Solving San Francisco's Budget Crisis

Discussion
1

For immediate Release February 27, 2004

Solving San Francisco's Budget Crisis:

At Supervisor Fiona Ma's Tax Revenue Advisory Meeting today, Candidate
for Supervisor Michael Denny proposed some new solutions. Said Denny,
"It's completely unacceptable that the income of city residents is a
fraction of the $ 80,000 package enjoyed by the average City employee.
San Francisco is like a plantation where field hands labor to provide a
comfortable living for their masters. Our citizens deserve to be treated
as free people, not slaves. The idea of public service has been
completely subverted and turned on its head in San Francisco."

The average tax-paying citizens work hard to make ends meet. They don't
have time to lobby City Hall like government unions and non-profits, for
whom lobbying City Hall for money is 'just another day at the office'.
Their taxpayer-funded income is doled out by politicians who respond to
pressure and secret side deals, particularly at election time. It's for
this reason every phase of all government union contracts must be
negotiated in full public view, with press and citizens on hand to
prevent 'dirty deals made in smoke-filled back rooms'. Until we have
full sunshine applied to all contract negotiations, the risks are
enormous."

San Francisco's budget has doubled in the last decade while our economy,
population and jobs have declined. The City is the most expensive
city-county in the world, at $ 6,500 per man, woman and child. Let's be
clear: Spending more has only worsened the problems. The solution is
obvious: drastically cut City spending, by at least 50% and the problems
will abate. Other cities spend half as much, or less, and can get the
job done. Why can't San Francisco?

The third solution is to repudiate onerous City contracts, if necessary
through bankruptcy. Then privatize as many City functions and services
as possible while giving existing employees the advantage in the bidding
process. The $ 300 million budget deficit is explicit evidence that the
civic financial process has failed. Bankruptcy is an acceptable path for
those who have mismanaged their affairs. We need to start over.

Finally, City Hall must take responsibility for this mess. A flat
property tax should be enough to fund essential city services.
"Progressive" taxation violates the concept of equal protection under
the law. Why should citizens, employers and consumers be forced to pay
for bad management? Why should businesses be taxed for delivering jobs
and services to our community?

Publicly-funded social services are failures and should be turned into
private charities citizens can support for work well-done. Many City
services should be funded by user fees. But misguided regulations on
property contribute hugely to the current mess. If builders could build
as much as zoning allows, and renters could buy their apartments, and
landlords could charge market rents, property values would soar, raising
additional hundreds of millions for the City. And Assessor Mabel Teng
would be busy raising property values, instead of fighting declines.

Michael F. Denny

Candidate for Supervisor

Ph: (415) 986-7677 x123

Fax: (415) 986-4004

Email: Mike@...

Web: www.MichaelDenny.net

2

Dear Mike;

Nice rebuttal to spend spend spend by the City That Knows How. But what about more specific examples? Please answer the following rhetorical for discussion questions.

Exactly which City services could be funded by user fees? Give departmental examples and a proposed operating budget based on user fees.

If all City union contract negotiations should be open processes would you initiate a City Proposition requiring open negotiations and NO side agreements?

What are the fundamental City services and how much of a flat tax should there be float them? If it is a flat tax what provisions would there be for offsets so the lowly landlord in comparison to the major landlord would not be penalized?

Would you institute a review of all the pay and benefits scales so there could be a heavy revision of those pay and benefits? What would you do to review each department and create a decison making process to cut or sell off those services and lay off the un-needed personnel?

Lastly two important sentences when it comes to affordable housing and affordable market-rate rental units:

Prices rise when the demand exceeds the supply at the offering price.
Prices fall when the supply exceeds the demand at the offering price.

Exactly what would you do to make it possible for builders to build more affordable houses and rental units. In other words, how would you overcome the NIMBY's???

In general terms, San Francisco needs the following numbers of new units built to keep up with the influx of population and also to meet a Cal State mandated housing unit requirement.

5,000 - 10,000 SRO( single room only); 5,000 - 10,000 two room units; 5,000 - 10,000 three room units; 5,000 - 10,000 4 room units; and at least 5,000 -10,000 4 - 5 room condo or townhome units. There is room for all those units just take a look at the housing density Downtown vs. Neighborhoods vs. High Volume Corridors.

Over the last decade some 50,000 people moved in and the new number of units increased by only a couple thousand. There are only some 2,000 - 5,000 new units in the pipeline. See NIMBY'S and Joe McDonoughue and the SFRBA for those numbers.

