Posts Tagged ‘Bob Filner’
You wanna win? Be present
Dwayne Crenshaw and meMost people know nothing about local politicians and just about everyone else knows one or two things about them. So if the one thing a politician is known for is charm, he or she is probably winning on Election Day.
I haven’t seen any research that tells me this but it’s a theory that makes sense to me. To find out what I’m talking about, chat up San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria. He packs a lot of charm into a 60-second conversation. Gloria, and successful politicians like him, have a genuine interest in people.
Filner and Marijuana
I should have known. First, let me say that I am in favor of all forms of legalizing marijuana, so of course, I am not opposed to medical marijuana. I followed the link on this tweet from Craig Gustafson to read about Bob Filner’s medical marijuana proposal:
Story on @bobfilnermayor ‘s med pot ordinance now with docs — executive summary and actual ordinance language. bit.ly/ZagbXb
— Craig Gustafson (@gustafsoncraig) March 19, 2013
The linked U-T story opens with this paragraph:
Mayor Bob Filner is proposing an ordinance to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate in commercial and industrial areas for a $5,000 annual permit fee and a 2 percent city tax on sales.
Poll Released Today: Bob Filner’s Dysfunction
Survey USA released a poll today on the local opinion of Bob Filner…
They show he’s underwater on approval, and by 56-37% San Diegans call his behavior “inappropriate.”
By 55-30% margin, people say Filner’s behavior could “impact city business a lot.”
Also, in case you missed it, the UT Editorial Board released a piece discussing the dysfunction that has become City Hall under the leadership of Bob Filner.
Recall time for Filner? No. Not yet.
Recall time, anyone?
Well, no. Not yet. Legally and politically, it’s premature to start the effort to remove the screwball we’ve elected mayor of San Diego.
That being said, 2014 seems a reasonable year to look forward to. IF Filner continues to alienate folks with his bizarre behavior and awesome arrogance without bounds, HE will be the one making the case for his own removal.
Will his hubris override his political acumen? Frankly, I’m not convinced. Yet. But I can hope.
Will Filner Finish His Term?
Bob Filner appears a little unhinged, and frankly unprofessional in a video from local news station NBC 7. He hijacks a news conference by City Attorney Jan Goldsmith to make accusations of unprofessional conduct. His view of the role of the City Attorney appears entirely unbalanced. The City Attorney can’t be fired by the mayor, because he is elected directly by the public. Filner’s tactics are those of a bully or a Congressman, not used to the necessity of working with other members of the team. It seems irrational for the mayor to waste political capital on a personal and public fight with another official with whom he must work in the future. His ego is writing a check he may lack the political capital to afford.
Filner Should Speak Up
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has been keeping silent about his views on the 2 percent hotel tax. I previously argued that I thought the tax violated Proposition 26. City Attorney Jan Goldsmith pointed out that the city was taking a risk in the comments section on sdrostra. City Attorney Goldsmith cited his office’s legal opinion which finished with this conclusion:
Prop 26 defines every government imposition of a duty to pay funds to government as a tax unless one of seven enumerated exceptions applies. It is not clear whether the City’s traditional businessbased assessments can meet one of those exceptions. . . .
Port Commissioner Veto: Filner Win or Gloria’s Failure of Leadership?
This morning’s UT had a scathing editorial which proclaimed: “That scream you heard just after 3 p.m. Monday was the San Diego City Council slitting its own throat.” The editorial noted the Council’s failure to override Filner’s veto was a “huge political victory in his (Filner’s) first tug-of-war with the council.” Read the entire editorial here: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/11/port-commission-filner-veto-gloria-council/
What the editorial doesn’t directly address is Council President Gloria’s failure of leadership. Despite being awarded the title of Council President by acclamation, Gloria was unable to secure even one override vote from his 3 other democratic colleagues. To date, his coalition of 5 has been the 4 Republicans; a coalition that one can only assume is built upon convenience for the Republicans, not any sense of loyalty that he should have secured from his democratic colleagues.
A Fine Mess – The Hotel Tax
I find myself partially agreeing with Mayor Filner on the subject of San Diego’s hotel tax. He has stalled on signing the contract that would allow the hoteliers to start using the proceeds to promote tourism and the hotels of San Diego. In an earlier post, I noted that he wanted to use the revenue for “public safety,” but now he is just saying that he had said the tax is illegal. If the tax is illegal, it can’t be used for any activity, including public safety. Meanwhile, the UT article linked above notes that there are lawsuits proceeding against the hotel tax, claiming it violates Proposition 26, passed 2010, which requires a supermajority vote of the people to raise taxes. Here is what the state constitution says about taxes and votes, from Article XIII C, California Constitution:
Filner’s Start in Office
. . . is not that great. I was happy he is stopping medical marijuana outlet harassment by the city, but is that really a burning issue? Beyond that Filner’s start in office has not made me optimistic.
