The City of San Diego continues to chase grand dreams while simultaneously having let critical infrastructure crumble and go unmaintained.
Decades of deferred maintenance on dams, stormwater channels, streets, and sidewalks led to lawsuits and throwing good money after bad for neglect, costly errors, and bad decisions.
Instead of re-committing to getting the basics right, the City of San Diego doubled down and gave $3 million to a 'World Design Capital' project with Tijuana. This, while the city's Lake Hodges Dam is literally CRUMBLING!
City politicians continue to fund a Climate Action Plan, a Climate Equity Fund, and push forward on the astronomically expensive 'toilet-to-tap' "Pure Water" facilities (this after wasting millions of gallons of water due to mandated lowering of levels for dangerous, neglected dams.)
Even a local government watchdog group, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, opposes this sales tax increase primarily for two reasons:
* the city is not legally bound to allocate the general funds exclusively to the purposes specified in the ordinace language
* the measure lacks a 'sunset clause', meaning there is no end date so would potentially be in perpetuity
ARTICLES ON THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO PAST PROBLEMS & PRIORITIES:
City of San Diego Releases 600 Million Gallons of Water from Lake Hodges
Hundreds of January Flood Victims to Sue the City of San Diego for Negligence
San Diego Mayor Signs $5.8B Budget; Includes Funds for Mega Shelter
'Very Expensive Error' Hikes Cost of San Diego Sewage Recycling System Project
Decision by City Council to Pay Millions to Consultant for Trash Study Met With Laughter
San Diego Facing $86 Million Deficit, Midyear Budget Report Says (2021)
Source: Capital Public Radio (June 2024)