Candidate Statement for 2 November 2010 Election

RE-ELECT ME TO:

 

Empower residents, taxpayers,

small business owners

 

Include all viewpoints

 

Reduce the influence of special interests

 

Infuse ethics, professionalism, civility,

respect and transparency into government

 

WITH YOUR BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT, I HAVE:  

 

Stopped the waste of taxpayers’ dollars

on the tunnel project

 

Removed lobbyists from our city payroll

 

Improved public disclosure

of city expense checks

 

Added eight homes to our

historic preservation program

 

Initiated more disaster preparedness classes

through our city education program

 

Hosted monthly SPEAK OUT CORONADO

community meetings

 

Elevated Coronado’s status in local, regional,

state and federal spheres

 

WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT, I WILL:     

 

Implement fiscal discipline to eliminate

our budget’s growing operating deficit

 

Enhance our quality of life and property values:

 

Reduce traffic congestion through

cost-effective means

 

Manage density in reasonable ways

that reflect our community values

 

Ensure General Plan compliance

 

Strengthen code enforcement

 

ATTORNEY & GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE:                                    

Land Use, Water Law, Civil Defense Litigation

 

Private Practice; San Diego City Hall;

San Diego County District Attorney’s Office;

United States Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Office

 

AFFILIATIONS:

 

Bridge and Bay Garden Club, First Vice President

 

Community Emergency Response Team, Active Member

 

Coronado Emergency Radio Operators, Active Member

 

Crown Garden Club, Recording Secretary

 

Daughters of the American Revolution, Chaplain

 

 Soroptimist Club, Executive Board Member

* * *      * * *     * * *      * * *      * * *      * * *       

Tunnel Myths vs. Truths 

(12 Myths vs. 14 Truths)

Myth: The sky is falling!  Traffic is growing.  Traffic from 

the third Navy carrier will wreak havoc on our streets.  

A tunnel is the only answer.

Truth: The sky isn't falling.  Traffic has declined in Coronado 

according to the accurate and official numbers at www.sandag.org. Coronado elected officials aggressively supported home-porting 

of the third Navy carrier in Coronado.  A tunnel is definitely

not the answer.

Myth: Someday there will be federal stimulus money to pay 

for the construction and maintenance of the tunnel.

Truth: Those who are truly in the know realize that there will 

be no federal stimulus money to construct and maintain a 

new tunnel.  Stimulus money will go toward fixing old 

infrastructure before building new infrastructure.  And since 

Coronado is not considered a traffic hot spot in our region,

any stimulus money that does come to San Diego region will go 

toward relieving the region's traffic hot spots, not Coronado's 

Third & Fourth Street traffic.

Myth:  Someday there will be state money to pay for the 

construction and maintenance of a tunnel.

Truth:  The State of California is in dire economic straits.  It 

will never pay for the construction and maintenance of a tunnel.

Coronado will be lucky if the state repays the money it took

from the general fund.  The state is expected to take more

money from the Coronado general fund next year.

Myth: Someday Caltrans will pay for the construction and 

maintenance of a tunnel.

Truth:  Caltrans will never pay for a tunnel because Coronado 

officials plan for a tunnel to be a private road, run by a PPP or 

"public-private partnership."  This means that Coronado 

city council members will invite to Coronado an outside, 

for-profit company (most likely foreign, not domestic) 

in order to manage the tunnel for its own profit while 

Coronado taxpayers foot the bill for tunnel maintenance 

through increased budget expenditures for city 

public works, police and fire departments.  A tunnel 

will never become part of SR 75/282 so it will never be 

the responsibility of Caltrans.

More Truth:  Twelve years ago, Coronado voters tasked 

city council to see if they could find funding for a tunnel.  

It's 2010 and the only thing city council can give voters

is a bushel of false promises of federal, state and

Caltrans money of undetermined amounts materializing 

at some undetermined date in the future.  This is appalling.

Still More Truth:  Parcel taxes and big bridge tolls will be 

the way that your city council approves payment for the 

construction and maintenance of a tunnel, unless you 

make your voice heard in order to stop the tunnel study

and the tunnel project now.

Myth:  A tunnel will run under the San Diego Bay from 

San Diego City directly onto Naval Air Station North Island

(NASNI).  Thus it will remove traffic from Coronado streets.

