breitfelder_larry0028 2x — Larry Breitfelder with his mother

In the past primary in June, in the race for the Chula Vista City Council, Seat 3, challenger Larry Breitfelder received more votes than the incumbent, Councilmember Pamela Bensoussan.

Breitfelder got 38 percent, against Bensoussan’s 33 percent.

This was the first time in recent history that a challenger has come in substantially ahead of an elected incumbent councilmember in a Chula Vista primary.

Many people who supported Bensoussan during her election in November 2008, have become disillusioned with her. Some say she’s only Democrat in name, but in practice, she has become an ally of Republican Mayor Cheryl Cox.

Although the race is nonpartisan, Bensoussan had run as a community grass-roots organizer and activist, in part for her work at the Northwest Civic Association of Chula Vista.

But four year later, people want to see real change. According to Breitfelder, that’s what’s attractive about his candidacy and that’s the main reason he beat Bensoussan in the primary.

“There is a hunger in Chula Vista to move forward as friends, to improve the quality of life for families and individuals in our neighborhoods,” said Breitfelder, a life-long Chula Vista resident. “I have a long history in Chula Vista of advocating for the interests of regular people. I talked of helping small business so we have the jobs and income to help our neighborhoods, I also spoke of being independent and not selling out. Based on my history, I had credibility.”

For many, Bensoussan is a sell-out, someone who betrayed the community, and her 2008 supporters.

“There’s great dissatisfaction with the incumbent,” Breitfelder said. “Especially from people who trusted and elected Pamela Bensoussan to office in 2008. Sometimes based on expensive things like hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on what has been described as a ‘backroom deal, sometimes based on more symbolic things like being the only council person to take an over $4,000 a year car allowance while living less than two miles from city hall.”

Breitfelder is a Chula Vista businessperson who is running for Seat 3 of the Chula Vista City Council with a very clear objective: “I believe that we have to have a heart and we have to be very careful with our money so that we do the best job of taking care of people’s needs over the long run,” he said.

The son of a Mexican mother from Toluca, Breitfelder was born in Tijuana and raised in southwest Chula Vista. (In the ballot, he uses his full name, Larry Breitfelder Navas, paying homage to his mother’s heritage.)

“Like everyone else, I get perspective from what I’ve observed and experienced,” he said. “I’ve never believed in division. I care about everyone and I believe we should all do what we can to help each other reach our full potential.

“I just want everyone to know how happy and proud I am of my heritage. My feeling for the Latino community is in my soul and my blood – just like it is for my mother and sister. I couldn’t be anything else and I wouldn’t want to be.”

As a small business owner, Breitfelder said that in city hall he will fight for other small businesses, which he considers the soul of the city.

“City Hall listens to big business,” he said. “That’s where the political money comes from. We have to work with businesses that will invest and create jobs, not sell out our people or their neighborhoods and small businesses. Right now instead of helping our small businesses operate, our city tries to bleed them. While protecting health and safety – we should try to make our regulations as easy to understand and affordable as possible. Our fees should be based on reimbursing the people for cost of providing specific services to businesses. Instead our city tries to make a profit off them. It’s short sighted and costs us jobs and tax income for neighborhood services.”

Breitfelder is the founder of the Chula Vista Taxpayers Association, where he successfully advocated against a 10 percent sales tax in 2009, which was strongly supported by Bensoussan.

“I believe most Latino residents and small business people were against the 10% sales tax advocated by Pamela because it would have hurt local small business, resulted in people losing their jobs and been a disproportionate burden on our people of lower income,” he said.

He has been in the Otay Water District board. He’s endorsed by th Chula Vista Police Officers Association, Chula Vista Firefighters Association, Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and Chula Vista Mobilehome Park Residents Association.

“It’s been too easy for people in power to throw around money on their pet projects at the expense of the basic needs of our residents,” Breitfelder said. “Our streets have not been properly maintained since the early 1980‘s. Even though our police protection is the smallest in San Diego (relative to our population) Pamela attempted to lay off police officers.”

When elected to the city council, Breitfelder said he will not forget where he came from.

“If we approach the future with vision, sound values and courage, Chula Vista’s best days should be ahead of us,” he said.

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