Building A House on a Stack of Marbles

Recently I was sharing a thought with a friend of mine.  I asked, “Would you build a house on a stack of marbles?”

She laughed and said, “Of course not; who would?”

Ironically, I said, that’s what appears to be happening around us in the City and County of San Diego.  Our elected officials seem to be going with the concept that we don’t need a solid foundation to build on.  And I am not just referring to construction or building houses.

This relates to the homeless situation, which is running rampant, as well as proposed developments all over the City of San Diego.

We have Seaport Village, which is going to require over $500 million in infrastructure improvements for the developer to complete his project. 

Then there’s another $500 million to a billion for the Midway and NAVWAR in Old Town developments to occur.

So, we’re looking at close to $2 billion in infrastructure upgrades for these future intended developments.

And guess where that money comes from?  Taxpayers. You and me.

Yet, that never seems to be a part of the conversation, nor the marketing campaigns and slogans used by our elected officials to promote these developments. 

Again, it’s a foundation of marbles that is constantly moving and will never be totally secure.

They also rely on outdated and inflated data regarding the housing crisis, that’s according to the state auditor’s office. In other words, if we lie to the public enough times, they will begin to believe us.

Fortunately, some of us don’t believe the lies and the deceit.

Which is why, despite a city of elected officials who are standing on marbles, we have intelligent and thoughtful members of the community constantly working behind the scenes to bring logic to this crazy scenario. 

I applaud all of them for their dedication and hard work. 

These are people who aren’t receiving a dime for their efforts.  These are devoted volunteers who are working to protect the citizens of San Diego from bad politics and bad business investments.

Some of the groups that deserve recognition include Neighbors for a Better San Diego, Uptown for All, Save San Diego’s Access and Save San Diego’s Character. 

By the way, during the holiday season, a lot of these groups and individuals don’t take time off.  They continue to work tirelessly to make a difference and to protect our communities from those who seem to prefer working on unsolid ground.

That’s including three neighbors in Mission Hills who have been meeting with Councilman Whitburn’s office on the homeless encampments in Presidio Park and surrounding communities. The most recent meeting included upward of 25 individuals representing the San Diego Fire Department, San Diego Parks & Recreation Department, Homeless Strategy Solutions Department, and other city staff.  Fortunately, the three neighbors took a strong stance on the seriousness of the issue and are demanding change.

However, as you might expect, none of the city staff members, nor any of the other individuals, could offer an explanation for an encampment on City Park property that is now becoming an environmental health hazard.  No one among the group was willing to take responsibility for the encampment, nor its removal.

As you might expect, another meeting with city officials is to take place to “discuss” a resolution.

As I stated, our city officials operate on a marble foundation that is totally without structure and merit.

That’s why I am truly grateful for the volunteers in our community who aren’t willing to give up or give in on some very important issues that deserve serious and solid information, not a moving platform.

We should all be thankful for them.

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