The little rube lives by the motto; "Do as I say, Not as I do." He wants everyone to believe he is above it all by not participating in the City's Retirement. Truth be told he has made millions of dollars, ALL taxpayer dollars, through government contracts he has sought out by stretching the truth and spinning reality. He will have everyone believe he is the guru of eliminating government waste and spending. Reality is he spends more money promoting his agenda and promulgating his many falsehoods. The City Beat did a story the other day titled, "Hey, big spender" outing the little rube and how he is spending taxpayer money. It would not surprise most of you that the rube spends more money than his council colleagues. He has spent almost as much as all of his colleagues combined in printing and postage. The rube spent $91,888 and his colleagues combined spent $123,087. The little rube has spent two to fifteen times as much as his council colleagues in discretionary spending on travel, conferences, office supplies and consulting ($50,000 for his Roadmap and addendum report regarding enrolling public safety new hires in a 401k retirement). He calls himself a "Watchdog?"
The little rube is using taxpayer dollars to further his goal of seeking higher office. His run for mayor in 2012 is being financed in part by tax dollars. Where is San Diego's Elliot Spitzer? It's high time someone start paying attention to the goings on in District 5's council office. How much groundwork is being laid during business hours for his quest for higher office on the taxpayer's dime? Is the expenditure of taxpayer dollars for the rental of various venues to promote his agenda and introduce himself to voters outside his district a legitimate use of public funds?
Who is paying attention?
When the government approved the use of 401K style plans to supplement retirements, they were never intended to be stand alone retirement benefits for workers in America. The plan being promoted in San Diego to move all city employees with the exception of Police Officers into a 401K retirement will have catastrophic consequences. When private employers moved away from the "Defined Benefit" retirement plans a drastic change in the workforce took place. Employees no longer felt loyalty toward a company. The days of working for the same company until retirement were gone. Where 20, 30, 40 year employees was the norm, now the average worker will change jobs 5 to 8 times in their lifetime; some spending on average only 18-24 months with the same company. Chasing the dollar has become the norm. The same will happen to those who come to San Diego. The citizens will suffer in ways they cannot imagine. When government employees cannot share in profits or receive bonuses and their pay is lower than the private sector, why would a high quality, highly educated and qualified person want to join their ranks? Technical jobs; fire fighters, paramedics, lifeguards, engineers, attorneys, DNA laboratory and water quality experts will be filled with those seeking experience and training and quickly move to city's offering better wages and benefits that include a secure defined benefit retirement.
The mayor's legacy is taking shape and it is not a good one. I called this one a long time ago. He will go down in history as one of the worst if not the worst on record. He had every opportunity to do the right thing and fix a broken city. He instead jumped on the political bandwagon being whipped by the Union Tribune. He said openly in his early days when running for mayor, he could not tell the truth about the retirement system because he would not get elected. He has continued this and refused to take the risky and bold stand to do the right thing and actually make the adjustments necessary to bring the retirement system back to its once acceptable funding level.
The old addage, "You get what you pay for" is soon to become reality. The groundwork has been laid and the house of cards is crumbling around us.
