Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Diego; Council District 2

Bahde Solution, "Lean":

While I am excited about the evolution of our City into the seventh largest in the Country, many people have told me that they are disappointed in the priorities that our leaders have set for the City Budget over the last two decades. Because of these misplaced priorities, our basic infrastructure has been terribly neglected and the resultant cause of our "Big City" problems. Quality of life in San Diego while still good, has diminished. We have traffic jams, polluted bays and beaches, and neighborhoods that have declined. Roads, sidewalks, parks, sewers, public safety, branch libraries, must be given top funding priority to turn this trend around.

To accomplish this we must have fiscal reform and taxpayer accountability. The City Budget must be "leaner" and less precariously balanced. The philosophy of recent City Councils has been to "Spend and Tax" and they seem to still be going down that familiar road of committing funds before they have them. Our future focus must be redirected back to the basic services and the primary duties of local government. I support Zero Based Management Review that will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiencies of all City Departments and Programs. Budget review should not begin with the assumption that all departments will receive at least a cost of living increase; all increases must be warranted and justified. I also support Mayor Murphy's Blue Ribbon Commission on City Finances to independently evaluate the current state of the fiscal health of the City. This effort of increased fiscal accountability must be the number one priority before the approval of any further major spending or tax and fee increases. As your Council Member, I will lead a "Back to Basics" approach for re-investment in our neglected neighborhood infrastructure.