What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

I'm in this race to provide fresh leadership that focuses on getting results through good city and neighborhood planning, focusing first and foremost on getting Alameda Point going as a vibrant new, mixed-use community. To that end, I will modify Measure A for Alameda Point so we can have a mix of stylish and upscale housing —senior housing, homes for families with school-age children, and townhouses and lofts for young adults.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

Hiring a developer(s) and keeping them on track to redevelop Alameda Point as a vibrant mixed-use area. Housing is critical as it generates the tax base that pays for world-class amenities, such as open space, public access waterfront paths with breathtaking views of San Francisco, and multi-sport recreational facilities for youths. Also, housing pays for landscaping and infrastructure needed to attract quality industries that provide high-paying, career-track occupations—not dead-end jobs.

What is the biggest problem in Alameda? About communist Russia, Winston Churchill once said, "When Russia sneezes, all of Europe catches a cold." That's true for Alameda Point: when the former military base closed, all of Alameda was affected. So, to get our school district back on stable footing, we need to bring back young families with school-age children in the West End of town, because as we re-populate schools in that part of town, the District as a whole gets back on stable footing. Likewise, when we build new homes at Alameda Point, those homes will generate fees that will begin to pay for governmental services that residents in historic Alameda right now are subsidizing out at the Point. Likewise for traffic: right now we're already suffering almost 75 percent traffic congestion through the outbound Posey Tube. So, with a WELL-PLANNED Alameda Point, we can leverage Alameda Point redevelopment to create city-wide traffic solutions that decrease congestion through the tube (and I have a traffic plan for Alameda Point). We can use Alameda Point as a sling shot to create a bus rapid transit service that serves all of Alameda, not just Alameda Point residents. So, in a way, getting Alameda Point going is our biggest problem, but, interestingly enough, when planned-well, it is also a source of possibilities and solutions that help all of Alameda.