County Supervisor Jim Desmond on Tuesday challenged those attending his State of North County speech to "be part of the solution" to serious problems such as homelessness and improve the quality of life in the region.
"We have so much potential, because of people like you here in the room, we have so many possibilities in North County," Desmond told the crowd gathered at the Sunshine Brooks Theater.
"It's not just me, it's not just you, and it sure ain't just government," Desmond said. "It starts with all of us."
Despite certain challenges, North County residents, community leaders and governmental entities share a goal of making the region thrive, even if they come from different sides of the political aisle, Desmond said.
With its popular amusement parks, beaches, scenery and other recreational amenities, North County is already a desirable vacation spot, said Desmond, the former San Marcos mayor first elected as the District 5 supervisor in 2018.
North County is also home to top-notch educational institutions, including Cal State San Marcos; strong biotechnology and tourism industries; arts, culture and festivals; and the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, Desmond said.
Desmond pointed out success stories such as the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside; an 11% increase in craft breweries; and agriculture, which represents $3 billion in economic impact and 16,000 jobs for San Diego County.
He conceded that homelessness remains a serious problem countywide and "is not a challenge for one person, one group or one sector alone to overcome — nor is there one tool or one approach."
The supervisor said it's important to set clear standards on how to help people experiencing homelessness, and he said sleeping on sidewalks or defecating in the streets or waterways is unacceptable. He added that "we should not be allowing this to happen."
The nation's mental health crisis is one cause of homelessness, and while programs are available, "we should require sober living, mandatory drug testing and counseling in treatment for getting people off the streets," Desmond said.
Desmond, an opponent of the county's harm-reduction program — which includes the distribution of needles to drug users, said he and other leaders were able to stop it from being carried out in North County.
He noted that one of his first actions as a supervisor was getting $20 million to reopen Tri-City Medical Center Hospital's psychiatric health facility, which led to an additional crisis stabilization unit in Oceanside, along with one in Vista.
"They're a great tool for law enforcement," Desmond said.
Out of an estimated 10,000 homeless people in county, about 10% are receiving substance abuse treatment, according to Desmond, who said the county is negotiating to purchase the Vista-based Green Oak Ranch sober-living facility.
Desmond said he envisions Green Oak Ranch "as a controlled campus for healing," with 24/7 staff and security that will allow those fighting addiction to return to a stable life.
"It's something we desperately need," Desmond said.
He touted public safety achievements such as the North County Family Justice Center to help people in abusive domestic relationships; the Blue Envelope Program, which assists residents with disabilities or conditions requiring additional accommodation from law enforcement officers; and beefed-up firefighting tools, including more helicopters, water resources and additional battery power for traffic lights.
Desmond said that next month, he'll ask the Board of Supervisors to increase funding for fire districts "to keep our rural areas safer."
Desmond said that while the county deals with certain social problems, it must also meet infrastructure demands, including its 2,000 miles of roads.
"If your government isn't taking care of streets and roads, they're failing at other things," he said, adding the county just received $4.5 million for maintenance, but more is needed.
The county just broke ground on a new park for the community of Fallbrook, along with $900,000 to help leaders update their downtown plan.
"Unfortunately ... a lot of our challenges are government's fault," Desmond said. "Government should be your ally, not an obstacle."
Taxes, state regulations and other costs keep young families "from reaching the American dream, from owning a house," and forcing others to leave California, Desmond said.
Desmond said one-third of housing costs come from government regulations.
"We've got to be able to keep our next generation here," otherwise the jobs will leave as well, he said.
He encouraged elected officials sitting in the audience to push for more housing in the county, which he said is not a right- or left-wing issue.
Desmond took aim at the state gas tax increasing by 2 cents in July and said that, combined with other fees, it pushes the price per gallon up by $1.43. Two cents doesn't seem like a lot, he said, but it adds up in terms of grocery prices or services such as landscaping, as the costs are passed down to consumers.
As he has at regular supervisor meetings, Desmond stressed the need for a safer, more orderly immigration process for those coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.
"We do want immigration" to fill certain jobs, Desmond said.
But he said there have been 150,000 migrants dropped off in the county since last September, which he called overwhelming and unsafe.
"We need immigration with dignity," featuring a proper process that doesn't take two or three years, Desmond said. "Let's let the good people in and keep the bad people out — and we're not doing that."
