It’s Comic-Con weekend in San Diego. And while I’m not carrying a lightsaber or wearing a cape, we in San Diego do have something new — a bigger shield.

With the seating of Supervisor Paloma Aguirre this week, the Board now has a progressive majority committed to protecting the public good and delivering results for San Diego. And as Chair, I’m honored to help lead this charge — especially at a time when Washington is creating more chaos than solutions.

Together, we’re building a forcefield for San Diego — one rooted in action, not rhetoric.

Here’s how we’re putting that shield to work:

🩺 Protecting Healthcare and Food Access - We’re staffing up Medi-Cal and CalFresh teams so no one loses coverage or goes hungry because of paperwork delays or political games in D.C.

🏭 Taking on Corporate Abusers - We’re suing Big Polluters, Big Pharma, and Big Tech — for toxic waste, ghost guns, opioid profiteering, and the damage social media is doing to our kids' mental health.

🧠 Care Before Crisis - We’re doubling mental health and addiction treatment, expanding to over 32,000 treatment slots so people get help before it becomes a 911 call or a jail booking.

⚖️ Upholding Civil Rights for All - We’re expanding the Immigrant Legal Defense Program to ensure due process applies to everyone in our County — just like the Constitution promises.

🌊 Cleaning Up the Tijuana River Crisis - We’re forcing long-delayed cleanups and securing real infrastructure investments to protect clean water and air for South Bay families and beyond.

🏥 Launching a Public Health Plan - We’re laying the groundwork for a County-run Medicaid health plan to protect care for nearly 1 million residents and put people before profit.

🛡️ Creating a Consumer Watchdog - As federal oversight weakens, we’re launching a County Consumer Protection and Corporate Accountability Unit — to stand up for working families and small businesses.

💰 Stabilizing County Services - We’re reforming outdated reserve policies to build a financial firewall — so services like public health, emergency response, and crisis care keep running no matter what happens in D.C.

🔒 Securing Local Control - We’re exploring long-term, locally-controlled funding, so our core services don’t get whiplashed by Washington’s dysfunction.

I’m proud to lead a Board that’s choosing courage over complacency — and stepping up to protect our region at a time when the federal government is pulling back.

Because this affects all of us.

Without action, the consequences are real:

• More people losing health coverage

• More seniors skipping meals

• More families pushed to the brink

With the Board united and the gavel in hand, we have a chance to meet this moment — and chart a path that protects what matters most.