Manteca Live: What are the biggest problems facing Lathrop today and what do you suggest to fix those problems?John Rock: One of the largest problems facing Lathrop is the political environment and its negativity. We may see a candidate claim their value based on how long they have lived in Lathrop. I disagree with this because we have good people who are new to Lathrop and have the education and experience that allows them to help conduct City business with no past biases. We have two such candidates for City council and they should not be shunned only because they are essentially new residents. There is a need to have local knowledge but that should be a single attribute and not an entire qualification.
The other matter is the bashing of our current Mayor. I see at times where I, as a candidate can tell the voters why I would do a better job but to continuously bash a person becomes counter productive. I helped get Kristy elected and I do agree that the www.KristySayles.com web page is good for first amendment and healthy political debates but there needs to be an open two way communication forum. This is where your Manteca Live web site enters. However, your site, just as the previous mentioned site, should keep information open and limit anonymous hate comments.
Politics from those who are eager and desperate to hold on to power becomes down right nasty venues of dirt flinging and degrading comments toward others. This level of power seekers shall be detrimental in any community. Foremost it hurts what I am trying to do in my campaign. In my campaign I am not accepting money from any person or developer. I want to show the everyday citizen that they can get elected without (the belief it requires) taking money, making secret deals, clogging our intersections with large political signs and all of the other nuisances such as automated phone calls as an election nears. I wish to encourage an average person (nonpolitical crony) to replace me by them just walking door to door and running a clean campaign.
If you feel as I do and that is Kristy is a good person but will not give herself a time out (we must do so as a favor to a friend), then give me your vote. If you seek to leave Kristy tacked to the Dart board where everyone is taking cheap shots at her then vote for Kristy and allow her to continue on the current course. The way I see things, Kristy is fighting in every direction every day. This is not cool. I have said it before, give her a break and invite her to return when she is in her 40’s or 50’s. This is a major reason why I entered the race. To Help Kristy and the non political residents of Lathrop. For those Christians reading this, I feel you shall hear my words the loudest. I hope everyone does.
Manteca Live: Do you think Lathrop is "business friendly?" What do you think the city should do to attract new businesses?
John Rock: Before I can answer this with any degree of true accuracy, I need to be in Office and see the past actions of our city leaders. I do not believe I or you can see such past acts without first becoming a Mayor or Council member. Only then will past behaviors become visually clear. It is also a time that I would hear from business owners. I would seek to hear what they have to say. As it is in most situations, there is two sides to every story.
Manteca Live: What do you think is the biggest mistake or mistakes the current city council has made in the past several years and what would you have done differently?
John Rock: Once you go to my web page: www.RockLathrop.com you shall see I have been asking, begging and almost demanding that we have a flood study before the City allows the developer to build forty thousand new homes and four schools in an area I feel is a flood zone. The voters just approved a self taxation for levee improvements. This would never have been needed had any previous City council taken any of the actions I have requested in the past. Lathrop still does not own its levees. Lathrop still to this day has not had a new flood study done. Now we have all of these new homes with people in those new homes and the old levee still there with ground squirrels burrowing holes into the old dirt that has been laying there for so many decades with no hardened surfaces to prevent burrowing rodents.
I have a new High School next to my home and despite my requests to the City to open the new Lathrop Road and to also, fill in the deep old irrigation ditches on Dos Reis Road, nothing is getting done. I ask and I see no action. When I write to the City and ask them to be proactive and not reactive, I get nowhere. In past years when the river is at a very high mark, I see countless Moms and Dads driving to the end of Dos Reis Road to look at the river with fears the levee may break. I told the City years ago that with the new home owners and the old levee, the City needed a link on the Cities web site that would allow individuals to stay indoors and check the river level on their computer from home. The City did respond but why did I need to tell them this? If we had proactive thinkers in Office, concerned about the public, such work would be clearly evident.
It is the very same way with the emergency management link I had asked for that tells citizens where to relocate to in the event of a disaster. The City made a link to a county web page but never made, that I know of, a publicized evacuation route in the event a levee collapsed. I am not advocating that the sky is falling but rather, to build a system of knowledge that the public can quickly and easily access in the event of any power outage or emergency and have the faith their City leaders have been proactive in building a safe environment when an emergency does occur.
Manteca Live: If you are elected to the city council, is there any law or ordinance you would like to see repealed? Is there any new law or ordinance you would like to see enacted?
John Rock: I would like to study the Police services contract. In doing so, I would look for ways to bolster the number of Officers on the street. If say I found that the current contract was composed of more managers than we might need, I would listen to the argument and find a manner to lesson managers and increase Officers on our streets. I would also explore the possibilities to increase training and educational opportunities to such Officers and also, listen to them insofar as their requests for additional tools of the trade they may request.
I would use this same approach in listening to the employees and their union about what they would like to have changed or removed to better help them conduct their work. I would seek to build a working environment where City workers were enthused to come to work everyday. We must also have a Lathrop Mayor that can hug Manteca and work with Manteca. There seems to be friction between Lathrop and Manteca and I am a team builder. I want a productive unity with Manteca so that each City can help their neighbor.
Manteca Live: Who is your favorite economist?
John Rock: The single parent trying to make ends meet and not deprive their children of anything. The Mom or Dad that holds down two jobs and still finds time to play with the kids and help with homework. The working adult taking care of their elderly parent(s) and also, their immediate family. The retired person or disabled person living on a fixed income that can still find time to help their neighbor and/or, contribute time to community service deeds. These are the core economists in our lives and in some cases, my depict one of us or, our Mom or Dad.
Manteca Live: What is your favorite book?
John Rock: The Dictionary, The Bible (and not always in that order).
Manteca Live: What is your favorite movie?
John Rock: Dances with Wolves
Manteca Live: Our thanks to John Rock, candidate for Lathrop mayor, for answering our questions.
