San Diego Mayoral Candidate Steve Francis unveils “Urban Renaissance” Plan

San Diego, CA- January 21, 2008 - San Diego mayoral candidate Steve Francis participated in several local events in San Diego honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Today on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I join millions of Americans in honoring the legacy of a great and noble man,” said Francis. “Dr. King's leadership in the civil rights movement opened our eyes to the injustices in our world, and helped us all dream of a brighter future. Forty years after his passing, Dr. King’s work has brought our nation closer to achieving the ideals of freedom, equality and a color-blind society,” Francis stated.
Francis participated in celebrations of the life and legacy of Dr. King, including the YMCA’s annual Dr. King Breakfast, the Bayview Baptist Church’s Dr. King Dedication and Memorial Breakfast, the 20th Annual All People’s Breakfast at Golden Hall and the 28th annual Dr. King Parade in downtown San Diego at Petco Park.

“Though we have made great social and economic progress as a nation, there is much work that lies ahead of us. According to the American Community Survey, San Diego’s African-American community has a higher rate of unemployment than the rest of the city, and 30% of local African-American children live in poverty,” said Francis. “These social inequalities are unacceptable. Every child, regardless of racial background, must have an equal opportunity to participate in our dynamic economy and prosperous society. In the spirit of Dr. King, we must come together as one community, and push for reform that will change lives,” stated Francis.

As candidate for mayor of San Diego, Francis is pursuing an ambitious urban renaissance plan for San Diego’s downtown and southeastern neighborhoods, where thousands of families, particularly African-American families, face the day-to-day realities of poverty, unemployment, crime and homelessness. “We need new initiatives to clean up our urban streets, bridge the digital divide, and provide every child with an equal opportunity to experience the benefits of San Diego’s economy,” stated Francis. Francis identifies several key actions he would take as Mayor of San Diego to alleviate the economic disparity experienced by African-American families and other disadvantaged families. Francis has outlined his strategy in his vision statement at www.steveformayor.com/steve_vision/Inspiring.pdf.

10531 4S Commons Drive, Suite 166 - PMB 117
San Diego, California 92127-9212
United States

Charles Gallagher
Steve Francis for Mayor
858-320-7506
stevefrancisformayor@momentumws.co.uk

Steve Francis, businessman and entrepreneur, is a candidate for Mayor of San Diego. At the heart of his independent mayoral campaign is the desire to free San Diego from the grip of special interests and to restore fiscal integrity, ethics and transparency in city government. Francis, best known as co-founder and Chairman of AMN Healthcare (NYSE:AHS), has pledged that he will remain free from the influences of special interests by not accepting any political contributions from lobbyists, thus ensuring that the voices of everyday San Diegans will be heard.

This release was published on openPR.