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A California Icon - Palomar Observatory
Very cool! Will you be posting the photos so we all can enjoy the aerial views? If so, where do we look?— January 30, 2011 1:05 p.m.
State Bar's Investigations of Aguirre End with No Charges
Pupster where or what are the damages? At the time he was a public figure and there was no prosecution, just an allegation that was investigated by the State Bar. Is this how you'd advise your clients, to initiate frivolous litigation?— January 30, 2011 12:26 p.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
To be fair, according the this UT piece in December 2005 McGrory receives a city pension of $7195 a month which is less than a six figure pension each year. . http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051218/… . But look at the author, Gerry Braun, who now works for Sanders as director of special projects, whatever that is. He also earns a substantial salary which I believe is well over the six figure mark. Nevertheless, the whole article is a great historical record of the times and events of the McGrory era. Many of those who worked directly with McGrory remember his decisions, policies and juggling of the books. In the opinion of many, those actions were precursors necessary for San Diego to earn its lasting, and endearing name, Enron By the Sea.— January 30, 2011 10:45 a.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
Sadly the Statute of Limitation has run on all of those responsible for this debacle. While Golding and McGrory are, in fact, the architects, I believe the UT holds responsibility too. As the only major newspaper in San Diego since God was child, the UT abrogated their responsibilities as Government Watchdog. Our Country's Founder absolutely knew Government could not be trusted and it's why they included Freedom of the Press in the first amendment to the Bill of Rights. They knew and wanted an active vibrant press to interrogate it's leaders so they included the clause to prohibiting the government from interfering with the printing and distribution of information or opinions. For too many years and even maybe even today, the UT has been in bed with this city's power brokers. The result.... corruption and financial ruin beyond anyone wildest imagination.— January 29, 2011 8:56 p.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
You're right too. The 1996 Republican National Convention is the focal point because institutional memory is short lived and the watchdog was soundly asleep. But 1982 was the beginning when management got the employees to agree to leave Social Security and Medicare. That act gave management access millions, and they were hooked, just like a junkie on heroine. Then they had to feed their new and growing habit and the deceit started with SDCERS and the waterfall until it all blew up in their face. Just like a Madeoff ponzi scheme. Surfpuppy's comment "Did Golding actually raid the pension fund for the Repub convention???....I can't even remember back that far anymore........." is a perfect example fading memories. While Golding as Mayor did not personally raid the SDCERS fund. She was the director, the rising starlet of the republican party, at least in her mind, and was going to deliver no matter what. She directed McGrory to come up with MP1. In late 95 and early 96 McGrory was so desperate to find ways to pay for the RNC he was slushing city funds through SDDPC, San Diego's wholly owned corporation for I.T. services. While SDDPC may have been a good or even great idea in the late 70's early 80's, it's is and has been a financial albatross, for years. She also cozied up to Spanos, and others of the so called elites. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn the 97 expansion of Jack Murphy Stadium was hatched during the Chargers only SB appearance in Miami. Of course the City didn't really have the money for the expansion then either, not enough from bond sales to cover the cost overruns, not enough in the treasury and no reserves. So she tapped Irwin Jacobs, Qualcomm's founder, and Republican, and gave away the naming rights for $18M to close the gap. Naming rights going three or four times that amount in other cities. Just like a junkie, willing to do most anything to get the fix, our politician sold the farm to hide their financial house of cards. Then the Uberrara, Ewell and Murphy years. But instead of standing up and being ethical, the answer was MP2 and get out of town before anyone REALLY discovers what's been going on for years. Betcha Ron Roberts counts his lucky stars each and everyday he's over there at the County Gov't. Guess the old saying, "Be careful with what you wish for" has real meaning for Ron these days? You see it all of this and more that gets under my skin. The ONGOING vilification of hard working men and women, the so called front line workers that's really just wrong. All while the politician, city executives and management bureaucrats laugh all the way to the bank.— January 29, 2011 9:26 a.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
