It’s deja vue all over again. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts resonate with history and closely resemble the cuts that then-Mayor Jerry Sanders wanted back in 2008. Today, our Democratic mayor sounds like the former Republican mayor, 17 years later.
Earlier this week, Gloria unveiled his proposed budget which included slashing funding for arts, libraries and recreation centers, among other targets.
He proposed to close all 37 city branches every Sunday and Monday, and proposed cuts to recreation centers by slashing hours from either 60 or 65 down to 40 a week. And Sanders years ago, wanted to some similar cuts. As we reported :
Three years into his first term as mayor, Sanders … (was) faced with a huge budget crisis — wanted to solve it by making substantial cut-backs to key public services. And he chose San Diego’s libraries. In order to balance the city’s budget, he threatened to close all San Diego libraries — including the OB Library, of course — or seriously cut back their hours.
The Rag warned Gloria about all of this. Four months ago, we published “Jerry Sanders’ Checkered Legacy Stands as a Warning to Mayor Gloria.”
So, the lesson is clear for Mayor Gloria — who is currently contemplating where to make budget cuts. History and Sanders’ legacy are waving red flags. Don’t cut libraries and other basic services just because a history of bad real estate deals and the defeat of Measure E now plague the city. There will be hell to pay, Mr. Mayor, if you do. Learn from Jerry Sanders’ legacy.
Right off the bat, it doesn’t seem like Gloria has learned the lesson.
Now, there is a cynical view of how San Diego politicians deal with budget cuts. Proposals are made to slash this or that service or facility – and the list keeps getting added to and it becomes longer. The result is that everybody yells to save their particular prize — whether it’s police stations, rec centers or libraries and those who yell the most or loudest are able to save theirs. Yet, those projects, services or facilities that don’t have anyone yelling for them gets cut. There’s another old saying: ‘If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.’
Of course, there’s already been a lot of push back from different corners of the community, including several council members. Which I’ll cover in a different post.
The City Council is scheduled to review the budget during a week of public hearings May 5-9. and is scheduled to vote on a finalized budget June 10.
Remember our OB Library 90th Anniversary? Sander’s staffer and Faulkner came to the celebration and spoke about how great our Library was… then months later, they tried to close it. A large crowd protested and saved our library. But they did cut hours for a while. This is a recurring problem. Every time the budget comes in over by hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Mayors & the City cut library and Rec. hours. Then later, they seem to have the money to go back to regular hours! When will this STOP!
Close the recently added departments that we cannot afford. Example you ask? How’s about the City now monitoring and reviewing EVERY eviction that occurs in the City of San Diego. I’d guess that adding that little gem in 2023 and the needed legal staff has exceeded the savings from shutting all the libraries that Gloria threatens to do.
maybe the Mayor needs to review his high paying mgmt staff and make some cuts?
People of San Diego and ocean beach need good libraries with at least current library hours and perhaps even increasing them I see children’s and families having great times and fun activities in OB LIBRARY AND I ASSUME OTHER LIBRARIES BEN FRANLKLIN WANTED FREE BIOKS FOR EVERYONE WE CAN CUT OTHER THINGS BUT PLEASE KEEP LIBRARIES
Sorry, but these cutbacks make me wonder how much the City spends on people who aren’t even supposed to be in the country.
/s/ Chris
Strange comment. What exactly do you mean? Why do you think Gloria spends $$ on undocumented migrants when he doesn’t spend enough on the resident citizens?
This is Todd’s punishment to the citizens for not passing the sales tax. He wants to make sure they feel the cuts. This is why he’s going after libraries and rec centers and not highly paid management staff!
Can we please at least marginalize this bad mayor who wants to destroy the libraries
Actually I do wonder what the City spends and assume it’s something. Does anyone know? The news of these cutbacks just got me thinking about the sort of expenditures I mentioned. That’s all I meant.
/s/ Chris Kennedy
The contributions of migrants far outweigh whatever meager pay or benefits they get from local government. Remember they pay taxes, pay into social security and don’t get anything in return, and of course pay sales taxes. And of course they don’t vote (taxation without representation) plus do all the jobs that American citizens don’t want to do. These are factors to consider.