![\"Opinion](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/mth071512dAPR-web-1024x660.jpg\" "\\"mth071512dAPR")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\n
Editorial<\/strong><\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s balanced budget restores libraries, protects beaches and guards tax dollars<\/strong><\/p>\n By Council President Pro Tem Kevin L. Faulconer<\/strong><\/p>\n This summer, San Diego will begin restoring neighborhood services, better protecting our beaches and bays, reinvesting in public safety and guarding San Diego\u2019s tax dollars by strengthening financial safeguards. I recently voted for a balanced budget that delivers these results without unrealistic assumptions or accounting gimmicks. The 2012-2013 budget includes:<\/p>\n People have asked me how this good news is possible given several years of deep cuts due to the recession and past fiscal mismanagement. It was not long ago the City planned to shut down core services such as the Ocean Beach library and Cabrillo Recreation Center \u2013 a shortsighted proposal in which I joined hundreds of neighbors to permanently quash.<\/p>\n The simple answer is that we made tough and necessary decisions that put San Diego at the forefront of financial reform. Fiscal discipline and an improving economy are paying off. As cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco faced massive budget deficits this year ($238 million and $263 million, respectively), San Diego is positioned to begin reinvesting taxpayer dollars in its neighborhoods. Since I was elected over six years ago, I have worked with Mayor Jerry Sanders to bring to City Hall the same budget principles San Diego families and businesses practice every day. The City\u2019s budget crisis unfolded over several years, and solutions were not created overnight. The cost-saving tools we used to create this budget are possible thanks to reform efforts we San Diegans began years ago.<\/p>\n In 2006, voters approved a ballot measure to unleash the power of competition between the private sector and government employees. The managed competition process is now producing $6 million in ongoing savings with more to come. In 2008, voters ushered in a new, accountable system of City government by creating the independent Office of the City Auditor. This taxpayer watchdog has identified over $33 million in opportunities to increase revenues and decrease costs.<\/p>\n At City Hall, I\u2019ve proudly guarded San Diego\u2019s tax dollars. Last year\u2019s landmark retirement health care reform plan will produce more than $800 million in savings over the next 25 years. And a six percent compensation reduction for City employees has reduced costs by millions of dollars.<\/p>\n These victories have been hard fought, and we are not done. We must implement comprehensive pension reform, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters on June 5, to begin reducing the City\u2019s $2.2 billion unfunded pension liability. We must double our efforts to repair San Diego\u2019s roads by improving coordination and communication between City departments, as well as increase efficiencies to award repaving projects to contractors in a timely manner. We must continue to eliminate waste, cut red tape and restore more City services.<\/p>\n Our work is not complete, but this budget reflects that we are on the right path. I am confident that together, through continued fiscal reforms, we will carry on delivering results for our neighborhoods that improve the quality of life for all San Diegans.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Letters<\/strong><\/p>\n HillQuest publishers have \u2018lots of heart\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n I met Ann and Nancy and the Hillcrest Town Council (HTC) when they helped my neighborhood settle a parking dispute with the Uptown Partnership in 2009 [see \u201cHillQuest Urban Guide,\u201d Vol. 4, Issue 14]. They were very understanding and helpful and I really believed them when they said, as residents, we have a voice with the town council. They have always been very open and inclusive. I think that part of their success with community affairs is that they communicate from the heart and they have lots of heart. Much of their happiness comes from working to make others happy. They have accomplished a lot and even managed to piss a few people off along the way so they must be doing something right.<\/p>\n \u2014Luke Terpstra, Chair Hillcrest Town Council, via email<\/em><\/p>\n Supporting the El Cajon Business Improvement Association <\/strong><\/p>\n This is BIG TIME fun and I am glad I am able to support the BIA and Layafette Hotel [see \u201cNow Playing: Poolside movies at the Lafayette,\u201d Vol. 4, Issue 14]. <\/em><\/p>\n \u2014Mark Elliott, via sduptownnews.com<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Correction<\/strong><\/p>\n A photograph supporting the story \u201cCelebrating Crest Cafe and community\u201d in the Vol. 4, Issue 14 edition had an incorrect caption and credit. Shown here, the photograph should have been captioned: \u2018Artist Cody Griffith, here working on the Crest Cafe mural on July 2, was selected by owner Cecelia Moreno to design and paint the restaurant\u2019s celebratory mural. (Photo by Rebecah Corbin)\u2019<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Editorial San Diego\u2019s balanced budget restores libraries, protects beaches and guards tax dollars By Council President Pro Tem Kevin L. Faulconer This summer, San Diego will begin restoring neighborhood services, better protecting our beaches and bays, reinvesting in public safety and guarding San Diego\u2019s tax dollars by strengthening financial safeguards. I recently voted for a […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":245226,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Opinion July 20","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11552,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-245225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-opinion","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n