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San Diego County, CA July 26, 2005 Election
Smart Voter

San Diego's Budget

By Thomas Knapp

Candidate for Mayor; City of San Diego

This information is provided by the candidate
Responsibility, not bankruptcy!
As you are all probably aware, fiscal irresponsibility and general mismanagement have made the City of San Diego the laughing stock of the nation. You have a City Council and Mayor that thinks they need to bring up raises during a financial descent that goes back several years. In my job, you are rewarded for good service, not just time in job.

I will help create a budget that cuts all the waste and just leaves the needs of the city. Police, fire and essential city services will not be cut. Projects such as the new downtown library and the under grounding of electrical lines will be put on the back burner until the city's financial future is secured and our credit rating restored.

Bankruptcy is NOT an option. Just because other cities have done it, doesn't make it right. If a large metropolitan City can "get" to got bankrupt, what exactly does that teach its citizens?

As far as the City Hall salaries go, I will vote against all raises for at least the first 4 years, furthermore, I will only be taking $85k/yr as a salary and not the $100k that is the Mayoral salary. I am here to serve San Diego City proper and its citizens, not profit from it. Furthermore I will only be taking half of my pension upon the completion of my term(s). I have been saving for my retirement all my life and will continue to do so; I don't think that the citizens of San Diego should have to pay for it. That policy applies to what I think about all city jobs that have a pension as a "benefit". City service should be about CITY SERVICE and not about its salary, and its many perks.

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ca/sd Created from information supplied by the candidate: June 13, 2005 22:44
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