Ron Getty
SF Libertarian

Mike Denny <mike@...> wrote:

For immediate Release February 27, 2004

Solving San Francisco�s Budget Crisis:

At Supervisor Fiona Ma�s Tax Revenue Advisory Meeting today, Candidate for Supervisor Michael Denny proposed some new solutions. Said Denny, �It�s completely unacceptable that the income of city residents is a fraction of the $ 80,000 package enjoyed by the average City employee. San Francisco is like a plantation where field hands labor to provide a comfortable living for their masters. Our citizens deserve to be treated as free people, not slaves. The idea of public service has been completely subverted and turned on its head in San Francisco.�

The average tax-paying citizens work hard to make ends meet. They don�t have time to lobby City Hall like government unions and non-profits, for whom lobbying City Hall for money is �just another day at the office�. Their taxpayer-funded income is doled out by politicians who respond to pressure and secret side deals, particularly at election time. It�s for this reason every phase of all government union contracts must be negotiated in full public view, with press and citizens on hand to prevent �dirty deals made in smoke-filled back rooms�. Until we have full sunshine applied to all contract negotiations, the risks are enormous.�

San Francisco�s budget has doubled in the last decade while our economy, population and jobs have declined. The City is the most expensive city-county in the world, at $ 6,500 per man, woman and child. Let�s be clear: Spending more has only worsened the problems. The solution is obvious: drastically cut City spending, by at least 50% and the problems will abate. Other cities spend half as much, or less, and can get the job done. Why can�t San Francisco?

The third solution is to repudiate onerous City contracts, if necessary through bankruptcy. Then privatize as many City functions and services as possible while giving existing employees the advantage in the bidding process. The $ 300 million budget deficit is explicit evidence that the civic financial process has failed. Bankruptcy is an acceptable path for those who have mismanaged their affairs. We need to start over.

Finally, City Hall must take responsibility for this mess. A flat property tax should be enough to fund essential city services. �Progressive� taxation violates the concept of equal protection under the law. Why should citizens, employers and consumers be forced to pay for bad management? Why should businesses be taxed for delivering jobs and services to our community?

Publicly-funded social services are failures and should be turned into private charities citizens can support for work well-done. Many City services should be funded by user fees. But misguided regulations on property contribute hugely to the current mess. If builders could build as much as zoning allows, and renters could buy their apartments, and landlords could charge market rents, property values would soar, raising additional hundreds of millions for the City. And Assessor Mabel Teng would be busy raising property values, instead of fighting declines.

Michael F. Denny

Candidate for Supervisor

Ph: (415) 986-7677 x123

Fax: (415) 986-4004

Email: Mike@...

Web: www.MichaelDenny.net

3

I'm curious what SF does that other comparable cities don't. Does SF do a lot more things, or does it do the same things more expensively?

I realize it's probably a mix of both, but it would be interesting to see a breakdown of the major things.

/Lars

4

Mike,

  Terrific commentary! Especially the part about all union contracts being negotiated in full public view. I just forwarded this to my local media contact list, which is gradually being rebuilt after my hard drive disaster last year. That list is below, for anyone else who is interested. I suggest using it somewhat judiciously, so the recipients don't block you or demand to be taken off your list. And if anybody else has contact info for media outlets or members of the press not listed here, please send it to me!

For liberty,
          <<< Starchild >>>

LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS

5

Dear Starchild;

Your list of reporters e-mails is great. Normally, a reporter is assigned to cover a beat(s). Do you know what beats the reporters below cover? Sending an e-mail to a reporter about a topic they do not cover as a beat assignment may get the e-mail forwarded to the right (write) person beat-wise or get sent to the trash can.

Ron Getty
SF Libertarian

Starchild <sfdreamer@...> wrote:
Mike,

Terrific commentary! Especially the part about all union contracts
being negotiated in full public view. I just forwarded this to my local
media contact list, which is gradually being rebuilt after my hard
drive disaster last year. That list is below, for anyone else who is
interested. I suggest using it somewhat judiciously, so the recipients
don't block you or demand to be taken off your list. And if anybody
else has contact info for media outlets or members of the press not
listed here, please send it to me!

For liberty,
<<< Starchild >>>

LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS

6

Ron,

  I have this in my notes for a few of them, but not most. What you say is true, however I don't have the sorting capabilities to make it practical to send reporters only material related to their specific beats. Reporters don't usually stay on the same beat forever anyway, so I don't mind sending them non-related material -- I just try to keep the volume low enough and the editing and quality high enough that they won't cut me off.

    If you are willing to invest some research time yourself and publish an updated version of my list (or an expanded list) including information on what topics are covered by individual reporters, that would be great.

Yours in liberty,
          <<< Starchild >>>

Dear Starchild;

Your list of reporters e-mails is great. Normally, a reporter is assigned to cover a beat(s). Do you know what beats the reporters below cover? Sending an e-mail to a reporter about a topic they do not cover as a beat assignment may get the e-mail forwarded to the right (write) person beat-wise or get sent to the trash can.

