Jack Shu in photograph in downtown La Mesa Ca.

During my campaign for City Council there were four qualities that defined me as a candidate: Experience, Integrity, Equity and Action. I hope to use these attributes in my work on the Council towards a vision for our community that leaves nobody behind.



http://www.korematsuinstitute.org/

In 1998, Fred Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton. In 2010, the state of California passed the Freed Korematsu Day  bill making January 30 the first day in the U.S. named after an Asian American. Korematsu’s growing legacy continues to inspire people of all backgrounds and demonstrates the importance of speaking up to fight injustice.

January 30th will be proclaimed as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution by the La Mesa Council at its January 26th meeting at 6:00 PM

Newly elected Councilmember Jack Shu asked Mayor Dr. Mark Arapostathis to make the Proclamation. "It is important for our community to learn about Fred Korematsu, what he and other Japanese Americans went through due to racism and misinformation from the government." said Councilmember Shu. "We also need to apply the Korematsu story to current local issues, to understand the core causes of racial tension in our neighborhoods, the need for police reform, to get beyond the knee jerk reactions of defensiveness and worse, promoting fear and hate". The Proclamation also notes that both One Book One San Diego selections for this year are about children who where imprisoned during World War II because of there Japanese heritage.



Special Guests to the Council Meeting:

Dr. Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu and Executive Director of the Korematsu Institute will attend the meeting via Zoom to accept the Proclamation.

George Takei, Actor and Activist, will attend the meeting via Zoom to make some comments about his book They Called Us Enemy one of the One Book One San Diego books for this year.


WHEN: Tuesday, January 26 at 6:00 pm. This is one of the first items on the agenda.


WHERE: Link to the meeting 


https://zoom.us/j/92910400639 


The link for the Agenda which also has the link to the meeting and one to the Proclamation:


https://www.cityoflamesa.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01262021-1196?html=true


MORE INFORMATION: About Fred Korematsu go to:


http://www.korematsuinstitute.org/homepage



La Mesa Police Building

Public Safety


The reputation of our City and our Police Department has been tarnished by recent events. I will work to restore the public’s trust by supporting and adequately funding a Citizen’s Police Oversight Board that will help insure effective, just, and equitable law enforcement in La Mesa.


The La Mesa community has a long history of trying to work with our police department. Neighborhood Watch, the RSVP program, Coffee With a Cop, and Shop With a Cop, have contributed to the Department’s show of goodwill. However, our problems were not simply the actions of a few bad apples but rather the outcome of an organization with serious, deeply-rooted cultural problems. I will work for the systemic changes needed to eliminate gender, racial, and economic bias as well as the Department’s ability to take criticism. All public servants, especially our police officers, need to be held accountable. By doing so, they will regain the public’s trust and restore honor and respect to their oath; To Serve and Protect.
Green transit bus

Transportation and Environment


I will work to continually update and improve our Climate Action Plan. La Mesa has three major freeways that surround and cut through our community. This is our single, greatest source of pollution that result in higher rates of asthma, cancer, birth defects, and other chronic illnesses for our community.


SANDAG’s Regional Transportation Plan does not adequately address the health impact of air pollution created by the freeway system. They have not set goals and target dates to remedy the problem. I will fight until this harm to our environment is resolved. 


My years of experience with the Park Service have taught me the importance of clean air and a healthy lifestyle. As an avid hiker myself, I have been a strong advocate for walkability, safe routes to school, protected bike lanes, and major improvements to our public transit system. In La Mesa, “Share the Road” will not just be a slogan, it will be a commitment to pedestrian mobility. 
Photograph of a homeless man

Homelessness and Affordable Housing


Homelessness is largely due to the lack of affordable housing. The Grand Jury has chastised the City for nor doing enough, while the State requires us to build more affordable units. The pace of residential construction must increase if we are to meet these mandates.

In the meantime, La Mesa struggles to cobble together the public and private resources—and drive—needed to make a measure, positive difference. Given the country’s current economic situation, homelessness is expected to rise in the near future. The City will need to find more ways to support and accommodate its unhoused residents while still enlisting the help of regional agencies, our faith community, and other charitable organizations. Simply moving our homeless neighbors to less visible locations or out of our City—will not be my policy.

The City must streamline its permit process to facilitate upgrades that will make our current housing stock to more sustainable. In addition, additional senior housing will encourage retirees to downsize, freeing up the much-needed family housing for our next generation.
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