Dumanis Planning Economic Task Force if Mayor

District Attorney and mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis will establish a task force to guide the growth of San Diego's key economic sectors and get heavily involved in education in her first 100 days in office, her campaign announced Thursday.

Her 100-day plan would bring together a task force of representatives of major employers, small businesses and industry groups from among San Diego's current and future core industries. Members would propose steps the city can take to improve the climate for expanding existing industries and drawing new employers to the region.

In education, Dumanis would establish a liaison position with the San Diego Unified School District and create internships for local university and high school students. She also would expand education programs that combat gang violence.

Dumanis faces Councilman Carl DeMaio, Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, in the June 5 primary election. The top two vote-getters will match-up in November's general election.

Other proposals in her 100-day plan include:

-- appointing a specialist in trade with Mexico,

-- starting an advisory board to increase work opportunities for the large number of veterans being discharged from the military,

-- restoring funding cuts to public safety,

-- creating teams in city departments to figure out how to speed-up customer service, and

-- continuing managed competition.

Dumanis said she also will create a culture of accountability, in which municipal departments and city-funded programs will need to justify their budgets.

-City News Service