Jacob Reflects On 28 Years Of Representing East San Diego County

Speaker 1: 00:00 The longest serving member of the San Diego County board of supervisors steps down next month. Diane, Jacob will leave office after representing her East County district for 28 years. Supervisor Jacob has seen mayors governors and presidents come and go during her tenure and seen both the landscape and politics of San Diego County change substantially. She can look back over a career that saw San Diego increase its fire protection and struggle with the issues of housing, social services and development journey may is San Diego County supervisor Diane, Jacob, and welcome to the Speaker 2: 00:37 Well, thank you. It's it's a great pleasure for me to be here, Speaker 1: 00:40 You know, with you and longtime supervisor, Greg Cox, leaving the board next month. It really is the end of an era at the County. How are the needs of the County different now from when you took office in 1993? Speaker 2: 00:53 Well, if we look back to 1993, the County was on the brink of bankruptcy and it was drowning in red ink. And the board at that time had the challenge of fixing the finances. That was the number one priority until we got the fiscal house in order, we could not really move forward to do anything else as we have done over the last 28 years. So fast forward to today. In fact, just a couple of years back is we have huge challenges now facing us with a housing shortage, the homelessness issue, behavioral health issues, and those issues were always out there, but not like they are today. So big, big challenges today that are very, very different. And I think the new board is, is really going to face those challenges head on, Speaker 1: 01:47 You know, the County board has been frequently criticized for being too careful with its reserves and not addressing major problems like social services for people in need or mental health services. Now, as you step back and assess your time in office, do you think some of those criticisms Speaker 2: 02:05 Fair? No, I don't. I don't at all because the reserves were exactly what we needed to have in place in case of emergency. And we saw the 2003 Cedar fire where the County was able to step up and use some of those emergency funds to help those fire victims. And also in 2007, had we not had the reserves that we had today, we had, we would not have been able to help our businesses with the economic stimulus program and rental a system, other programs where we're helping both businesses and individuals during this COVID crisis. Speaker 1: 02:47 How's the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the County? How has that compare to other challenges the County has faced during your time on the board? Speaker 2: 02:56 It's like no other, this pandemic is something that, that none of us have ever seen during my time on the board. And the only thing in my lifetime I could go back to was the polio epidemic back in the fifties. And I was in high school at the time. And I remember that I was in junior high and high school at the time. And I remember it very vividly, but this pandemic is even different than that. It huge challenges the effect, not only on the health of the people in San Diego, but also on the businesses. And then there's been so much disagreement in the community. And even with elected officials, even with elected officials on my board about how this should be handled and it's, it's easy to sit back and be critical of somebody else when you're not walking in their shoes and you don't have the same information. And I, you know, I could be as critical as anybody else's in terms of how I feel that this has been handled, but that really at this point, doesn't do us any good. We really need to come together. The lights at the end of the tunnel, the vaccinations are out today and soon people will get those vaccination. I hope they do take advantage of them. It's not going to do any good to have the availability of the vaccinations. If people will not get the vaccine. Speaker 1: 04:23 Are there things that you think the County board should do that should be sure to do to respond to the pandemic and overcoming the economic fall? Speaker 2: 04:34 Because of our, uh, we've been on sound financial ground. We have been able to put in almost $30 million to, uh, assist our businesses and then even more than that to assist some folks with their rent and we've waived fees in different departments, uh, to help our businesses and individuals. So from a County government standpoint, I feel that we've done as much as we can do and as much as we can afford the pheasant need to step up. And it's very frustrating to watch the arguing in Washington about another stimulus package. When we have our businesses sitting here shut down once again, and really struggling. Some of them may not, may not be coming back. Speaker 1: 05:23 How did the devastation of the Cedar fire back in 2003, how did that change the county's attitude toward fire protection? Speaker 2: 05:30 It was the first time in the history of San Diego Kennedy that