The Impact on the Poorest People in SD County!

Commentary:
By Herman Baca
Committee on Chicano Rights, (CCR) President

   National City’s Proposition “D.” In 2006, voters approved an increase in the state sales tax of 1 percent for 10 years to bolster city finances and services. As required by law, after 5 years (2011) a panel was appointed to review Prop “D. “Their recommendation accepted by the NC Council: Continue the tax for 5 more years!”

   Five years after the passage of Prop “D,” Great Recession, 35 million dollars collected and spend, and still the city’s deficits continue?  According to the U-T editorial the main reason for National City’s (NC) continued deficits are…the Great Recession. Never mentioned in the editorial was the impact of Prop “D” of the Great Recession effects on NC’s poor who have paid millions, and will continue paying millions for the next 5 years!

   According to SANDAG the median income for NC resident is $38,849. NC’s annual payroll for nonpublic safety employees increased from $51,585 to $54,671, and police and firemen from $73,292 to $86,679! However, most employees do not reside in NC! Little has been discussed as to how Prop “D” affects poor people trying to pay their rents, putting food on the table, or shoes on their children’s feet? 

   Prop “D” was proposed in 2006 after the defeat of a similar proposition (Prop B) by NC politicians, one month after the city created a 6 million dollar deficit by granting police and firemen a Mercedes pension plan. NC agreed to pay the total pension cost, police and firemen paid zero! Police and firemen could retire after 30 years with 90% of their highest salary, and life time health care benefits! One has to question how many NC residents have pension plans, or health care?

   To get the measure on the ballot, city politicians and department heads used “scare tactics” telling voters that police, fire men and city departments would be cut by 20%, and gangs would take over. Ironically NC cut city services in 2011 by 20%.

   The Prop “D” election was financed or “bought” by vested outside interests, Sycuan Casino ($5,000.00), NC Chamber of Commerce, NCPD, and Fireman Unions, etc.

   In June of 2006 with 2286 yes votes cast, out of 16000 voters (a 25% voter turnout), Prop “D” was approved by 700 votes, or 14% of NC voters, at a cost of $45.00 per vote!

   Immediately after Prop “D” was approved NC officials went on a drunken spending spree. $125,000 paid for a Charger stadium consultant, and $25,000 for a Charger survey questionnaire? Free house rent provided to the highest paid executives and managers? 2.5 million dollars loan to an Australian developer to build condos, etc.

   Mayor Morrison in 2011 as required by law, appointed a bogus panel of three White Anglos to review Prop “D.” Unbelievably, Mayor Morrison who represents NC (pop.70% Mexican ancestry) was unable to find one fiscal expert of Mexican ancestry in all of SD County! As always the 4 His-Her Panic council members went along, to get along!

   The 3 member panel appointed was, Marney Cox, of SANDAG, Chris Cate, San Diego County Taxpayers Association, and municipal finance expert, Dale Nielsen of Vista. I would venture to say that most know little, if anything, or even care about NC! The panel without any public input recommended: to continue the tax for 5 more years. Exactly what Mayor Morrison wanted to hear!

   With 85.4% of the city’s total general fund presently going to public safety expenditures, (leaving 14.6% for the community) Prop “D” after 5 years has proven itself to be nothing more than a sludge fund for NC’s politicians to pay for the out of control pension fund.

   For the next five years of Prop “D,” poor people will pay, city politicians will use its funds to pay for the pension fund, and the city’s deficits will continue.

   In fact, Morrison’s own panel warned that the city deficit will increase to 9.1 million after Prop “D” sunsets on 2016.

   It’s apparent that NC’s fiscal problem will not be resolved in the near future, because NC problem is systemic, caused by numerous social, economic and political factors. Those factors include changing demographics (70% Mexican ancestry), a group that presently has minimal voice, say, or political representation. The city being governed politically and economically by a shrinking (10%) Anglo population with the acquiescence of naive His-Her Panic individuals who with Mayor Morrison have little relevance’s to this group. Solutions to the city’s problems will only be forth coming when the 70% majority population learns how to protect their interest by educating, politicizing and organizing themselves.