Paul A. Peterson has been a land use lawyer in San Diego for 43 years. He is a member of San Diego Dialogue, and last year chaired the Dialogue’s Working Group on Regional Decision-Making. He is also chair of the UCSD Board of Overseers.  Appointed to RGEC by Gov. Gray Davis, he chairs the Port Subcommittee.

San Diego Dialogue Report: What has been your experience on RGEC as a gubernatorial appointee amongst others who are representing interested agencies?

Commissioner Peterson: Some of the people who are appointed representing the existing agencies seem to think that they are bound to vote as instructed by their groups.  And so instead of being free and independent, they feel very constrained by their organizations and won’t vote unless instructed. The result is some fractionalization, some parochialism, some entrenchment.

SDDR:  What has been the most pleasant aspect of serving on RGEC?

Peterson:  Well, you know, we have had a lot of meetings and spent a lot of time together, it’s kind of like being a prisoner of war . . . where you bond with people.  So there is a certain bonding process going on. Even those who differ in their views are becoming good friends.

SDDR: In regional planning, what is the most important thing that’s broken and needs fixing?

Peterson:  Well, I think what’s broken is that there is no cohesive system of transportation and housing distribution in this region. But there never was such a system, so it’s not really that it’s broken, it just never existed.  And I think it’s important that we try to do something about this.

SDDR:  What are the chances the commission will get beyond the status quo?

Peterson:  Oh, I think it’s highly probable we’re going to come up with a recommendation for a regional transportation agency with some teeth in it to resolve certain kinds of land use issues.  I think that will happen.  I think that this commission’s going to recommend that there be a separate airport commission. And I think that will happen for sure.

SDDR:  Do you think this will go to a vote of the people?

Peterson:  No.  I don’t think the airport thing has to go to a vote of the people, but I think certainly that a regional transportation agency will.

SDDR:  There’s been talk of four main options with respect to a regional transportation agency: (1) preserving the status quo, that is, keeping the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) unchanged, (2) strengthening SANDAG, (3) enlarging the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and making it the transportation agency, and (4) creating a new, regionally elected body.

Peterson: I don’t think there’s any chance that a recommendation to retain the status quo or an empowered SANDAG will come out of the commission.  So it’s really down to a new elected agency or an expanded County Board of Supervisors. [State Senator] Steve Peace is pushing hard behind the scenes for the expanded Board, but I don’t think there’s a lot of sympathy for an expanded board.