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County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Both you guys make my point... De la Fuente hasn't gone away....yet. Sure the $94M been stopped and all the accumulated interest payments have disappeared for now. Nevertheless, attorney costs are and will continue to escalate. Full employment, it's a wonderful thing. So the reality is this continues to drain the City's meager treasury costing the taxpayers dearly. Money that could go toward filling a pot hole, or fixing a water main must be spent on litigation. What I'm not sure of; Is this a scam by a developer or mismanagement by the City, or a combination? I suspect there's joint and several liability. BTW I agree with you Johnny, it's in the city's best interest to find a solution to this case, at least that way it can accounted for on a balance sheet. Now back to my original point, all this spin, certainly makes me dizzy, blurring facts from dreamed up political fiction. Will we ever get ethical, honest, sincere and forthright folks running our local government? Or is it ordained San Diegans must suffer with incompetency, ignorance, compounded with corruption and greed?— July 10, 2008 2:47 p.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
OK I stand corrected. If De la Fuente proceeds who do think will handle the litigation? Mr. Aguirre's office or an outside firm?— July 10, 2008 9:13 a.m.
County Retail Sales Dropping Sharply; Tax Receipts Will Feel It
Regarding Post #16 So the cost of living in San Diego is 50% higher than most other places in the nation. But wages are only 13% above average. Sounds like folks in SD deserve an across the board raise to bring salaries in-line with the true cost of living in San Diego. It also sounds like you've forgotten about Pete Wilson's “sunshine” dollars. Remember he used our weather, more specifically our days of sunshine to replace real dollars. For it's time it was a masterful piece of manipulation. But was it the catalyst that started us down the path we find ourselves walking today? I bet the living in beautiful Colorado is nice and I suspect costs are lower too. How is the thinner air?— July 10, 2008 6:48 a.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Oh come on DON, now who is rabidly defending Aguirre’s actions. Stating facts; Aguirre hires outside counsel to win his cases is no more juvenile than comparing San Diego wages to a “suburb” of Kansas City or any other area of our country that does not share the cost of living traits of San Diego. I admire Mr. A. Sometimes he knows when he or his office does not have the skill sets to win complicated cases. However we have examples of his work product; Just how many amended complaints and cross complaints were file in the pension litigation? Wasn’t it 5 or 6? I believe it was the Superior Court bench who commented negatively about the quality of his lawyering skills? And wasn’t it the Court who finally said enough is enough forbidding further amendments.— July 9, 2008 10:17 p.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Johnny, I hate using your own words against you but: ====== A win's a win in my book. Mike has not lost any pension case yet, if those are the losses you speak of, because they are on appeal. No case is won or lost until all appeals have been exhuasted. ===== If I am not mistaken the Dela Fuenta litigation is on appeal too.— July 9, 2008 10:01 p.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Well Johnny, let’s review; If count the votes for and against Mr. Aguirre during the recent primary there were Total Votes: 212035 JAN GOLDSMITH 68326 32.22% MICHAEL J. AGUIRRE 61257 28.89% SCOTT PETERS 43295 20.42% BRIAN MAIENSCHEIN 26267 12.39% AMY J. LEPINE 12687 5.98% That's 71% for someone other than Mr. Aguirre and 29% for him. For an incumbent that seem to be a very poor showing. But let’s consider that it’s only about 50% of the voter turnout of the 2004. There is a chance and I renew my offer of Dinner at Donovan’s ON ME if our City Attorney is re-elected. Regarding "his" litigation victories? Johnny both you and I know "his" victories were won by outside law firms not the City Attorney himself. Some for hourly rates others on contingency. Don, in this instance, he is the consummate politician taking credit for the labor of others. BTW my earlier comment gave him credit; I said he won some, lost some, and dismissed some. I find it interesting you'd list a few media grabbing headlines while ignoring the millions spent on failed litigation. Don you asked, "Let me pose this question to you: would you be so rabidly anti-Aguirre if he hadn't gone after excessive benefits, including your own?" As I mentioned earlier I voted for Mr. Aguirre in 2004 along with 206,593 other San Diegans. Heck, even the "hate-filled, inaccuracy-pocked newspaper, the Union-Tribune" recommended him in 2004. But what’s the old axiom? Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. My Mom taught me shame is very unbecoming.— July 9, 2008 8:42 p.m.
