Re “December Nights would be gutted by mayor’s proposed budget cuts” (May 7): It’s inconceivable that the mayor can’t find the money to fund December Nights at Balboa Park, especially now that the city charges for parking there.
The growing sentiment is that Todd Gloria is intentionally targeting budget items that city residents, especially children, value — December Nights, library and recreation center hours — to set the stage for a ballot measure in the future to raise taxes to restore them.
— Tamara Hurley, Scripps Ranch
This new budget cut proposed by Mayor Gloria is another of the “death by a thousand cuts” to our city.
Remember, Gloria and the City Council spent $4.5 million on a “consultant” for the scheme to impose new trash fees and $3 million for consultants to evaluate taking over the power grid from SDG&E, which would never work out, given how incompetently the city is governed.
We need to admit that San Diego is so far in debt that using all these little “cuts” will not solve the problem, and that the only solution is to declare bankruptcy, as other California cities have successfully done. This will bring in independent outside experts who will do the necessary restructuring without political pressure.
— Jack Resnick, La Jolla
As a native San Diegan, here is my solution for the painful and destructive city budget proposal: Cut the salaries of Mayor Gloria and all members of the City Council until this crisis is resolved.
Why? Because they are obviously not doing their jobs as their decisions are ruining our quality of life in this beautiful city.
— Laura Impastato, Normal Heights