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Issues Facing Our City
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Balancing City Budget
Clearly a line item-by-line item approach is necessary to address the
City's structural budget deficit
[1].
We do not currently have enough staff to audit
all of the City departments
[2]
and we need to move forward quickly and not wait three
years to provide funding for these staff positions—it may actually
save us more than it costs.
We need to take other actions to bolster the City's bottom line, such as requiring public officials to pay their own legal fees; standardizing employees' healthcare benefits; reallocating Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) money, and having Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) make the payments on Petco Park. As a Council we should make decisions based on findings that adhere to State and Federal laws and abide by local regulations—decisions that reduce the expensive lawsuits brought against the City and the associated court costs.
I would prioritize spending for essential services (police, fire, water, and sewer), and seek information from neighborhoods about their own local priorities—these are after all the services that affect all residents; it is only fair to give them a say. I would also seek information from the other Councilmembers about the spending priorities for their districts and how we can work together to achieve as many of our goals as possible and balance the budget.
I oppose the sale of City-owned land to generate revenue and sweetheart deals for businesses and private interest groups (such as ticket guarantees and token, below market leases and contracts, and high interest private loans) that burden our children and grandchildren with our debts. If we cannot afford it, we should not do it.
Pension Reform
Our City has made some astonishing agreements that have led to the current
pension debt. Here are some things we know about our current situation:
- We know that the Pension System is under funded by at least $1.2 billion dollars;
- We know that the Mayor and City Council are paying down the unfunded liability at the rate of 13% to 15% ($157 million for last year) of the General Fund budget every year and the plan is to complete funding in another 27 years;
- We know that the payments made to reduce the liability have a significant negative effect upon the City Budget and on services the City can provide;
- We know that some pension reform has been achieved by eliminating the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) for non-safety related personnel and the Purchase Service Credits Program for employees hired after July 1, 2005;
- We know that there is a newly approved pension benefits package for new City hires; [1];
- We know that there is a lawsuit wending its way through the Court system, which if successful would significantly reduce the City's obligation to the pension fund, and
- We know that we have a legal obligation to pay the pension benefits for the current City employees. Proposals to "fix" the pension cannot be applied unilaterally by the City Council or the Mayor.
But just because we may not have the legal option of retroactively addressing the promises made by the City does not mean that there is nothing we can do.
First, additional reductions in our pension obligations may be achieved by assuring that all of the benefits are in accordance with the requirements of the San Diego Municipal Code. For example, Section 24.1401(b) of the San Diego Municipal Code requires that the DROP program must be revenue neutral—it cannot cost the City more money than if we did not have it.
Next, we must ensure that a greater portion of the pension fund's portfolio is held in stable investments. The current financial crisis has been significantly punishing on pension funds [2], and a drop in the fund's value means the City has to make up the difference. It is true that over time, the stock market has historically produced some of the greatest returns, but money in the pension fund is not only going to be used in the next 10 or 20 years—those who retire tomorrow will also need to be paid.
Last, for additional reform, we need to invite all affected parties to the table—including the citizens of San Diego—to define this problem, re-negotiate terms, and come up with a solution that is fair but responsible, perhaps painful, and, most importantly, realistic.
This is San Diego's own version of a shaky sub-prime mortgage. However, unlike a house, we cannot simply turn over the keys and walk away.
Outsourcing
Aside from the obvious potential for sweetheart deals, dubious quality of
service derived from accepting the lowest bidder, and the fact that the
public would be shut out of the decision-making process until the very
end, outsourcing could have a detrimental effect on the local economy
by awarding contracts to firms outside of San Diego.
We need only look back as far as the outsourcing of debris removal in the areas of our city ravaged by fire last year to understand that outsourcing can sometimes be extremely costly to taxpayers [1]. And our recent experiences with the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) and the Southeast Development Corporation (SEDC) clearly demonstrate that we first need to establish a fair and reliable system of oversight to ensure that taxpayers get what they pay for and that the cost of this oversight and the evaluation process are included in any cost comparison. [2]
Emergency Services
Every single one of our communities is deficient in either Police
or Fire coverage (or both) through a lack of stations or
a lack of staffing. I actively support the formation of local Fire Safe Councils to
help neighborhoods prepare for the dangers of wildfires, while the
Community-Oriented Policing program, Community Relations Officers, and
Rangers for our parks and beaches can help deter crime and lawlessness
in our communities.
