In her opinion article published in the North County Times on September 26, Lani Lutar, President and CEO of the San Diego Taxpayers Association, argues that a Yes vote on county Proposition A will ensure responsible spending practices by the Board of Supervisors. What she fails to mention, deliberately we must assume, is that all the provisions of Proposition A, which is an amendment to the San Diego County Charter, are existing county ordinances; they are already law.
The League of Women Voters advises against State Constitution or charter amendments which serve only to inhibit flexibility of governable action to meet changing conditions. Amending the county charter to insert highly detailed provisions and administrative detail already contained in county ordinances is not only unnecessary, it “locks in” — to use the words of the Board of Supervisors — practices which can only be changed by re-amending the charter, a costly and cumbersome task. Facing term limits, our present supervisors would appear to want to restrict the governing ability of their successors.
In the interest of good government, vote no on Proposition A.
Margaret Dornish is Co-President of the League of Women Voters of San Diego County and lives in Carlsbad.