San Diego County’s decision to give up federal funding to create local jobs upset County Supervisor Ron Roberts, my colleague Kelly Bennett reported last night. For good reason.
On the campaign trail, Roberts said creating jobs is the county’s top priority. Here’s Roberts at a candidate forum in Mission Valley prior to June’s primary election:
In the next four years, the highest priority for San Diegans has got to be to increase the number of jobs for people. We’re seeing an economy that’s not going to come robustly back and I think easily for the next four years this has to be the top priority.
At that forum and during a debate on KPBS, Roberts promoted job creation without the use of federal stimulus funding. But he’s for using government money to spur new jobs in the private sector, something the money the county rejected would have done.
Along with fellow Supervisor Bill Horn, Roberts faces a general election battle in November. Only once before had a current supervisor, all five of whom have been in office since the mid-1990s, faced a runoff as an incumbent.
— LIAM DILLON