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Letters: Preston, Blackwell are the public safety choice

As a fire captain and Encinitas Public Health and Safety Commissioner, I take public safety seriously. I’m supporting Allison Blackwell and Destiny Preston for Encinitas City Council because they are, without question, the most qualified candidates to lead our city.

Allison Blackwell is an attorney and corporate executive whose record on the City Council demonstrates her commitment to public safety. For instance, she voted to allocate funds to hire two new Sheriff’s Deputies in the latest city budget.

Allison has also been endorsed by the Encinitas Firefighters Association. She consistently supports the City’s Fire and Marine Safety teams, helping provide them with the equipment they need to keep themselves and the community safe. Both Blackwell and Preston have been strong advocates for improving rail safety.

They have pushed for a citywide quiet zone and safer rail crossings. Their commitment to these issues was made clear during the August 14, 2024, City Council meeting and through their responses to the questionnaires published on the Encinitas Quiet Zone website.

Destiny Preston has nearly a decade of experience in public safety. She has worked to address coastal hazards, improve evacuation planning, and make streets safer for everyone. Currently, she works full-time as an Assistant Deputy Director of Planning for the public agency responsible for allocating funds and adopting policies to further transportation safety infrastructure improvements.

Her work directly impacts the safety of Encinitas residents. Destiny is actively engaged with Bike Walk Encinitas and has been endorsed by its chair, Judy Berlfein, an Encinitas resident since 1986.

One of the driving forces behind Destiny’s decision to run for office was the tragic death of 15-year-old Brodee Champlain-Kingman, who was killed while riding his e-bike. This collision, which led the city to declare a State of Emergency, underscored the urgent need to improve the safety of our streets — a priority Destiny is determined to tackle.

Unfortunately, some candidates, such as Shaffer and his surrogates, have made misleading statements to try to divert attention from Blackwell’s strong public safety record.

Shaffer and O’Hara supporters wrote two op-eds that demonstrated a complete lack of basic due diligence when they misquoted Preston, levied baseless accusations about her positions on public safety and Measure K, and alleged a nonexistent campaign expenditure, clearly misinformed about her fundraising software platform, Numero. Additionally, O’Hara’s recent mailer falsely claimed that he received “the only public safety endorsement for District 2.”

That’s the only public safety endorsement that Bruce Ehlers, Luke Shaffer, and Jim O’Hara have received among them – but it’s not the only public safety endorsement available to candidates. Also, neither Bruce Ehlers nor Luke Shaffer even bothered to complete the Bike Walk Encinitas questionnaire, leaving voters uncertain about their actual plans for improving public safety.

Encinitas should be led by candidates with a proven history of implementing effective public safety policies. As an Encinitas resident and firefighter with over 20 years of public service experience, this issue is extremely important to me.

We need council members who are prepared to get to work on day one to make Encinitas a safe community for everyone. That’s why I urge you to vote for Destiny Preston for District 2 and Allison Blackwell for District 1. They are the right choice for ensuring our city’s future safety and well-being.

By supporting Preston and Blackwell, we can make Encinitas a safer place for all.

Lauren Andrade
Encinitas

5 comments

Ronette October 24, 2024 at 9:53 pm

Thank you, Laura Andrade, for your commentary in support of two amazing women, Destiny Preston and Allison Blackwell. I’m glad you called out those who are making misleading statements and spreading misinformation to discredit Allison and Destiny- and the authors of 2 of the comments above have tried to discredit you! It is absolutely clear that those who back the other 2 male candidates are worried because Mr. O’Hara and Mr. Shaffer have nothing close to the impressive experience that both Allison and Destiny have.

Thank you for pointing out that Allison was an attorney and chief human resources officer. As a result of those careers, Allison is skilled at strategic planning and problem solving. She led our city council to create the Affordable Housing Task Force, which has offered new opportunities and innovative solutions to address housing concerns. Allison Blackwell has earned her position as Deputy Mayor of Encinitas.

Destiny Preston works full-time for the California Transportation Commission as an Assistant Deputy Director of Transportation Planning. Destiny has had 10 years of broad experience in academia, nonprofits, the private sector, and local/state government and 8 years of civil service experience, focusing on environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and transportation planning. She was a Climate Change Planner & Regional Transportation Planner for Caltrans and worked for CA the Coastal Commission. Who could match a job resume like that!?

