs, drugs, rape and burglary, reducing crime on our streets and in neighborhoods. Chief Burns deserves our continued support. We must bring back an aggressive neighborhood watch program. Barstow citizens can provide additional sets of eyes and ears for the police. By using a "Crime Watch" number you can report crime and remain anonymous. You look out for neighbors and they look out for you. Displaying "Block Watch" stickers can discourage thieves. Over time, we'll recruit a network of volunteer "Block Watch" captains. We'll map the locations of these volunteers against crime incidents to ensure your entire neighborhood is covered. After listening to local residents and considering the future protection of our children and families, I will vote yes on Measure D. The Barstow Fire District is in dire need of resources and man power to effectively protect us.
Lawrence Dale
With regard to Measure D, I fully support our Barstow Police Department, as well as the Barstow Fire Protection District. That is why I supported the measure going to the voters of Barstow to make this important decision. As our city police department moves ahead under the leadership of Chief Burns and the professional Barstow Police officers, this team will establish those priorities necessary to combat crime on all fronts to clean-up our community, leaving the message that Barstow has zero tolerance for crime in this city.
What ideas do you have to revitalize downtown and bring jobs into Barstow?
Joe Gomez
Why is downtown revitalization needed? A healthy downtown is a symbol of community pride and history. I'll encourage planned mixed -use developments such as retail, dining, residential, hospitality and office space that embrace community gathering spaces. With the combination Route 66 historical theme, we can make downtown Barstow a destination point and revive a once popular highway. First, we need to fix the streets and sidewalks and improve the landscape. And we have to work with downtown business owners to help them improve the appearance of buildings and rehabilitate historical signs and sites. We've missed many other opportunities to capitalize on the thousands of tourist who travel through Barstow. We have to take advantage of the many motorcyclists who travel to the "Laughlin Run" every year by coordinating events and promoting downtown business. We are missing opportunities for the off-road enthusiasts that visit our desert weekly. We can do a better job by promoting events such as "Calico Days." As mayor, I'll promote Barstow as "film friendly" community. That can bring needed revenue to Barstow and our business community. With locations around town and those surrounding Barstow such as Calico, Sawtooth Canyon and the sand dunes, we can assist film makers obtain location permits, equipment, meals at restaurants and local hotel accommodations. We have to reduce the number of burdensome permits in the city and county to make it cost-effective and easier for film/video producers to come to Barstow.
Lawrence Dale I am a member of the Barstow Chamber of Commerce Economic Development committee. There is a young lady in our group that is very involved in this particular project (Ms. Aaron Lepeomanher). It is the goal to establish a Business Improvement District (BID). The goal of this district is to get the involvement of those who presently have businesses in downtown along with the property owners to help. This will include code enforcement, when needed, to bring necessary changes to turn the old downtown into a location people will enjoy shopping and visiting.
EDUCATIONHow will you decrease the number of homeless people in Barstow?
Joe Gomez
There is no quick and easy answer to solve this difficult problem. But it is growing and we must bring together our collective resources to fight the problem. Together as a community, we have to implement a comprehensive plan which includes homeless prevention, outreach, assessment, placement and relocation services. Desert Manna provides temporary accommodations for 30 days. Once we identify why they are homeless, we can then work to find a solution. We have to identify homeless people with untreated psychiatric illnesses, former alcoholics or drug users and misplaced people looking for a way to get home. We unfortunately have homeless living in parks, in front of businesses and in empty buildings. That is not acceptable. New businesses and residents who can make positive contributions in our community will not relocate to Barstow if we can't stop the rising tide of homeless living in our community. We have to educate public agencies such as law enforcement to deal with homeless who have mental disorders. We must collaborate with other agencies and immediately research successful programs in other communities similar to Barstow.
Lawrence Dale
The homeless population in Barstow continues to grow, and I would suggest in these economic times that will not change. I am open for any suggestions which will help this situation.
CREATE YOUR OWN QUESTIONThe Barstow Unified School District has asked that the city and the district to work together more. How will you reach out to the school district?
