In The News
Alejo to run for Watsonville City Council
Wednesday July 16, 2008
By TODD GUILD
Before community activist and attorney Luis Alejo left Watsonville to pursue his education, he decided that he would return.
“Many who go off to college don’t come back,” he said. “We’re losing some of our best and brightest minds.”
But, after discussing the matter with his siblings and several friends, Alejo concluded that he would be different. He would come back. Now, as a well-established political figure in Watsonville, Alejo plans to run for the Watsonville City Council.
Born and raised in Watsonville, Alejo graduated from Watsonville High in 1992. He was active in the community from an early age, registering 600 people to vote in a registration drive at one point. He went on to earn a master’s degree in education from Harvard University and a law degree from UC Davis.
Since his return, Alejo has worked extensively as a public-interest attorney in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
“My personal philosophy was that poor people should have access to the same legal representation that they would get with a private attorney,” he said.
This work ethic put a chink in his personal life, often causing him to work until the early hours of the morning, he said.
Alejo currently works as a staff attorney for the Monterey County Superior Court, where he assists thousands of low-income residents who cannot afford private attorneys.
On Tuesday, Alejo, who is known for his activism in organizations ranging from the Watsonville Planning Commission to the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, announced his intention to run for a four-year seat on the Watsonville City Council. He will be going up against incumbent Oscar Rios.
“I did it after years of being asked to run by fellow community members,” Alejo said. “Watsonville needs some strong leadership and voices.”
Alejo has been a longtime vocal opponent of the EcoPark, a Pajaro Valley-based recycling center, and a new “plasma arc” incinerator, both based at the Buena Vista landfill. Alejo’s vote on the City Council would likely be a stumbling block for similar project proposals in the future.
Alejo contends that Pajaro Valley has become a “dumping ground” for the county — the Buena Vista Landfill is located close to a migrant camp, the Rountree Detention Center and Pajaro Valley High School.
If elected, Alejo says he would work with police agencies and Neighborhood Watch groups to help reduce crime and to examine ways to alleviate Watsonville’s heavy traffic.
Alejo has been highly critical of PVUSD, and, among other things, has filed lawsuits alleging the district violated open-government laws.
“Many people believe we’re not providing the quality education the kids deserve,” he said. “We have to make education a prevalent issue, because we can’t have a great city without a great school system.”
Alejo also vowed he would work to create jobs, saying Watsonville has the highest unemployment rate in the county. He said he would promote a “green job” corps that would focus, among other things, on renewable energy and solar-panel installation. He called this a $650 billion industry.
Three candidates as of Tuesday had taken out papers signaling their candidacy for Watsonville City Council, City Clerk Lorraine Washington reported. Alejo gathered paperwork to run in District 2, incumbent Manuel Quintero Bersámin took out papers for District 1, and fellow incumbent Edward Din gathered his paperwork for another run in District 6, Washington reported. At press time, Rios had not collected his candidacy paperwork, but in a recent interview, he said he plans to run for re-election in District 2.
The upcoming presidential election, coupled with several big-ticket ballot issues, is expected to to bring record numbers of voters to the voting booths in November. The city and general elections are Nov. 4.
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Monday was the first day to take out nomination papers to run for districts 1, 2 and 6 for the Watsonville City Council. Deadline to file is 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 8. Candidates must be registered voters for at least 30 days prior to July 14. The city clerk’s office said it’s best for potential candidates to call for an appointment. For information, call 768-3040 or visit www.ci.watsonville.ca.us or www.votescount.com.