Friday, October 12, 2007

Warning: Water Carrier Alert!

Over at VOSD today, John Nienstedt from Competitive Edge Research is doing his best job to carry the water for the downtown establishment while hosting Cafe San Diego. He has proposed four simple solutions to end what he calls Short-Timer Syndrome. His suggestions are as follows:

1. Get rid of term limits
2. Raise campaign contribution limits
3. Increase the mayor's veto power
4. Return to citywide runoff elections for council members (This one is my favorite!)

Why is it that among some in the downtown establishment they think that just over the hill there is civic paradise awaiting us, if only we returned to citywide elections for council members?
Now, I'm not saying that council members elected by district are not without their problems. Too often NIMBYism is wrapped in disguise of individual district concerns. But here is a reality check for the all proponents of citywide elections. During the era of citywide elected council members, we got Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Penasquitos, Mira Mesa, and North City West, just to name a few areas sprawl development without any serious forethought regarding infrastructure and services. Going back to citywide election for council mebers won't solve the city's problems. It is leadership that will solve the city's problems, something this mayor is seriously lacking.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yes! Let's go back to the days of an all white city council and everything that nobody wanted was dumped in district 4 and 8. It was thanks to that system that north of 8, south of 8 divide exists...