Ron Getty
SF Libertarian

Starchild <sfdreamer@...> wrote:

Mike,

Terrific commentary! Especially the part about all union contracts
being negotiated in full public view. I just forwarded this to my local
media contact list, which is gradually being rebuilt after my hard
drive disaster last year. That list is below, for anyone else who is
interested. I suggest using it somewhat judiciously, so the recipients
don't block you or demand to be taken off your list. And if anybody
else has contact info for media outlets or members of the press not
listed here, please send it to me!

For liberty,
<<< Starchild >>>

LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS

Joefire.com , SF Weekly ,
San Francisco Bay Times , Viewpoint
, San Francisco Herald ,
San Francisco Chronicle , San Francisco
Sentinel , SF Bay Guardian ,
Noe Valley Voice , City College Guardsman
, San Francisco Examiner , San
Francisco Observer , Sunset Beacon

LOCAL REPORTERS

William Farrington , Peter Hartlaub
, Jaxon van Derbeken
, Mirissa Neff , Carl
Nolte , Lessley Anderson
, Matier & Ross
, Matthew Hirsch ,
Matt Smith , Marc Sandalow
, John Wildermuth
, JR , Yvonne Daley
, Carol Ness , Ethan
Fletcher , Adriel Hampton
, Edward Epstein ,
Robert Salladay , Carrie Kirby
, Sara Zaske , Don Lattin
, Tanya Schevitz ,
Samson Wong , Michael Shilaff
, Warren Hinckle ,
Lisa Hom , Annie Harrison , Ken
Garcia , Joe Garofoli
, Frank Gallagher
, Savannah Blackwell
, Charlie Goodyear
, Ilene Lelchuk ,
Carla Marinucci , Sue Cauthen
, Rachel Gordon , Wanda
, Demian Bulwa , Alison Soltau
, Delfin Vigil ,
Bill Picture , Suzanne Herel
, J.K. Dineen , Simone
Sebastian

> For immediate Release February 27, 2004
>
> Solving San Franciscoís Budget Crisis:
>
>
>
> At SupervisorFiona Maís Tax Revenue Advisory Meeting today, Candidate
> for Supervisor Michael Denny proposed some new solutions. Said Denny,
> ìItís completely unacceptable that the income of city residents is a
> fraction of the $ 80,000 package enjoyed by the average City employee.
> San Francisco is like a plantation where field hands labor to provide
> a comfortable living for their masters. Our citizens deserve to be
> treated as free people, not slaves. The idea of public service has
> been completely subverted and turned on its head in San Francisco.î
>
>
>
> The average tax-paying citizens work hard to make ends meet. They
> donít have time to lobby City Hall like government unions and
> non-profits, for whom lobbying City Hall for money is ëjust another
> day at the officeí. Their taxpayer-funded income is doled out by
> politicians who respond to pressure and secret side deals,
> particularly at election time. Itís for this reason every phase of all
> government union contracts must be negotiated in full public view,
> with press and citizens on hand to prevent ëdirty deals made in
> smoke-filled back roomsí. Until we have full sunshine applied to all
> contract negotiations, the risks are enormous.î
>
>
>
> San Franciscoís budget has doubled in the last decade while our
> economy, population and jobs have declined. The City is the most
> expensive city-county in the world, at $ 6,500 per man, woman and
> child. Letís be clear: Spending more has only worsened the problems.
> The solution is obvious: drastically cut City spending, by at least
> 50% and the problems will abate. Other cities spend half as much, or
> less, and can get the job done. Why canít San Francisco?
>
>
>
> The third solution is to repudiate onerous City contracts, if
> necessary through bankruptcy. Then privatize as many City functions
> and services as possible while giving existing employees the advantage
> in the bidding process. The $ 300 million budget deficit is explicit
> evidence that the civic financial process has failed. Bankruptcy is an
> acceptable path for those who have mismanaged their affairs. We need
> to start over.
>
>
>
> Finally, City Hall must take responsibility for this mess. A flat
> property tax should be enough to fund essential city services.
> ìProgressiveî taxation violates the concept of equal protection under
> the law. Why should citizens, employers and consumers be forced to pay
> for bad management? Why should businesses be taxed for delivering jobs
> and services to our community?
>
>
>
> Publicly-funded social services are failures and should be turned into
> private charities citizens can support for work well-done. Many City
> services should be funded by user fees. But misguided regulations on
> property contribute hugely to the current mess. If builders could
> build as much as zoning allows, and renters could buy their
> apartments, and landlords could charge market rents, property values
> would soar, raising additional hundreds of millions for the City. And
> Assessor Mabel Teng would be busy raising property values, instead of
> fighting declines.
>
>
>
> Michael F. Denny
>
> Candidate for Supervisor
>
> Ph: (415) 986-7677 x123
>
> Fax: (415) 986-4004
>
> Email: Mike@...
>
> Web: www.MichaelDenny.net

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