Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Need a “Happy Ending?”

At the end of a massage in one of your less than professional establishments a technician will often provide a "Happy Ending" to her client. If I have to explain this to you maybe you are reading a BLOG not really suited for you. If you want to get one of these "Happy Endings" you can pocket your money and just attend a San Diego City Council Meeting prepared to offer testimony and think your words will be considered before a decision is made.

Today's exercise before City Council was yet another example of how truly screwed up and out of touch the politicians are in this city. The impact to public safety that will result from today's action will be lasting and traumatic. The blood that will be shed by citizens and officers alike will be on the hands of those who orchestrated the political cuts in the name of balancing a budget. The mayor is beaming with delight in his latest victory at the expense of the ignorant taxpayer. He boasts for all to hear he was able to close a $200 million budget deficit and not lay off any police officers or firefighters. Then there is the proclamation of more officers on the street to fight crime and everything will continue functioning as before even though the mayor and council just eliminated the Police Code Compliance Officers; Investigative Aides, twelve canine officers, the horses and harbor unit.

Before the council began taking public testimony, I posted a Twitter message at 0926 hours that said; "Sitting in Council waiting to give testimony wondering why. Faulconer just indicated decisions have been made." As the mayor gave his presentation and the questions that followed from council, it became evident they had all been snowed and bought into the rhetoric and lies they were being sold.

I have followed city councils in this city for more years than I care to count. I have sat through my share of meetings and spent countless hours watching the meetings on TV when I could not make the meeting in person. I have seen some characters sitting on that dais. I cannot remember a collective group whose ability to reason and ask appropriate and reasoned questions to get to the heart of an issue, so lacking. They have allowed the mayor to pierce their noses and attach a ring through the greater alar cartilage so he can lead them around at will. Today's display was clearly an example of what is wrong with "Strong Mayor" and this city's government and the so called elected leaders.

The "Strong Mayor" as it is currently being practiced is contributing to the dysfunction in San Diego. Government is designed to have safe guards against one person making all of the decisions. A "Dictatorship" is a more appropriate descriptor of how things are in San Diego; one person making the decision for everyone and eviscerating anyone with the gall to offer a differing opinion or speak out against the "Dictator." The council minions, who were actually elected by the voters, have yet to understand their role and position in this government as it is constructed.

I was disappointed in the actions of the council today. They had an opportunity to challenge the mayor and offer more reasonable solutions and put the interests of the taxpayers first. Today's actions were wholly and completely political and clearly showed the extent of control the mayor holds over the council and departments in this city. The approval of the cuts to the support staff of the police department left me questioning; what are the real priorities of those running this city. To eliminate six Police Code Compliance Officers assigned to the Vice Unit, whose jobs involve a positive revenue increase to the general fund of over $7 million annually and replace them four Police Detectives and a Detective Sergeant all in the name of balancing a budget makes no sense.

The case was clearly made before council today there would have been a lesser impact on public safety had the city laid off 45 police officers. The lay-offs that were approved today will have a lasting and profound effect on the ability of the department to provide adequate police services. To say the cuts will have little effect on service or revenue is short sighted and patently false. But remember; the mayor did not have to lay-off any sworn officers. Political expediency over doing what is right won out today.

My only request is next time I appear before the council and they are going to provide me a "Happy Ending" and perpetrate the charade that took place today, they allow me to make the choice of participating. The council and mayor have nothing to worry about; they eliminated those responsible for regulating the massage busniesses and "Happy Endings" will become the norm again as well as the many other crimes that are bread when regulation takes a back seat to politics.

2 comments:

Secretsalmon said...

Sparky, expecting the mayor to tell the truth about what the police department cuts will mean to the public is a dream. He's a self-serving politican, speaking to an ignorant group of self-serving politicians, knowingly making misrepresentations (telling lies/half truths) about his proposed cuts. Did you really expect more from him, or the council-morons? What you saw today is the standard of politicians in the United States. It holds true from the lowest elected official to the purported president of the United States. It's our own fault that these problems exist with politicians today. Our "apathy" for what the politicians really do in office is clearly identified in this scandal about Tiger Woods. America is more concerned about a "little golfer" screwing around on his wife, than when the sitting President of the United States of America was receiving "oral sex" from a "fat 19 year old BIMBO" in the Oval Office, just prior to meeting dignitariers of state! Woods is just a golfer responsible to himself and his wife, but San Diego residents are more upset about Tiger than the ongoing wars, buget debts, reductions in fire and police protection, and all the crap the rich downtown builders and powerbrokers are doing to this city. These stupid city politicians feed on this "apathy" and do what they want while the residents talk about how evil Tiger is. The reality of this is, I hate the politicans, and I am very envious of Tiger and his bevy of beautiful women. Clinton eat your heart out, you're a scumy BimBo man! Sparky you just have to lower your standards and expectations....

Anonymous said...

I used to feel we could change the way city hall felt about the police department when I protested our crappy contracts at the Raider game (yes I gave up the OT unlike some other spineless people that day).. Now that I've witnessed this new round of stupidity I no longer feel we can change our course as a dept. We have lost our way. Of course it starts with voter apathy. It sucks to think we have no control over whats happening despite all of the intelligent speakers on the issue we have seen. If the city council will rubber stamp Sanders' plans then we are totally screwed. God help us next July.. I really wish the chiefs would stand up and tell the public that service will be cut, we will not save money doing it, and people could die. That would be nice for a change. One can dream.