The current mayor’s legacy, the mayor’s race, voting, school bonds and Balboa Park: Just another week in the comments sections of our stories. In case you’re not perusing the discussions, we highlight some of the things folks had to say here. Below, five comments from the week:
• Ian Trowbridge on “Filner No Longer Opposes Balboa Park Remodel“:
Well Bob just lost my vote and probably a lot more other people. He seems to be trying to beat Mitt Romney in the rate of his flip-flops. After his comments on who was responsible for the lily pond hooliganism you have to worry that he has reverted back to the erratic abrasive personality he used to be. Good job Tom Shepard.
• Richard Gorin on “Poway Residents Ask: What Can We Do Now?“:
If the bonds are that bad a deal, why not issue more bonds at current market and use the proceeds to buy these bonds back from willing sellers?
I hold bonds from another municipality that are not callable until next year, but the municipality is planning to issue new bonds now and use the proceeds to buy what the holders of the outstanding issue choose to tender.
Clearly there needs to be some regulation of future issues to prevent the assets they are designed to fund from being underwater through the kind of “never-never” provisions that are typified in this issue. It is fundamentally unfair to allow voters to approve the issuance of debt that they will not face increased taxes to service.
• Cole Macy on “Why You Can’t Write In a Mayoral Candidate“:
Why not just have an election for mayor? You want to be on the ballot, get the minimum signatures required and go for it. There is no point for a primary or having two elections for one position. The “primaries” should simply be for parties trying to determine their candidate; if you don’t have party backing, then you shouldn’t be subject to a primary. Local government is one of the only legitimate venues for redress and shouldn’t be restricted to the elite.
• Francine Phillips on “Sanders’ Record Leaves Much To Be Desired“:
Most of what you say is true, except the last paragraph. The electorate doesn’t appear to be awake, still, and the next mayor of San Diego will not give a fig about common people and common needs. Which, by the way, is a myth. There is no great class of commoners with common needs. Just citizen groups with special needs. Hundreds of them. Navigating those and placating most of them is the best “record” that any mayor of San Diego can hope to achieve.
• Randell Brown on “Balboa Park’s Dump and Other Controversies: San Diego Explained“:
Had no idea that SD had a landfill in Arizona Canyon/Balboa Park. As Catherine & Kelly mentioned towards the end of the video, changes and building can have long-term lasting effects. Look at Hwy-52 near Convoy, the number of times Caltrans has had to redo parts of the roadway because of the dips. Do people remember that this section of Hwy-52 use to be part of the Miramar landfill? If we construct buildings on the land in Arizona Canyon, what problems would we face in the future for settling of the ground, earthquakes, etc. on the buildings? Something to consider before we go hog wild on building any structures on this land.
Statements have been lightly edited to fix spelling errors and typos.
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Dagny Salas is the web editor at Voice of San Diego. You can contact her directly at dagny.salas@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5669.
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