Contracting only works when we can hold contractors responsible for their use of taxpayer dollars. If a private, for-profit company takes over control of a public service or facility, our elected officials must ensure that strong measures for public accountability are in place. If not, the public may suffer poor quality, higher fees, and the loss of transparency in the delivery of critical community services.
Issue Briefs
City of San Diego Contracting System Flaws
July 2008
Examples of contractor failures causing low quality service and extra cost
News Coverage
City Council takes on debate over tourism dollars
Fox 5 San Diego, 2/25/13
City Council Shows Strong Support For Tourism Marketing District
KPBS, 2/25/13
Filner faces dispute on fiscal reform
San DIego Union-Tribune, 12/8/12
San Diego Janitors Fast For Family Health Care
KPBS Evening Edition, 5/18/12
Government contracts fueled DeMaio’s business success
San Diego Union-Tribune, 4/29/12
City Invites Bids for Miramar Landfill Operation
San Diego Reader, 3/5/12
Contracting out of city landfill operations will be complex
San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/11/11
City Council comittee votes to postpone competitive bidding to operate Miramar
examiner.com, 5/19/11
Environmentalists want study before landfill is privatized
San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/11/10
DeMaio calls for overhaul of pension system to plug budget gap
San Diego Daily Transcript, 11/5/10
DeMaio Unveils Budget-Balancing Plan
NBC San Diego, 11/5/10
San Diego Facing The High Cost Of Saving Money
KPBS News, 10/20/10
Outsourcing A ‘Pot Of Gold,’ Also Known As The City Dump
KPBS News, 9/29/10
Landfill step has already been taken
San Diego Union-Tribune, 9/28/10
Council, Mayor endorse last minute Prop D makeover
VoiceofSanDiego.org, 9/17/10
California City That Outsourced Everyone Is Snared by Pay Scandal in Bell
Bloomberg, 8/3/10
Questions Arise Over Private Operation Of Miramar Landfill
KPBS News, 7/9/10
Mayor to explore offers on landfill
San Diego Union-Tribune, 7/8/10
Sylvia’s Soapbox: Who benefits most from outsourcing, Mr. DeMaio?
East County Magazine, 7/7/10
San Diego’s proposed Equal Benefits Ordinance gains support
San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, 6/29/10
Ballot Measure to Ban Living Wages in San Diego Fails to Qualify; DeMaio to Challenge Registrar’s Count
East County Magazine, 6/28/10
Initiatives may lead to labor accord
San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/26/10
Battle Over San Diego City Outsourcing Heats Up Again
KPBS News, 6/15/10
Heated Words Traded As DeMaio Touts Outsourcing Measure
10 News, 6/14/10
DeMaio Presents Signatures For Competition Initiative
KPBS News, 6/14/10
Supporters, opponents of contracting transparency initiative gather downtown
SDNN, 6/14/10
Bitterness surrounding competitive-bid measure
San Diego Union-Tribune, 6/11/10
Competition Initiative Threatens San Diego’s Living Wage
KPBS News, 6/10/10
Battle Lines Drawn Over Competitive Bidding Ballot Measure
San Diego 6 News, La Jolla Light, SDNN, 6/10/10
Labor tensions rising ahead of November election
San Diego Daily Transcript, 6/10/10
Contracting ballot initiative seeking ‘transparency’ raises questions in community
SDNN, 6/10/10
Impact Of “Living Wage” On San Diego?
KPBS News, 4/14/10
City Council committee moves toward local jobs policy
SDNN, 2/24/10
SDNN inquiry prompts investigation into city’s finances
sdnn.com/San Diego News Network, 10/12/09
When An Agreement Is Not An Agreement
VoiceofSanDiego.org, 10/1/09
Living Wage Add-On
San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, 10/22/08
Road to Privatization Hits Bumpy Patch
VoiceofSanDiego.org, 6/27/08
Council Trims Mayor’s Outsourcing Contract
10 News, 6/23/08
Mayor Sanders “Managed Competition” Efforts Under Attack
KPBS News, 9/13/07
The Indianapolization of San Diego
VoiceofSanDiego.org, 10/19/06
Groups Spar Over Details of Managed Competition in Prop. C
The Daily Transcript, 10/18/06
Indy By the Sea
San Diego CityBEAT, 2/1/06
The Little Policy That Could
San Diego CityBEAT, 4/20/05
The Watchdog Bites
San Diego CityBEAT, 7/21/04
Low Wages Are Called a Burden on Public
San Diego Union-Tribune, 3/10/04
Report Say San Diego County, Calif., Should Adopt Living Wage
North County Times, 3/10/04
Press Releases
[Media Alert] Survey of San Diego taxi drivers reveals hardship and public safety risks
5/23/13
Community to tell City Council: Keep our landfill public
9/26/11
Community to City Council: Just say No
9/23/11
Despite new and unresolved issues, landfill outsourcing proceeds
7/13/11
CPI calls for investigation of methane gas contract at Miramar Landfill
12/7/10
Blog Posts about Privatization & Contracting
City Budget Needs
By Clare Crawford on February 7, 2013
The High Costs of Blindly Cutting Budgets
By Corinne Wilson on February 5, 2013
Open the Competition: Insourcing Is the New Outsourcing
By Clare Crawford on July 25, 2012
Keep Miramar Landfill Under Public Control
By Clare Crawford on September 23, 2011
Councilmembers demand answers before outsourcing Miramar Landfill
By on May 18, 2011
San Diego wasted $500k on consultants; more scrutiny needed as quest to privatize landfill continues
By Susan Duerksen on March 24, 2011
SDDPC, a New Transparency
By Murtaza Baxamusa on April 2, 2010
Shadow Elite: If You Believe That, I’ve Got a Bridge to Sell You….
By Donald Cohen on February 25, 2010
Deceptive ballot drive to kill the Living Wage!
By Susan Duerksen on February 19, 2010
Ending the Contractor Gravy Train
By Murtaza Baxamusa on October 19, 2008
Privatization must not put health coverage in peril
By Murtaza Baxamusa on July 27, 2008
No Plan for Meeting Community Needs
By Donald Cohen on December 19, 2003
Documents
2011 Managed Competition Memo
February 4, 2013
CPI believes these functions are moving too quickly through the Managed Competition process to adequately measure current services and make a sound fiscal decision on contracting out.
Updated Living Wage Rates (Through June 2014)
July 1, 2012
Contractor Failures Report
July 29, 2008
Contracting Done Wrong Factsheet
July 28, 2008
