Council Member Nancy Navarro’s newest newsletter starts with an obligatory photo featuring Leisure World residents – a natural given the retirement community’s big role in her district – but is really all about the economy. For heaven’s sake, it mentions the word “job” twenty-two times! Navarro talks about “jobs and investment for East County residents,” attracting bio-tech jobs to the Route 29 corridor, more transit options to help residents get to (you guessed it) jobs, bringing jobs to Burtonsville, protecting libraries since residents use them to find (say it with me) jobs, expanding *job* opportunities for disabled residents, and so on. If you didn’t get the message, the words, “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” appear in bright red letters right in the middle of the newsletter. Sheesh, folks, it’s quite a job to keep up with all these mentions of jobs!
But we believe that Navarro, who will be the only candidate who has gone to the voters for three straight years(!) by the end of this cycle, has a point. In 2006, debate over the pace of development was a big part of the county elections. 2010 looks like it could be very different.