New Taxpayers Association CEO Hopes to Stop the Boos

Out of retirement and back in the civic engagement game, Mark Leslie has some big plans for himself as the incoming president of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

He said he was stung that, at his first presentation to the City Council in the new role, the Taxpayers Association name provoked boos in the audience. He wants to change that.

First, Leslie wants to shatter the idea that the association is politically biased. The Taxpayers Association, he said, “tries to give [voters] an unbiased perspective of the pros and cons on an issue,” by providing them with financial data.

“Facts and information are not political,” he said.

On this week’s podcast, Leslie chatted with VOSD Radio’s Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts about the mission of the Taxpayers Association, why he doesn’t hold a grudge against Carl DeMaio, and how his former garage band pioneered punk.

Jump to 22:17 to hear what Leslie had to say.

Download the episode below, on Stitcher or on iTunes. While you’re there, leave us some feedback. We love to hear what you have to say.

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Show Notes

•  Here’s that report from the Congressman Darrell Issa citing the root causes of the influx of Central American child immigrants.

• A year after Filner left office, we look back to what would have happened had his planning priorities played out.

• This week’s Fact Check spurred a strong response from the City Attorney’s office. Check it out here.

• Our Hero of the Week goes to local artist Roberto Salas, for keeping a Lincoln Park art project alive by sidestepping city involvement. Here’s why he’s doing it.

• The administration at San Diego Unified School District is our Goat of the Week, for arguing against a new charter school that they claimed didn’t have enough tools to help English language learners. But the school district itself doesn’t have a solid plan for those students.