By Letters To The Editor | [email protected] | Southern California News Group
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria seems to think La Jollans are not up to the supposedly daunting task of self-governing La Jolla ("La Jolla cityhood group 'remains committed' despite questions raised by San Diego officials," La Jolla Light, Dec 19).
Coronado seems to run its own city government just fine, without help from San Diego. Safe streets without panhandlers, drug zombies or potholes; police officers and firefighters who know the residents; a mayor and council of and for their city ... what part of that does Mayor Gloria think La Jollans don't want or aren't capable of providing?
If San Diego won't contract for services, that's San Diego's loss.
Jeff Holman
This letter also was sent to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and City Council President Joe LaCava.
Although I have financially supported putting down sod to help Ellen Browning Scripps Park recover from too many people loving this park for its location on the ocean, I truly think it would be a waste of money (Plans taking shape to replace grass in La Jolla's Scripps Park," La Jolla Light, Nov. 7).
If the city isn't going to widen the sidewalks or add a fence or berm, nor use artificial grass in the areas that are trampled, then I feel it's money down the drain.
Just look at this park! Ellen Browning Scripps would be appalled. This is one of the most visited tourist and local attractions in all of San Diego. How can San Diego boast that we are the "Finest City" when we don't keep up our most visited areas?
Something does not add up with San Diego city budget projections. Officials "warned" that budget cuts could be likely without the $400 million per year in revenue the recently defeated sales tax Measure E would have generated.
Measure E was promoted by city officials as an infrastructure repair ballot measure. Proceeds were to be allocated to the city's long-suffering infrastructure. If so, since its defeat, why are city officials warning of emergency budget cuts? If the money was to be allocated to infrastructure repair, Measure E's defeat should have no effect on other areas of city finances.
This is similar to Proposition H in 2016, passed 7-2 by the City Council and subsequently approved by 65% of San Diego voters the same year. Proposition H required all increases in sales tax revenue above what the city collected in 2016 to be spent to jump-start infrastructure repairs. Since its passage, the City Council and mayor have allocated the money to the abyss of the city's general fund.
Where has the money gone? Perhaps some is earmarked to the "large pay raises" the city awarded its employees last year.
After Proposition H, it is no wonder voters did not trust the city with Measure E and voted it down. The big surprise is how close the Measure E vote was.
It is disgraceful that our city leaders do not share the truth with voters through misleading ballot measures that contain small-print carve-outs for them to allocate the money as they see fit. San Diego taxpayers deserve better and need new leadership.
Ted Levis
Letters published in the La Jolla Light express views from readers about community matters. Submissions of related photos also are welcome. Letters reflect the writers' opinions and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or publisher. Letters are subject to editing. To share your thoughts in this public forum, email them with your first and last names and city or neighborhood of residence to [email protected]. The deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for publication in the following Thursday's paper. Letters without the writer's name cannot be published. Letters from the same person are limited to one in a 30-day period. ♦