Jim Lomako
for Pasadena City Council, District 2
March 6, 2007
Walk for
Jim
Every Saturday 10 am & 1 pm
Spend two hours walking and knocking on doors. We'll be doing two
shifts, 10:00 and 1:00, so pick the best time and give us a call or
email to get the the starting location or to ask questions. Call
626-794-1234 or email jim4pasadena@gmail.com to volunteer.
Learn How to Run a
Campaign
Jim and the rest of the team have many years of campaigning experience.
Every volunteer will learn something about how to get votes, but if you
want to learn more, we invite you to commit
to taking responsibility for some area of the effort with the help of an
experienced veteran. Please contact us if you're
interested.
Contribute
We need money to pay for mailing to win this election. Any
amount is appreciated. If you donate $100.00 or more, the law requires
that we report your name, address, occupation, and employer. Click the button
to pay through Paypal with a credit card, debit card,
or from a checking account. Thank you.
Videos
Jim Discusses
Controlling Growth with the Bungalow Heaven Neighborhood Association
Contact Us
Call 626-794-1234
Or mailto:jim4pasadena@gmail.com
Dear Supporter of Historic Preservation,
I seek your support for my campaign for election to the Pasadena City Council. As someone committed to protecting our past, you know that Pasadena has gotten off track with respect to historic preservation. You understand more than most that we are the custodians of a cultural treasure, and that our responsibility extends beyond Pasadena to the world and to future generations.
Fortunately for Pasadena, that historic endowment is also an economic cornucopia for our city. Preserving our past in the context of carefully managed growth has been the recipe for Pasadena’s renaissance and expanding vitality over the last two decades. Unfortunately, we are in danger of losing that vision and we are already losing some of our treasures.
For over five years, as a member of the Design Commission, I was a leading voice for historic preservation. I was able to frame the issues, forge consensus, and insure that the Commission was one of the most effective defenders of our architectural past in the city. I am ready to take that lead on the city council.
When the City Council considered the demolition of the Herkimer Arms as part of the Fuller Theological Seminary Master Plan not a single council member stood up to save this unique treasure. If the council had really listened to the speakers before them that night they would have realized that the Herkimer Arms should be viewed as either a remarkable precursor to Pasadena’s contemporary tradition of excellence in affordable housing or its historic cornerstone. Far from being an insignificant structure, it is a unique piece of our past that deserves to be preserved on its own merits.
The council member who I hope to replace, Paul Little, finally took the lead in brokering the deal to delay demolition and to encourage moving the building. That is a second rate solution that is an uphill battle with an uncertain outcome. I think the result would have been different if I had been on the city council. As an elected representative I expect to be even more effective than I have been as an appointed official. On the night that the fate of the Herkimer Arms was decided, one strong voice for preservation on the council could have made all the difference.
My main opponent in this election voted to approve the demolition of the Herkimer Arms as a member of the Planning Commission. The third candidate for the seat seems to have no experience relevant to historic preservation.
District 2, which I hope to represent, includes most of the 1100 homes of Bungalow Heaven and the 400 homes in the North Pasadena Heights Landmark District in which I reside. One of the founders of the Bungalow Heaven Landmark District, the neighborhood association, and the Pasadena Neighborhood Coalition, Bob Kneisel, is one of my key supporters. I was one of the leaders of the successful effort to have my area designated as a landmark district. Our district and our city need a representative who has a proven record of commitment to historic preservation.
Pasadena has also gotten off track with development. We had years of development on a scale that was inconsistent with the growth limits mandated by the 1994 General Plan because of the 10 year delay in implementing the zoning changes necessary to implement the growth limits in the Central District. In some areas we may have reached the limits of residential development already. The Central District Specific Plan and 2005 Zoning Code which should have corrected the problem may be inadequate. They must by reviewed by competent independent experts so that we do not look back after another decade passes and realize that we still hadn’t gotten it right.
Historic preservation and managing growth are important but they are not the only issues of importance for Pasadena. Improving our schools and providing affordable housing are vital to the success of our community.
I have extensive experience in the area of affordable housing from my years on the Community Development Committee. I understand how we can be even more effective in the delivery of affordable units. Heritage Housing Partners is an example of an agency that knows how to maximize funding to produce context sensitive housing that people are proud to live in.
We are entering an exciting period for public education in Pasadena. There is a growing recognition of the improvements that have already occurred in the Pasadena Unified School District. This election seems to be leading to a consensus on what we still need to do and a mandate from the voters to get on with it. I am part of that effort to restore public schools to their proper place as a centerpiece of a healthy community.
The formula of wisely managing our growth and preserving our past must be maintained to continue our economic success. It is the goose that lays the golden eggs that will allow our city to do even more to help our schools and to do more to provide affordable housing than other similar cities.
Great ideas, good friends, depth of experience, and a history of effective leadership are a good basis for a campaign, but that is not all it takes. My message is not likely to be welcomed by some of the development community. In fact, the more effective they see me, the more likely they are to fund opponents who have shown themselves to be more "flexible" on growth issues and who have a history of working for developers.
The friends I have served with on commissions, the neighbors I have worked with, and people like you, who share a commitment to preserving what makes Pasadena so special are the ones I must turn to for help. I must ask you to dig deep into your pockets. A hundred dollars, two hundred, or even more if you can will help greatly.
The next time an issue like the Herkimer Arms comes before the City Council we need someone sitting there who can be relied upon to do the right thing.
Your contribution will help my campaign to reach the majority of voters who do not follow the local issues closely and will vote based on the information they receive in the next few weeks. In the interest of achieving our common goals, I ask you to help financially and to do even more; please mention me to your friends in District 2, ask a friend or two to send a check, call me up and offer encouragement or advice.
Thanks,
Jim
This website is paid for by Friends of Jim Lomako, 1500 Whitefield Rd, Pasadena, CA 91104