Lorena Gonzalez, the political director for the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, took issue with my statement earlier that “labor groups” had mobilized against the mayor’s planned water rate increases.
Not true, she said. That was the Center on Policy Initiatives, which is independent and supposedly not reflective of the local AFL-CIO’s position.
So, what is the labor group’s true position?
From Gonzalez:
We fully support sewer rate increases.
And, we support infrastructure investment.
Our concern with the water rates is simply that we want to ensure that working families are not paying a disproportionate share compared to businesses.
I would ask that this council commission a study to implement the tiered system that is currently used to factor residential bills and apply that system to business and multi-family dwellings.
Finally, I would hope, when placing this work to bid, the City Council would consider the importance of trying to keep the work force local and ensuring our tax dollars are staying in San Diego through local hire.
I can’t even see the hairs we’re splitting on this one.