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Sunday, April 5, 2009 | Regarding “It Won’t Cost the Taxpayers a Thing:”
I think Carl DeMaio got it right: San Diego voters are twice-shy because we have seen our tax dollars misused over and over. Also, because we have been lied to so often that it has become de rigueur for pols to misstate practically everything. Being disingenuous has become indispensable.
The ballpark, for example, was sold to voters on the promise that it would cost us nothing. This has turned out to be untrue — as the leaders who put the deal together knew it would from the very beginning. On the other hand, the ballpark has turned out to be a big plus because it has been the catalyst for the redevelopment of the entire area. Why not be straight with us from the start?
So, voters’ attitudes have now become a self-fulfilled prophesy: We’ve been told so often that projects will cost us nothing that we now expect that promise, even as we really know it is a fantasy.
Our civic leaders (is that a joke?) need to promote a different attitude, one of fair pay (tax) for fair return (services). But, this needs to be connected with a true reporting of what these services actually cost to provide. I’d love to hear from someone (DeMaio and Frye, perhaps?) who will start the ball rolling.