Q&A: Fifth District Supervisorial Candidate Bruce McPherson

Editor’s Note: This is the third of a three-part series of interviews with the Fifth District supervisorial candidates. Click and .

Scotts Valley Patch: How does your background make you uniquely qualified to be a Santa Cruz County Supervisor? What distinguishes you from the other candidates?

Bruce McPherson: I’m a fourth generation lifetime resident of Santa Cruz County who knows the issues of my county very well. I was the editor/editorial writer and news reporter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel for 26 years–editor/editorial writer for 10 years, city editor assigning and editing county news stories for eight years, and reporter for eight years. 

I was elected twice each to the California Senate and California Assembly (winning the vote in the Fifth District and Santa Cruz County as a whole each time), and then served for two years as California Secretary of State after being confirmed unanimously in both the Senate and Assembly.

I have, and still do, led/served numerous charitable organizations in Santa Cruz County throughout my life, from Second Harvest Food Bank and Cabrillo College scholarships to United Way and Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.

My firsthand experience of how the government system works, in-depth knowledge of county issues, and the personal contacts I have made throughout years of public service best qualify me to be elected Fifth District County Supervisor.

Patch: What do you see as the main issues facing Santa Cruz County, and how do you intend to address them?

McPherson: This is a new, defining moment in governance as we implement “realignment” where more responsibilities are shifting from the state to county governments. That fact, plus the elimination of redevelopment agencies for local governments, makes it more important than ever that a county supervisor know how the government operates and that our constituents get their fair share of limited resources.

I have walked every precinct in the Fifth District and found the basic concerns of residents are that we improve job/economic opportunity while assuring that our magnificent natural resources are protected. We are fortunate that our main economic generators have a base in protecting our environment: tourism, agriculture, education research and high technology. Economic recovery will result in greater revenues, in turn allowing us to provide more services preferred by Fifth District residents. Most often mentioned services are having adequate public safety coverage from our sheriff/police and fire districts, upgrading our road system, streamlining our permit process, and offering a steady level of health and human care services.