In a democratic society, the number one obligation of the government is public safety. A safe community is a real community where people and families want to live and work because they know their voice matters at the grassroots level. We need to make sure Measure C funds are spent wisely to repair not only our roads and vital infrastructure, but to build a new police station. We also need to keep our General Fund strong so our police and fire departments remain fully staffed and have the resources they need to keep us safe. In that same vein, time is of the essence in a medical emergency. Therefore, we need to have a paramedic in every fire station as opposed to being contracted with a private company who’s bottom line is profit not public safety. The recent disasters of the Conception Boat as well as the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debri Flow demonstrate how vital all our public employees are to maintaining our community. Knowing we’re safe empowers each one of us.