Acting San Diego County Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer turned an annual county address long packed with reviews of bipartisan investments and plans for county government into a progressive rallying cry.
Lawson-Remer laid out what she deemed San Diego County’s “local battle plan” to fight the Trump administration in a Wednesday night speech at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.
“Even if Washington is abandoning its responsibilities, we – together – can still fulfill America’s promise – San Diego County’s promise,” Lawson-Remer said. “It’s our choice. We can wait. Or we can lead. San Diego County, let’s lead.”
Among her proposals:
Reform a long-controversial and fiscally conservative county reserve policy. For years, progressives – and even some Republicans – have begged the county to unload a nearly $3 billion reserve account. Lawson-Remer wants the county to unleash what she described as more than $100 million in “excess reserves” which likely come from a nearly $692 million pot of funds that aren’t designated for a specific purpose.
“That’s public money – your money – collecting interest instead of saving lives,” Lawson-Remer said, drawing the biggest applause of the night. (San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who called out the county during his own big speech earlier this year, was among those who stood and clapped.)
Lawson-Remer wants to use those funds to staff and fund a new county public health lab the county recently learned could be hit hard by recent grant cuts by the Trump administration and to match state grant funds focused on protecting South Bay communities from the Tijuana sewage crisis.
Raise revenue aka taxes. Details TBD. Lawson-Remer wants to pursue a “local revenue measure” she thinks could raise $1 billon a year to support causes such as health care, food assistance, public safety, homelessness and housing.
“With a vote of the people, we can keep our families safe and healthy, no matter what happens in Washington,” Lawson-Remer said.
Lawson-Remer’s path to get something on the ballot won’t be easy – and as Gloria recently learned, many San Diego voters still aren’t eager to increase taxes.
The specifics of Lawson-Remer’s proposal – and who would be affected by it – will matter.
Create a county-run Medicare health plan. Right now, more than 900,000 San Diegans rely on so-called Medi-Cal insurers for their health care. Lawson-Remer wants the county to create its own health insurance plan, a move she argues would help participants avoid insurance company policies and practices that can increase costs and stymie care.
Lawson-Remer acknowledged this would require a four-year process. She promised to start that process this year.
Institute a transfer fee for the top 1% of real estate transactions to address the affordable housing crisis. Lawson-Remer said a “small” onetime transfer fee on the region’s top real estate transactions could support affordable housing, first-time homebuyers or the thousands now on the county’s Section 8 waiting list. She suggested it could also help the county scale up its homelessness prevention efforts. Lawson-Remer didn’t specify whether she thinks a public vote is needed to institute the fee.
What went unmentioned Wednesday night: Successfully pursuing this battle plan will likely require a third Democratic vote on the Board of Supervisors which has been split 2-2 since former South Bay supervisor Nora Vargas abruptly resigned. That split has stymied major board initiatives. Lawson-Remer is hoping to welcome Democratic Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre to the county board rather than Republican Chula Vista Mayor John McCann. A runoff election is set for July 1.
Who wasn’t there: Republican Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson weren’t in attendance.
Spencer Katz, a spokesperson for Lawson-Remer, said both were invited but that county counsel alerted the board that their attendance would translate into a Brown Act violation if the entire board came to the speech.
You are the problem with this country… Enough is enough. America is sick of your stupid woke politics.
I’m an old man! I don’t understand! I’ve run many times as a nude model and more. I’m an exemplar of health and fitness which I’m told every American ought to espouse. But America is sick of old eastern European men who show skin. Make up your mind!
Democrats never miss an opportunity to try and raise taxes.
more money, more taxes, more money. It’s just never enough.
“That’s public money – your money – collecting interest instead of saving lives,”
How about giving it back to the taxpayers then, with interest.
Not sure about the comment on a County run Medicare plan? You then reference Medi-Cal recipients (900,000). There are managed care Medi-Cal plans overseen by the State but that doesn’t include Medi-care which is the Federal government’s program. As the former County employee who set up the original Med-Cal managed care system in 1996 the story is confusing. Based upon my experience having the County setting up a managed care plan would be a big mistake.