Culver City Observer -

Dear Editor,

Why I am supporting Albert Vera: I have spent the last two months walking with him and listening to the way he answers questions and talks to voters. Why would this 24-year resident support him?

At heart Albert is Culver City born and raised. He is not running for city council because he wishes to continue a political career elsewhere, he is running because he has a deep and abiding love and concern that our city continues to thrive and evolve, yet retain as many elements as possible about what makes Culver City so special. Our sense of community, our diversity both economic and social.

He was a reserve officer on the CCPD and knows the darker side of our city's problems where people get hurt or into trouble or are victimized. This gives him personal insight into safety issues.

He is a board member of Upward Bound which is dedicated to helping families, many with children in our schools, to transition from homelessness to housing. He doesn't just talk about affordable housing and the problems that homeless people face, he understands it at a deep level of figuring out solutions. He understands that affordable and workforce housing are both goals that need to be explored and promoted.

He served on the Landlord Tenant commission dedicated to solving issues between the parties and helping both landlords and tenants to protect their rights and find redress.

He is a board member of the Palms Culver YMCA and is advocating for our park facilities to be accessible to all park users regardless of ability.

He is spearheading a gun buyback fund to encourage people to turn in their guns in exchange for gift cards. The CCPD would always take guns, but providing an incentive will help take more guns off the streets. He believes that military grade weapons have only one purpose, to kill and wants them to be restricted, but he supports the rights of responsible gun owners to keep their weapons. On this last point we have some difference of opinion, but that’s what makes America great, encouraging reasoned differences of opinion.

He is vehemently opposed to fracking in our area and is aware of its potential dangers. He wants to regulate our portion of the oil fields, and work with Los Angeles County to try to make the oil fields as safe as possible, yet is mindful that we have to take legal restrictions on eminent domain and the threat of well-financed law suits into consideration.

He understands that in order to afford our excellent police, fire, safety, sanitation, and other city responsibilities that we need more investment to put funds in the city coffers. He believes in reasonable development that takes into account the impact on the local area. He is investigating traffic mitigation issues such as bus flex-lanes, and micro-transport as relief for our overwhelming traffic. He is investigating the viability of motorcycle paramedics to get through traffic to save lives.

He participates in the leadership effort to help high school students to see what paths they could climb as adults.

Running an excellent Italian market and store, managing the properties that his hard-working immigrant parents slaved to purchase, overseeing the operations of the acres of olive trees he understands what a budget is and how important it is to make decisions that are economically supportable through good times and bad.

Albert made mistakes in his life and went through a self-destructive phase where he harmed himself by becoming addicted to drugs. He went to Salvation Army, kicked his addition, and turned his life around. He has acted as a sponsor to help others on their journey. He understands the depths one can sink to and is dedicated to helping everyone he can. It takes a strong person to do what he has done, especially when some continue to attack.

He has routinely donated to schools, local organizations, community groups, and more giving of his time and food donations to help a wide swath of our community. He has done this as a family tradition to help his neighbors. He is probably the hardest working person I have ever met, rising at 4 am to get his store ready for the day, driving hours to the family olive ranches, and is always willing to stop and answer questions and lend a helping hand when he can.

He doesn’t just talk about helping the homeless he does it. He doesn’t just talk about building homes with Habitat for Humanity, he goes out and swings a hammer. He doesn’t just complain about guns in our community, he gets things done.

Does this qualify him for City Council? Heck yes.

Jamie Wallace

Culver City