Truth:  A tunnel will run for less than a mile completely

within Coronado city boundaries.  It will start in Coronado

at the base of the bridge, run under Third & Fourth Streets

and end in the Alameda neighborhood outside the NASNI

gate.  A tunnel will add traffic to Coronado streets because 

it will increase cut-through vehicle traffic to South Bay.  

Also a tunnel simply will add another layer to the vehicle 

backup on Third & Fourth Streets during rush hour. 

Myth:  Commuters will voluntarily drive in a tunnel.

Truth:  According to their spokesman, 3,500 independent 

contractors who work on North Island military base will not 

drive in a tunnel because it is unsafe.  Logically, many other 

commuters will follow suit and avoid a tunnel because 

it is unsafe.  Would you chose to be stuck in the confined 

space of a tunnel when there is an accident on the bridge 

or a car fire in the tunnel?  Why would Coronado city officials 

expect anyone to voluntarily choose this?

Myth:  Commuters can be forced to drive in a tunnel.

Truth:  This is still the United States of America so Coronado 

city officials cannot force drivers into a tunnel against their will.

Myth:  A tunnel will reduce traffic on Third & Fourth Streets.

Truth:  Logistically, a tunnel will increase traffic on Third & 

Fourth Streets because (a) drivers concerned with their safety 

will continue to use Third & Fourth Streets instead of a 

tunnel and (b) drivers trying to avoid vehicle backup on the 5 

will continue to drive over the bridge and cut through Coronado 

on their way to the South Bay area thinking that a tunnel for 

other drivers will shorten their own personal commute. 

Myth: A tunnel is a reasonable traffic reduction mechanism.

Truth:  Logically, a tunnel is unreasonable because it does not

reduce traffic, it merely accommodates and then attracts more 

traffic.  A tunnel does absolutely nothing to manage traffic on

First Street, Orange Avenue, the Silver Strand and anywhere

else throughout Coronado Island.  

Myth:  A tunnel is safe, or at least as safe as the bridge.

Truth:  A tunnel is inherently dangerous because it is planned 

to run directly through at least one, and possibly two, active 

earthquake fault zones.  A tunnel is exponentially more 

dangerous than the bridge because it is a magnet for nefarious 

activity since the intent for a tunnel is a traffic conduit for 

exclusive use by our uniformed service men and women, and 

those that support them.  It is irresponsible and unreasonable for 

any city official to advocate for a tunnel in Coronado because it is 

highly dangerous, increases risk of harm and makes everyone 

less safe.  

Myth:  A tunnel is a good thing because we don't have to destroy

homes.

Truth: A tunnel is a bad thing because we definitely must 

destroy homes in three neighborhoods.  First, many homes 

will be destroyed at the base of the bridge in Coronado near 

Third & Fourth Streets.  Second, many homes will be destroyed 

in the Alameda area outside the Third Street gate to 

North Island.  Third, many homes will be destroyed along the 

surface streets over the tunnel route in order to build large and 

noisy tower fans for the purpose of removing concentrated 

poisonous carbon exhaust from a tunnel and dispersing it into 

the air over Coronado.

Myth: Coronado voted against a cut-and-cover tunnel 

in the 1988 advisory ballot measure.  Therefore, this type 

of tunnel is not included in the decade-long tunnel study 

because Coronado city council respects the will of the voters.  

Truth:  The cut-and-cover tunnel is most definitely 

on the table and included in the decade-long 

tunnel study against the will of Coronado voters.  

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

IF NOT THE TUNNEL, 

THEN HOW DO WE MANAGE TRAFFIC ?

Here are four transportation mechanisms that together will reduce traffic over the bridge and onto our island.  In this way, we will manage our island-wide traffic problem including, but not limited to, the traffic problem on Third & Fourth Streets.  

I have been working very hard on them for quite some time and I will continue to do so because they are affordable, safe and supported by local, regional, state and federal officials.  

