Justin Beaver says his family’s longevity in Yucaipa gives him a leg up in his run for city council in that city of 54,000.
“I feel that I am uniquely qualified for the position because I am a fifth generation Yucaipan,” he said. “I am now raising my family here and have been instilled with a pride in the heritage of Yucaipa. I only want growth in Yucaipa that is responsible and will preserve our small town and family values, and I will fight to keep it from growing into a metropolis.”
Beaver is one of two candidates competing in the city’s recently created District 5. His opponent is Stacey Chester, who, like Beaver, has never before held office. Ultimately, pending on the outcome of the polling in November, Beaver or Chester will replace Denise Allen-Hoyt on the city council.
He is running, Beaver said, “out of a genuine love for this city. I have such an invested interest in the city becoming the safe and prosperous place I know it can be and truly has been in the past. Not only do I live here, my parents and grandparents live here, my daughter lives here, and too many friends to name. They deserve a safe place to live, work, and shop. Every one of your readers deserves the same. The City of Yucaipa needs strong leadership to see it through these turbulent times. I feel compelled to bring my experience to the table.”
That experience includes his status as a detective with the City of Azusa Police Department.
“I am a 12-year veteran of law enforcement,” he said. “For the last several years I have been assigned as a crimes against children detective where I have had the privilege of being a voice for the most precious members of our society, the innocent children. I am often tasked with networking with all manner of government agencies, and forming teams to overcome some of the most complex problems. As it relates to the City of Yucaipa and moving forward, my experience in the above capacity gives me the confidence to face any problem head-on, and push forward to solve it quickly, efficiently, and with as little government waste as possible.”
In contrasting himself with Chester, an employee with the Riverside County Economic Development Agency, Beaver said, “My opponent has spent a career working for government, spending taxpayer money. My experience has given me a deep love for the Constitutional rights of Americans and circumstances where I have been faced with some of the most critical situations in our society and having to make split second decisions in order to bring immediate peace. It is because of this, and my experience in the city as a citizen, that I see a genuine need for additional law enforcement officers. My opponent’s views on adding more deputies is that of a typical bureaucrat, unnecessary studies to determine a problem exists that we already know exist. Anyone who lives in Yucaipa and truly is in touch with the community knows the following: The population has gone up, crime has gone up (even un-reported crime), and the population of homeless has gone up. No crime statistic analysis is needed to know that the number of deputies patrolling our streets now is the same as 1989, when the city was incorporated.”
The major issues facing the city, Beaver said, are ensuring “responsible spending, appropriate marketing of the Yucaipa Performing Arts Center, responsible growth that is in line with the will of the people, and being unprepared to deal with an impending rise in crime due to the irresponsible decisions being made by Sacramento as it relates to releasing offenders back to the street.”
Those issues can be redressed, Beaver opined.
“The city council, whoever it ends up being made up of, must be able to ask the difficult questions of city staff, must be willing to make decisions themselves, must responsibly spend taxpayer money that will generate revenue eventually. The City of Yucaipa must spend money that will be an investment into the city into those things where the city will see a return on that investment.”
Beaver advocated without explicitly committing to seeking at some future point resident approval of a tax explicitly earmarked for expanding the city’s contract with the sheriff’s department for law enforcement services as a means of defraying the costs of needed programs for the city.
“Measure E failed in March because it appeared to be nothing more than a sales tax, sold on the backs of our public safety first responders, but titled as a general fund tax. Appearances are everything, and that appeared to be dishonest politicians passing a tax to be spent as they see fit. I believe a rewritten Measure E will pass because I believe Yucaipans know the benefit of investing into public safety.”
Beaver said, “Additionally, the city’s uptown area has been established as an incredible foundation to be the charming ‘Small-Town USA’ feel that will attract visitors to patronize our businesses that pay into our small business tax base. We have to continue building on that up from just a foundation. Great work so far, but more to go still. We have to grow responsibly in order to keep Yucaipa the small town and historic town it once was, and can be still.”
Beaver said, “My only experience in government is in the executive branch as a law enforcement officer,” insisting, “I am very knowledgeable on the Constitutional rights of all men and women, and will fight in any capacity to protect those rights. I am not a fan of “Big Government.”
He is the embodiment of Yucaipa, Beaver said. “With the exception of a couple years where I lived in Banning to be closer to work, I have lived in Yucaipa my entire life, 32 years.” He attended and graduated from Yucaipa High School, as a member of the Class of 2006. “Go T-Birds!” he said.
He is attending college on a part-time basis, Beaver said. “I am nearing completion on my bachelors degree in criminal justice at California Coast University.”
Single, Beaver has one daughter.
“I am a staunch Constitutionalist and a firm believer of the phrase ‘We the People,’” Beaver said. “I believe the purpose of government is to support and defend the Constitutional rights of all. I have sworn that oath time and time again. I promise to be approachable, accessible, and accountable to all citizens of Yucaipa, not just now, but after the election. A strong voice willing to ask the tough questions is what I will be for all of you. Follow me on social media: Facebook/Instagram – Justin Beaver for Yucaipa.”
-M.G.