Yuba City deserves a safe and vibrant riverfront park system and all of our neighbors, whether housed or homeless, must obey the law. But the status quo has gotten us nowhere and now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand. Now is the time for bold leadership.

 

 

A self-made businessman and farmer, Sukh knows that we will never get ahead in life without hard work. As President of the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, Sukh has witnessed first hand that our community is stronger when we stand together. Sukh also sees the bottom line: we will spend far less (studies suggest almost 60% less) on proactive, “coordinated entry” programs rather than throwing money at haphazard clean-up jobs, or on short-term spending waste. In addition, increasing environmental tourism can im-

We must improve access to job training and permanent, sustainable employment. We can do a much better job in the quality of our dialogue between City and County management. We must coordinate all stakeholders, non-profits with faith-based organizations and make the necessary, bold decisions that will work to fix this crisis. We must recognize that each one of us, whether

housed or homeless, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

 

 

Residents of Yuba City, we are at a critical stage. A responsible steward of community finances, Sukh Sidhu will ensure we implement fiscally responsible solutions that have been employed by conservative communities just like ours to great effect. We will not be able to fix the homeless crisis until we have the courage to call it for what it is: a housing crisis. According to HUD, housing costs in our area is 30% above national averages. We must streamline, modernize the building application process. Builders want to build, yet complain of long permit times and governmental bureaucracy. High density housing encourages storefront development, strengthens neighborhoods. Yuba City should be encouraging this type of development and can do so by implementing flexibility in permitting times and fees.

 

Our schools must be safe, open environments that foster learning, where all of our children are

welcome to perform at their best.

Sukh supports employing proactive strategies within our schools to protect our children against

bullying and is proud of the early, but promising accomplishments of local organizations, such as

Stand for the Silent.

 

We must provide better support for our teachers. Yuba City teachers have been asked to pay for

basic learning supplies out of their own pockets for far too long. Also, our talent drain must stop.

The achievements of the Teacher’s Association in September 2016 demonstrate what can be accomplished when our community rallies behind a just cause.

 

 

Healthy bodies lead to healthy minds. Rusty, run-down playground equipment is not only unhealthy, but unacceptable. Sukh Sidhu will use his position to advocate for clean playgrounds that encourage physical health in our schools, including promoting healthy  environments for students with special needs.

Our community is getting older and despite improved lifespans, our support services haven’t kept pace. The sad fact is our seniors are the most vulnerable members of our community. As the technology gap widens, often our elderly face fraud and attack at a level never before experienced by any other generation. (Up to 5 million older Americans are abused every year and the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $2.6 billion.)

 

For Sukh Sidhu, senior care is deeply personal. As President of the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way, Sukh has been a champion for senior advocacy, and he has fought for the rights, health, and legal protection for Yuba City’s senior citizens.

 

 

As Council Member, Sukh will continue to champion the rights, protection and well being of our grandmothers and grandfathers. No senior should have to decide between medication and food, or a utility bill and housing. We can strengthen cooperation between non-profit groups, such as the Senior Legal Center, while promoting Yuba City’s Senior Commission to better protect our senior citizens.

 

The Agriculture industry is vital to our economy. Our farmers not only feed the nation, but we

feed the world and Sukh is very proud to be a member of this tradition. As a farmer, Sukh knows

first-hand that responsible land stewardship is vital to one of the most important industries for

Yuba City and its governmental partners of Live Oak and broader Sutter County.

 

Water rights have only become more contentious in recent years. Sukh will champion our long-

established water rights, advocating for Northern California’s sovereignty over our own resources, while at the same time he will be an advocate for bringing water regulation into the 21st Century.