San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
NO ON B: DON’T ADD TO LAW’S UNFAIRNESS
How ironic that a proposed change to San Diego’s trash collection system is actually garbage itself.
There are a lot of measures on the November ballot, so let’s make this simple — the “B” in Measure B stands for “Bad!” It purports to fix an admittedly unfair system, but it only makes it more unfair. It would restrict the city’s ability to be more efficient, and our city’s low- and middle-income residents would be harmed most by Measure B’s proposed changes.
Despite the claims of supporters, San Diego homeowners — and many renters — do not receive “free” trash pickup. We — the taxpayers — already pay for that service with our property taxes, just like we pay for police protection, libraries, parks and other core public services.
I acknowledge the current system is unfair, especially for those condo owners and renters who pay twice for waste pickup: first through their taxes and a second time in fees paid to private haulers.
But Measure B would supposedly “fix” that inequity by making everyone pay twice. So in the name of “fairness,” Measure B would penalize all of us.
This makes no sense. Why not really fix this inequity by collecting apartment owners and renters’ trash too, with the tax dollars they pay every year?
Worse, Measure B would inflict the most pain on homeowners in our lower-income neighborhoods, many of which are south of Interstate 8, including Lincoln Park, Paradise Hills, Valencia Park, Encanto, Oak Park, Emerald Hills and others. Around 78 percent of the residents there own or reside in single-family homes, and, according to the San Diego Association of Governments, about 61 percent of the people living in these communities are Black or Hispanic.
Measure B proponents promise any additional revenue from a new fee on trash collection will “free up” monies to pay for street and sidewalk repairs, expanded hours at our libraries and rec centers, and better police and fire protection.
But we hear that false promise every time a politician wants to raise our taxes or fees.
If it were true, you would think we’d already have the nation’s best streets, immaculate parks and libraries, and a nearly crime-free city.
Instead, we have a $4 billion infrastructure deficit, about $3 billion owed in the city’s pension system, plus hundreds of millions more lost to the 101
Ash Street debacle. That real estate fiasco — which the mayor and City Council made even worse with their ill-advised settlement of related lawsuits — is just the most recent in a series of financial missteps that prove our elected officials must do more to earn our trust before they ask San Diegans to pay more fees and taxes.
The San Diego County Taxpayers Association’s close review of Measure B reveals another pitfall.
Measure B includes a clause that would also make residential waste collection a noncompetitive, public-employee run system forever. No private waste haulers need apply — because they would be barred from doing so.
Why is the city trying to create a monopoly by restricting any potential opportunities to more effectively and affordably provide services to the public?
Any new fee for waste collection must include competitive bidding for that service.
Giving the city’s unionized workers a monopoly on an expanded trash pickup system is almost guaranteed to cost us more.
There’s a much better way to equitably reform our trash collection systems. I encourage you to read the San Diego County Taxpayers Association analysis, and tell the mayor and City Council to follow this blueprint.
The bottom line is that Measure B is really bad — for taxpayers, for lowincome San Diegans and for city operations. Let’s throw it out with all the other trash we don’t want. Vote “no” on B!