- He cancelled new managed competition actions, claiming that more study is needed and that service levels have suffered. The Miramar landfill competition and street sweeping services were won by city workers, but at lower cost to the city; why is Filner complaining? There is no evidence of correlation between over paying for a service and better levels of service. Kudos to Kevin Faulconer for seeking to push ahead anyway.
New City of San Diego Sales Tax Coming?
Sounds like it if the new Council President Todd Gloria gets his way. The North County Times reports:
New SD Council President Pitches Tax Increase
Neither new mayor nor council offer immediate reaction to $900 millon proposal
The new president of the San Diego City Council — rising Democratic star Todd Gloria — said he wants to put before city voters a proposed tax hike that would address a nearly $900 million backlog of infrastructure projects.
Gloria announced his idea during Monday’s inauguration speech for his second term. Hours later, his council colleagues unanimously elected him president — a key position at City Hall that allows him to set the panel’s agenda.
Faulconer’s open letter to Mayor Filner
Today, Mayor Bob Filner and two new San Diego City Councilmembers — Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman — were sworn into office. In his op-ed in Sunday’s U-T San Diego, Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer laid out areas the new mayor and City Council can focus on together to keep City Hall accountable and working for San Diegans. In case you missed it, you can read Faulconer’s open letter to Mayor Filner here: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/01/a-councilmans-message-to-mayor-elect-filner/
Matt Awbrey is Communications Director for Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer.
Progressives Look to Filner to Whack at San Diego’s Economy
Kelly Davis of CityBeat has performed a public service in detailing some areas where Bob Filner’s philosophy will have a negative impact on the city’s economy. Of course, Davis doesn’t take that view, but a review of potential “progressive” action items doesn’t bode well for the local economy.
- Development. Progressives complain about the city reorganization that saved some money and by moving the planning department to a division in the development department. The building industry is supposedly in favor of the move, because of the potential to steam line the permitting process. However, the move seems to draw the ire of progressives for lack of “transparency.” But faster permitting would seem to promote economic growth, so what is the real complaint here?
Study: Majority of Votes Cast in SD Mayoral Election Will be Absentee Voters
For The First Time, Absentee Voters Will Dominate San Diego City Mayoral Election
SAN DIEGO - In the past three San Diego mayoral elections, the majority of votes in the general election were cast on Election Day. However, a new analysis by the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR) projects a historic change this year, as mailed ballots will, for the first time, comprise the majority of votes cast in the race. Using data from the Registrar of Voters office and GIS mapping software, NUSIPR evaluated a number of recent voter trends that will have an impact in Tuesday’s contest.
#Cointossgate: Filner Loses a Coin Toss, Then Loses It, Leaves DeMaio #Eastwooding
Video added at bottom of post
______
It was surreal… and televised. As we well know, Bob Filner is a Congressman and can do whatever he wants. Alas, the cruel hand of probability did not get the memo. Probability did not give The Entitled One that which he wanted. Unthinkable. Mayoral candidate Filner lost a coin toss.
The coin toss determined the order in which candidates would answer the first question and deliver their closing statements during the UCSD/CW6 debate yesterday. As a result, Filner was to answer the first question, and give first closing remarks.
Filner was not having it. Instead of taking the stage for the televised debate, Filner embraced his inner diva and threw a hissy fit backstage. All the while on camera, mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio was at his podium, staring at an empty podium, #Eastwooding.
Faulconer Speaks Out Against Proposal to Increase Pension Debt
San Diegans voted for Comprehensive Pension Reform to fix the pension problem now. In fact, much of the City of San Diego’s financial turnaround over the past few years is attributable to local leaders taking the bull by the horns and not putting off difficult choices to future generations.
Today, Kevin Faulconer continued to speak out against a plan that would postpone the City’s full pension payments and run up its pension debt by $335 million. Faulconer appeared on the Rodger Hedgecock Show to reiterate that issuing so-called pension obligation bonds — an idea most recently floated by mayoral candidate Bob Filner — is unnecessary and a step in the wrong direction. A recent analysis released by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association revealed this risky maneuver would cost millions of dollars that could otherwise be invested in San Diego neighborhoods.
Beyond Lilygate: Since When Did Filner and the Left Start Caring About Vandalism?
Last fall, given the amount of public and private property that Occupy Wall Street burned, destroyed and even defecated on, I began to wonder
anew if there were any forms of vandalism to which the left objected. Alas, Lilygate provided a silver lining. Whatever the intent of the water fighting revelers, some of them destroyed a source of civic pride (the lily pond) within a larger source of civic pride (Balboa Park). The silver lining? It upset citizens of all political stripes. I found this strangely heartening. I gather that it even upset one of the founders the Congressional Progressive Caucus–a left wing Congressman running for Mayor.
