Reader Coincidence? wrote:
Mr. Waring: Is CleanTech San Diego the non-profit Mayor Sanders announced a few months ago? link There have been others in Council/Management positions that have set up jobs for themselves for when they left city employment…that is how the Airport Authority began..as a “next” job for ex-councilman Byran Wear..(that didn’t work out) Were your plans to go to work for CleanTech in 2008 after the Mayoral election anyway?
And reader Jerry the politician wrote:
I was almost ready to congratulate you for escaping the dysfunction until I noticed your new gig is San Diego Cleantech…a Sanders initiative that he WOULD like results on prior to re-election time. As such, you are still working for him and your comments need to be taken in that light. Once you are completely out from the Sanders administration come back to Voice and share your real thoughts.
CleanTECH San Diego has nothing to do with the mayor’s initiative. It is a totally private, non-profit organization working to build a “clean product and service” industry cluster in San Diego and to further discussions around sustainable practices.
As for my “new job,” I am working and continue to work as chairman for free. In fact, I decided not to seek the paid position of CEO at CleanTECH in part to not be a distraction to this important multi-discipline effort. We are currently in the final stages of hiring a paid CEO.
I ask you to reflect upon why you instinctively assumed some degree of improper conduct in that I had set up a job for myself or was in some way still working for the mayor.
— JIM WARING