VOTERS SHOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT PROP. B
Editor, Times-Advocate:
On August 23, 2016, San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee formally opposed Proposition B – Lilac Hills Ranch Specific Plan (Ballot measure). This strong opposition gets delivered to over 500,000 Democrats in San Diego county. The message should simplify decisions confronting confused voters on the 2016 Ballot, which containing an overwhelming number of Ballot measures and new tax proposals.
San Diego voters deserve to be educated, since ‘informed voters’ are asked to vote on Proposition B on Lilac Hills Ranch, which is actually expected to have immediate, and extremely long term negative impacts on the community, the region, and San Diego taxpayers.
The Democratic Party Central Committee’s opposition on Proposition B was based on rigorous independent analysis on Lilac Hills Ranch impacts recently prepared by County staff for Board of Supervisors. That analysis was essentially a flat-out rejection of Accretive’s unsupported claims that Lilac Hills Ranch is a vital necessity to provide needed ‘affordable housing in San Diego County’, or that this project forms a solution to the chronic housing shortage of affordable homes feared in San Diego and facing young homebuyers. So far in 2016, realtors, lenders and building industry successfully contrived the worrisome illusion that approval of Proposition B for Lilac Hills Ranch is the only thing separating young homebuyers, or young families from being forced to move far from San Diego county, or the entire state to secure sufficient buying power to afford an attractive single family home, in a safe neighborhood. Marketers promoting Lilac Hills Ranch count on, and capitalize on the imagined threat of long distances, and hours of driving time misery to visit children and grandchildren. Then the almost inevitable impossibility of making frequent or spontaneous visits, or developing or sustaining strong family bonds with children, grandchildren.
Probably the only certainty that San Diego voters will have is that Lilac Hills Ranch will cause significant negative project impacts (local and regional) that are not fully mitigated by improvements required from the developer. So, there is relative certainty that Lilac Hills Ranch project will cause unmitigated impacts that require future public taxpayer support to meet readily foreseeable needs for additional public infrastructure upgrades. Foreseeable future tax increases to offset impacts from Lilac Hills Ranch won’t be just an initial one-time or temporary fee, but a perpetual ongoing tax increase applied to all San Diego taxpayers for an extremely long time, or possibly forever. Will this be the legacy you really want to leave your grandchildren and future generations?
PATRICIA BORSCHMANN, Escondido
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EXPLAINING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ENDORSEMENT PROCESS
Editor, Times-Advocate:
I have been a member of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee for more than 10 years. Let me see if I can answer the questions from your August 25 editorial.
The purpose of politics is to have government work according to one’s values and priorities. One way is to petition city council on topics of one’s concerns. Another way is to help candidates that share your values and priorities get elected.
The Democratic Party being an organization of people that share a lot of common values and priorities, works to help candidates that share their values and priorities to get elected. One way of doing this is to investigate candidates’ values and tell their members which ones share their values. Rather that sharing the details learned from the investigation, the Party just gives an up or down vote with their endorsement.
The rules for the endorsement process are controlled by the party bylaws and another document called Policies and Procedures. Both documents are available on the County Party web site. The most relevant one to this discussion is that we can only endorse registered Democrats. A summary of the endorsement process can be found on the County Party web site: http:// www.sddemocrats.org/chairscorner/how-democrats-endorse- president-school-boardhttp://www.sddemocrats.org/chairscorner/how-democrats endorse-president-school-board.
A related article which introduces the county central committee is here: http:// www.sddemocrats.org/chairscorner/ introduction-your-county-central-committeehttp:// www.sddemocrats.org/ chairscorner/introduction-your-county-central-committee.
The way that the County Party determines a candidate’s values is by having them answer a list of questions. This is typical of most organizations that do endorsements. The candidate can then appear before the central committee to introduce themselves, make a pitch for their endorsement and answer any questions concerning their answers to the list of questions.
No money is solicited or required nor any fee charged to get an endorsement. Though more weight may be given to a candidate endorsement if they have previously worked with the County Party and on the behalf of previous candidates. And also if one candidate is more likely to get elected because of name recognition, ability to raise funds, or a better match to electorate for that race.
Does politics have its dark side? You bet it does. The dark side is when an organization does things that help their organization instead of their members and society at large. But being a Democrat, I see this as more of problem for the Republican Party than the Democratic Party. LOL.
RICK BOVA, Escondido
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PLEASE DON’T!
Editor, Times-Advocate:
Concerning “EDCO won’t deliver on Labor Day”. I certainly hope that EDCO will not deliver on ANY day.
DAVID DRAKE, Escondido
TA and ‘Children of the TA” reader since 1979
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