Mr. De Maio is passionate, intelligent, and has been successful in creating interest in San Diego politics. He has been secretive, self-promoting, and has a history of "gross overstatement". San Diego may not be able to handle four years of this type of mayor.
Until Carl voluntarily provides a clear history of his own economics over the last 10 years, I am unwilling to support his candidacy for San Diego mayor to manage my city. In the past, he has avoided public scrutiny by using the tax code (non-profit versus for-profit funding) while providing clearly faulty information to skew city pension debates. I want to know how he earned his money, who paid him in his private companies, and whether it is true that he feeds, or has fed, at the very public troughs which he scolds San Diego they should reduce.
There is nothing more I would enjoy than lower taxes, an elimination of Pension problems, and the elimination of the term "Enron by the Bay". I am often enthralled by those "dissidents" against the machine. Unfortunately, Carl has made this his title badge in San Diego politics. He enjoys parading his "man of means" persona in politics with a system of threats against those who consider opposing him.
Voters must avoid being seduced by someone who is so often labeled "loose with the truth", "faulty with the data", "self-promoting". San Diego's next mayor should be a mayor of city workers and city voters. Tough decisions will be made. Carl's focus on privatizing every city job is extreme and many of his 90-odd page plan have serious consequences for San Diego. I have appreciated his ideas, but his sound-bites are deceptive when the controversies he discusses are extremely complex and ruled by law. A mayor cannot overrule state and federal law. Yet, with Carl as our mayor, San Diego may have to pursue court battles where it will not be able to find success.
I want a mayor who works within the law and in the spirit of the law, governing not dictating. When Carl DeMaio clarifies his wealth, his income sources during the politics over the last 10 years in San Diego politics since that is how long he has been in San Diego Politics, I will have to assume he has a hidden agenda and I simply do not trust those with hidden agendas. His effective use of private corporation holdings inhibits any real investigation of who he is, or has been, as a person. It certainly shows his brilliance. But, so too, was Nixon.
Some people still remember DeMaio's first appearance at San Diego City Hall in February 2002, because it now seems so ironic: He and a Reason Foundation official gave the City Council an award for running the most efficient city government in California. It is ironic since it is Carl that now so desperately wants to destroy that city's own pensions system.
He alienates many of his city council member members. He works against a system that he hopes to lead. He wears controversy like its Chanel, much of it created by his own marketing. Many of the very strategies he promotes to cure the pension crisis have already been implemented or have been discussed and implemented.
San Diego voters need to consider the last 10 years. Unfortunately, most San Diegans do not have the time to spend the time to research those vying for the head of San Diego. I certainly have watched the four main candidates. In fact, I could support any of the other three based on their strengths and can envision a better future for San Diego. Carl, with all his enthusiasm, energy and intelligence can't be my candidate, until he opens up, is forthcoming, and he convinces me that he is a mayor for everyone, city voters and city workers. I am concerned, as a business owner that his vitriolic passion against city workers may work with voters fed up with a city hard hit by a Republican selected pension in the past. But that same vitriolic message could hinder any city success, business interests, and the unions. I want a mayor who can create a cohesive strategy, not years of civic war.
Carl, trust us with who you are and we might be able to trust you. Stop preaching and start sharing. Your success and enthusiasm attracts me. But the dark side forces me to consider the alternatives.
One article from the past that I feel may be of value to readers is:
http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050518/news_1n18carl.html
