NEXT GEN 29: Alex Garcia
The Planning Commission Vice Chair and Twentynine Palms native encourages residents to know their neighbors
How does one mark the generational change in a community?
For many years, Twentynine Palms has been governed by a mix of an “old boys club” consisting of descendants of the City’s founders and early residents and Marines who fell in love with the town in which they were stationed and stayed. But within the last year a shift has taken place as evidenced on the City bodies in which members are appointed by City Council. We thought our readers might want to meet this next generation of leadership so we’ll be publishing profiles of them over the next several weeks under the heading Next Gen 29: Planning Commission Chair Jessica Cure and Vice Chair Alex Garcia; PAAC Chair Paul Razo and Vice Chair Sara Lyons; and TBID Vice Chair Ashton Ramsey.
Change is here.
Alex Garcia has fond memories of the old Twentynine Palms: Benton Brothers, Cornet and Fosters Freeze. Garcia’s father, Jose Antonio Alberto Salas Garcia, known as Joe or Jose Garcia, a Regimental Sergeant Major of the Seventh Marines, was originally stationed in Twentynine Palms in the late 1970s. After changing stations and moving to San Diego and Hawaii, the family returned to the Marine base in 29, where Alex was born in 1988.
Branding himself “a troublemaker,” Garcia attended Twentynine Palms High, then Independent Studies, was homeschooled, then landed at Monument, the alternative high school, before dropping out at 18 and earning his GED. He pursued a degree at the Art Institute of the Inland Empire, studying media arts and animation but left when he could no longer pay the tuition. Alex then couch surfed while working construction and pizza delivery jobs. After moving to Anaheim, he held various positions in the culinary industry, including head chef at a private school.
Garcia eventually made his way back to 29, hanging out in a friend’s tattoo parlor while he waited on cab driving calls. By 2022, he was a tattoo artist himself. Alex currently works at Body Art Express / Wander Inc., a veteran-owned business that is one of the only licensed and certified mobile tattoo units in California. He is also developing an online business Big Pap Arts LLC, a clothing brand that will contribute a percentage of sales to local needs in Twentynine Palms.
A long-time activist supporting the unhoused, Garcia’s deep community commitment started small: he and a friend had the idea to do at least one kind thing for someone every day, a practice that has lasted for fifteen years. Currently he’s doing a clothing drive and donating 30% of his tattooing income to feeding families affected by the loss of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
I spoke by phone with Alex as he relaxed at Luckie Park.
What prompted you to apply to sit on the Planning Commission? And then move into a leadership position?
I originally wanted to be a part of Homeless and Housing Committee, and the only way to really do that was to be on Planning Commission or become one of the advisors. Octavious [City Councilmember Octavious Scott] was picking at that time and had said that he thinks that I am well connected in the town, and I deal with the community in a way that a lot of people don’t. So he asked if I wanted to do it, and I said, “Sure!”
I wanted to help because I think it’s our turn to be a part of these positions, and I’m hoping to inspire other people to do the same thing. Because it’s important that we’re doing this — that younger people are a part of these things.
So how does it feel to be in a leadership position on the Planning Commission?
I’m learning a lot. I’m realizing a lot. I’m just hoping that I can help. It’s an interesting feeling, because I’m having an interview right now about this — I’m like, I was born and raised here, and I caused a lot of commotion here growing up. And to be here and to be a part of leadership in 29 kind of throws me off a little bit. But it makes me feel as if I do have a different outlook on things here because of how I was raised here. It’s easier to connect with a lot of different walks of life, I think. So, it’s kind of nice.
What do you see as the role of the Planning Commission in town?
My role is, I think, to help bring resources here and to help shine light on different communities here — representation that normally isn’t thought about. I’m sure everyone on the Planning Commission has best intentions. I don’t look at anybody in a negative light, but maybe I can bring in a little bit of a different perspective to some things we’re voting on, or some things that we may have overlooked in some kind of way — to advocate for groups here that normally wouldn’t be heard. That’s what I hope to bring. Maybe inspiring others who look like me to do it too, in the process, I guess, to not have to be a part of the status quo.
Do you think that there’s something more you can achieve by being a Vice Chair, or eventually, perhaps a Chair?
I’m hoping to lay groundwork for other things. I mean, in a short period of time, I think, it’s kind of hard to accomplish a lot of different things I’ve come to realize. But I’m hoping that, if at the very least, I can lay groundwork for other people to build that — I strongly believe we do need a navigation center in 29, a place for people to be able to have resources and be able to get back on their feet. And I think focusing on the people that aren’t normally heard, I think it’ll do nothing but raise the rest. So I’m hoping to bring more resources for the community for people who have dealt with different uphill battles for many different reasons, whether mental health or financial or just whatever they may be going through, and hopefully we can provide resources. I think that’s my long-term goal — is to hopefully be able to lay groundwork for that. I don’t know what the future holds, but hopefully somebody else for who jumps in, at least the conversation started is and the thought process is pushed.
