Opinion: We must seek common ground to solve San Diego’s problems

Wherever one is on the political spectrum, credible data show that we share many basic views. We worry about the future of our city, region and country. We are tired of polarization and fighting, but distrustful of the “other side.” We want to make our communities better, but feel overwhelmed by the national trend toward visceral, even violent disagreement.

How did we get here? More importantly, what do we do now?

How we got here is easy. Social media and skewed infotainment have become dominant sources of information. As humans, we are wired to turn our attention toward things that alarm us. That’s why platforms and users push people toward outrage to increase views, profit and power.

Politicians, influencers and organizations posting the most inflammatory content receive more views, likes and shares — and money. We have incentivized attention-seeking rather than thoughtful good faith debate and problem-solving. On top of that, people are increasingly isolated and lonely, further feeding this vicious cycle.

While it may feel like this is the way it must be happening everywhere, the fact is, it doesn’t have to be this way for all of us.

So, what do we do now? We at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement know that there is one thing we must do.

We need to find common ground solutions to our community’s challenges — neighborhoods and neighbors, working across party lines, ethnicities, cultures and perspectives. We’ve done it before. We can do it again. Here are a few examples of where it’s actually happening in and for our region.

• Recently, as a step toward declaring the Tijuana River a federal Superfund cleanup site, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution seeking $1.4 million to further document the impact of river sewage on our region.
• Prominent San Diego County state legislators, including bipartisan Assemblymembers Laurie Davies, David Alvarez and Darshana Patel, are leading members of the bipartisan California Problem Solvers Caucus, which recently helped pass legislation permitting the sale of cheaper, cleaner gas in California.
• In 2024, California State Senators Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat, and Brian Jones, a Republican, co-sponsored a bill related to homelessness and public camping.
• Rep. Scott Peters is a long-time member of the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, working across party lines. In 2021, San Diego’s members of Congress on both sides of the aisle helped pass the landmark bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, which brought hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal funding for local projects.

Yes, here in San Diego County, we can do better than the distrustful, divisive and angry national rhetoric.

Here are some simple ideas for how, as an individual, you can make it happen every day and make our region a better place to live, work and play.

• Take back your power over social media algorithms and local discourse. Think as you listen, scroll or speak. Consider using the Rotary Club’s “Four-Way Test” to guide your next move. It asks: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Does watching, posting or sharing this content, or making the intentionally acerbic comment, really help at the end of the day?
• Connect in person with your community. Check in with a friend, join a service club, volunteer at a community clean-up, or just help someone. Set an example of good-faith public commentary at a local government meeting. Work with someone who disagrees to find a solution to a problem that affects you both.
• Support community leaders, including politicians and media, who put facts, people and problem-solving over polarization. Listen curiously to someone with a different perspective.
• Finally, if you are an elected leader, or the head of a nonprofit organization or community group, consider how you may be isolating yourself through ideological purity, identity politics and zero-sum thinking. Look to the example of the national nonprofit group Braver Angels, which has demonstrated what can happen when political and social opposites talk face to face.

Of course, this is all easier said than done, even in the best of circumstances. Collaboration can be frustrating, slow and painful. But we, along with our partners at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, see the benefit every day. We encourage you to join us. Let’s make our region better, together.

Tad Seth Parzen is president and CEO of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement and has lived in San Diego County since 1971.