Posts Tagged ‘Prop D’
Thanks to those who helped pass Prop D
I am using this forum to thank all of the people who helped us achieve the goal of becoming a Charter City, with the passage of Prop D. Specifically; I want to acknowledge John Hoy, John Gibson, Greg Brown, Darrin Mroz, and the Lincoln Club who did much of the heavy much of the heavy lifting in this campaign. Passing an initiative to make El Cajon a Charter City might seem dull in comparison to what is happening in in places like San Diego and Wisconsin, but there is no doubt that this is a real step forward in helping El Cajon reach its full potential.
Bill Wells talks Charter City on the Mark Larson Show
I’ll be a guest on the Mark Larson Show tomorrow to discuss El Cajon’s Charter City initiative; Prop D. The interview is scheduled for 8:25 am on KCBQ 1170 AM.
How Sanders (Mostly) Got His Groove Back … and SD Labor Doesn’t Like It
Remember back in 2010 when the local Municipal Employees Association went crying to its state level big brother, Public Employment Relations 
Board (PERB), about Mayor Jerry Sanders using the power and prestige of his office to inspire and endorse Prop D, the sales tax increase?
No I don’t remember that either, because it did not happen. However, I do recall more recently the Municipal 
Employees Association asking PERB to bully over 120,000 San Diegans, including Mayor Sanders, by blocking the Comprehensive Pension Reform initiative from getting on the ballot. Last Tuesday, Judge William Dato told Goliath, labor groups and their heavy-handed bureaucrat friends, to back off of little taxpayer David… until after the election.
Welcome The New Poliwonk in Town
A fresh face among San Diego’s political wonks is always a welcome sight. So it’s a pleasure to post word that Peter Amaro has been named the new Policy Analyst at the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.
Amaro’s brief bio: A native San Diegan (hooray!), Amaro received his Juris Doctor from the Georgetown University Law Center. During his time at Georgetown, he worked as a policy analyst with the Harrison Institute for Public Law, where he focused on land-use regulation and environmental policy issues facing state and local governments. He was also involved with Georgetown’s Environmental Law Society and Habitat for Humanity student groups. Prior to his legal studies, he worked for AVID Center, a San Diego-based educational nonprofit organization. Amaro earned his bachelor’s degree cum laude in Comparative Literature and Society from Columbia University.
On Fiscal Issues, Where Art Thou Mayoral Candidate Bonnie Dumanis?
Maybe mayoral candidates should approach the 2012 election as if they were running for Homecoming King or Queen of San Diego. This seems to be Bonnie Dumanis’ tactic so far. 
She is willing to put herself out there… in the sense that she is willing to have folks voice their opinion about her at the ballot box. Of course, nominees for Homecoming court go through that too. As I recall from my own high school experience, and watching every coming of age movie including Mean Girls, the Homecoming court is determined by popularity alone. The nominees do not have to engage in questions of sales taxes, labor unions, deficit reduction, crumbling infrastructure, response times and business environment, to name several issues. First, Homecoming court nominees make a few big posters with markers. Then they smile at both the nerds and the popular kids for the week leading up to the vote. Finally, to their credit, they put their popularity on the line in front of God, man, the principal and the janitor. Dumanis seems more than willing to do that. However, she is not willing to put a stake in the ground on issues, especially fiscal ones.
Bonnie Dumanis is running… for Mayor Jerry Sanders’ third term
San Diego has a longstanding tradition of electing establishment Republicans, 
often with either military or law enforcement roots as its mayor. Before becoming U.S. Senator and California governor, former Marine Corps officer and Republican Pete Wilson was mayor of San Diego from 1971-1982. Wilson, a moderate to liberal on social issues, did limit the growth of the city’s budget, cut property taxes locally and helped revitalize downtown. However, he was against Prop 13 in 1978 (limiting California’s property tax and requiring a 2/3 majority for increases in state taxes) before he was for it. San Diego city workers opted out of Social Security in 1982 when then-Mayor Pete Wilson promised the city would provide taxpayer-funded health care for retired workers. This promise has played a significant role in increasing the city’s unfunded liability.
City Of San Diego Serves Up Turkey to Taxpayers A Bit Early
For anyone still wondering why voters are so skeptical of political promises, look no further than the latest failure to enact reform by the City of San Diego. The San Diego County Taxpayers Association pointed out in a news release issued today that one of the ten reforms taxpayers were led to believe had been enacted prior to the November 2 General Election has not in fact taken place yet at all.
Sanders lied about critical need for Prop D sales tax
Was Mayor Sanders Lying About Critical Need for Prop D Sales Tax?
Short answer — HELL YES!
PRESS RELEASE: 11/19/10
Authored by Richard Rider
San Diego — It was just three weeks ago that San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders was running carefully orchestrated “town hall meetings” around the city — threatening citizens with death and destruction if we did not approve Prop D — the city sales tax increase.
The frowny faced police chief and fire chief each dutifully stood before audiences and announced inevitable dramatic personnel and service cutbacks if the sales tax didn’t pass. Doomsday was upon us.
TONIGHT: Post-Election Analysis with Consultant Hoy, Pollster Nienstedt
I’m not exactly the most devoted GOP meeting attendee. But I’ll be there tonight to hear the recap of the wildly dead-on pollster John Nienstedt and Nov. 2 success-story consultant John Hoy.
I had the honor of working with both men on Proposition A – which crossed the finish line easily with more than 70 percent of the vote. Conversely on the difficulty scale, Hoy also consulted the hard-won race for Councilwoman-Elect Lorie Zapf.
Last month, I heard Nienstedt give some quick, off-the-cuff predictions that were eerily correct virtually across the board from the governor race on down to Proposition D.
