I am pleased to join Monterey County Supervisor Chair Simon Salinas to promote a common agenda for the City of Salinas and Monterey County.

Today Simon and I stand to announce that the City of Salinas and Monterey County are committed to making significant progress for a positive agenda that will directly address the concerns of all Salinas and Monterey County residents.

At a time of unprecedented challenges for government at all levels three things are particularly important for the future of the City and County. First, it is critical that we attract investment capitol into the City and County for economic growth.

There are two key elements to pursuing economic opportunity. Salinas needs to revive its commercial districts within the City… we also need to support the development of commercial and industrial zones of opportunity such as the Uni-Kool project.

Both the City and County have benefited from the Salinas Valley Enterprise Zone. The County was supportive of efforts to attract Green Vehicles to the Firestone Plant. We look forward to additional cooperative efforts as Salinas pursues a Foreign Trade Zone designation.

But there is one additional major component that must be pursued to achieve meaningful economic growth. Salinas must dramatically expand its redevelopment areas in order to rebuild its interior core. The Salinas City Council will receive an initial report from the City Manager at its March 2nd meeting. It will be the first step in a long process. City and County cooperation will be a key to making this happen. Expanded redevelopment capacity is a centerpiece strategy for future economic growth in Salinas.

Salinas has a unique opportunity as the County seat to maintain its compact characteristics, rebuild its core and lay the groundwork for economic diversification and connectivity with Silicon Valley capital. We need to be rebuild and be ready.

The 2nd area we need to focus our cooperative areas around is being a peaceful City and County. Significant cooperation between the City and County in this area is nothing new. The Joint Gang Task Force and the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace are two clear examples of suppression, prevention and intervention efforts.

But today we need to get more specific in our efforts. A local business and community-based group the Salinas Sports Authority has been working diligently on a proposed regional Soccer Complex with both City and County Officials for nearly two years. They have been motivated by a common vision…. that soccer can unite the community in a way no other sport can.

This vision is predicated on a belief that this complex will create economic value, bring families together, and create expanded recreation opportunities for Salinas and Monterey County families through expanded daily and tournament play. And here’s the game changer…. they are committed to a model that emulates the already proven First Tee model of positive activity, academics, mentoring and character development curriculum.

Soccer is the “tipping point” sport for prevention. People often ask me what works on the prevention side. I can point to a number of strong programs such as First Tee, Ballet Folklorico, Jose Ortiz’s art studio…. but one of the keys for Salinas is critical mass. This group is attempting to climb that mountain for all of us. Their efforts deserve to be rewarded by the end of the month with an agreement between the City and County so the Sports Authority has site control to pursue state funding opportunities.

Think about the combination of regional soccer complex and continuing efforts to pursue a Carr Lake dream and the future of Salinas looks much brighter. All Salinas and Monterey County residents should know of the tireless, relentless efforts by the Sports Authority and the Big Sur Land Trust that despite real challenges there is a dogged determination for success. Policy makers need to reward those efforts at the right time.

The third focal point must be effective and efficient government. I am delighted that the Community Budget Review process for Salinas is getting organized and will make its public debut shortly. City/ County Cooperation needs to be incorporated into that process.

At a time of unprecedented challenges I believe the public expects unprecedented cooperation. The City and County have agreed to fully assess cooperative opportunities.

The focus areas will be procurement and service consolidation.

It is important to note that this will need to be an ongoing process. In recent years most budgets get balanced on a year-to-year basis. Most knowledgeable observers continue to predict a shrinking revenue base for all levels of government. The City of Salinas and Monterey County need to begin to fully explore structural changes that can realistically be implemented, flexible and allow each entity to serve their respective constituents and customers.

In closing I want to make note of Simon’s and my common background as educators. Now Simon did it much longer than I did. Most folks don’t know I actually was an instructor at Gannon University in Erie, Pa when I was much younger. In fact I was an extraordinarily tough grader…. I believe a few of my students actually got B’s rather than A’s! To this day I remain a bit of a historian at heart. And as historian I was reminded of the phrase “Era of Good Feelings”…. but I had to look it up.

In a nutshell here is what it was. To be sure there were problems in that Era…but after the War of 1812 the Country came together and focused on being one nation rather than allowing sectional differences to divide the country. During that time roads and canals were built and there was government unity of purpose of by Congress and the groundwork for economic prosperity and westward expansion was laid.

Now as an amateur historian I can make a case that foundation that led over time to Salinas, California and our being at one time the City with the highest per capita income in the United States in the 1920’s.

That will be a discussion for another day…but I will state unequivocally that if the City and County work together well and faithfully…that Salinas and Monterey County are as well positioned as any region in the world to come out ahead in the new era that lies ahead. History has already shown we have done it before and I am confident we can do it again.