I have been lounging around today enjoying the rain catching up on my reading. “Just Wondering” has posted numerous, on-point comments in the past couple of weeks. Predictions I made months back are starting to rear their ugly head. We have not hit bottom and the worst in my opinion is still to come.
The City Attorney is giving a “State of the City” address on Wednesday. The Voice of San Diego carried a piece on January 14, 2010, titled, “Sanders Hearts Goldsmith” that was written by Liam Dillon. In the piece, the mayor is quoted as saying, “I think you'll see that he's producing legal opinions now that are foundational for a lot of the things that are important for the city," citing Goldsmith's role in future pension reform as well. Someone care to enlighten me as to why the City Attorney is giving a “Political” address to the citizens of this city? It just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?
It appears the City Attorney is playing all sides in these debates. His record of legal research and the ability to simply provide legal opinion is not the best. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say Wednesday about pension reform, bankruptcy and outsourcing. I hope for everyone’s sake his research is better than past published material.
The latest revelation the city’s pension payment is at least $20 million more than forecast is going to play in the City Attorney’s address, you can rest assured. This will add fodder for the little rube and his minions as they plot further initiatives. The forecast will no doubt add to the budget shortfall and require additional cuts. So it appears the mayor’s statement during his “State of the City” address, “We are beginning 2010 on strong footing” is another of his smoke screens. If this is firm footing, I sure would not want to hike Everest with the mayor.
During all of this, the mayor is headed off to testify at the hearing for Prop 8. I fail to see how his testimony is relevant or necessary. I do see it as another attempt at inserting himself in issues to bring attention to himself. Regardless of where you stand on this issue, how has this become an issue for San Diego’s mayor?
Wednesday will shed light on the direction the mayor will take us related to pension reform as well as retiree medical insurance.
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More Fire Protection Districts are beginning to charge for their response. What was once a taxpayer funded service now includes additional “user fees” for a response. SDPD at times will utilize “cost recovery” but it’s time to expand the program.
Effective immediately, any call to SDPD 911 or the routine calls for service line should be answered by an automated call taker. The “Reporting Party” will be required to provide a credit or debit card number to the automated system. Once the payment is verified and authorized, the RP will be transferred to a live call taker / dispatcher.
No call from the public for assistance will be dispatched until payment is made. If an officer is required to take any type of reactive or proactive enforcement or action, from a citation to arrest, etc., cost recovery needs to be utilized. Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the fine!
Traditionally, public safety has not been a profit maker. It is a service provided by the public and funded by a tax on the public. Unfortunately, the powers to be with the City of San Diego refuse to ensure proper funding for its Police Department. Instead, staffing has been reduced and the level of service has steadily deteriorated during the past several years.
The mayor refuses to raise taxes to a comparable level to what other municipalities assess for police protection. Remove raising taxes as an option. That leaves either charging on a cost recovery basis as outlined above, or do nothing and allow the police department to be totally ineffective to the point of imploding.
Cost recovery now! You call the cops, you pay. Some may think this is insensitive, but this is reality folks. Pay up or carry a big gun and provide for your own safe environment.
This is now strictly a business. The mayor runs it like a business. Remember SDPD having to go through the mayor’s Business Process Reengineering (BPR)???
Ok, so a business it is. Just imagine the possibilities. SDPD could soon have a stock exchange Initial Public Offering. Sell stock and make a profit. Think outside the box. The old way of doing business no longer works. In order to survive, profit must be generated or more people will lose their jobs.
Additional revenue could be generated by allowing King Stallman to advertise on cop cars, and have a hotline to his office in each car. Other profit makers include selling impounded firearms, the Press Room goes to the highest news media bidder on an annual basis, two hour ABLE flight rentals – fill those extra seats, charge to sign off a fix it ticket like the Sheriff’s do, etc.
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