Councilmembers DeMaio and Zapf Call for Critical Review of Fire Department Labor Costs Councilmembers Carl DeMaio and Lorie Zapf today released a troubling report showing extreme differences between Fire Department employees and similarly qualified employees of private sector ambulance companies. The analysis showed the Fire Department is paying salaries that are 137% to 325% higher for comparable work in the …
Block for Senate, (Insert Name Here) for Assembly
In local political news today, the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that Marty Block — everyone’s favorite tax-raising-after-he-promised-not-to-do-so Democrat — is looking to run for the State Senate seat currently held by a termed-out Christine Kehoe. Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana is in the mix, and there are rumblings that newly-elected Assemblywoman Toni Atkins might jump in. All depending upon redistricting, of …
DeMaio Urges Rejection of “Meat Cleaver” Cuts to City Services
Millions in Wasteful Spending Should be Reformed Before Services are Cut Councilmember DeMaio today urged his Council colleagues to reject large elements of the Mayor’s budget plan citing negative impacts on local neighborhoods and the failure to finish the job of implementing budget reforms. “After years of severe cuts and wasteful spending San Diegans deserve a budget plan that will …
Report Reveals 71% Increase in Six-Figure City Pensions in One Year
Report Reveals Public Safety Accounts for Disproportionate Share of Excessive Pensions City Councilmember Carl DeMaio today released his seventh annual report disclosing pension payouts to individual city employees. This year’s report used additional methodologies and data sets to bring even greater clarity to outrageous city pension payouts. “Just when you thought the number of excessive pension payouts could not get …
“Are You Ready to make San Diego the ‘Wisconsin of the West’?” — Pension Reform battle cry at Monday’s SD Republican Party meeting
It was Unity Night at the Republican Party of San Diego on Monday, and “director’ Tony Krvaric gave the spotlight to three major heroes. Carl DeMaio was the firebrand, asking, “Are you ready to make San Diego the Wisconsin of the West?”… Kevin Faulconer was the calm older brother, praising everyone for their hard work. And Jerry Sanders explained himself to the GOP crowd …
Applause for Mayor Sanders
I have been a harsh critic of Mayor Sanders at times. But I need to give credit where it is due; he worked with purveyors of competing reform plans to come up with a single ballot measure. This increases the odds that a measure will pass, because there will be a unified reform effort. Yesterday’s U-T has the news: The …
United Coalition on Pension Reform
San Diegans have waited too long for a complete and lasting solution to our pension crisis. Today, that long wait ends as our city receives a life-saving remedy with CPR — Comprehensive Pension Reform. The CPR Initiative is tough, it is sweeping, and it is effective. It will actually solve our pension crisis and save our city services from …
A Sit Down with Roger Hedgecock Part I: Thoughts on The City, 2012 Mayoral Election & Pension Reform
My wife and I first met local talk show host turned nationally syndicated host Roger Hedgecock (heard locally on KOGO 600 AM) and his wife in December 2009. We were waiting in a long valet line at U.S. Grant after the Lincoln Club Annual Dinner. They were very gracious and chatted with us — a young, recently engaged couple — …
Key DeMaio CCDC Proposal Wins Council Approval
$228 million of debt transferred from General Fund to Redevelopment By a vote of 7 to 1, a proposal by Councilmember Carl DeMaio was approved today to transfer 30 years of debt service on the Convention Center from the General Fund to the Redevelopment Agency. The action saves taxpayers $228 Million over 30 years. “In these difficult times when we …
Is Fletcher In or Out?
Is Nathan Fletcher in or out for Mayor? This is the question it seems everyone is asking downtown, and the view is growing (downtown) that Fletcher may not take the risk. But over and over again, Fletcher insists that in fact he is running. He’s told numerous people that he will declare for the Mayor’s race in March. According to …
Light versus Right
The debate is now a question of pension reform light versus pension reform right. The Mayor said just a year ago that the pension system was already fixed. Now he’s admitting that there is still a problem and asking us to put another cosmetic band-aide on it. Enough is enough. We need a system that provides city employees with benefits …
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 …
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 …
The Opponent Bonnie Dumanis Fears Most – And It’s Not Who You Think
San Diego political insiders have been all a-Twitter today (literally) with the filing of candidacy papers for the City of San Diego Mayoral Race by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Ongoing speculation including a bet between Rostra blogger Barry Jantz and San Diego County Taxpayers Association senior director Chris Cate on whether Dumanis would actually enter the race ran rampant and …
Mayor’s Race
As noted in the post below it looks like District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis is in. The emails swirling around town this morning also mentioned that she hired GOP consultant Kevin Spillane from Sacramento to run her race. In the past Dumanis used Democrat consultant Jennifer Tierney, who is also the consultant for the Firefighter’s Union. Does this mean that the …
Dumanis is In
From Bonnie Dumanis (original is linked here)… Greetings! I want you to be among the first to know that I’ve made an important decision about our future. For some time, I’ve been talking with San Diegans about how my experience can be of value as the city continues its struggle back to financial health. As your District Attorney, I see …
Taxpayer Association Analysis Backs DeMaio “Roadmap to Recovery”
Plan Aligns with over two-thirds of SDCTA Budget Reform Principles The San Diego County Taxpayers’ Association released a 27-page report evaluating Councilmember Carl DeMaio’s “Roadmap to Recovery.” The report found DeMaio’s proposal to be substantially in alignment with SDCTA’s 38 Budget Reform Principles. “We applaud the ideas of managed competition and outsourcing, as well as the details provided for streamlining …
DeMaio Unveils Major Policy Proposals in 2011 State of the District Speech
In case you missed it here is a full copy of my State of the District speech. Below, we laid out the speech in broad form for your review. Each initiative will be laid out in greater detail in the coming months. — Carl Pension Reform, Solar Energy, and Water Rate Reductions Top List of Priorities Councilmember Carl DeMaio …
Statewide Report Reinforces San Diego Pension Reform
The Little Hoover Commission just released a bipartisan report on public employee pensions. The data is sobering to say the least. · The 10 largest public pension plans in California faced a combined shortfall of more than $240 Billion in 2010. · Major cities in California including San Diego are or will be spending 1/3 of their operating …
Preparing for the Proposed Elimination of Redevelopment Agencies
“Whether you support Redevelopment or not, if Gov. Brown does eliminate funding in whole or in part, city leaders must be prepared to protect taxpayers. Here’s a 3-point memo I have released asking for financial and legal analysis to do just that.” — Carl DeMaio Memorandum Governor Brown’s proposal to eliminate Redevelopment Agencies would have serious consequences for the future …
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