Open Letter to Board of Port Commissioners: Halt expenditure of public monies on political advocacy
Posted by: Mighty Thor | 07/02/2008 4:24 PM
An open letter from Lani Lutar, President & CEO of The San Diego County Taxpayers Association:
July 1, 2008
Mr. Michael Bixler
Board of Port Commissioners
Port of San Diego
P.O. Box 120488
San Diego, CA 92112-0488
Re: Expenditure of Public Monies on Political Advocacy
Dear Chairman Bixler:
The June 29, 2008 advertisement in the San Diego Union-Tribune and planned future ads in other media sources conveying "An Important Message From the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners" represent a source of concern for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA).
While the letter specifically calls the message "educational" and urges readers to "examine the facts" and "learn about the Port," the underlying assertions expressed in the letter encourage readers to oppose the "Marine Freight Preservation and Bayfront Redevelopment Initiative." Simply omitting a statement that explicitly urges voters to support or oppose a ballot measure does not qualify the message as "educational" when its implications clearly represent an argument for one side only.
SDCTA's opposition to publicly funded advocacy does not reflect its position on either side of the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal initiative. Over the past six decades the Association has been active in the San Diego region on behalf of taxpayers promoting accountable, cost-effective and efficient government, and its position on this matter has been consistent. SDCTA strongly urges the Board of Port Commissioners to consider the concerns listed above and to halt the expenditure of public monies on any type of political advocacy campaign.
Sincerely,
Lani Lutar
President & CEO
July 1, 2008
Mr. Michael Bixler
Board of Port Commissioners
Port of San Diego
P.O. Box 120488
San Diego, CA 92112-0488
Re: Expenditure of Public Monies on Political Advocacy
Dear Chairman Bixler:
The June 29, 2008 advertisement in the San Diego Union-Tribune and planned future ads in other media sources conveying "An Important Message From the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners" represent a source of concern for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association (SDCTA).
While the letter specifically calls the message "educational" and urges readers to "examine the facts" and "learn about the Port," the underlying assertions expressed in the letter encourage readers to oppose the "Marine Freight Preservation and Bayfront Redevelopment Initiative." Simply omitting a statement that explicitly urges voters to support or oppose a ballot measure does not qualify the message as "educational" when its implications clearly represent an argument for one side only.
SDCTA's opposition to publicly funded advocacy does not reflect its position on either side of the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal initiative. Over the past six decades the Association has been active in the San Diego region on behalf of taxpayers promoting accountable, cost-effective and efficient government, and its position on this matter has been consistent. SDCTA strongly urges the Board of Port Commissioners to consider the concerns listed above and to halt the expenditure of public monies on any type of political advocacy campaign.
Sincerely,
Lani Lutar
President & CEO
CATEGORY:
California Politics
Their ad was legal. Get over it.
The Port's expenditure of funds now to try and put a halt to Chase's asinine proposal is a prudent expenditure of funds. Can you imagine the taxpayer dollars that are going to have to wasted fighting this stupid thing?
The port and the airport authority has a history of this kind of campaigning on the public dime, and for fat consulting contracts to local political consultants. This should be investigated.
Lani is right -- has the taxpayer association ever looked at all this kind of spending by the port district? is there a report?
If I remember right Assemblyman Plesia when he was leader of the GOP in the Assembly actually looked into the airport authority and had a report done up on the money they were giving various "consultants" in town. Anyone have a copy of that?
Was there really a report?
Why doesnt someone like scott barnett look into this and the airport?
If the report was done on the Airport Authority then it has nothing to do with the Port Commission. Airport operations and oversight were taken away from the Port and given to the Airport Authority at the time of its creation by then Senator Steve Peace. Plescia's report most likely focused on the Airport Authorit and their attempts to relocate the airport to Miramar, which Plescia rightly opposed.