Small Business in Long Beach

What specific proposals do you have to strengthen the business climate of Long Beach and the council district you are seeking/representing?

If these proposals cost money, how would you pay for them? How do you plan to attract new businesses that would create additional jobs? 

     First I want to implement a program to help small businesses that are struggling to get clients, or to even get the word out about their business and then keeping those clients engaged. That is what Small Business Long Beach Initiative comes in. This is where they can come to help the businesses. I want to make sure we are really business friendly. Right now I do not see it or feel it and I know of 8 businesses that have closed or are about to close because they think that Long Beach is not a friendly business place even though we say we are. By catering to more diverse businesses we can create more jobs, more opportunities and more revenue. The program will look at the storefronts that are empty, connect with the property owners and find or headhunt the businesses that will fit within our community. The programs will be free for the first year and then afterwards it depends on the growth, revenue and how the program/s has helped the business. We will implement an $50 fee then assess the business. The money that is collected will go back into the program to help other businesses. I also know that parking is an issue and have sought out a plan to create additional parking and car service for our local community. 

We do need a parking structure that would be 2 levels, the fee would be $5.00 then after hours (9pm) open to the community for free. I used to park 3 blocks down and walk to my apartment on magnolia ave in the dark which is not safe to do alone. People do struggle to find parking to shop on Willow or Wardlow. By creating this structure with an open green space would attract more shoppers and easy the community in finding a parking spot. I am  creating a  Car pickup service that is for locals that will cost $25 every 2 weeks. This car service will take you to your destination, pick you up and everything in between. Say if you need to go to the store but you have to go get groceries and or do errands. This service will take you or help with the errands. This will create more jobs and bring more a unity in the community. We will vet everyone, make sure the get their fingers prints processed and have a badge created by the Long Beach Police Department. Unlike Uber and Lyft they only take you to one spot, then you have to get another driver to go back or to somewhere else and if you need to stop that is an additional fee. You will have a time limit of 3 to 4 hours after that there will be an additional fee of $20 per 30 mins applied if you go over your allocated time. This will be Long Beach Local Car Service. This Car service will also be able to help local businesses with deliveries. Like a clothing store, or a place that has non perishable items. We do have Door Dash, Uber Eats and Postmates but none of these services or driving apps has this particular service. 

What do you perceive to be the major challenges in your district? If elected, or re-elected, how do you plan to address these challenges? 

The major issues challenging my district is the gangs, the homelessness, the empty storefronts and the lack of leadership. Work with several non Profit organizations to acquire property to build a Dormitory setting for the Homelessness. It will have workshops for skilled trades, educational programs & courses, counseling and so forth. 

To make sure Everyone is heard will create a Collation of Community Members, Community Organizations and Small Business Owners. Everyone has the right for their voice to be heard and say what goes into the Community that we live and work in. Bring back in full force the gang unit. We need this ever more with the shootings, the crimes and the gangs that are increasing. In my district alone we have 14 gangs with 4 new ones that recently popped up. In order to bring down crime we need more community involvement, more events, more outlets for the kids, more businesses and transparency. 

By also creating the Cleanup and Safety Team this will bring in jobs, hiring of veterans and accountability to 6th District Office. I believe that partnering with local non profits and surrounding organizations we can create a more stable place for people to live, work, play and buy from.                        

What I would create for 6th District.

1A.  If elected, what will be your top three priorities and why? 

1. To bring in a Clean and Safety Team.

They will clean up our Corridors and Patrol our 6th District. They will clean up the business corridors, making sure all the trash and dirt is pickup and power wash the sidewalks and patrol our community. They will make sure that they are coordinating with the Police Department in ongoing investigations and help to deter crime. 

2. Focus on bringing more diverse businesses into our District. 

By this will bring in more jobs and a focal point to the community. We have empty storefronts that need businesses so that we can thrive and make our district grow. Our small businesses are the backbone of our city and to lose any more is to lose the fabric of our dreams. 

3. Work with several non Profit organizations to acquire property to build a Dormitory setting for the Homelessness. 

It will have workshops for skilled trades, educational programs & courses, counseling and so forth. I used to be homeless and lived in my car and working full time. I have seen individuals that need help by either mental health counseling, detoxification, housing and job placement. 

4. To make sure Everyone is heard will create a Collation of Community Members, Community Organizations and Small Business Owners. 