I have been endorsed by both the San Diego City Firefighters and the San Diego Police Officers Association because of my commitment to these issues.
Overdevelopment
Some growth is healthy; but it is irresponsible to allow growth
to outstrip the community's water supply, to inhibit clean air,
and to allow gridlock to occur on our roads.
We need to secure new, more reliable sources of water, establish a functional, less-expensive system of public transportation that people will actually use, and ensure that City services and amenities are planned, built, and properly funded before bearing the weight of additional citizens.
Finally, City officials must continually monitor and prevent both individuals and organizations from attempting to circumvent the law and a community's plans for development.
I-5/S-56 Connector
Traffic is a huge problem, but it should not be
addressed at the expense of residents. I support the STOP5Noise effort.
Existing, privately owned residential homes should never be destroyed for
a traffic connector that should have been planned for in the first place.
Traffic solutions should precede large new developments.
Regents Road Bridge
We need improvements to traffic and fire safety now—many of
which can be gained through improvements to the Genesee corridor
without resorting to an expensive, highly contested 40-year-old plan
that would encroach on some the City's last open space west of I-805.
The South University City neighborhood needs a staffed fire station now.
Brush management and evacuation plans are needed for virtually all of
the neighborhoods in District 1.
Cell Towers
The placement of cell phone towers in residential neighborhoods and
parks should be subject to greater review by the City and residents.
I have opposed locating such installations in residential zones in the
past while serving on planning boards, and will continue to do so in
the future.
The placement of towers in the public right of way should consider the deleterious effect it will have on the visual aesthetics of the neighborhood and the property values of nearby properties.
Paid Beach Parking
I have been at the forefront of the charge against paid parking at
the beach and in downtown La Jolla. I publicly opposed a plan in 2002
that would install paid parking on the streets of La Jolla, questioned
the formation of a parking district, and challenged the conclusions
reached by the La Jolla Community Parking District Advisory Board.
I have called for the dissolution of the La Jolla Parking District Advisory Board. [1]
Water
Voluntary conservation measures have only taken us so far. Our population
continues to grow while our sources of potable water do not. Until we
figure out how to address this fundamental problem, we should try
everything we can to use what resources we have more efficiently.
Mandatory water restrictions should be imposed only if we are willing to place a moratorium on any increase in the number of dwelling units in the City of San Diego, and cannot—and should never—be used as a long-term solution.
Parks & Beaches
I have long been an advocate for public coastal access and preserving
what little open space remains in the City of San Diego. I have worked
to enhance and protect public visual and physical access to local beaches
and to to preserve designated open space.
I am committed to protecting and enhancing our natural resources—that is why I have been endorsed by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters.
Green Business
Planning for San Diego's economic future and protecting the environment
are as critical as how San Diego determines how to fix the budget crisis
and which industries will develop in the region. We need to move
beyond what's traditional; in order to compete in the national—and
increasingly global—economy, we must look to the future and boldly
lay the groundwork for what it will bring.
We must encourage local efforts such as the City's own "Clean Technology" initiative and businesses in the broadly defined field of green technologies, such as solar and wind power, fresh water alternatives, and marine utilization. Lacking the budgetary problems that we have had, Boston, Montreal and other green powerhouses have taken advantage of their relative strength by driving the growth of their green industries. We must not only ensure that we have just as much access to the best scientists and venture capital, but also that these emerging industries be nurtured in San Diego through streamlined regulations and the active support of local government and partnerships with local universities, colleges and institutions.
The ultimate goal is to improve our quality of life, increase our self-sustainability, and lay a foundation that will pay dividends well into the future.