San Diego Unseen: An Urban Portrait
Thank you for exposing one of what I am sure are many wasteful and badly managed government expenditures in Dave Maass’ March 23 article “SAFE Deposit.” The SD SAFE program, as currently run by Supervisor Roberts and Councilmember Kulchin, is a classic example of a solution in search of a problem. As originally intended, the program was laudable. Technological advancements, however, have significantly lessened the need for call boxes. Despite this, the politicians running SD SAFE cannot help but search for another way to spend the money they’re collecting from vehicle owners.
Worse, despite the need to reduce the number of call boxes and consistent reduction of calls from them each year for the past several years, SD SAFE is paying the contractor that maintains the boxes and operates the call center more money each year. This is not only maddening, but it also exemplifies how contracting government services to a private company does not necessarily save public agencies any money if the politicians have no interest in demanding accountability. To the contrary, the costs of this service has gone up despite its utility going down.
In this era of tight budgets and taxpayer concern for wasteful government spending, allowing this program to continue operating like this just further undermines citizen confidence in government’s ability to do anything. Roberts, a supposed fiscal conservative, should lead the charge to reduce the fees being collected from vehicle owners, eliminate SD SAFE’s mission creep and reduce (not increase) the contractor’s bills. SD SAFE should be used as an example of government putting its house in order for once and showing taxpayers that politicians are capable of using our scarce resources wisely.
Gil Cabrera, Mission Hills
Spending can be good
I agree with your March 23 editorial, “Push the GOP aside.” Gov. Brown’s proposal to balance the California budget is fair and balanced. Brown has managed to cut the deficit to about $12 billion by cutting $14 billion in services. His next step is to extend the tax increases to accommodate the remaining deficit. This is a reasonable solution and a perfect compromise.
Government spending is not always bad.
As a matter of fact, several private businesses are currently experiencing problems as a result of reduced government spending. Personally, I would rather see the government spend money in the economy than hand out free money to banks that don’t necessarily make more loans.
If a few Republicans are not willing to compromise for the good of California, we are doomed.
Ronald Harris, Scripps Ranch
Take this park and...
Your March 30 editorial about the Padres, “Perpetual underdogs,” stated: “But, hey, if things go south, at least the fans can watch them stink it up in a really sweet ballpark.”
Really sweet? I hear that so often I’m tempted to believe it, at least until my next trip to the ballpark named after dog food. I’ve watched games from far-out left field and could not see anything from a few feet beyond third base to the center field wall. Even behind the infield, every seat in the upper deck has an obstruction somewhere between the seat and either the batter or the pitcher.
In the 20-something-dollar seats, if there was a play in the infield, my vision of most of the infield was blocked by fans standing.
A friend, wealthier than I, has season tickets for seats right behind home plate. They cost him 60-something dollars a pop. Good view, but every bit of noise, especially from the blaring loud speakers was funneled right down the line.
Twice in the last two years, I was able to visit the ballpark of my childhood, Wrigley Field. Every seat was better than the best at Petco. All that, plus the fans, 42,000 strong on a weekday, knew when to clap their hands.
They can take Petco and shove it.
Keith Taylor, Chula Vista
Bad attitude
I’m glad finally someone is actually started to call City Councilmember Carl DeMaio on his holier-than-thou attitude and actions. DeMaio is bad for the city of San Diego—it’s evident from his actions at council meetings, public debates (recently at the Joyce Beers Community Center in Hillcrest) and police officer funerals.
Philip Ellsworth, Chula Vista
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