The two Democrats running to represent part of San Diego and East County in the state Assembly don’t have anything negative to say about each other.

When asked about his opponent, Colin Parent, a member of the La Mesa City Council, said, “I don’t have anything negative to say.” LaShae Sharp-Collins, a professor and education expert, in turn praised Parent as a “wonderful city council member.”

The choice for voters in the 79th District will largely come down to what kind of background they want representing them in the California Legislature, as well as whose ideas better resonate when it comes to public safety and affordability. Parent won the primary by a significant margin, but Sharp-Collins could make up the difference Nov. 5 by winning over thousands of residents who voted for the third candidate in the earlier race, Lemon Grove Mayor Racquel Vasquez, who is also a Democrat.

One key difference between the two: criminal justice reform.

Parent said he will vote for Proposition 36, which would toughen sentences for petty theft and certain drug possession charges.

“We’ve got to prioritize public safety,” he added. “I was hoping that the Legislature in Sacramento was going to address those issues, but I think they failed.”

Sharp-Collins feels the opposite.

“You are rolling us back to what we had before,” she said, referencing the state’s earlier tough-on-crime policies. Sharp-Collins is open to revisiting rules established a decade ago by Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for some drug and shoplifting cases, but she believes the current proposal goes too far.

The council member

Parent is a 43-year-old attorney.

He was elected to La Mesa’s council in 2016, where he’s supported increased oversight of police, voted to boost gun storage requirements, opposed new fees for developers because they could have driven up home prices and endorsed building one enormous housing complex even when it faced bipartisan opposition from all of his colleagues.

Parent is also CEO of the nonprofit Circulate San Diego, which advocates for expanding public transportation.

Critics have raised concerns about whether elected officials should simultaneously work for organizations that influence regional housing policy. Parent has said he’s always separated his advocacy work from decisions made as a La Mesa council member. He does plan to step down from Circulate if elected to the Assembly.

Parent believes his government experience — he’s worked for both the state housing department and the San Diego Housing Commission — position him as the best candidate to address sky-high home prices. For starters, he hopes California will consider dropping the minimum allowed lot size for condos and townhouses, potentially making it easier to create cheaper options for first-time buyers.

Homelessness is a major concern for both candidates. Parent cited a state audit that found homelessness spending has often been poorly tracked and evaluated and said officials needed to be more willing to pull funding from programs that, however well-intentioned, are ineffective. Supporting more sober-living facilities should be considered, he said. Sharp-Collins agreed.

But Parent nonetheless would vote to boost homelessness spending overall and wants every means of doing so, from raising taxes to issuing bonds, to be on the table. “We need to treat this like the crisis it is.”

Another priority is road repair. Parent believes state funding must first go to the most dangerous and damaged streets.

He further said anyone trying to launch solar or wind farms should face fewer environmental regulations.

Parent has raised more than a half-million dollars from the start of the year through late September, according to records kept by the California Secretary of State. During the same period, Sharp-Collins pulled in a little more than half that amount, about $263,800.

The educator

Sharp-Collins, 44, works for the county’s Office of Education.

As a community engagement specialist, she helps families navigate district bureaucracy, connects service organizations with local schools and aids in rolling out new curriculum, such as ethnic studies. Sharp-Collins is especially focused on reaching parents who, as a result of juggling multiple jobs or language barriers, may otherwise feel like they don’t have a say in their kids’ education.

In addition, Sharp-Collins teaches in San Diego State University’s Africana Studies department and previously worked on education policy as a staffer to former Assemblymember Shirley Weber.

She wants homeschooling parents to undergo more training and thinks the state should simplify the approval process for turning school-owned land into housing for teachers.

Red tape must similarly be cut for churches willing to build affordable units on their property, Sharp-Collins said. She’s open to boosting rental assistance for low-income residents and increasing taxes on their wealthy neighbors, but more significantly, Sharp-Collins is interested in establishing a state bank that could offer home loans.