a fire in our back country area actually went into the cities. What happened at that moment in time was a realization of all five supervisors and three of the five basically represent cities, but it was a realization then with the Cedar fire that, Hey, this is a regional issue. Even though I had been saying it for some, it was, it was kinda like a, that's a back country issue. That's Jacob's issue, that's Horn's issue. And we were able then to really pick up on the momentum to bring together the unincorporated area, volunteer fire agencies. And there were about 35 of them at the time that we consolidated about 1.5 million acres, but actually the story of the San Diego County fire protection district, as we know it today goes way back to 1993. Speaker 2: 06:33 When I came on LAFCo I had asked for an analysis of the discrepancies with both service and finances of our fire departments in the unincorporated area. And they were huge. And with that, we move forward little by little working with fire chiefs and working with others to try to bring money into help out those volunteer fire departments. As soon as back in the seventies that the County got out of the fire business. And I felt that was a bad decision. And I had set out then to try to make that right. It took quite a few years. We kept putting more money in, we did a micro study, a macro study, we got all the data, all the information, and then the Cedar fire hit. And that moment in time really speed it up the infusion of money that the County has put into it to the tune of over $575 million a year. Speaker 2: 07:39 And that's over 50 million annually. We have the fire stations in the unincorporated area, that house firefighters, uh, 24 seven, we also have paramedic service that we don't have. So the end result is we are able as a County now with fire protection district to be a partner with other city departments and also departments like Lakeside and Sam McGill that are fire districts to be able to come together to fight a fire. And I can tell you without question two things, one, we are far better prepared today to fight a fire and respond to those emergencies, which include medical emergencies than we were ever ever before. And we have coordination of effort in this region among our fire agencies, like none other in the entire country. Speaker 1: 08:39 What more do you think the County might be able to do to help us with our fire protection needs? Speaker 2: 08:44 Well, we will continue to invest and, and to improve and the fire protection area, uh, there's always more to be done, but the heavy lifting has been done. So that enables us now to really invest as we have in the last couple of years and other issues that we're facing the challenges of homelessness and behavioral health. We have a lot of people on the streets that have mental health problems and then our seniors, um, those with Alzheimer's disease. And we, we just had a conversation earlier this morning with West health and we have geriatric emergency departments. Now we will in every one of our hospital emergency departments, and those are specialized emergency departments for senior citizens that will specifically address the needs of those seniors. So it's from seniors. It's not just the fire and the emergency medical, but it's, uh, the homeless situation and across the board, and let's not forget our kids we've done a lot. Speaker 2: 09:56 I go back as an elementary school teacher and one of my passions for kids. And I saw firsthand when I was teaching that you get out there, get the kids out there on a ball field as a part of a team they're learning life skills. Uh, they're actually by exercising and, and involving themselves in physical activity that carried directly into the classroom, into their academics, to where I saw students that were not doing well in their math or reading or their academics go out onto the field and be successful, come into the classroom. And it really improved their academics in the classroom. And, and also for our kids, if they're exercising, which is good for them, it's keeping them out of trouble. So we've managed over the last 28 years in partnering with others, we've built over 130 different ball fields and pools and parks and playgrounds and you name it. Uh, my goal was to have the best recreational facilities in the region and all targeted towards our kids now, Speaker 1: 11:11 Well known supervisor Jacob, that you've been a major critic of San Diego gas and electric you've argued against rate increases the sunrise. Powerlink the public safety power shutoffs. In fact, you've had a real feud going with SDG and a, what do you hope the county's relationship with SDG and E becomes moving forward? Speaker 2: 11:31 Well, let me first be clear. My problem with SDG and E are not the workers that are out there, uh, day in and day out it's with the management and those that set the policies for SDG and E and frankly, it's a monopoly. And whenever you have a monopoly of any kind in this case, electricity is a lifeblood commodity. It's something that we, as people cannot