County Retail Sales Dropping Sharply; Tax Receipts Will Feel It
WOW! Well to badly quote a wonderful movie... Don we ain't in Kansas(City) anymore. Doing a quick search on the Internet I found this site on following link: http://www.payscale.com/cost-of-living-calculator… It shows the cost of living in Kansas City, MO. at 34% of San Diego's costs, or roughly one-third. Addtionally, it shows a wage range for firefighters between 32 and 52K a year. Using those statistics, San Diego Fire Fighters are underpaid. Moreover, the recent (2006)salary survey ordered and paid for by the City (250K) shows both police and fire base wages are below the average of several cities both in and out of California. Remember that survey was conducted by an independent and respected contractor working for the Mayor, not the Unions. Seeing the discrepancy in wage and exodus of police officers the Mayor acted, first for the police, then the fire fighters. As for Johnny objections to education or as he complains the lack of education for public safety employees. Once again this is apples and oranges. Scales are different all over, culture assigns value or not. Is it right that a 22 year old who can hit a 90MPH fastball earns a minumum of $400K a year. While your child's highschool physics teacher earns $45K. No, I don't think so.— July 9, 2008 8:14 p.m.
County Retail Sales Dropping Sharply; Tax Receipts Will Feel It
Sorry Don by I have to agree with JF... if you look at the shift calendar at www.sdfire.org home webpage you'll see firefighters work between 9 and 12, 24 hour shifts, a month. This ranges from 216 to 288 hours a month. Assuming a typical 22 day working month for those not working shifts (22days x 8hrs) = 176 hours. Yes I've read the argument they're sleeping some of that time. Once again I have to agree with JF. There not home and are all on call at a moment’s notice. They are strategically, albeit thinly, stationed throughout the city. I suspect a careful analysis, by an uninterested party, of staffing would be the best way to settle the argument. Maybe some enterprising student will write a Master’s Thesis on it someday.— July 9, 2008 3:27 p.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Billy you said; "...[h]e is literally like a rock star." Referring to Senator Obama and the crowds he commands. Sounds pretty clear to me, if nothing more, he does have a way of mesmerizing his audience. And as Mr. Aguirre did in 2004 he offers CHANGE. Mr. Aguirre’s timing in 2004 was perfect. He found a villain to battle, got the people’s attention and squeaked by with a vote of 206,594 or 50.23% to Leslie Devaney’s 203,301 or 49.43% votes. Yes a win. But one by eight tenths of one percent is certainly not a overwhelming mandate by the people. My point was and is he has a way of self destructing. Don’t get me wrong, I voted for him in 2004. The City needed him then. But his antics since taking office have, in my opinion, have gone beyond the scope of office and the spirit of the City Charter. This past election seem to indicate many San Diegans feel the same way. Sadly, most everything he’s done is for his political gain. So when 2012 rolls around, Mayor Sanders will be termed out of office. It’s obvious Mr. Aguirre wants to be Mayor. He’ll have the perfect opportunity. BTW thanks to JimG for pointing out my grammatical error, you’re right. I should have written Mr. Aguirre’s reports are riddled with holes, unsupported facts and innuendo, combined with an occasional fact here and there. Since you only pointed out a grammatical error, without challenging the obvious meaning, one others easily understood, we must assume your attack was aimed at me and not the facts of my statement. To WT_Effman, I may have made a grammatical error above but I see no quote marks surrounding second-coming and savior of the City. My statement stands. Many on this blog and others “admire” him and believe he is their “defender”. You said, “he has been a true champion of the taxpayer's cause.” That may be correct, but it’s too soon to judge. Only time will tell if any of Mr. Aguirre’s numerous civil actions will produce the promised results. So far his record is mixed. Many have failed, some have been withdrawn and some have had success. Unfortunately for him, many of success stories have been handled by firms outside of his office.— July 9, 2008 3:10 p.m.
County Democrats Endorse Aguirre for City Attorney; Only One Vote Goes for Opponent
Oh boy just what we need; A President who is "just like a Rock Star”, and a City Attorney, who wants to be just like a rock star. Regarding response #3 above. Political incumbency typically equates re-election. Yet so many voters chose to vote against him. If Mr. Aguirre is the second-coming and savior of the City why did this happen? The likely reasons are those so-called "reports" published by Mr. Aguirre and his office. Riddled with holes, unsupported facts and innuendo, combined with an occasional fact here and there, Mr. Aguirre is his own worst enemy and will be the root cause of his political demise.— July 9, 2008 11:09 a.m.