Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
WITH 6-2 VOTE WEDNESDAY,
SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ITS REFORM BEFORE REVENUE
MEASURE FOR THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
THIS VOTE FOLLOWED A WHIRLWIND OF ACTIVITY AT CITY HALL
IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
HERE TO EXPLAIN THE CORE ELEMENTS OF THAT BALLOT MEASURE,
OUR REPORTER KATIE ORR.
WHAT ARE THESE KEY ELEMENTS OF REFORM BEFORE REVENUE?
THE MEASURE THAT VOTERS WILL SEE
IN NOVICE A PROPOSED HALF CENT SALES TAX INCREASE
THAT WOULD LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT THE TAX COULDN'T BE IMPLEMENTED
UNTIL THE CITY COMPLETES A LIST OF TEN FISCAL REFORMS MEANT
TO GET IT ON MORE SOLID FOOTING FINANCIALLY.
AND THE CITY AUDITOR IS THE ONE WHO WILL DECIDE
WHEN THE REFORMS HAVE BEEN MET.
THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA.
FIRST, YOU REFORM.
RIGHT. PROVE THE REFORMS, THEN KICK IN THE TAX?
YES. ALL RIGHT.
WHAT PROMPTED THEM TO PUT IT BEFORE THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER?
THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SITUATION.
FACING $72 MILLION BUDGET DEFICIT NEXT YEAR.
IT'S ALREADY MADE SOME CUTS.
AND THEY JUST SAY THEY HAVE NO MONEY, THEY HAVE NO REVENUE.
THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
THEY NEED TO MAKE LONG TERM CHANGES,
BUT SUPPORTERS ALSO SAY THEY NEED A QUICK INFUSION OF CASH
TO HELP THE CITY SORT OF GET OVER THE HURDLE.
AND THE CASH WOULD BE SUPPLIED BY THE HALF CENT SALES TAX.
YES. IT WOULD GENERATE MORE
THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE CITY.
WE HAD 6-2 VOTE.
THERE WAS SUPPORTERS, THEN THERE WAS OPPOSITION.
YOU WERE AT THE COUNCIL MEETINGS.
WHO WERE SOME OF THE GROUPS THAT SPOKE AGAINST THE IDEA?
A LOT OF BUSINESS INTERESTS THAT CAME OUT AND SPOKE
AGAINST THE SALES TAX.
THEY SAID LISTEN, WE ARE IN A RECESSION.
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HURDLE FOR PEOPLE COMING
IN AND SPENDING MONEY.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S CONCERN IF THERE'S HIGHER SALES TAX
IN SAN DIEGO, PEOPLE WILL GO TO A NEIGHBORING CITY
WITHOUT THAT HIGH SALES TAX AND SPEND THEIR MONEY THERE.
COUNCILMAN CARL DEMAYO WAS ONE OF TWO VOTES ON THE CITY COUNCIL
AGAINST THE BALLOT MEASURE.
HE SAYS THAT STRONGER REFORMS ARE NEEDED,
AND THAT THIS PROPOSAL WILL CREATE MORE OF THE SAME PROBLEMS
THAT SAN DIEGO HAS BEEN FACING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THIS BALLOT MEASURE DOES NOT GIVE SAN DEAIG ANDS THE CITY
GOVERNMENT THEY DESERVE.
THIS BALLOT MEASURE CONTINUES THE FAILED POLICIES OF THE PAST,
SAYING ONE THING, DOING ANOTHER.
WATERING DOWN REFORMS.
AND MOSTLY THE PATTERN FOR THE PAST 8 YEARS UNMISTAKABLY HAS
BEEN TO OFFER TAXPAYERS LESS IN TERMS OF SERVICES.
BUT ASK THEM TO PAY MORE IN TERMS OF TAXES AND FEES.
THIS ISN'T A DEPARTURE FROM THE BAD BEHAVIOR OF THE PAST.
THIS BALLOT MEASURE IS A CONTINUATION
OF THE BAD FINANCIAL PRACTICES.
OKAY, BUT COUNCIL MEMBER TONY YOUNG THAT VOTED IN FAVOR
OF THE MEASURE ACKNOWLEDGED
THAT THIS BALLOT MEASURE WILL NOT FIX ALL
OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS,
BUT HE THINKS IT IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THIS BALLOT MEASURE WILL NOT SOLVE THE CITY'S
ISSUES COMPLETELY.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
THE MAYOR AND I AND THE COUNCIL TALKED
ABOUT A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT
THAT WE HAD PLANNED TO ELIMINATE BY 2012.