Bob Filner’s Week of Lily Pond Lies
In just one week, mayoral candidate Bob Filner reeled off so many outright lies and misstatements he is in jeopardy of giving our doddering Vice President Joe Biden some serious gaffe-envy.
It started at last week’s debate at the Institute of the Americas. Filner ignorantly called out Councilmember DeMaio for not having a diverse staff. Of course, out of a staff of seven, two are Hispanic and two are Asian-American. One of these individuals is his Chief of Staff. As someone who has been perpetually running for office since 1979, Filner knows the importance of the Chief of Staff position. As his zany buddy Joe Biden would say, it is a “big effing deal.”
The Times They Are A-Changin: Filner Hires Shepard
The rumors about Democrat Bob Filner signing Republican political consultant Tom Shepard became reality on Wednesday.
The U-T San Diego posted a story about the move last night. A blog post went up on San Diego Rostra about the same time. And there was Tony Krvaric’s email blast. The chair of local GOP didn’t mince words. His subject line: “BREAKING: Tom Shepard betrays our reform effort and signs on with Bob Filner!”
Krvaric closed by saying: “PS. The Republican Party of San Diego County will not do business with him ever again as long as I remain chairman. Elephants don’t forget – and principles matter.”
Meet New Carl and New Bob
San Diego Politics & Media Mashup
Republican Carl DeMaio has hired a Democrat and Democrat Bob Filner is on board with pension reform.
Who spiked the water in San Diego?
Relax. There’s no need to panic. The water is clean…I mean drinkable. So why are we seeing New Carl and New Bob popping up in stories?
Here’s the thing — election season is nearly in full swing and DeMaio and Filner, the two men running to become San Diego’s next mayor, have to figure out how to appeal to the middle in order to come out on top in November. In San Diego, 40 percent of registered voters are Democrats and 28 percent are registered Republican.
Reviewing Precinct Returns from the San Diego Mayoral Election
The race to become mayor of the City of San Diego has narrowed down to two finalists. In this policy brief the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR) analyzed newly released electoral data from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters’ office using GIS software.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Oracle Speaks
John Nienstedt, President of Competitive Edge, and T.J. Zane, President & CEO of The Lincoln Club of San Diego County, at the Lincoln Club's Election Night Reception. Photo by: Melissa JacobsPolitics & Media Mashup
I worked on a campaign with local pollster John Nienstedt a couple years ago and after he explained in a group email – a few days before the election – that we were going to win someone sent a reply all message that said: “The Oracle has spoken.”
I thought of that Friday at a luncheon as I listened to Nienstedt break down Tuesday’s election.
Texts From Mayoral Candidates – Part V
We texted the San Diego mayoral candidates and asked them, “What movie and song best describes your campaign?”
Here are their replies:
That’s easy. Movie: The Empire Strikes Back. Song: “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a laser focused take-no-prisoners team of crusaders armed with a Roadmap that returns Republican control to San Diego.
___
We see Purple at Team Fletcher, so we end every day by huddling up and watching Barney’s Great Adventure. Everyone is welcome! We start every morning with “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette. It reminds our former partners we’re doing just fine, and that pumps us up.
Fletcher Wins Race For Most Klout
Politics & Media Mashup
I wrote a post six months ago comparing the Klout scores of San Diego mayoral candidates, council members and a few others who know their way around Facebook and Twitter. It generated a little buzz.
Tony Krvaric, Todd Gloria and others compared their scores on Twitter. Former U-T San Diego columnist Tom Blair mentioned the post in one of his columns and it was the subject of a short 10News story.
Klout is not without problems, so I took a little ribbing.
Last Major San Diego Mayoral Debate Mashup
The San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR), San Diego County Taxpayers Association and The Lincoln Club of San Diego County hosted today’s debate at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center.
SDAR wants to thank all of the candidates for a spirited debate, the 500 or so people who filled the ballroom and those of you who watched and tweeted from home and work.
10News will broadcast the debate Saturday at 7PM. So tune in, and don’t forget to vote Tuesday!
What follows is a mashup of news coverage, tweets, photos, which will be updated.
Mayor’s Race Takes Me Back to 7th Grade
Politics & Media Mashup
We’re 10 days out from Election Day and here is what we know about the San Diego mayoral race:
- Carl DeMaio is in.
- The second spot looks like it’s going to go down to the wire. Bob Filner is carrying a slight edge over Nathan Fletcher.
- Trailing behind is Bonnie Dumanis, but she’s not going down without a fight.
Two separate sources I trust told me this week some of the latest polling numbers show DeMaio in the high 20s/low 30s; Filner in the low 20s and Fletcher in the high teens.
Recent Comments