do without, and there's a huge lack of competition in the market. So what I'm hoping going forward is that there is some competition to SDG and E the ultimate would be to form a municipal, municipal utility district. I don't know if the regions elected officials collectively have the stomach for that, but if you look at public power and public power systems, not just in California, but throughout the nation, it's a lot cheaper. And we sit here in San Diego County with SDG and E and we have some of the highest electricity rates in the region, and that's not right, and it's not fair to our businesses. It's not fair to individuals. There's a better way Speaker 1: 12:47 Challenge that remains is for the County to develop a climate action plan that won't be thrown out in court. Why has that been so difficult? Speaker 2: 12:56 Well, the County got it wrong. And unfortunately, part of the problem was looking at the mitigation being out of the County and even out of the country for what they call these offsets, where you could mitigate in, in our region on the greenhouse gas emissions. That was one of the primary reasons that the court said that the, the county's climate action plan was invalid and it should have been fixed a long time ago, uh, supervisor Fletcher, and I, we have not voted to appeal the court decision. Uh, I, both of us Nathan can speak for himself, of course, but, but both of us believe very clearly that the County should have focused all its money, all its energy on fixing the climate action plan. I had sat down some time ago with representatives of the Sierra club, and I truly believe that there is a plan. There is a way to come up with a climate action plan that works, and there just needs to be the will to do it. And with the majority of the board, I have not seen the will to do just that. And the County staff has gotten it wrong. Our lawyers got it wrong. So now's, now's the time get it right. Speaker 1: 14:21 You think the new board will be more successful Speaker 2: 14:23 Then? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Speaker 1: 14:25 No supervisor Jacob, the candidate, you preferred to step into your district to chair on the board. Didn't make it. Joel Anderson will be sworn in next month. How do you think that will impact your district? Speaker 2: 14:38 Time will tell time will tell. I reached out to Joel and after the election results were certified and it offered to him that I would help and his transition anyway, that I possibly could. I feel that that's in the best interest of the people that, uh, he will serve that I have served over the last 28 years. My interest is in the people, and I care a lot about the people in the district and their needs and moving forward. Um, again, no one knows how an individual is going to govern or once they're until they're in the seat and start doing it. So I, along with many other people are going to be watching, uh, obviously I, I was disappointed in the outcome, but it is what it is. Speaker 1: 15:29 And did Mr. Anderson take you up on your offer to help him with the transition? Speaker 2: 15:34 Yes. He was very appreciative and, and again, we'll help in any way he wants it's up to him, how much help he wants Speaker 1: 15:42 During most of your time on the board, the board was all Republican. Now there's a democratic majority. How do you see that working out? Speaker 2: 15:51 I don't see the issues that we face in local government being Republican or Democrat. The issues are people issues and the needs of people need to be met regardless of what the party is. It should be people over party. It should be people over politics. I'm very, very concerned about the term limits and the fact that a member of the board of supervisors now will be limited to two terms, which would be a total of eight years. I'm not sure that term limits is going to give a person enough time to really dig in and take on some, some major projects. I mean, I can go back and tell you some, a couple of the projects it's taken me more than 20 years to complete, but you never give up. So I believe that there will be a shift in priorities, a shift in, in spending. But again, I would hope that the new board members will keep an eye on what's important to the people and to listen to the people and hear what people are saying, not just a small vocal minority, but all the people it's that silent majority to that is not so vocal that that needs to be supported and needs to be heard. Speaker 1: 17:12 What are your plans for your next chapter? Speaker 2: 17:15 I have a list 28 years long, and, um, we have a ranch in and homo and deer horn Valley. And, uh, we have contracted with the El Capitan stadium association ag program for well over 15 years now. And we grow Otay on the property. So to do a little more, uh, ranching and farming activity on the ranch, and I really need to improve my golf game. It's it's suffered a bit. Speaker 1: 17:50 Well, good luck with that. I've been speaking with San Diego County supervisor, Diane, Jacob. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you.