AND THAT STRUCTURAL DEFICIT
THAT WILL BE ON-GOING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS IS $70 MILLION
OR MORE, ON-GOING, EVERY YEAR, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THIS WILL ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, IF IT DOES PASS,
AND I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE
THAT THERE ARE OTHER REVENUE GENERATING OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE,
AND ALSO EFFICIENCY OPTIONS THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE
AND REFORM MEASURES WE SHOULD PURSUE
TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE COMPREHENSIVELY IN ADDITION
TO THE BALLOT MEASURE.
TONY YOUNG DOESN'T SOUND TO ME CONVINCED
THAT THE REFORM BEFORE REVENUE IS THE WHOLE ANSWER.
WHAT MORE MIGHT BE DONE?
WELL, HE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN GETTING NUMBERS
TO GO ALONG WITH THIS REFORM.
HE WANTS LIKE THE IBA'S OFFICE TO COME OUT AND SAY
IF YOU APPROVE THIS BALLOT MEASURE, SAY WE START
TO IMPLEMENT MANAGED COMPETITION,
THE CITY WILL SAVE THIS MUCH MONEY.
HE WANTS NUMBERS TO BRING TO VOTERS
SO THEY ARE MORE CONVINCED IT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING TO DO.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THE SAME WAY.
IBA IS THE INDEPENDENT BUDGET ANALYSIS.
RIGHT. WHAT ABOUT COUNCILMAN DEMAYO, WHAT DOES HE WANT TO DO
TO FIX THE BUDGET SINCE HE DOESN'T LIKE THE IDEA AT ALL?
HE AND KEVIN FAULK THEY ARE CAME
OUT WITH THEIR OWN LIST OF REFORMS.
CARL POINTS OUT THAT THE CITY'S PENSION PAYMENT,
ACCORDING TO ITS PENSION SYSTEM,
IS JUST ANTICIPATED TO KEEP GROWING.
FISCAL YEAR 2012, IT IS ESTIMATED TO BE
ABOUT $255 MILLION, AND HE SAYS
THAT IF WE PASS THIS TAX INCREASE, IT IS ALL GOING
TO GET SUCKED INTO PAYING FOR PENSIONS.
THAT'S GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING PART OF THE DEBATE
AS THE CAMPAIGN TAKES OVER.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL
IF LET'S SAY THE VOTERS DON'T APPROVE THE WHOLE IDEA
OF CITY TAX INCREASE?
WELL, THE CITY COULD PURSUE THESE REAR FORMS ON THEIR OWN
WITHOUT THE TAX INCREASE.
BUT THE MAYOR WAS POINTING OUT HAVING THESE REFORMS
AND HAVING THE TAX INCREASE PARTNERED TOGETHER CREATES THE
SORT OF COALITION BETWEEN LABOR UNIONS
THAT WANT THE TAX INCREASE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT
TO HAVE ANY MORE CUTS TO DEAL WITH, AND BUSINESSES THAT WOULD
LIKE TO SEE THE CITY REFORM THE WAY IT DOES THINGS FINANCIALLY.
SO HE'S WORRIED WITHOUT THE REVENUE,
THE COALITION WOULD CRUMBLE AND WE WOULD BE
WHERE WE WERE BEFORE, WHICH WOULD NOT BE A GOOD SITUATION.
NOW, THE MAYOR AND OTHER SUPPORTERS
OF THE MEASURE SAY IT WILL HELP RESTORE CUTS MADE
TO FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES.
WHY CAN'T THIS TAX BE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED JUST
TO PUBLIC SAFETY?
IF THEY HAD WANTED TO DEDICATE THE TAX SPECIFICALLY
TO ONE CAUSE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT REQUIRES A 2/3rds MAJORITY
OF VOTERS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING
THAT THEY SAY JUST IS NOT POSSIBLE.
SO THEY WENT FOR THE SIMPLE MAJORITY, WHICH MEANS MONEY GOES
INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO SOME OF IT, YES, CAN GO TO RESTORE SERVICES,
BUT THEY CANNOT EARMARK THE MONEY
FOR THOSE SERVICES SPECIFICALLY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.