No On D Puts On A Really Big Show
Having big funding for a campaign is dandy. But when you’re being outspent by the opposition, creativity must step in and take over.
In the case of the campaign against Proposition D, San Diegans Against Government Waste doesn’t have the funds to make the big television ad purchase like the labor union funded campaign in favor of the sales tax. The Yes side’s ads have been running for weeks.
Sure, you can put your ad up on YouTube, and the campaign has done so.
Calling All Would-Be Campaign Consultants: No on D Needs YOU
Think most political campaign ads suck? Think you can do better? Now you have the chance, and you could win a really swell prize too.
The No on D campaign has opened up a viral video ad contest asking for people to submit their own “No on D” ads. There aren’t any formal rules, although I’ll advise you right now to do your best not to slander anyone or tell an outright fib. Convince the viewer why he or she should vote against Prop D. Upload your ad to YouTube and send the campaign a link at info@stopthesalestax.com You’ve got until Monday, October 25 to do it.
Every Picture Tells a Story, Don’t It?
Yes on D Business Support News Conference, October 14, 2010
No on D Business Support News Conference, October 14, 2010
CCDC Cap Increase Hits General Fund; City Leaders Still Push Prop D
Councilmember Carl DeMaio issued the following memo today where he asks for an explanation of why the city’s downtown redevelopment cap was raised without following the public process and analysis period approved in June by the City Council. In light of the big push by the Mayor and City Council to pass Prop D’s massive General Fund tax hike, DeMaio questions the timing and impact of the decision.
DeMaio issued a statement as the memo was released:
“This action will have a major impact on the City’s General Fund. Had the cap not been increased, money would have gone back into the General Fund – for basic services like police, fire and roads. Taxpayers should ask a simple question: Why do we need a massive tax increase for the General Fund with Prop D when city leaders are diverting monies away from the General Fund through this action?
DeMaio also criticized the process by which the cap was raised:
“This 11th-hour, unilateral action by the state completely shut the public out of the process. Raising the redevelopment cap diverts money from our city’s financially-strapped General Fund. There is a wrong and right way to do this – but the state legislature took that decision out of the hands of our community and imposed an outcome that could pose significant risks to city taxpayers.”
DeMaio has long stated that he could support an increase in the cap as long as certain safeguards and guarantees were contained in the deal to protect the General Fund. Attached is the memorandum where he asked the City to begin the process of analyzing options relating to the cap.
For a full copy of the report the IBA did on the impact of the CCDC cap increase on the General Fund, contact Councilmember DeMaio’s office at 619-236-6655.
Volunteer Saturday to Defeat Prop D
Please join Councilmember Carl DeMaio and our grassroots team this Saturday, Sept 25 for a few hours to help defeat Prop D — the blank check sales tax increase in the City of San Diego.
Volunteers Needed To Deliver LawnSigns
Saturday, September 25 (9:30am to 4:30pm)
5703 Oberlin Drive, Suite 107 San Diego, CA 92121
Prop D gives city politicians a “blank check” tax increase with no guarantees on how the money will be spent.
Over 800 San Diegans have asked to host a No on D lawn sign in their yard during October.
SD Chief Operating Officer’s Memo Claims That City Has Made “Significant Reductions”
I’m curious to know how Jay Goldstone, the Chief Operating Officer of the City of San Diego, can state that the city has had “four years of significant budget reductions.”
This quote is taken from a memo that went around to city department heads on Monday. Full memo can be found here (quote is in first paragraph).
Below are financial figures for the city by departments over the course of 2003 to 2009. A few occasional departments show a sporadic reductions, but one doesn’t have to be financial wizard to recognize that they general trend is clearly increased spending year over year. Such inaccurate language from someone so high up in the private sector would end their career.
Frye’s Folly
The Prop D numbers:
Definite No on Prop D: 52.6%
Definite Yes on Prop D: 18.3%
Undecided on Prop D: 29.1%
362 Likely Voters +/- 4.1%
Looks like a 2012 Mayoral run for DF is even more of an uphill battle now…
North County Chamber Opposes Prop D
Adding to a laundry list of small business groups formally opposed to Prop D, today the North County Chamber of Commerce announced its opposition to Prop D. (See below for press release)
Prop D is clarifying what groups stand for real reform and prosperity in our region. Want to add your name or your organization to our growing coalition opposed to Prop D? Contact TJ Zane, or visit www.StopTheSalesTax.com
-Carl DeMaio
Editorial Release
San Diego North Chamber Opposes Proposition D
August 25, 2010
By Debra Rosen, President and CEO, San Diego North Chamber of Commerce
No on Prop D Campaign Announces Website Launch and Kickoff Event
The No on Prop D campaign has officially launched its website – and has announced a campaign kickoff event for August 25.
The website is at www.StopTheSalesTax.com. In addition to providing information on why San Diegans should vote against Prop D, the website asks San Diegans to sign a “petition against higher taxes.”
On August 25th, the campaign will formally kickoff with a large event at Coles Fine Flooring. The kickoff event boasts a host committee of over 80 civic leaders – drawing from a broad spectrum of San Diego’s communities. A full copy of the event flier can be accessed here.
Despite Deceptive Editorial, SD CityBeat Supports Sales Tax Increase
In a recent editorial, San Diego CityBeat’s staff claimed to oppose Proposition D, the sales tax increase on the November ballot. But the purported opposition is just a convenient fig-leaf for the tax-and-spend CityBeat “liberals”, as they prepare to endorse the sales tax hike. The “liberals” (I don’t like calling them liberals, as they’re not – they are leftists) rule out cuts while stressing their eagerness to raise taxes and fees. Then after having ruled out any other way of closing the budget gap, they pretend to oppose a tax they’re going to support.
Let’s start from the editorial’s conclusion:
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