Politics & Government

Virtual Town Hall Questions for Bryan Ziegler

Ziegler: "I am going to cut government spending like no one else."

Bryan Ziegler is a candidate for San Diego County Supervisor District 3. Here he fields questions from imaginary voters asking about real-life issues.

Patch: I’m 52 and own a greeting card shop, and this economy is still killing me. Why should I vote for you?

Bryan Ziegler: You should vote for me because I am a Tea Party Republican and believe in cutting every aspect of government spending. I believe in small government and almost zero government spending. I want to take our county government spending to an all time low so that we can put money back in your pocket. I will do everything in my power to cut property taxes down so that the citizens of our great county have more money to spend on greeting cards or anything else they want to buy with their hard earned money.

Find out what's happening in Encinitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: I’m a 37-year-old public school teacher, and every year I fear losing my job. Why should I vote for you?

Ziegler: You should vote for me because our children's education is very important to me. I have four children that are or will be in public schools. I want them to have a good education, which comes from having small classrooms of 20 students or less. I will do everything in my power to keep classroom sizes small and make sure good teachers keep their jobs. I also want to put the Bible back in schools. We need to remember that our nation and our education system was founded on God and biblical principles. It is amazing to me that we cannot talk about God, the Bible or any religion in schools. I want to have at least one hour a week dedicated to allowing off campus pastors, priests and religious leaders of their parents choosing come on campus and teach our children. It is preposterous that we can't talk about the Bible or any religion in schools. My son was recently told by his school that he could not bring his Bible to school or talk about Jesus in the classroom. I put a stop to that and my son was able to bring his Bible in for sharing. I want to protect all of our children's First Amendment right to freedom of religion. Schools can't tell us that we can't talk about our faith. Our faith and our God is instrumental to our schools.

Find out what's happening in Encinitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Patch: I’m 25 and graduated college 14 months ago, but I still can’t find work. Why should I vote for you?

Ziegler: I am going to institute a program at the County Department of Planning and Land Use where the County would only have a limited amount of time to approve a permit for a new business or the permit would be free. This program will bring in more businesses to our county and create more jobs. More jobs mean more opportunities for you to go out and get a job. 

Patch: I’m 52 and my commute to work is close to an hour. So these gas prices really pinch. Why should I vote for you?

Ziegler: When I was a Deputy City Attorney, we passed a law that made it illegal for gas stations to raise their prices more than 10 cents a gallon.  As your Supervisor I will promote and pass similar laws that will stop gas stations from continuing to raise our gas prices so high that we cannot afford it.

I also want to change the County workweek to a four day, ten-hours-a-day schedule across the board. That extra day off will reduce the amount of money we spend on gas, electricity in the offices and our carbon footprint. It saved Salt Lake City and many other jurisdictions millions of dollars and we can do it too. I will also promote telecommuting and other opportunities to help fight gridlock and pollution.

Patch: I’m 90 and can’t leave my house because I hear police sirens all the time and my neighbors had their car broken into. Why should I vote for you?

Ziegler: I have been a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for over ten years. Public safety is number one. I will ensure that we have the proper funding and support for law enforcement. The Sheriff and Police Department are doing an amazing job that I have witnessed first hand. If you have a special fear or concern in your neighborhood I will personally come out and work with you to find a viable solution to your problem. I have also been a neighborhood prosecutor for seven years and have been solving every sort of community problem you can think of. No other candidate has that kind of experience or the intensity or the drive to solve it like I do. I want to be your government servant.

Patch: I’m a 48-year-old member of a local taxpayers association. I’ve lost faith in a government that overspends our tax dollars and thinks six-figure pensions are OK. Why should I vote for you?

Ziegler: You should vote for me because I am going to cut government spending like no one else. Let's be clear, though, that all of the candidates for Supervisor have some form of a pension coming into them. At the County we have already taken steps to reduce the amount of money that government is paying on behalf of its employees. The employees pay for their pension just like other people pay for their 401K. I think we need to have options available if employees want to opt out of their pension and opt for a 401K or other similar programs. The County's pension is 100 percent paid for and is a model for the rest of the country.

For more information about Bryan Ziegler, you can visit his campaign website.

So how did Bryan Ziegler do? What did you like or dislike about his answers? Tell us in the comments.

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