Posts Tagged ‘Kevin Faulconer’
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.
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.
Faulconer: “People in San Diego were hungry for change”
San Diego’s vote on Proposition B is reverberating across California and the country, creating national headlines. Kevin Faulconer, co-author of the Comprehensive Pension Reform citizens initiative, took to the airwaves to talk about the overwhelming approval of the measure, and how San Diego is setting a blueprint for reform for local governments throughout the nation. Watch the clip here.
City Leaders Lay Out Prop B Pension Reform Implementation Plan
“San Diegans expect results. We must implement Prop B without delay.”
That was the message City leaders delivered today following the landslide approval of Proposition B at the ballot box Tuesday. More than 66 percent of voters endorsed the measure, otherwise known as Comprehensive Pension Reform, to eliminate traditional pensions for new employees and replace them with a 401(k)-style plan, similar to the private sector. The measure also ends pension spiking and directs the Mayor to seek a 5-year cap on pensionable compensation.
At Least the Fleece Awards Were Cute: SDCTA Hands Out 2012 Goldens
Smart governing decisions saving taxpayer dollars and collaborative initiatives took top honors, while cavalier attitudes and lost opportunities were called out and shamed at the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA)’s 17th annual Goldens Awards Dinner, held at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in Mission Valley.
Remote controls were nowhere in sight as the evening’s theme “Taxpayer TV: We Can’t Make This $#!% Up!” entertained the appreciative audience who shared the details of the exclusive video parodies highlighting the program via social media. As in past programs, elected officials, members of the news media and other public figures willingly humiliated themselves in a good-natured send-up of the year in government news and achievements in San Diego.
Faulconer pushes to bring City technology into 21st century
Faulconer calls for approval of Mayor Sanders' IT reform plan
Are you reading this using a computer system from the 1980′s? You’re probably not firing up a Commodore 64 each morning, yet much of the City’s information technology network still uses decades-old systems.
This morning Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer joined Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilmember Lorie Zapf to unveil the potential savings from two competitively bid IT services contracts. He called on the City Council to approve the agreements, which will help bring City of San Diego operations into the 21st century while creating millions of dollars in efficiencies and savings.
WWFD? What Would Fletcher Do?
In the back and forth over Assemblyman and mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher’s post Let’s be honest. Let’s be truthful. And let’s be direct., Rostrafarian Steve Rider posted an honest, truthful and direct question about this “leading by example” business.
This brings up an interesting question. One can only assume that on the off chance CPR is defeated either in the ballots or courts, DeMaio will turn down a pension as mayor as he did as a Councilmember. I know for a fact that Ray Ellis and Scott Sherman have also pledged to not accept a pension. If a pension were available to you (Fletcher) as the mayor, would you accept it?
Faulconer talks pension reform on national television
In case you missed it, Kevin Faulconer appeared on Fox News Channel this week to talk about San Diego’s Comprehensive Pension Reform citizen’s initiative, the fight to put it on the ballot and the millions of dollars in savings it can bring to taxpayers.
The reform measure, which will appear on the June ballot, comes at a time when cities across the country are grappling with unsustainable pension payments and looking for solutions like this .
Watch the video here.
Competition Between Government and Private Businesses Saving Millions for S.D. Taxpayers and Neighborhoods
Managed competition has created nearly $6 million in savings so far
Competition works — and is delivering results for San Diego.
Today, San Diego City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer joined Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Councilmember Todd Gloria to announce City employees won a bid against three private companies to provide street sweeping services to San Diegans. Freed up to compete with the private sector through the voter-approved managed competition process, City workers submitted a bid that will reduce the cost of sweeping streets by $560,ooo each year. These permanent savings constituted the lowest bid, prompting the recommendation today that City employees win the contract.
Faulconer: “People talk about creating new jobs. We must also protect the jobs we have”
Faulconer urges protection of 3,800 San Diego jobs
San Diegans rightly expect all levels of local government to be focused on creating and maintaining jobs, especially in this period of economic uncertainty. Today in front of the international headquarters of San Diego-based manufacturer Solar Turbines, City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer joined County Supervisor Greg Cox, Port Chairman Scott Peters and many more local leaders to unite behind protecting thousands of San Diego jobs that may be in peril.
