I lived on Servando Avenue in Nestor right next to the Tijuana River Valley for years. I didn't learn about this crisis from a briefing or the news. I grew up breathing it. That's why this is personal for me, and why it will be my top priority on day one. Within the City's authority, I will do two things. First, I will make progress public so agencies are held accountable. In 2018, the City of San Diego and other local agencies sued the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to force action.<\/p>
That pressure helped secure $300 million in federal funding in 2020, and the lawsuit was settled in 2022. That money kickstarted the expansion of the South Bay treatment plant, but now we have to make sure what needs to be built gets built, and on time. We can't afford delays. I will push for regular, public reporting on the plant expansion and on Mexico's commitments under Minute 333. Residents should be able to easily see every deadline and whether it was met. Second, I will bring the agencies to us.<\/p>
I will push for hearings in San Ysidro and Nestor where the IBWC, the Environmental Protection Agency and the County answer residents' questions directly.<\/p>","answer_2":"
Our kids and families shouldn't have to give up the outdoors because of pollution they didn't cause. In the short term, I will support investments in indoor activities with proper air filtration at our recreation centers and schools, so programs can continue when conditions are unsafe. But short-term fixes alone won't solve this. The real answer is stopping the pollution at its source. That means keeping pressure on both the U.S. and Mexican federal governments to deliver the projects they've already agreed to, on time.<\/p>
It also means planning for the future. It also means planning for the future\u201a because Tijuana's population is expected to reach 2.4 million people by 2050. This means the treatment capacity will have to be increased.<\/p>","answer_3":"
Real progress started when local governments stopped waiting and forced the issue. The 2018 lawsuits and a united push from our region helped bring federal dollars to the table. Local leaders have the platform to keep that pressure on, and I will. With over ten years at City Hall, I know how to work across agencies and borders. I'm in close communication with Mexican Congressman Gil Herrera, who represents part of Tijuana. Together we toured San Antonio de los Buenos, Tijuana's main treatment plant.<\/p>
It was encouraging to see it running, but my message to Mexican leaders was clear, it's not enough. As Tijuana grows, that plant's capacity has to grow with it. We are one region, and we depend on each other. Every time our leaders meet, this issue has to be front and center. Partnership also means accountability. I will press federal leaders to use every tool available, including the 1944 Water Treaty, to make sure Mexico keeps its commitments.<\/p>","answer_4":"
For too long\u201a people who have no idea what the Tijuana River sewage smells like have been making the decisions on how to fix this. I know what the river smells like because I lived right next to it. I will push the IBWC to hold bilingual community meetings in San Ysidro and Nestor in the evenings, when working people can attend. Most importantly, the public needs real-time updates on every funded project and its timeline, in one place that's easy to find. That's how our communities can track progress and hold agencies and elected officials accountable.<\/p>
I will also advocate for a standing community advisory group with representatives from the community\u201a youth, environmental justice organizations, businesses\u201a and Tribal leadership. If residents can't see the change, it isn't progress yet.<\/p>","submitted_order":2},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidate_response\/1514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidate_response"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate_response"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"race","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/race?post=1514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}