ESC has worked to encourage our neighbors to come out and vote as this is a very important local election. We have 4 out of 5 city council seats to be filled in this November 5th election.  Thanks to San Mateo Daily Journal and the question answer they have provided on each candidate to allow us a better idea of our candidates beyond the statement they submitted when they filed for their campaigns. More information for Pradeep Gupta can be found on the SMART VOTER Website HERE.

These questions are directly from The San Mateo Daily Journal

Pradeep Gupta
Age: 70
Education: B.S. in electrical engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, India B.S.; M.S. in electrical engineering, Purdue University; Ph.D. in electrical engineering, Purdue University
Experience: South San Francisco councilman; member of South San Francisco Housing Subcommittee
Family: Married, two children
Residence: South San Francisco, 15 years; 43 years in California

What measures should the city take to better downtown?

Pradeep Gupta: Involve all residents of South San Francisco in the renovation of downtown. Entice fresh new small but upscale businesses. Bring people to downtown by civic functions and cultural festivals. Improve ambiance ­ walking spaces, signage, attractive shop fronts and friendly parking. Improve security, better lighting. Create new transportation linkages ­ tunnel to Caltrain station.

What can the city do to encourage use of the ferry terminal?

Kate MacKay: Marketing and expanded service: Focus on recreation will bring commuters. Add a Saturday service every four hours from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m., once a month, to promote shopping, dining and entertainment until it catches on. Promote it on cable, at BART stations and on billboards.

Do you think the city has taken the right approach to development throughout the city?

Pradeep Gupta: Mostly yes. Some areas like El Camino Redevelopment Area and Downtown Redevelopment Area have been delayed due to RDA demise. We want to expand housing for our growing work force, commercial office spaces for business growth and open spaces to keep up our quality of life.

What is one ordinance or fee you would like to see repealed?

Pradeep Gupta: Ordinances have been put in place after very thorough review, and are repealed only under very special circumstances. An ordinance requiring sewer lateral inspections at point of sale or transfer of the property was recently repealed. The ordinance was the result of a mandate within the Federal Consent Decree entered into by the city. The decree has now been removed so we repealed the requirement

Do you think the city has made fiscally responsible decisions?

Pradeep Gupta: Yes, our City Council has had the foresight to keep reasonable reserves to maintain scal stability during economic downturns. The recent demise of RDA tested that resilience of our city. But we need to be vigilant, because there are signicant fiinancial future obligations to fund pensions and other post retirements benefits.

Candidate Statement