Faulconer said,
Faulconer: Redevelopment’s Public Benefits Too Important to Stop
City Council President Pro Tem Kevin L. Faulconer released the following statement in response to today’s California Supreme Court ruling over the State Legislature’s decision to dissolve redevelopment agencies across the state, including in San Diego.
“Redevelopment has been a vital resource in the transformation of downtown and many of San Diego’s older communities. It has been the key to incentivizing private investment and creating affordable housing, parks and necessary public improvements in San Diego’s urban neighborhoods, all the while helping to create jobs and stimulate San Diego’s economy. The short-sighted decision by the State Legislature to take local funds from our neighborhoods and pump them into the bureaucratic black hole in Sacramento is a detriment to our region.
City Council Serves Up “Restaurant Relief,” Removing A Burdensome Regulation For Local Businesses
Faulconer: Government regulation putting “too many cooks in the kitchen”
Kevin Faulconer urges the City Council to cut red tape at the Corvette Diner
When was the last time you heard of the police breaking up a rowdy dance party at Liberty Station’s Corvette Diner? Probably never, but this family restaurant was required to obtain a $3,000 entertainment permit from the Police Department for the right to feature live entertainment (in this case, a DJ spinning 1950′s records and announcing children’s birthday parties).
Kevin Faulconer, City Council President Pro Tem and enemy of unnecessary regulations, worked with the Police Department to create a “Restaurant Relief” exemption for family restaurants.
“It’s In The Voters’ Hands” — Comprehensive Pension Reform Qualifies For San Diego Ballot
One hundred fifteen thousand nine hundred ninety one. That’s how many San Diegans signed the petition to qualify Comprehensive Pension Reform for the June 2012 ballot, the City Clerk confirmed today. The initiative’s authors — Mayor Jerry Sanders, City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer and City Councilmember Carl DeMaio — joined the Lincoln Club, San Diego County Taxpayers Association, Councilmember Lorie Zapf and many more to announce this latest victory on the road to permanent pension reform. They also reaffirmed their commitment to running an aggressive campaign to establish fair and sustainable employee benefits and ensure local government’s focus on community services — not employee pensions — is restored.
Bipartisan City Council Coalition Vows To Cut Red Tape So S.D. Businesses Can Create Jobs
Faulconer, Young and Zapf seek "Regulatory Relief" for San Diego businesses
“Time is money.” It’s an all-American saying that every small business in San Diego lives by.
Today, City Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer joined Council President Tony Young, Councilmember Lorie Zapf, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and Building Industry Association of San Diego to committ to helping businesses spend less time navigating the City bureaucracy so they can focus on generating more money – for their families, for our local economy, and for job creation.
Faulconer to Review Over 300 Recommendations to Improve City Operations and Boost Efficiencies
Audit Committee to also consider proposal that could recover up to $500,000 from payment errors
Have an idea to fix City Hall and save taxpayer dollars? The independent City Auditor has over 300.
This morning at 9:00 at City Hall, Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer — chair of the City Audit Committee — will be reviewing 313 recommendations to save tax dollars and improve City of San Diego operations. 176 recommendations from independent City Auditor Eduardo Luna have not been implemented, with some dating back to 2008. Faulconer will be pushing the City to follow through on putting these ideas into effect.
City Council Approves Private Sector Competition for San Diego Landfill Operation
Faulconer makes motion to save millions of dollars through managed competition
Faulconer promotes taxpayer savings through competition
“We should line up managed competitions like planes on the runway at Lindbergh Field.”
This is a line Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer is fond of using when stressing the importance of competition for City services. Today, the City Council gave clearance for another plane to take off on its destination to save San Diego taxpayers money.
The Strange Bedfellows of Pension Reform
The woes of public pensions seems a universal problem. Governments around the globe grapple with these unsustainable money pits in the hopes of avoiding more trouble down the road.
San Diego’s not unique.
But just a year out from the 2012 June primary, we’re seeing lots of hubbub about the pension reform ballot measure out trying to beat the clock on submitting enough valid signatures to get it before San Diego voters for consideration.
Tied into this issue: the mayor’s race. Councilman Carl DeMaio’s planted himself firmly in the center of this issue along with his drum-beating partners, Mayor Jerry Sanders and Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who support his opponent, fellow Republican District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis.
