Famed Basketball Star Walton Endorses Fletcher

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, R-San Diego, was endorsed Tuesday in his mayoral bid by former basketball great and civic activist Bill Walton, who appeared at the politician's side at a campaign event at a Sorrento Mesa health sciences company.

When introducing Fletcher to employees at Gen-Probe, Walton said the candidate embodies the elements of leadership he learned as an athlete.

Fletcher has the "ability to pull a team together, to define the terms of the conflict, make them play your game, to do what others can't and won't do, and lead the offensive attack—to hit first," Walton said.

The former UCLA and professional basketball star and Fletcher said they have spoken about various issues frequently for years.

Fletcher, whose competition in the June 5 primary includes Councilman Carl DeMaio, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, pushed his theme of making San Diego "America's Most Innovative City."

City leaders need to look at everything in a new light, Fletcher said.

"The "World's Most Innovative City' won't be just a slogan. It's going to be who we are as a city, who we are as a region," Fletcher said. "My goal is that by the time I'm done being mayor, when you travel—domestically or abroad—and you tell people you're from San Diego, they'll say 'I know San Diego, it's the world's most innovative city, with really good weather.' "

His goals, listed last month, are to create 130,000 new jobs in the region by 2020; and have the number of patents, amount of venture capital, value of exports and median income for residents all increase by 33 percent.

He called Gen-Probe "the heart and soul of the innovative economy."

-City News Service