(Republican stronghold) San Diego on Fiscal Brink

[Democat]

Somewhere in tax-fighting heaven, Howard Jarvis must be spinning. The city that the late sponsor of Proposition 13 once extolled as nonpareil in its stewardship of public money ("If all cities were run as well as San Diego, we wouldn't need Proposition 13") is now caught in a financial crisis of colossal proportions.

San Diego's financial problem is largely of its own making. By underfunding its public employee pension program, the city is now so deeply in the red, critics assert, that without drastic action, pension payments will virtually suck the treasury dry.

Lots of other California cities and counties have similar problems, but this is San Diego, where fiscal conservatism was thought to be the civic religion.

Mayor Dick Murphy, a mild-mannered Republican now running for a second term, believes his critics are sensationalizing the issue.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=6&u=/latimests/20040901/ts_latimes/fallfromfrugalityputssandiegoonfiscalbrink

This could be an opportunity for the Democrats to make gains in the San Diego area - look how effective the Republicans were at blaming Davis and the Democrats for everything that went wrong in California.

Will the state Democratic party be able to nail the Republicans for the financial collapse of San Diego under Republican leadership?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. San Diego has a very serious problem

If those living south of I-8 voted far more often, Murphy would not be the Mayor of the city., Moreover, this is suposed to be a non political office... that means party afficilaition means nothing

That said, the two running for the office ARE Republicans, the open secret. I am still voting against Murphy... because Murphy has fully mismanaged more than just the budget

[Dem2theMax]

2. And they have the nerve to call it 'America's Finest City.'

Gag and :puke:
I go ballistic every time I hear that phrase.

[DBoon]

3. Easy to be the "finest"

When your local economy is underwritten by massive federal military expenditures.

[bobthedrummer]

4. Yep, that pretty much states the mechanism of San Diego's financial mess.

Militarism is what our WWII veterans fought against.

[Coventina]

5. Not to mention 10s of thousands of "Zonies"

of which the SO and I were up until this year.

We didn't go this summer, for several reasons, but mainly because we've had to downsize our lifestyle.

[yellowcanine]

6. But But But I thought Ahh-holed solved the fiscal crisis in Cally-fornia.

Is it time to start circulating recall petitions?

[llmart]

7. Good.

I hope the rich idiots who think the Repugs are so fiscally intelligent get what they deserve.

[denverbill]

8. Republican solution: Screw the former workers.

You know damned well how this is going to work out, and it will not be good for the former employees.

[AlCzervik]

9. Oh Gawd, dont bring up prop 13

That will never be appealed no matter how many cities go bankrupt.

[ignatius 2]

10. Maybe they can get a loan from Enron who screwed the entire

state out of billions.