Joe Gomez
For Barstow to be a successful community, we need healthy, vibrant schools. Our community's future is closely tied to a quality education system. A partnership between local schools and the city is essential if we want to grow and prosper. We must combine resources where it makes sense. Working together we can ensure our kids are safe and have every chance for success. We have to involve many in the community including our school superintendent, school board members, PTAs, civic leaders, teachers and parents. We must identify mutual interest and work to harness local resources and strengthen community bonds that keep our children safe and help them reach their full potentials. School Resource Officers (SRO) from our Police Department work with local schools to mentor and educate area youth about healthy behaviors, safety issues and crime prevention. The officers also facilitate campus safety and enforcement. As mayor, I will support three full-time officers. The peak hours for crimes by, and against, juveniles are immediately following the school day. I propose working with the school district to convert the Al Vigil Swim Center into the Al Vigil Youth Center where local kids can experience quality after-school programs, organized recreation activities and free tutoring services in a safe environment. An Al Vigil Youth Center can be a centralized location to sign-up for Little League, soccer, football, dance and parks & recreation activities. The center will have modern meeting rooms for non-profit organizations to conduct board meetings and events.
Lawrence Dale
I intend to become more involved with Barstow Unified School District and its board of directors and will help in any way possible in cooperative efforts.
HEROESWhat other issue do you think is important to the people of Barstow, and how would you solve it?
Joe Gomez How will you address the poor condition of our neighborhood streets? We have to get back to the basics! As a Council member, I've been leading efforts to repair our neighborhood streets. Now that it is campaign season, other mayoral candidates are suddenly realizing the streets are in poor condition. If we're going to attract new businesses and residents who can contribute positively to Barstow; among other things, we must clean up and fix our streets. Our dedicated employees at the public works department have been working for the last eight years without the proper tools and equipment required to maintain our city infrastructure. The leaders of the past reduced the number of mechanics to service our outdated public works equipment and vehicles. As mayor, I will recommend a "Pothole Patrol" consisting of three to five employees, and we'll give them the proper equipment to permanently repair potholes and cracks immediately. We'll set up a hotline to report potholes and other problems with our streets. We must research grants that will subsidize recyclable materials as alternatives for new roads and road repairs. We have to invest in new equipment to service the needs of our community now. Collaboration between the city and county is needed to rebuild arterial roads such as "H" Street and Rimrock Road. We have to improve our image by removing weeds and trash on parkways that belong to the city. We can assist and encourage residents to maintain the parkways in front of their homes.
Lawrence Dale Economic growth: The economic growth of this city is probably the most important issue in our community. Bringing in new businesses and living wage jobs is what makes any city prosper. The Wal-Mart Distribution Center will bring in 500 to 750 new jobs. The Barstow Industrial Park with 16.5 million square feet of rail-served industrial buildings will bring in another 8,250 to 12,400 new living wage jobs.With the industrial growth, we will see new housing, and our city will grow, which will increase the city’s income through tax growth to improve many areas of our city, which will include our streets.
Joe Gomez
Who is your hero and why?
Felix Gomez, my dad's oldest brother. He led the way for many families that migrated from the state of New Mexico to the Barstow area in the late 1940's. He was a supervisor at the Marine Base and was responsible for hiring many local residents. Later he sold real estate for Hood and Woolsey, and helped many clients purchase new homes in Hawaiian Village, Montara and Fashion Square. He was involved in youth activities, serving as president of East Barstow Little League. He also served as Grand Knight for the Knights of Columbus. In 1960, Rupert Baldonado, Richard Padilla, Mike Ruffalo and my uncle Felix greeted Senator Ted Kennedy at Daggett Airport while campaigning to elect president John F. Kennedy. They helped pave the way for a new generation of leadership. Today, uncle Felix continues to serve as a role model to our family and others in the community. He now resides in California City.
Lawrence Dale
I have been asked this question before and my answer at that time was I really cannot think of anyone as I am a self-made man and really haven’t patterned myself after anyone. However, I have taken time to put some thought into the question, “Who is your hero?” and I have come to the conclusion that a man named Joe Allen who I worked with when first starting to work the Santa Fe Railroad in Kansas City (agent shops). He is a real hero. Joe and his wife Pat had 12 children. Joe always put his family first, and we kept in touch until his death. Joe and Pat put all 12 children through college and each are successful in their own right — he is a real hero.
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