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This is great news!

Here's some good info if people are trying to decide how to vote:

NEWS RELEASE

Institute Evaluation Concludes Jerry Sanders’ Financial Recovery Plan is Stronger & More Credible Plan Provides Best Chance of Restoring San Diego’s Financial Health

For Immediate Release - CONTACT: Erica Mendelson
Date: October 21, 2005
Office: 858-503-6787 - cell: 619-306-1798
Email: mendelson@performanceweb.org

SAN DIEGO - The Performance Institute today released an analysis of the financial recovery proposals and positions of San Diego City Mayoral candidates Jerry Sanders and Donna Frye. “While both candidates’ plans have certain strengths and weaknesses, Jerry Sanders’ Financial Recovery Plan is far superior and offers San Diego the best chance to put its fiscal house back in order,” commented Institute President Carl DeMaio.

In explaining why the Institute saw Frye’s plan as inferior, DeMaio explained: “Donna Frye’s plan boils down to more taxes and more spending at City Hall. Frye’s decision to make tax increases the centerpiece of her plan virtually guarantees that real reform will be taken off the table at City Hall. And her plan reflects this reality. Frye’s plan contains very little by way of managerial reforms, sidesteps the issue of which pension benefits should be reformed, and opens the city to increased legal risk.”

Among the highlights of the Sanders plan: a pledge to not increase taxes, a commitment to clean house at City Hall by requiring all senior managers to reapply for their positions, and the inclusion of a comprehensive set of internal management reforms to balance the budget and improve citizen services.

The Institute raised a note of caution on both plans: neither plan “adds up” unless the 1996 and 2002 pension benefits are challenged and invalidated in court. “While it is possible the benefits may be revoked, there is no guarantee of that and both candidates should have contingency plans for how they would fix the pension deficit if the benefits are deemed legal.” DeMaio also outlined three questions the media and public should ask about the Frye and Sanders plans:
1. What specific level of benefits would you offer if the 1996 and 2002 deals are revoked?

2. How will you come up with the money to fund the pension
system if the 1996 and 2002 are not invalidated?

3. What does your plan do with the average 5% annual revenue increases expected each year into the General
Fund: more labor spending, more capital spending or divert to the pension system?

While the Institute’s analysis identified several differences between the Frye and Sanders plans, several points of agreement were seen as well. DeMaio praised Frye and Sanders for both including key “system reforms” in their plans, putting future pension benefits to public vote, requiring a quarterly reconciliation of the city’s budget to ensure balance, requiring performance audits of city departments, creating a “Rainy Day Budget Reserve,” and conducting an independent audit of the city’s Enterprise and Special Funds.

Based on the contents of both plans, DeMaio said he remained optimistic about chances that the city will emerge from the financial crisis. “We are pleased that both Donna Frye and Jerry Sanders are quite vocal about the need for change at City Hall—and have clearly communicated their understanding of the severity of the city’s financial, legal, and performance problems. Neither candidate suffers from the shocking state of denial that gripped our former Mayor and continues to blind our current City Council.”

***Click here to read the Institute's full analysis of each candidate*** [You'll have to go to their website in order to read the full analysis of each candidate - at http://www.sandiegobudget.org]

Based here in San Diego, the Institute is a national government reform think tank that promotes the principles of performance, transparency, competition and accountability in government. Additional information on the San Diego Citizens' Budget Project can be found at http://www.sandiegobudget.org.