Answers to Neighbors Opposed To Beach Area Drug Dealing (NOT BADD) Questions 

Dear Candidates,

Neighbors Opposed To Beach Area Drug Dealing (NOT BADD) and Beach Flats Neighbors and Beach Area Homeowers Assn would like you to take the time to briefly answer the following questions. NOT BADD is basically the registered voters of Beach Flats and interested persons. Phil Baer is running to represent us, but we are interested and asked who else to vote for. Phil Baer has been asking Council for at least 15 years for a police foot patrol, "tourist host" security guards, a mainstream looking entrance and name change and encouragement of market-rate housing on vacant lots by way of redefining Beach Flats and discouraging the Heroin Street Gang. Hundreds of people have died because previous councils illusions of picking up a few Latino votes or for whatever reason there has been denial, race-bating and sponsership of the dealing community.

QUESTION ONE:

Are you planning to put the issue of the Heroin dealing on the City Streets on the City council agenda as soon as you are elected?

As a part of a larger agenda of neighborhood empowerment and diversified economic development (with a specific focus on realizing the economic and recreational potential of the waterfront and connecting it to the downtown), I intend to put the issues faced by all Beach Flats residents on the agenda of the entire community: City Council, all city departments, neighborhood organizations throughout the city, and community media. Herion dealing is a symptom of a larger set of issues that need to be addressed, both in the Beach Flats, and elsewhere. QUESTION TWO:

What do you propose to eliminate the Heroin Street Gang?

You have to provide people with an alternative to dealing and visible support by city institutions, if you're going to address the problem on a long term basis - the area needs attention, it needs focused economic development, it needs pro-active outreach by City government that involves and empowers the residents of the community to deal with this problem on their own, and feel supported by the city government and law enforcement in doing so. If you change the physical nature of the environment, and put a greater police and civilian presence on the ground there, the heroin dealers will be driven away by the greater risk of exposure and arrest. It is a lot harder to deal on a busy street corner with a thousand tourists passing by each hour, surrounded by a thriving set of community owned businesses, than an empty one surrounded by empty lots and infrequently trafficked shops. QUESTION THREE:

Do you have any further thoughts on the subject?

I object to the racist overtones with which this issue is being raised. On what basis does NOT BADD claim to represent all the registered voters in Beach Flats? Can you demonstrate this? What efforts has your organization made to include legal and native born Latino residents in its work? What examples of "race-baiting" can you cite? What do you mean by that term? What do you mean by "previous councils illusions of picking up a few Latino votes"? Exactly how has "sponsership" (sic) of the "dealing community" occured?

You may reply with this e-mail, or to NOT BADD at: Janelarsonbaer@aol.com