$40 Million for Bonuses—While Families Struggle

Media
Aug 25
2 min read

San Diego County is not the City of San Diego, and it’s not the State of California. But some of my colleagues seem determined to take us down the same reckless path.

The City of San Diego is drowning in a $258 million deficit. The State of California is buried in $68 billion of debt. And just last year, the County had to bail out the City after devastating floods—because they failed to maintain their own infrastructure or their budget.

Supervisor Jim Desmond

Now, they want to “modernize” our reserves. Let’s be clear: this is nothing more than a raid on taxpayer emergency reserves.

And here’s the kicker: the first $40.8 million of this so-called modernization is already gone—spent on government staff bonuses. Not on law enforcement. Not on lowering costs. Not on fixing our roads. Just bonuses.

San Diegans are already paying some of the highest housing, energy, and grocery costs in the nation. Families and seniors are stretched to the limit. And yet, while people struggle to pay for gas, food, and fire insurance, politicians are voting to line government’s pockets with your money.

Unlocking hundreds of millions today might sound good on paper, but tomorrow it leaves us vulnerable. It drains the very reserves meant to protect taxpayers in times of crisis, forces higher borrowing, and opens the door to higher taxes to fill the gap.

Bottom line: our reserves exist to safeguard taxpayers, not bankroll political stunts or government perks.

At our next Board meeting, I will be voting NO on Item #23. I urge you to stand with me in protecting fiscal responsibility and stopping this dangerous raid on taxpayer dollars.

Together, let’s keep San Diego County on the right track.