So if pay is frozen and pensionable pay dries up what do you think they'll do? The answer is nothing. A reference for this is TOT. A few years ago the city tried TWICE to raise the TOT to match other large cities in California. The voters turned it down TWICE even though the tax would be paid by visitors who use our resources and drain our General Fund. San Diego IS tax adverse, business exploit it and politician coward from them, for their own gain. For all too long San Diegans have been conditioned that city services are either free (trash collection) or inexpensive (development fees etc etc). But reality is services cost a lot money. Trash collection hovers around $35Million annually. And, the infrastructure to deliver services, costs money to operate too! Looking back now with 20/20 hindsight, we can see the truth. San Diego was in financial trouble as far back as 1982 when then Mayor Pete Wilson and City Manager Ray Blair concocted the idea to get out of Social Security. Why? To save 3.5% of total payroll in matching contributions. Then instead of investing the savings to pay for promised Retiree Health Care in lieu of Medicare, the city squandered the funds on who knows what. Then instead of investing for the future, our leaders compounded the problem by illegally taking more. They took SDCERS investment earning over the actuarially expected amount, calling it euphemistically the "Waterfall", spent it and hid their money spending addiction too. All of that leading us to retiree medical deficit the taxpayers face today. 25 years of mismanagement, political greed and spending addiction are the root causes of most, if not all, of the City's financial problems. It's not the working folks who clean and repair the sewers, make sure your water is at the turn of your tap, fight your fires, pave your streets, collect your trash, supervise kids at your neighborhood park and rec center, point you to resource material in the library's stacks or protect your property and patrol the streets. You're right Don, taxpayers don't want raise taxes to support pay and pension. Especially in hard economic times like today. Sadly, they don't feel responsible, or accoutable to repay money inappropriately taken/borrowed by their elected officials, or mismanaged by the bureaucratic managers over the past 25 years. They want to take it out of the hides and mouths of hard working city employees who are continually cast as the villain in this opera.— January 28, 2011 6:22 p.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
Ethics. What one is willing to do when they know they're not being watched? To be clear, Jack McGrory, Susan Golding et. al. cooked the books, obfuscated the truth, and sold the idea of MP1 to the City Council and SDCERS Board. McGrory included a trigger for a balloon payment if SDCERS funding fell below the mark. Then it was Murphy and Ubberaga who ignored the trigger, instead they designed and implemented MP2 its all well documented history and quickly becoming ancient. Murphy resigned, Ubberaga and his successor Lamont Ewell resigned too. The ethics issues are all theirs and all five are collecting pensions or pension credits from the City.— January 28, 2011 4:22 p.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
Oh so you agree trash collections should be free in San Diego. And Business license fees, minuscule here, but thousands in other cities is OK too. And worst of all, developer/development fees, the ones almost at the bottom of the whole state, the ones where multimillionaire developers sometimes get subsidized by the taxpayers are fine as well. These are just three examples where the fees in San Diego are so low they don't cover the costs to administer the operations. Those losses put further strain on the general fund, all while generating profits for others.— January 28, 2011 1:05 p.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
Don, Over and over it's been proven the City's revenue streams are trickling brooks compare to other comparable cities in California and elsewhere. If revenue sources, like trash collection, storm water, business licenses etc etc were equalized the city would easily meet it obligations. The IBA has spelled it out repeatedly, but there's no political will to chance it. In the long term as future pension costs and wages are being tamed as we speak, the city balance sheet will improve. One example of that is SDCERS investment earning exceeded the expected return. Another are the higher contributions to SDCERS by the employees or the recent court decision over $100M in under pricing of pension service contracts. It took nearly 10 years of City mismanagement and obfuscation to create the mess it's in today. Its citizens, and its media watchdogs CHOSE to bury their heads in the sand during that time. It's not going to be resolved over the short run and ALL parties will suffer while solutions are found and time repairs the damage done by the City political leaders and management.— January 28, 2011 11:20 a.m.
Imprudence Not Unconstitutional, Says Appeals Court
The court ruled the arbitrator overstepped his authority and the legislators should have approved the settlement with the necessary declarations. Again, completely different apples, oranges and now bananas comparisons from San Diego, Orange County and now the State of Kali-forn-neea facts. But I do agree, the Supremes will ultimately resolve both. BTW most of all this stuff is easily found at . http://www.Pensiontsunami.com .— January 28, 2011 11:03 a.m.