Therefore, together these four mechanisms have the best realistic chance for success:

(1) Park & Ride - Championed consistently and publicly by Councilwoman Barbara Denny for over a year and a half, this is favored in our region and will be an important part of SANDAG's Regional Transportation Plan 2011 because it will reduce our carbon footprint by reducing the number of commuting cars that emit carbon.  Councilwoman Denny is the leader on ensuring that Coronado benefits from Park & Ride. Councilwoman Denny has also been working hard and building alliances successfully with elected officials and others over the bridge in order to facilitate Park & Ride to benefit Coronado by alleviating traffic over the bridge.  (Supported locally by SANDAG)

(2) San Diego Bay Commuter Ferry - Championed consistently and publicly by Councilwoman Barbara Denny for about twelve years, this service currently reduces more than 10,000 car trips per month over the bridge.  Councilwoman Denny has been and will continue to work closely with ferry operator San Diego Harbor Excursions and others to increase commuter ferry ridership in order to reduce even more car trips over the bridge.  

By way of background, Councilwoman Denny saved the commuter ferry from defunding by local officials when she was a ferry commuter working as a Child Support Enforcement Attorney at the San Diego District Attorney's Office.  Denny drafted a petition and walked all over the island from the Village to the Cays with volunteers to gather signatures to save the ferry.  Denny amassed so many signatures that State Senator Dede Alpert sponsored two bills that funded the commuter ferry ad infinitum because, as the legislation states, the ferry is a "vital link in our regional transportation infrastructure" that needs protection from "unnecessary bureaucratic meddling" in order to keep it strong and build it up.  (Supported by the State of California)

(3) MTS-Navy Express Bus Pilot Program - Championed consistently and publicly by Councilwoman Barbara Denny for over a year and a half, this is an arrangement between San Diego MTS and the US Navy wherein targeted areas with a high population of military base workers, starting with Murphy Canyon, will use MTS buses to make express runs to area military bases.  This program is in its infancy.  The success of this program will lead to its expansion over time and increased reduction of car trips over the bridge.  (Supported regionally by MTS & federally by the US Navy)

(4) Casual Carpooling - Championed consistently and publicly by Councilwoman Denny for less than a year, casual carpooling has been around since 1975 in the United States. Informally called "slugging," it works successfully in Washington, DC, in the Pentagon and in the Bay Area of San Francisco.  It operates entirely without government intervention.  Councilwoman Denny introduced slugging to our regional transportation discussion in her commuter ferry article published in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday 21 February 2010.  A copy of this article is below for you to read.  (To be supported by the public / no government intervention by definition)

If you have other ideas you would like to discuss, kindly contact me.  I would like to hear about all other affordable, safe and reasonably supportable ways to reduce car trips over the bridge and onto our island.  In this way we will manage our island-wide traffic problem, including the traffic problem on Third & Fourth Streets.  

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Community Essay: Coronado

Commuter Ferry Deserves Support

By Barbara Denny

Published Sunday 21 February 2010 in the 

San Diego Union-Tribune

As the San Diego Union-Tribune has reported, the commuter ferry service between San Diego’s Broadway Pier and North Island Naval Air Station has been discontinued by military command. I support this decision because the security of the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way for us, and those who support them, is crucial.

But commuter ferry service from Broadway Pier to Coronado’s Ferry Landing remains in operation. In addition to non-base-bound travelers, this service currently accommodates approximately 175 base-bound ferry commuters resulting in a reduction of up to 9,000 car trips per month. As reported by the Union-Tribune, some base-bound ferry commuters travel on their own through Coronado to North Island on bicycles and electric scooters.

However, in order to facilitate movement of the un-wheeled, base-bound commuters from Coronado Ferry Landing to North Island, Coronado city staff and Navy staff are working to determine the source of funding for a shuttle bus.

Now the discontinuation of the North Island ferry stop results in a savings of variable costs in the contract between the City of Coronado and the commuter ferry operator, San Diego Harbor Excursions.  An example of a variable cost is gasoline. 

At issue is the future use of these contract savings.

While some have suggested that these contract savings may fund overland transportation of base-bound commuter ferry riders by shuttle bus from Coronado Ferry Landing to North Island, it is possible that the legislation that controls the commuter ferry funding precludes such use of funds.

The ferry legislation sponsored by former Democratic state Senator Dede Alpert a decade ago secured funding specifically for the San Diego Bay commuter ferry service ad infinitum, which means forever. The stated purpose of these bills is to prevent “unnecessary bureaucratic meddling” with the commuter ferry in order to protect and keep it strong because the commuter ferry is a vital part of our regional transportation infrastructure.

The legality of using the commuter ferry contract savings for overland shuttle bus transportation is questionable. That is why Coronado city staff and Navy staff are reviewing the language and legislative intent of SBs 664 and 1433 to determine how best to provide overland transportation for Navy ferry riders.

