Response to Todd Gloria’s Op-Ed

I appreciate Councilman Gloria’s response to my op-ed piece and his political lecture on getting the facts right, it is refreshing to see a politician who wants to do that. And, the facts he brings forward are correct, there are other serious cuts that will have to be made, as he outlines in his response. However, he missed a few critical points, and not completely his fault as I myself was not as crystal clear as I wish I would have been the first time. My reference to “scare tactics” refers to the commercial running non-stop showing public safety as the only cuts being made, with one little whisper of “other” cuts as well. I reviewed the commercial again, and, I didn’t still see any white-collar cuts being threatened. So call it my mistake for not being clear, I certainly was not meaning to claim they were the only cuts. But, I’m not really understanding how the commercial being disseminated by the proponents of Proposition D are correct, but, my comments (about the commercial specifically), are wrong.

But I notice he didn’t correct me with regard to politicians claiming to cut “jobs” year after year when they have mostly only cut “vacant positions” in the past. And he didn’t correct me about the promise to do proper audits after raising water rates, or about the complete absence of competitive bids based on Prop. C, passed by the voters four years ago. And he didn’t say anything about postponing legacy projects, as opposed to cutting real jobs. Did I get any of that wrong Mr. Gloria?

And in fact, let me be even more clear than I was the first time. I don’t believe for one moment that the city will get out of this mess without raising taxes, my premise is to stop giving cash to addicts before they get clean so they do not blow the money on yet more folly. Make the reforms that need to be made, prove that you have reformed, first. Then ask for more money.

Dan Shea is the owner of Donovan’s Steakhouse and co-founder of the Fans, Taxpayers and Business Alliance.