Evidently, Mr. Erie has not been directly exposed to the many activist organizations here in San Diego (“Why San Diegans Are to Blame for the City’s Problems,” September 30, 2011). The numbers of participants is growing, but they are still “voices crying in the wilderness.” They are not in a position of power like the people within the castle walls of City Hall.
Having attended, along with more than a hundred concerned San Diego residents, the last two meetings regarding a competitive bidding process for management of the Miramar Landfill, it became very apparent to me that political power and/or corruption rules rather than democratic representation. The people turned out and gave it their all but faced a stone wall. The walls of the “castle” were insurmountable.
I have come to greatly admire the hard working efforts of the Center for Policy Initiatives. They have done an excellent job of alerting, informing and organizing the citizenry. People showed up despite potential conflicts with work schedules to voice their opposition to outsourcing management of the landfill.
However, the political barons had the control. The majority of the council ignored the voice of the people, so how can he cast blame on the residents? Are people to maintain a sense of hope and fairness when they observe that logic is not part of the equation?
Margaret Sohar