While this overland transportation is a key part of maintaining and growing military ferry ridership, funds intended specifically for the commuter ferry service most likely cannot be diverted to another use, such as a shuttle bus. Instead, the commuter ferry contract savings must be put back into commuter ferry service by increasing the number of commuter runs across the bay.

In keeping with the purpose and intent of the commuter ferry legislation, San Diego Harbor Excursions has plans for additional morning and evening commuter runs between the Coronado Ferry Landing and Broadway Pier which equal the contract savings. This facilitates the growth of overall commuter ferry ridership.

As a result, all efforts must be made to find alternative funding for a shuttle bus in order to ensure that un-wheeled, base-bound commuters continue to ride the ferry. Or, an alternative to the shuttle bus is necessary. The best alternative is the low-cost option of casual carpooling in which North Island-bound drivers stop at the Coronado Ferry Landing, pick up ferry riders, and drive to the base for work. If necessary, appropriate incentives can be offered to the drivers.

Casual carpooling has been in existence in the United States since 1975. Currently, the Pentagon, the District of Columbia and San Francisco have successful casual carpooling systems that operate entirely without government intervention. This phenomenon is called “slugging.” I encourage all large employers in the San Diego region to look to slugging as a way to reduce car trips.

San Diego County is a world-class region in which to live and work. Therefore, all of us – including military commuters – deserve a world-class transportation infrastructure. The fact is that the commuter ferry is a vital link in our regional transportation infrastructure. I am confident that all North Island-bound ferry commuters will be properly accommodated.

As we look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, the San Diego Bay commuter ferry service must be supported so that it can reach its full potential of reducing car trips over the bridge.

Denny is a Coronado City Councilwoman and an attorney experienced in land use, water law and defense litigation.

***********************************

SECOND SPEAK OUT CORONADO WAS A GREAT SUCCESS

Thank you to all of the citizens who attended my second SPEAK OUT CORONADO community meeting in the library at 7 pm on Wednesday 24 February 2010.  

It was a great success.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new people.  

The topic was the tunnel. 

The result of the meeting is that none of the voters are pleased with the language of the June 8 ballot measure on the tunnel because it is misleading.  

As a result of this community opinion I decided that I would make it my job to fix the ballot language with the tools available to me as a city councilwoman.

An amazing thing happened at this meeting.  Community members with the best of intentions for all of Coronado banded together and formed a grass roots group.  They currently provide accurate information on the tunnel study, tunnel project and everything tunnel-related. You can view their work at www.stoptunnelspending.com.  

I am still walking door-to-door in our island community and I say with confidence that there is no support in our community for the tunnel study, tunnel project or anything tunnel-related.  

Coronado residents want real solutions to our island-wide traffic problems, including the problem on Third & Fourth Streets.  They realize that the tunnel study does nothing to address island-wide traffic.  And they realize that a tunnel will not only NOT solve the traffic problem on Third & Fourth Streets, but it will actually create more traffic and other problems on our island.  They are unhappy with past and present city officials -- except for me -- because they have continued to throw good taxpayers' money after bad on the never-ending tunnel study. 

My voting record on city council reflects this reality because I take my job as your city councilwoman very seriously.  Go to the "Barbara's Voting Record" page on this website for details.

As your elected City Councilwoman it is my honor to represent you, the public, in our taxpayer-funded, representative form of city government on the tunnel and all other issues.  

          

"The most important political office 

is that of the private citizen." 

Louis Brandeis, Former Associate Justice, 

United States Supreme Court

         

Issue Update: Village Theater Sidewalk Tile 

On 16 February 2010, City Council unanimously referred the movie theater tile issue to the Historic Resources Commission for their opinion.  The matter will return to City Council at a later date.  

Before we took that action, my points that I made on the record were:

(1) I am for the historic preservation option of keeping the tile in place because it:

• minimizes disruption to surrounding businesses,
• minimizes the cost to about $25,000 according to city staff (as opposed to spending approximately $250,000 to destroy the tile, work on the underlying area and put in new tile),
• maximizes historic preservation which will preserve our unique village atmosphere, island identity and sense of place.

(2) Even if the end result of keeping the tile makes the sidewalk look imperfect as mentioned by my colleagues during the council discussion, are we not all imperfect? 

