Gregg Akkerman Seeks Palm Desert District 2 Seat

Gregg Akkerman One of Three People Vying for District 2 Seat in Palm Desert

PALM DESERT — Gregg Akkerman is among three people making a run for the newly created District 2 spot in the Nov. election. Others are Joe Pradetto and Kathleen Kelly.

Uken Report (UR) sent all candidates a questionnaire. Participation was voluntary. Pradetto did not respond.

Following are the unedited responses from Akkerman.

UR: Age and occupation

Gregg Akkerman: I am 58 and a retired university professor who still performs part-time in piano-bars, stays busy as a civic volunteer, and is lucky to be the primary caretaker to my mom.

UR: Who or what motivated you to run for the City Council?

Gregg Akkerman: I grew up in the Coachella Valley and I’ve seen how much we’ve grown. I’ve always wanted to be more involved with our city and during the pandemic shut down I finally had the time. I was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Committee where I recently served as Chair, and I am also serving on the Civic Engagement Committee.

After working closely with city staff and Council members, I started to find myself concerned with how some decisions were handled, but rather than being a complainer, I decided to be a part of the solution and run for Council. Our city has done a lot of things right over the decades but there’s always room for improvement, and I hope to be on the front lines making life better for all our residents.

I’m proud to say that the biggest supporter of my campaign is my amazing wife who is a school teacher and a terrific mom to two adult children. But, I’m also proud of the many endorsements I have from labor unions, educators, and elected officials who share my values of fiscal responsibility, stopping wasteful spending before raising taxes, and restoring our public safety.

UR: How long have you lived in Palm Desert full time?

Gregg Akkerman: I grew up here and moved away at the age of 20 after attending College of the Desert for two years. After decades working as a university professor and musician, I moved back 13 years ago to be closer to family and have lived here full time since then.

UR: What is your No. 1 priority for the city?

Gregg Akkerman: My #1 priority is to restore our public safety. The current Council defunded the police budget several million dollars in 2020 which led to a 45% increase in violent crime (FBI statistics). Despite other nearby cities having a surplus during those same years, our city was running at a deficit and the police budget has never been properly restored. I hear Council members say they support public safety but their actions prove the opposite, and I will make it my first order of business to find the money to increase law enforcement and bring down our violent crime.

UR: What makes you a better candidate than your opponents?

Gregg Akkerman: Our city has moved forward in many wonderful ways and yet my opponent on Council is still voting and acting like it’s the 1980s. I’m proud to NOT be a career politician who has gotten comfortable in a bubble. We need to have a Council that reflects the current values of our residents and as the only candidate who grew up here, I’m the best choice for guiding us to the future.

UR: Do you see yourself as a team player or an individual who will fight for your opinion? Why?

Gregg Akkerman: Those who have worked with me will likely agree that I am easy to get along with and respectful of differing opinions. That said, I don’t need the Council to be my friends, and I will stand up to anyone who I believe is diminishing the health, wealth, and freedom of our residents.

UR: How do you deal with conflict? Give us an example.

Gregg Akkerman: I deal with conflict by keeping a smile on my face and a “mess around and find out” in my heart.

For example, while being part of the grass-roots movement to convince the city to stop wasting money evading the California Voting Rights Act, I spoke at Council meetings with the utmost of respect. Meanwhile, I worked with a team of advocates behind the scenes to threaten lawsuits if the city didn’t comply. In the end, the Council was swayed and we now have five voting districts to improve the representation of all our residents.

UR: Does Palm Desert need to change the way it’s been doing business? Change its image? If so, in what way?

Gregg Akkerman: I am terribly worried about our “brand” as a shopping and dining destination because of our declining reputation concerning public safety. In the news, we constantly hear about smash-and-grab robberies on El Paseo, bank heists on HWY 111, and even multiple stabbings involving teenagers. If people don’t feel safe here, they won’t shop here, and that is a detriment to both our residents and business owners.

We do indeed need to improve our image and it all begins with restoring the police budget slashed by the current Council. With focus on the real issues like stopping wasteful spending rather than raising our sales taxes with Measure G, we can return Palm Desert to the glory it deserves.

Say no to a Council that defunded the police and wants you to pay more at every store with higher sales taxes. Instead, I invite you to vote for Dr. Gregg Akkerman in District #2 and say yes to improved public safety, kitchen-table common sense, and hometown values. Visit www.greggakkerman for more information.