Sunday, August 30, 2020

WHO IS QUENTIN PULLEN AND WHAT DOES HE STAND FOR?

DISCLAIMER
Ever since he declared himself a candidate for Mayor of Costa Mesa earlier this year I have been attempting to have a conversation with Quentin Pullen - unsuccessfully.  I've reached out several times and, in fairness to him, I told him from the beginning that I was voting for Mayor Katrina Foley, but was eager to hear his ideas about what he thinks it takes to be the mayor of this city.  It's very possible he decided he had nothing to gain by chatting with me.  I get that.

STILL, I'M CURIOUS
Mr. Pullen is a Marine veteran, a trainer who markets himself as "Coach Q" and tells us he's a long-term Costa Mesa resident who has lived in several neighborhoods throughout the city.  His Facebook page is nice and he's produced a bunch of YouTube videos superficially speaking about specific issues in our city.  He also has a bunch of nice endorsement videos by friends.  It's a nice touch.

BUT... PRIORITIES AND SOLUTIONS?
As I told him in my last communication with him, I'm very curious about what he, as a black man in a city with fewer than 2% black population and considering the current incendiary racial atmosphere in our country, hoped to accomplished as Mayor of Costa Mesa - specifically.  I want to know what he thinks are the most pressing issues in our city in his order of priority.  I want to know what his ideas are about solutions to those problems.  We get no clue from his website nor his videos.

HOMELESSNESS
I want to know what his views on our homelessness issue.  Does he agree with the tactics the current council has taken to resolve it?  If not, what are his ideas?

COVID-19
How does he feel about the management of the COVID-19 pandemic by our current council? Is it good, bad or somewhere in between?  What would he do differently?

ECONOMY
The COVID-19 pandemic created a tremendous economic problem for our city and every other city.  What are his thoughts on this issue?  He tells us in one of his videos that he has not been able to operate his business since March of this year.  How has he managed to survive?  What does he want the city to do that it has not done?

HOUSING
In one of his videos he addresses the need for more housing, but seems to be unaware of recent efforts to provide it and of the state mandate to produce nearly 12,000 more housing units in the very near future.  What are his plans for solving this issue?

BLACK LIVES MATTER
Because he displays a huge Black Lives Matter banner in his garage workout studio I presume he is sympathetic to that organization.  I very much wanted to talk with him about that, to get a sense of just why he supports it and how that supportive feeling might affect his performance as Mayor of my city.  I want to know how he feels about the ongoing demonstrations and riots taking place in the name of that organization around the country.  I want to know how he feels about the societal unrest, and what, as mayor, he thinks he can do to manage it should it become an issue in our town.

NO PARTY PREFERENCE
Since he tells us that he is neither a Democrat nor a Republican - he says he's an American - I find myself wondering how he plans to carve out alliances as one vote on a seven-member city council?  Yes, the council is supposed to be non-partisan, but that ship sailed two decades ago when Chris Steel and Allan Mansoor were first elected and partisanship was amplified during the Jim Righeimer/Steve Mensinger era.  I want to know what kind of a consensus-builder he is.

I WOULD PROBABLY LIKE HIM, BUT...
Based only on the little I know about Quentin Pullen I think I would like him.  I think he's probably sincere about wanting to help our city.  However, it's unclear that he really understands the complexity of municipal governance and what kind of negotiations are necessary to accomplish things - even if he has them clearly defined.  I fear he's just the latest in a long line of well-intentioned residents who want to "do something", but who don't take the time to study and grasp the issues.  I'm sorry he has chosen to not chat with me.  Perhaps he will address these issues for the voters to see... somewhere.

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