(3) If at some point in the future my colleagues on city council ultimately decide to rip out the old and replace it with new tile, then I want to save the terrazzo tile.  I suggest that the terrazzo be removed gently and preserved so that it can be re-purposed into public art, like the mural in the public library was saved from a local restaurant.  I think our local art students could create a mural or other art form out of the tile for the enjoyment of the public for years to come.  I'd like to know the estimated cost of saving the tile.   

(4) In answer to city staff's request for direction on two other items in the area of the Village Theater sidewalk, I stated that I did not want to put in trees and/or street lights at this time in this dreadful economy.  Those two items can wait until the economy gets better.  

It's exciting that Coronado will once again have a movie theater.  This will benefit residents and the business community.

                

FIRST SPEAK OUT CORONADO WAS A GREAT SUCCESS

Thank you to the approximately 70 citizens who came out on a rainy, cold night to attend my first SPEAK OUT CORONADO community meeting in the library at 7 pm on Tuesday 26 January 2010.  

It was a great success.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing some old friends and meeting so many new people.  I appreciate your thoughtful dialogue infused with passion, respect, civility and well-placed, appropriate humor.

The topic was the tunnel. 

Here are the unanimous results of the first SPEAK OUT CORONADO from the approximately 70 people who attended:

(1) They do not support the tunnel study, tunnel project or anything tunnel-related.

(2) They do not know anyone else who supports the tunnel study, tunnel project or anything tunnel-related.

(3) They are very upset (I’m putting it mildly) that more than $14,639,795.53 of taxpayers’ money was wasted on the tunnel study over twelve years since 1998.

(4) They are very upset (I’m putting it mildly) that city council voted 4-1 on January 19, 2010 to continue the tunnel study which means wasting about $450,000 to $700,000 more of taxpayers’ dollars on the tunnel study. 

(5) They appreciated and supported my January 19 city council vote AGAINST wasting $450,000 to $700,000 more of taxpayers’ money to continue the tunnel study.

(6) They do not like the proposed language of the June 2010 ballot measure on the tunnel because they think that an unintended consequence will be the misleading of the voting public for obvious reasons.  

I agree.  I am very concerned that the language of the June 2010 ballot measure unintentionally will mislead voters.  In fact, I stated this on the record at the city council meeting of January 19th before I voted FOR putting the tunnel question on the ballot again. 

As you may know, I have been advocating publicly since the summer of 2008 to place the tunnel question back on the ballot. So overall I am looking forward to the voters having their say in June 2010. 

I am still walking door-to-door in our island community and I say with confidence that there is no support in our community for the tunnel study, tunnel project or anything tunnel-related. My voting record on city council reflects this reality.  Go to the "Barbara's Voting Record" page on this website for details.

As your elected City Councilwoman it is my honor to represent you, the public, in our taxpayer-supported, representative form of city government on the tunnel and all other issues.  

Check back in to my website soon for the next SPEAK OUT CORONADO community meeting date.  

          

"The most important political office 

is that of the private citizen." 

Louis Brandeis, Former Associate Justice, 

United States Supreme Court

          

Do you think grout or springs will secure the tunnel in the likely event of an earthquake?

On Tuesday 26 January 2010 I attended a luncheon meeting of the San Diego chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).  The presenter was the head engineer on the tunnel project who works on the tunnel study.  His presentation was professional and informative.

He stated that there are four active faults around Coronado: Coronado fault, San Diego Bay fault, Spanish Bight fault and Silver Strand fault.  

The tunnel will be constructed after removing two neighborhoods in Coronado: the Third & Fourth Street neighborhood at the base of the bridge and the Alameda neighborhood outside the gate of Naval Air Station North Island.  

Therefore the tunnel will run under Third & Fourth Streets directly through the active Coronado earthquake fault. 

This bears repeating: the tunnel will run directly through an active earthquake fault.  

This is one of the many reasons for my opposition to the tunnel.  It is not safe by any stretch of the imagination.  Instead, it unnecessarily adds risk to the lives of those who:

• live in homes over the tunnel
• drive on the roads above the tunnel
• drive in tunnel (if anyone will do so), and 
• are our own city employees that work in the public works, police and fire departments who will be called to work in the tunnel.

The presenter proposed that, in order to secure the tunnel in the likely event of an earthquake, the mechanisms of choice are grout or springs.  One or the other mechanism will be used. 

