I recently asked Ahmed Saafir how he would work with each of the Long Beach City Council members.
 
Saafir: “I would take each of them to Denny’s for breakfast and ask questions and get to know them. I would listen and educate them on my philosophy as a business owner and work hard to understand their point of view. I would work with them every chance I get. It’s that simple.”
 
Simple, yet authentic.
 
This authenticity is important to a district that needs leadership. A district that experiences less turn out in a city council election than a student body election I helped run as an undergraduate student leader at Sacramento State.
 
Saafir knows his district and is focused on filling pot holes and bringing jobs to his district not filling his head with ideas on how he will move on to a higher elected office.
 
Even better.
 
 I believe we have a leadership void in Long Beach. We need city leaders who are not focused on their next election and more focused on implementing programs that support the best social program invented in the history of the human race: a job.
 
Saafir knows the responsibilities that come with providing jobs. He knows the impact of being a business owner who signs the front of a pay check. Business owners sign the front of pay checks that enable our citizens to pay taxes that bring essential services that we all enjoy like parks, roads and our outstanding police and fire departments.
 
Every current city leader brings their own experiences and their own value to the table. I respect that. However, we need another city leader who will bring the point of view that the prosperity of a community is as strong as the business community enables it to be.
 
Whatever your choice is in the 6th district election make sure your candidate is dedicated to elevating the economic vitality of an area of our city that needs just one important thing: jobs.