Currently, North Dakota appears to be the only state with a government-run bank.

Sharp-Collins further says developers should only receive incentives, such as reduced requirements for parking spots, if they build significantly more affordable units. Parent thinks the current limits, which can change depending on the area, are largely OK.

Regarding homelessness, Sharp-Collins hopes to explore using more state-owned land and decommissioned naval ships as temporary shelters.

She’s additionally concerned about methane that can leak from stoves in older homes and wants California to spend more money on swapping in electrical appliances.

Both candidates have deep roots in the district and they’ve split Democratic endorsements.

Sharp-Collins is the party’s official nominee and supported by a number of prominent Democrats, including Secretary of State Shirley Weber and state Sen. Toni Atkins. Parent has been endorsed by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters, among others.

The 79th District begins in southeastern San Diego and continues inland through parts of Lemon Grove, La Mesa and El Cajon. The area is currently represented by Akilah Weber, who’s now running for the California Senate.

Assembly members serve two-year terms and annually make $128,215. The longest someone can stay in office is 12 years.

The Chicago Cubs let a struggling pitcher go after the 2023 season and he has now become one of the most important pieces to a San Diego Padres team that is pushing for a World Series trophy.

Jeremiah Estrada was a sixth-round selection in the 2017 MLB draft by the Cubs. While he was never expected to be “the next big thing,” he certainly was able to drum up a little bit of excitement.

Estrada peaked at No. 17 in the Chicago farm system back in 2018 per the MLB.com prospect rankings.

He was always a pitcher that flashed a lot of potential, but there was never too much confidence that he could do it at a consistent rate. His fastball had vastly differing speeds and his changeup also showed a bit of potential, according to his scouting report.

The California native had a terrible 2019 campaign and didn’t pitch at all during 2020 due to the pandemic wiping that season out. Once 2021 came and he got back on the mound, though, there was hope again.

By 2022, he had brought his ERA down to just 1.30 over 48.1 innings of work in High-A all the way up to Triple A.

He made his MLB debut as a COVID-19 replacement player as he struck out two and walked one against the Toronto Blue Jays, but was sent back down right after the game. He was called back up in September and finished the year with a 3.18 ERA.

Estrada was given another shot in 2023, but struggled mightily. His 6.75 ERA makes things look even better than they were, as he completely fell apart over his final five games for the team.

He was waived in November and was eventually claimed by the Padres. The once outcast has now become a bonafide star in the San Diego bullpen.

There were a couple of rough stretches for him this season, but he both opened and ended the regular season playing at a very high rate.

He set an MLB record when he struck out 13 consecutive batters back in May.

Over his final month of work he posted a 0.84 ERA in 13 games and 10.2 innings.

A big reason for his success is his fastball ticking up a bit to over 97 MPH on average and the introduction of a killer splitter to his repetoire.

Given the struggles of the Cubs bullpen this season, it likely would have helped to have this version of Estrada sitting around.

Lily Mae Good

OBITUARY

Lily was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 25, 1931 to Lillian Rajknecht-Williamson and John Chester Williamson. The family moved to San Diego where she graduated from Grossmont High School in 1950 after winning the Maytime Band Review Drum Majorette first place. Lily sang in multiple church choirs in San Diego County and was a talented musician her entire life. She worked as the office manager at Eggert and Baughman CPA Firm in La Mesa for forty years and Rutledge Gradall, and was the secretary for La Mesa Central Congressional Church. Lily loved animals, music, cooking and baking (especially for her church family) but most of all being a “Band Parent” At Mount Miguel High School. She was a giving person and cared for so many throughout her lifetime.

Services will be at The Little Chapel of the Roses at Glen Abbey Memorial Park on Monday, October 7 at 9:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Mt. Miguel High School Band: 8585 Blossom Lane, Spring Valley, CA 91977, or PayPal on Facebook MMMSCP