To be specific, he said that grout will be injected from the surface street at regular intervals down to the top surface of the tunnel.  If not grout, then springs will be inserted at regular intervals from the surface street down to the top surface of the tunnel.  Grout or springs are intended to secure the tunnel so it is not destroyed in the likely event of an earthquake in the active Coronado fault.

Do you think that grout or springs will help make the tunnel safe?  

Go to the "Contact Us" page of this website and let me know.  

I look forward to hearing from you.

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My Letter to the Editor

Published in the San Diego Union-Tribune

Coronado Tunnel is Fatally Flawed

     No tunnel support exists on any level.  Locally, Coronado residents are  
overwhelmingly against it.  In a 1998 advisory vote they directed their 
government to do one thing -- investigate funding for a bored tunnel.  The 

cut-and-cover tunnel option was voted down in a prior advisory vote in 1988,

yet it is still being studied today.  Coronado voters never approved

wasting $14 million on an impractical project involving local, state and federal 

lobbying firms.  

      Legally, State Route 75 bridge drivers cannot be charged a $5 toll or more 
to pay off bond debt for a tunnel that would be a private road controlled by 
a public-private partnership.  Coronado taxpayers will resist bond debt for 
tunnel construction and budget increases for tunnel maintenance.  

   

     Higher safety risk accumulates for everyone with a tunnel -- construction 
workers, public works/police/fire personnel, commuters and nearby 

homeowners -- because of earthquakes, car fires and other threats.

   

     Coronado land use decisions no longer should be controlled by a few 
outside interests who will amass personal fortunes from a tunnel.  With strong 

local and regional support, I'm working on an affordable and safe 

park-and-ride program to reduce our carbon footprint as detailed at 
www.barbaratdenny.com.

   

     Prior to being sworn in as Coronado City Council member in June, I 

worked in land use and water law, prevented regional officials 

from de-funding the San Diego Bay commuter ferry service and worked 

on the Coronado Transportation Management Association to improve

transit service in Coronado. As a council member I voted against 

spending $1,540,350 of taxpayers' money on the tunnel project.

   

     BARBARA DENNY

     Attorney at Law

     Coronado City Councilwoman

[A shorter version of the above letter to the editor appeared in the 

San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday 11 October 2009.]

***************************************

Tunnel tabulator:  approximately $14,639,759.53 of

taxpayers' money was spent so far on the tunnel study.

Since becoming a City Councilwoman on June 16, 2009, I kept my campaign promise and voted against spending $1,639,759.53 on the tunnel project.

In 1998, through an advisory vote Coronado residents directed their city government to do one thing -- investigate funding for a bored tunnel.  

Since that advisory vote in 1998 and the time I was sworn into office, approximately $13,000,000.00 of taxpayers' money was spent on the tunnel project according to the City Engineering Department Director at a public meeting held in the Nautilus Room of the Community Center in February 2009.  

Taxpayers' money came into Coronado and was funneled out of Coronado because current and past cities councils used it to enrich outside interests by spending it on: 

• a study of various tunnel designs including a cut-and-cover tunnel which Coronado residents voted against in a prior advisory vote (see below), 
• a study of various non-tunnel "options" which do not require such extensive and expensive study, 
• consultants,
• engineers, 
• local lobbying firm
• state lobbying firm, and 
• federal lobbying firm.

Earlier in 1988, through an advisory vote Coronado residents voted against constructing a cut-and-cover tunnel.

Total taxpayers' money spent on the tunnel study so far: about $14,639,759.53.

**************************************************************

Park & Ride

As Coronado's demonstrated leader in transportation issues, I continue to work hard 

on bringing a comprehensive Park & Ride program to our region.

The answer to our traffic problem lies not in increasing our capacity for more cars with a

cost-prohibitive, safety hazard tunnel ten more years from today.  

The answer lies in decreasing the amount of vehicles on our island through affordable and safe 

Park & Ride programs now.

I am pleased to write that the Park & Ride is supported by regional elected and appointed 

officials, including Port Commissioners.  

Because of my leadership, we have the key regional support we need to significantly 

reduce area traffic through the Park & Ride.  

With the right incentives, our commuters and tourists will still have every reason to come to 

Coronado, but they will not need to bring their individual vehicles with them.  They will be able

to park east of the bridge and ride together over the bridge and around our island in energy 

efficient vehicles.

