San Diegans can now go to the beach as long as they maintain physical distancing and don’t congregate or lay down blankets. Now, we must begin identifying the opportunities to restart San Diego’s economic engine.
 
The bad news: We can’t be back to “business as usual.”
The good news: We don’t need to.
 
Tough times create an opportunity for positive change. With municipal revenues in freefall and the effects of COVID-19 still unfolding, the City of San Diego must prepare to operate in new ways and to lead an effort to build an inclusive economic recovery.
 
On Thursday, I will be holding a virtual news conference on the budget, at which I will outline the incredible opportunities we have to learn from this crisis and view it as a catalyst to re-think how the city delivers services and uses tax dollars more efficiently and with greater accountability for results.
 
In advance of Thursday’s budget news conference, I also want to invite you to attend two “House Calls” hosted by my Council office this week, which include a few of the experts to whom I am turning to inform my perspective:
 

Monday, April 27 at 5 pm: Mental Health Checkup

From the homeless to those quarantined at home, our current crisis has compounded the challenges of addressing mental health issues. Please join me and the experts today at 5 pm:

1. Dr. Suzi Hong, Associate Professor at UCSD,
2. Dr. David Janowski, Emeritus Professor at UCSD,
3. Marc Rosenbuerg, Marriage and Family Therapist, and
4. Dr. Helanne Fronek, Physician Coach, and Professor at UCSD

Wednesday, April 29 at 5:30 pm: Small Business Resilience

Small business is the engine of our local economy. As we begin our economic recovery, we must understand the hurdles small businesses are already facing -- especially those in already disadvantaged communities -- and build the right platforms to overcome those hurdles. Please join me and the experts on Wednesday at 5:30 pm:

1. Tayde Aburto, President & CEO of Hispanic Chamber of E-Commerce
2. Donna DeBerry, President of San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce

These are undoubtedly tough times. Tougher for some people than others. But if we are smart, and we embrace a new perspective with an eye to making city government more efficient and accountable, we can create opportunities out of crises.
 
May you and your family be safe, secure, and optimistic.

Let’s go,
 

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