That leads right into the next question, what’s your long-term vision for 29 Palms, setting aside your commission or committee role — just speaking as you?
It’s a small town. I think all the things like houselessness and food scarcity don’t have to happen here. I understand it in bigger cities, because in my head, it’s commercialized. It’s been taken over by corporations and different things like that. But 29 Palms isn’t that. I think those problems can be resolved here.
My vision of 29 Palms in the future would be led by kindness and helping each other and people knowing their neighbors. Whether that neighbor is from here or not, you know, it doesn’t matter. They’re part of our community and a place where, if somebody does need help, they know where to go. They’re not ashamed and they’re not afraid to go ask for help. Having more accessible resources here, I think that’s the biggest thing that 29 Palms lacks.
I think 29 Palms needs a local economy, and that’s easier said than done, obviously. But, yeah, I’m hoping that 29 Palms can lean into the fact that it’s community driven. We’re a small town. We can resolve a lot of issues, working as a community, working together and trying to bring different opportunities to people here, if we would get out of our own way, you know.
I think you’ve talked about this a bit already. What steps are you taking to realize that vision?
Exactly what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years plus here, feeding people, clothing people, trying to encourage everyone else in this community to be a part of it. You know, like trying to advocate for those who are afraid to advocate for themselves or don’t have the ability or the time, or whatever it may be. To advocate for those people by making sure they’re clothed every year or they have food to eat to the best of my abilities.
There are groups within the 29 Palms community, especially the accommodations and business community, who feel their needs and businesses are not receiving the attention they deserve. How do you feel the City can better work toward unifying those factions and ensuring that all businesses feel supported?
We all want the same thing, right? We want to be our own bosses, as the owners of these businesses, we want our businesses to do well. Some of us want to hire people and be able to benefit others by giving them jobs. The more unified we are, the better we will do. Period. And whether that be Rediscover 29 or it be small boutiques like Carrie and Karen’s business [Jeanine Beauty Supply], and places like Black Cactus and all that. If you’re a business owner, here, you are helping lead this town into a direction.
And at the end of the day, it’s not about if your business will do well. If the community doesn’t do well, no one’s doing well. So if these businesses can’t see eye to eye, they need to find common ground on what they really want — not their egos, not their pride, or any anything like that. What do they want? What do they want for this community? And I think we’ll find more common ground in that thought than how different we actually are because at the end of the day, these business owners are just people. They just may have a little bit of upper hand on a business or owning a property or whatever it may be, but they still have hearts. They still care. We just need to find common ground between all those things
The First Friday [initiated by Black Cactus] was a brilliant idea. Imagine if we were to connect with Rediscover 29, that would have been great. We’re better together. No matter what, we’re still part of the same community. And there is a lot of factions, unnecessary factions, we’re stronger together, and together, we’re strong, at least, that’s what I think all the time.
What have you learned about yourself through serving on a city body and being in a leadership position?
Rest is important. It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. It is a long-term marathon that is every single day, making sure that you prioritize your rest and your mental health just as much as progress. And you can’t fill those cups with an empty cup, you know, and there’s constantly something for me to learn. Period.
I don’t know everything. I never thought I knew everything. But being in a place of leadership here, I’ve realized there’s a lot more for me to learn every single day — even when it comes to how our city is run to who truly advocates for people here and who doesn’t. I’m learning a lot so it’s just nice to to be a part of it. but to be honest with you, rest is learning how to separate my thoughts. Because I will give everything I do 110% if I could, but when you’re spread thin, rest is probably all you can do sometimes.
What’s one thing that residents can do to work toward change in their community?
Start where you stand. Know your neighbor.
You have more in common with your neighbor than you have differences. We all want to be loved, we all want to be fed, we all want to feel safe. We all want all these different things. And in 29 those things can be accomplished. 100% I believe those things can be accomplished. And just simply by knowing your neighbor, I think is a huge deal. Community is everything, and starting where you stand. It doesn’t have to be a grand idea to make change. It doesn’t have to be do we feed 1,000 people this one day — it is feeding one person a day. If everybody did 5% more to help someone else, this town would be a absolute wonderful place. And I strongly believe that.
Every time I’ve ever been down on my dumps here and I’ve ever needed something here, there was always someone, because I did a kind thing for someone else. I’ve had people pull over on the side of the street when I had a flat tire and helped me change a tire because I gave them food somewhere down the line that I don’t even remember. If you take care of this community, this community will take care of you. So it starts by knowing your neighbor.
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I appreciate what Alex brings to the Planning Commission. He was the only one who actually visited mobile home parks when they discussed new regulations. He walks the walk.
I really appreciate this series; I’m happy to be able to learn more about the people in power in 29. We live in Wonder Valley (outside of city limits), so don’t really fall under the city’s domain, but we do business in town and are still within their sphere of influence. - I’m very happy to see young people involved in leadership positions, and appreciate this young man’s perspective and goals.