Datamar Inc. released a survey of San Diego City this morning that should put to rest a few questions. I’ve been pretty hard on the accuracy of Datamar in the past (they use an automated system), but the last few polls I’ve seen have started matching more traditional surveys. This poll in particular hits the truth pretty squarely between the eyes.
Point 1: Reformers who are seen as willing to buck the system are popular. Republican Mayor Sanders, in his calm and re-assuring way, Democrat City Attorney Mike Aguirre, in his shrill and disquieting way, and Democrat Donna Frye, in her off-the-cuff but probably honest way are all popular for the same reason. All are willing to stand up against what voters view as a corrupt, self-serving city establishment that includes the ring of politicians, civil servants, union bosses, and other special interests that got the city in this mess to start with. The Mayor’s positives are 79.1%, the City Attorney is at 63.8%, the Councilwoman 54.8% (Frye’s question was a bit different and probably led to a lower number). Note to politicians or aspiring politicians: the are periods of time when it’s good to be the establishment candidate, and there are times when it’s good to be the outsider. We are exiting a period of the former, and moving into a period of the latter.
Point 2: Politicians who want to die around the flag arguing that the problem’s that plagued and continue plague City Hall are not so bad have a wonderful opportunity in the next couple of years. 54.4% of voters think the Kroll Report was “Not Tough Enough” while only 29.5% think the conclusions were “correct” or “too tough”. The council as a whole – most of which defended the whole mess for way too long has a 59.7% disapproval rating. And still one hears downtown politicians, civil servants, and union bosses talking as if the whole debacle was blown out of proportion. That’s a wonderful strategy, endorsed by Custer himself. Time to sharpen the old tomahawk and bring home a few scalps for the living room wall.
Point 3: Usually, City Councilmen who represent seats that share their partisan affiliation are better off than councilmen who don’t. Questions inquiring about councilmen’s performance on fiscal issues make that pretty clear. Gay Democrat Atkins represents a gay Democrat district. Her numbers are 46% positive. Republican Maienschein represents a suburban Republican district. His numbers are 44% positive. Reform Democrat Peters represents a overwhelmingly Republican district. 54.9% of his voters find him “negligent, or incompetent” or “criminally reckless or intentional” in re the city’s financial issues (Note to Peters: if you are really planning to run for City Attorney against Aguirre – see Aguirre city numbers above – you’ve got to change his numbers and your numbers sooner rather than later… and that means less fighting with Aguirre in front of the 200 largely useless wags who watch the council meetings and more setting in motion a real pr strategy to challenge Aguirre in front of the hundreds of thousands of voters listening to talk radio and reading the local paper). Republican Madaffer represents a pretty evenly divided district. His positives are 33.3%.
Point 4. The civil service ‘reform’ we all got 75 years or so is finally showing its real colors (or alternatively “Thank God for the Strong Mayoral System”). The progressives really gave us the bird when they gave us the ‘nonpartisan’ civil service in place of the old appointee system. Now the unaccountable city managers and their cohorts run virtually every city and other district in the state with an iron fist. Politicians – who actually have to face the people come election day – are spoon fed their votes by city staff… and, well, if the votes mean higher taxes or fiscal negligence the civil servants survive and the politician gets bounced out on his ear. Worse, most of upper level city management is concerned with every greater expansion of city services, so to free up the money they’ve gotten as cozy with city labor unions as two freshman college kids in a dorm room loft. The pension crisis that has humiliated “America’s Finest City” is looming in the background of virtually every other city and special district in San Diego. Former San Diego City Manager Jack “Boss” McGrory was the high point in rule by civil service here in San Diego, and often viewed as the father, if not the uncle, of the crisis. The people know what kind of power he had, and have pinned responsibility accordingly. McGrory’s numbers: 35.8% of voters think that in respect to the crisis he was “negligent or incompetent” and 34.1% think he was criminally reckless or intentional” in his actions. City Staff doesn’t do any better: 41.4% of voters think these aces were “negligent or incompetent” and 42.2% think they were “criminally reckless or intentional” in their actions. Folks, if we want accountability in government it’s time to do away with city management by the self appointed, legally protected, unaccountable, high salaried, know-it-alls and replace them with managers appointed by elected officials so that we can actually fire the right people on Election Day. City politicians of California have nothing to lose but their chains. They each have a city to win. WORKING POLITICIANS OF ALL CITIES, UNITE!