5 Reasons to Vote for Hiram Soto for Poway City Council

1) Hiram will stop the out-of-control influence of developers in Poway. Hiram will push for a moratorium on new development until we close the loopholes that allow 3-4 story buildings with no setbacks to be built in our city. These loopholes are giveaways for developers that allow high-density buildings that are out-of-character with the “City in the Country.” Right now, developers run the show, not our elected officials. What’s worse, developers want elect one of their consultants to the Poway City Council. Brian Pepin, Hiram’s opponent, was the consultant behind the failed push to build on Poway’s Metate Meadows. Watch Hiram below talk about development in Poway on the John Riley Project:

2) Hiram will push for an energy savings plan to help the city save money and help Poway become more energy independent by embracing cleaner and cheaper energy. Poway is the only city in the county without a climate action plan. We are missing out on millions of dollars in funding to help us transition from dirty and expensive fossil fuels to cleaner and cheaper energy. Hiram will seek state and federal funding to install solar panels at City Hall, transition many of city’s 120 vehicles to electric, build a strong electric charger infrastructure, and provide Powegians cleaner and cheaper energy options. He is endorsed by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters because Hiram is committed to protecting Poway’s open spaces, not selling them out to developers. Watch this interview where Hiram expands on his climate plans. Below Hiram talks about why Poway doesn’t have a climate action plan:

3) Hiram is a former San Diego Union-Tribune reporter who believes in openness, transparency and truth. He is a former award-winning journalist who spent 10 years covering middle-class communities, shedding light on corruption and government abuse. He will use his journalism ethics and watchdog skills to bring transparency and accountability to City Hall. Hiram covered the 2003 and 2007 wildfires, which destroyed dozens of homes and businesses in Poway. The other choice for Poway City Council is a political / developer consultant with a long history of misinforming and deceiving voters (see here and here.) Yes, issues are important, but just as important is having elected officials who will be truthful. Watch Hiram talk about what he learned when he was a reporter at The San Diego Union-Tribune, and how they can help them be a better councilmember.

4) Hiram was part of a successful federal lawsuit to protect district elections in Poway so that council members live where you live, not on the other side of town like before. For years, decisions around development and infrastructure were made by people living on the other side of town. This undermined fair representation to our neighbors in South Poway. With district elections, your voice is stronger because you can actually hold your representative accountable. Voter representation is extremely important for Hiram. He strongly opposed the decision to appoint someone to the City Council who had just moved to Poway. He also strongly opposed the 40% water rate increases which the city Council passed unanimously in 2021 without doing a cost study and providing limited options for voters to protest the vote.

5) We need an independent voice on the Poway City Council. Brian Pepin and / or his supporters have engaged in a massive misinformation campaign against Hiram, creating fake profiles online with racial undertones and pushing outlandish lies with the help of Carl DeMaio and the County Republican Party. They are terrified that an independent voice might be elected to the rubber stamp City Council that has over developed Poway. They want to double down on the status quo by electing a developer consultant to the city council. Hiram is committed to representing the community, not developers. He is funded by neighbors, not special interests. People who push misinformation campaigns should be nowhere near elected office in Poway or anywhere else.