I strongly support our oldest and dearest neighbor, the US Navy, whose leaders are working on a 

pilot Park-and-Ride program to move base-bound drivers from their various neighborhoods to area 

military bases.  Also, I extend my congratulations to the US Navy for winning a fifth straight 

annual award from SANDAG for their current van pool program.

******************************************

** PUBLIC SAFETY ** PUBLIC SAFETY ** 

******************************************

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Silver Strand Beach News: As part of California's budget-cutting measures, Silver Strand State Beach will experience a 50% reduction in lifeguards and removal of all fire rings.  There will be no reduction in hours of operation yet.  For more information, go to the www.signonsandiego.com article dated 28 October 2009 and entitled "State park cuts, closures announced." 

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Status Update #1

July 24, 2009

Dear Friends,

Hello to everyone in the Coronado community. I hope your summer is going well so far.

I love my new job on Coronado City Council and want you to know that I am working hard for you since being sworn in as your newest public servant about five weeks ago.

To achieve full transparency we publish my voting record on my website atwww.barbaratdenny.com This is a first in Coronado City Council history and I am receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback about it.

In keeping my campaign promise to stop wasting taxpayers' money on the tunnel study and tunnel lobbyists, I vote "no" on all tunnel matters at our City Council meetings. I also am receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback about my "no" votes on the tunnel. If you approve of my "no" votes on the tunnel, kindly contact me through my website atwww.barbaratdenny.com on the "Contact Us" page and tell me so.

Also, my Park & Ride program continues to gain support over the bridge. Earlier this month Port Commissioners offered their key regional support for my Park & Ride. It's my goal through my Park & Ride to reduce our carbon footprint by clearing our streets of the flood of cars in which our tiny island is drowning while simultaneously ensuring that everyone enjoys living, working, shopping and vacationing in Coronado.

I used my legal experience and expertise in contract law to protect our city's best interests in a legal contract with another party. Specifically, before my first City Council meeting I notified city staff that the legal contract between our city and the commuter ferry company was missing an important legal clause. The next day, city staff notified me that the important legal clause was added to the contract thus protecting Coronado's best interests. Kudos to our city staff for their swift response.

At a Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) meeting I attended to represent Coronado, the Chairman thought my cost-effective idea on how to enhance public safety, save lives and stop spending money on litigation was "excellent." It was my pleasure to add value to that deliberation on behalf of Coronado. When you see the new public safety campaign by MTS in the future, you'll know it was my idea as your Coronado MTS representative.

In addition to shopping and dining in Coronado nearly every day, I continue to enjoy walking door-to-door and speaking with residents in order to find out what's on their mind. This is another first in Coronado City Council history -- an elected Council member walking door-to-door to stay in touch with the people. I'm receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback as I walk door-to-door. I am convinced that by continuing to expand the number of residents with whom I connect in our wide community, I am able to cast my votes on City Council with the confidence that I am truly representing all of the good people of Coronado and looking out for everyone's best interests while protecting our City's financial health in this dreadful economy.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. And don't be a stranger. Go to www.barbaratdenny.com and tell me what's on your mind.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours,

Barbara Denny

Coronado City Councilwoman

July 24, 2009

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Goals:  To work energetically and enthusiastically with City Council to:

• Protect property values and homeowners’ rights, while resisting municipal parcel taxes
• Preserve our unique island heritage by saving more historic homes
• Stop wasting taxpayers' money on the tunnel study and the federal, state and local tunnel lobbyist firms
• Implement an affordable and safe plan to reduce traffic now
• Support the reconvened RSIP committee to address density issues
• Keep public safety a top priority.
  

Priorities:  As a true fiscal conservative, I’ll protect all our community assets in this bad economy, especially our general reserves.  We can and must live within our means.  

I’m passionately dedicated to preserving our municipal financial health so that our young people will inherit a vibrant and authentic Coronado to enjoy long after we are gone.  

Say "Yes" to:

• Fiscal Responsibility
• Island Quality of Life
• Village Atmosphere
• Historic Preservation
• Public Safety
• Affordable & Effective Traffic Control

Say "No" to:

• The tunnel
• The big bridge toll to pay off bond debt for the tunnel
• High-density overdevelopment

Barbara is endorsed by: