Monthly Archives: January, 2010
Pocket Change: Experts chime in on the ‘state of the city’
If there was an animal to describe the mayor’s state of being in the State of the City address, it would be the tiger. Probably an old Siberian tiger marking his territory, whose growl is resonant, whose diet is stray stag (and occasionally a wild boar), and whose beaming bulk awes its privileged audience. Not only that the tiger is an apt animal for welcoming the Chinese year ahead, but that it epitomizes the valiance and the vanity in the show this week.
Mo’ Money, Less Tax
Revising history does not solve the revenue problem at City Hall. Nevertheless, San Diego City Councilmember Carl DeMaio attempted to do just that Monday by factually disputing that the City collects less revenue than comparable cities.
In response to a presentation of a draft Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for 2009, DeMaio objected to a statement about San Diego’s relatively low taxes and fees that he suggested was ” … just cut-and-paste from the Center on Policy Initiatives … I find this to be a factually inaccurate statement. I cannot vote for the CAFR with that line in it.” (Audit Committee, January 11, 2010)
The Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) has raised the issue of the city’s low revenue for years, and has been validated by numerous independent sources.
AGC lawsuit found baseless, judge rules that PSA does not discriminate against non-union contractors
A Superior Court ruling upholding the legality of the San Diego school district’s Project Stabilization Agreement is a victory for efforts to revive the economy through creation of local jobs.
In a ruling issued December 12, the court held that the PSA, an agreement between San Diego Unified School District and local building trades unions, is legal and is not discriminatory against nonunion contractors. The court flatly rejected a lawsuit filed by the Associated General Contractors of America.
The PSA ensures that the investment of public dollars to build and renovate schools will also create local jobs that that lead to middle-class careers. It includes provisions to place local residents in apprenticeship jobs.