Everyone has the right for their voice to be heard and say what goes into the Community that we live and work in. 

5. To bring the Minimum wage up to $15 and to stop with the taxes that have burden our community. We have lost businesses, homeowners and renters. What I would like to do is to create a grant for people that are in hardships. The grant would be from $500 to $1,000 and applicants must provide evidence of hardship. 

6. To be transparent. I work for the Residents of 6th District. I will not be taking the Salary that comes with the district seat but putting it back into the 6th District Community. Bring in more Festivals, Concerts to our Parks, create green spaces for us, for our children and pets. 

I would like to bring in more programs for our children to learn about. Like Coding, how to create a game, how to create a Security code and see how it operates. How to create music, art, to learn and 

 1A: What are your pro-business priorities? 

Being a small business owner I have seen what it takes to keep your business thriving. Right now I am searching for an adequate storefront but have released that E-Commerce is the leading factor for businesses. Having an E-Commerce site in today’s age of technology is vital and I want to make sure all the businesses in our District has a site. I want to partner with them to help create their site, make sure they are getting the best traffic flow and to see them grow. I am creating a Small Business Long Beach Initiative that will help them with everyday challenges in businesses. For example there is payroll apps that you can download that can track your employees hours, mileage, so that you can keep a more efficient records, help create an app of their business to share on google play or apple.

This was one of the 2 encampments that was selling Meth to 13 year old kid. I sent all my evidence and information to the resource officers and to Shannon of the Homelessness Services Department. They came out twice and after several months this encampment and the other one at Kim Longs Market was disbanded. Selling drugs non stop, the encampment growing to 10-12 people mostly men but to sell to children and then having that kid go and share it to other children as young as 8. it broke my heart. I was homeless and I tried every single day to get them help, get them in contact with the services, to shelters but some didn't want to go.  Each day we had seen them naked, going to the bathroom, selling drugs, shooting up drugs, fights and we would call the police.

Josephine Villasenor: Platform on Real Estate and Affordable Housing

Should there be rent control? If the government required rent control, rents would probably go up, so I would say no. The government should not require inspections after real estate sales. The buyer should be smart enough to know, to look and ask about the property they are buying.  Should government require property inspections on rental properties? The Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program. is a done deal, it was even supported by the Apartment Association, and yes inspections should be done on all rental properties. 

Government should mandate a percentage of units be set aside for low income housing. Low income housing should be spread out and not concentrated in the same area. The government should release some land that could be developed that is held by the government.  Everyone should be able to afford housing and to be able to live in them too. To increase home ownership the government should also keep on giving first time buyers incentives and helping them to buy a home.

Josephine Villsenor: Platform for LGBT Rights

If elected, what steps would you take to address the concerns of the LGBTQ community in your jurisdiction? Being a Bi-Sexual Multi-Racial Female, I have been fighting for equal rights and standing up for everyone and will continue to do so.I have been discriminated by being bi-sexual and multi-racial. When my brother married the love of his life, his partner Dean, our family was very proud but there were friends that hated it and said hurtful things, I stepped up to defend my brother and his right to marry whomever he wanted. 

Everyone has the right to marry anyone that they want.

Hello Everyone,
This blog is created to reach out to my fellow neighbors and my community.
Feel free to ask me any questions, I am an open book.
Thank you Josie
‎#supportjosephine‬ ‪#‎electjosephinefor6thdistrict‬ ‪#‎6thdistrictforjosephine‬

Josephine Villasenor: Platform for the Arts

How can politics support the arts? I would identify a business that allows artists to express themselves creatively. For instance,  I believe Fox Coffee House is an asset to the artistic community because it allows local artists to express themselves regardless of artistic genre. It is significant to the community because it helps the local artists connect with each other and grow.

The under-utilized municipal assets are homemade crafts and the artists that made them. I would make them more easily accessible by bringing those artists into Events like the Neighborhood Art Walks.

I would support these businesses by promoting them to the community, having meetings within the business and by having pop up events at the businesses themselves. Municipal Government should fund the arts through grants and school funding. I would advocate to discuss municipal funding for the arts to better understand how much government support and funding is practical and feasible. 

Please show your support by liking Josephine A Villaseñor's Facebook Candidate Page. And remember to vote in the District Six Primary on 04/12/2016.

#SupportJosephine