I agree with Ms. Andrade: Without question, Allison Blackwell and Destiny Preston are the most qualified candidates to lead our city.

Oppsforall October 24, 2024 at 8:34 am

Fire Captain and Public Safety Commissioner Lauren Andrade is a dedicated public servant and a truthteller. The City of Encinitas has experienced a 20% decrease in its crime rate while Captain Andrade has served as a Public Safety Commissioner.
Here is a message to the previous commenters to this excellently written article that addresses attacks on two highly qualified City Council candidates. The good people of Encinitas are intolerant of the dehumanizing language used to defame our highly accomplished women leaders. These leaders’ lives reflect “service above self”. They are dedicated to expertise in their leadership roles in public service professions and our city is fortunate to have their generous willingness to serve. The fact that the prolific spreaders of disinformation target progressive candidates and citizens reflects a clanlike divisive mentality. They fail to understand Encinitas history that has demonstrated that the more abusive campaigns have been, the greater loss the candidates they support will experience. It is also clear that the less qualified a candidate , the more vicious the campaign tactics and focus on personal attacks and not qualifications. Lou Tappett…do you really think that we should believe the word of a resident who has spent over a decade trying to put a gate around our city and lives in the false reality that our city should stay like it was in the 1950s? A person who believes a young over qualified woman candidate should sit back and take abuse from a senior citizen resident who spreads disinformation is a misogynist? I honor Fire Captain Lauren Andrade who has dedicated her professional life to sacrificing her own safety to save others. Vote for candidates whose history of public service and campaign behavior reflects the core character of the spirit of Encinitans:

Reelect Mayor Tony Kranz
Allison Blackwell for District 1
Destiny Preston for District 2

Thank you Fire Captain Lauren Andrade for your generous service to our city.

Lou Tappet October 18, 2024 at 8:17 am

Andrade neglects to say where she’s a fire chief – Orange County, working with Mali Woods-Drake’s husband. Put up to write this tangle of hints – watch her language closely – she can’t cover up up the fact that Jim O’Hara, not Destiny Preston, received the Encinitas Firefighters endorsement. Andrade is one person speaking as an Orange County employee and the very recently-established, toothless Public Safety Commission.

With evidence shown, here’s the real public safety story about Blackwell and Preston: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tio8twpA4Ic&fbclid=IwY2xjawF_WkFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYUt3cpgRGM6b_tgICVTg02yzj-10p_pAUr-EAr9GYRK047iYIdQoAvPpg_aem_-DeOhOqcFb0rraSa2KJAMA

steve333 October 17, 2024 at 4:57 pm

Preston has lived here for 2 years. Who runs for City Council after that short a period of time?
She was hand picked by Catherine Blakespear from The Emerge candidate mill.
The last thing we need is another Blakespear puppet.
Blackwell was not elected and Kranz made her Deputy Mayor. Haven’t we all had enough of this nonsense?
Ask yourself if Encinitas is a safer town than before Blakespear and Kranz were elected.
We all know that it isn’t.
It’s time for a new team:
Bruce Ehlers for Mayor
Luke Shaffer for D1
Jim O’Hara for D2

rachel October 17, 2024 at 4:38 pm

The author, Andrade, works with political activist and Union Organizer Mali Wood’s husband. She rarely shows to her commission meetings. Correction to her false statements: There is only one public safety endorsement for District 2, the Encinitas Fire Fighters have indeed endorsed JIM O’HARA. And Jim quoted Preston exactly, saying she may invest less in public safety. Preston, an 18 month AirBnB resident who is unfamiliar with Encinitas, rolled back her comments, only after she was quoted by Jim. Blackwell also states investing less in public safety is on her radar. Why would a PHS Commissioner support this rhetoric? Andrade needs to inform herself before supporting two ladies who are cyberbullying the senior citizen Democrats in Encinitas and threatening us with pulling public safety funds? She should step down from the Public Health and Safety Commission. Bullies should never be supported by a person touting safety.

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