As San Diego County heads into the crucial District 4 special election on August 15th, the political discourse surrounding the candidates is intensifying. Monica Montgomery-Steppe, currently serving as San Diego City Council President pro tem, is under particular scrutiny. Her recent remarks about her unwavering support for strict vaccine mandates for city workers, particularly the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), have raised eyebrows and concerns.
In the wake of the pandemic, Montgomery-Steppe emerged as one of the staunchest proponents of the city’s vaccine mandate. But what she heralds as a wise health measure has had profound consequences. The mandate led to a significant exodus of officers from the SDPD. Today, the department is grappling with massive staffing shortages, crippling its capacity to attend to calls for assistance from San Diego’s citizens. This tangible outcome of the vaccine mandate policy puts the city’s safety at risk.
During an interview with KUSI’s Lauren Phinney, Montgomery-Steppe tried to defend her stance, pointing out that “within those mandates, we did provide exemptions for folks, and many people took advantage of those exemptions.” But this defense appears weak when compared to the magnitude of the crisis. Exemptions, while an attempt to provide flexibility, couldn’t prevent the exodus and the subsequent safety concerns for San Diego residents.
Montgomery-Steppe’s support for such a policy reflects a broader trend within the Democratic camp: an overzealous faith in government intervention, often at the expense of ground realities and the needs of the citizenry. Montgomery-Steppe, like many of her Democratic peers, seems out of touch with the real-world implications of such stringent measures.
San Diego residents have been the ones hurt by such policies, facing increased risks to their safety as a result of reduced police presence. The essence of governance is to protect and serve the citizens, and Montgomery-Steppe’s advocacy for strict mandates has faltered.
As the election approaches, voters must critically evaluate all candidates’ track record and stances. Monica Montgomery-Steppe’s unwavering support for a policy that has had undeniable adverse effects on the city’s safety and children’s education should be considered. With the weight of this decision, San Diego citizens need a representative who understands the balance between health precautions and the undeniable harm caused by excessive government overreach.
Original Article Link: District 4 candidate Monica Montgomery-Steppe: I stand my by strong support for strict vaccine mandates – (kusi.com)
District 4 candidate Monica Montgomery-Steppe: I stand my by strong support for strict vaccine mandates
SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – The special election for San Diego County District 4 is August 15th, but voting is already underway.
Four candidates are campaigning to fill the vacant District 4 seat, including current San Diego City Council President pro tem, Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
Monica Montgomery-Steppe was an ardent support of the city’s vaccine mandate for city workers, including the San Diego Police Department. Unfortunately, the mandate she still supports voting for, resulted in a drastic loss of officers that the department is still dealing with today.
SDPD has massive staffing shortages, and are unable to respond to many calls for help from San Diegans because of it.
KUSI’s Lauren Phinney asked Montgomery-Steppe about her support for the vaccine mandate, to which she replied, “within those mandates, we did provide exemptions for folks, and many people took advantage of those exemptions.”