Calling San Diego Taxpayers: Oppose the “Jobs Tax”
The San Diego County Taxpayers calls upon San Diegans to voice their opposition to a proposal by the San Diego City Council to double the so called “linkage fee” charged to construction projects in the City of San Diego. This fee is yet another short-sighted job killer and SDCTA is strongly opposed to this increase.
The Council will also consider setting this fee on “auto-increase” going forward, a sneaky little maneuver which no longer requires a vote of your elected officials to increase this job-killing tax. This action may be taken despite a historic recession and without regard for the concerns voiced by business leaders that this would further hurt jobs creation and economic recovery in San Diego.
Kevin Faulconer set the tone last night, telling a crowd of civic leaders, “This is not about Republicans and Democrats. This is about what is good for San Diego neighborhoods.” Faulconer gestured to a chart showing that, if left unchanged, local residents will one day pay $500 million-a-year for a “defined benefit” pension system. “If we act now, we can save $1 to $2 Billion in the next 25 years, and that will go instead to libraries, parks & recreation, repairing roads and public safety.” Carl DeMaio pinpointed a 65% rise in local water rates since 2007, and said “Pension Costs are fully charged into those stunning increases.” Noting harassment of reform petitioners at local shopping centers, Mayor Jerry Sanders got laughs saying, “I’m actually ‘proud’ of the people doing that because it means they’ve finally gotten off their #$%*&+#* and done something.“ (A helicopter passed overhead at this moment, and I could not make out just what the word #$%*&+#* was.) The Lincoln Club’s T.J. Zane emphasized polling shows 70% public support to end abuses like “pension spiking”.
Pension Reform Measure Would Save San Diego Taxpayers up to $2 Billion
A groundbreaking pension reform ballot measure would save San Diego taxpayers up to $2.1 billion, according to a comprehensive financial analysis released today.
“Taxpayers simply can’t afford to keep paying the staggering pension costs of city workers year after year, decade after decade,” Mayor Jerry Sanders said. “This ballot measure will restore us to fiscal sanity, creating a system in which city workers receive retirement benefits no better and no worse than the average taxpayer footing the bill.”
Sanders is working with council members Kevin Faulconer and Carl DeMaio, San Diego County Taxpayers Association and The Lincoln Club of San Diego County to qualify the Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR) Initiative for the June 2012 ballot.
Comprehensive Pension Reform kicks off
You’re invited…
Who: Mayor Jerry Sanders, Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer, Councilmember Carl DeMaio, Lincoln Club of San Diego County and the San Diego County Taxpayers Association
What: Comprehensive Pension Reform Campaign Kick-off Reception
When: Thursday, June 30
Time: 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Trellises Restaurant at the Town & Country Hotel (500 Hotel Circle, San Diego CA 92108)
Previous contributions or pledges gratefully acknowledged or $100 minimum at the door. Personal, company, corporate or PAC checks accepted.
To RSVP email info@realpensionreform.com or call 619.446.6441
No June Gloom for Leaders in Albondigas Meatball Poll
Albongidas members like their politics spicy. The Mayor’s race in the City of San Diego is tailor made for this bunch and it remains the hot topic of monthly gatherings by members of the San Diego Chapter at Cafe Coyote in Old Town.
San Diego District Attorney and Mayoral Candidate Bonnie Dumanis
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis made the first official visit by a declared mayoral candidate on Friday, June 10. She was well-received and by all appearances had a great time visiting with the poliwonks in attendance. Surprisingly, no one was arrested or served with a warrant, not always a given with our crew.
The Mayoral race has gotten off to a blistering pace: DeMaio, Fletcher, and now Filner are in; Faulconer is out. Surprisingly, there is a swift and early movement to coalesce center-right establishment support behind Dumanis. In just the last 36 hours Dumanis has received the endorsements of both Faulconer and Sanders. At the same time a SurveyUSA poll, sponsored by 10 News, shows DeMaio up substantially. He leads among every major demographic but women.
Although very early, the big loser so far is Fletcher. After spending nearly a million dollars on his first two elections, he barely registers in this poll. His announcement was trumped by DeMaio’s and the centrist community seems to be getting in line behind Dumanis.
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