It is so easy these days to ignore what is happening in politics at the local and state levels. With all the indictments and impeachment inquiries in the national news, who has time for the less exciting events happening at our local City Council meetings or the state Senate budget meetings?
Many of us do not even know who has been elected to our local offices. And even if we did vote for them, do we really keep track of what they are doing after they are elected to office? People are busy. We only have so much time and attention to spend on politics.
But local and state politics are just as important as any Congressional or Presidential election. Our local and state representatives make decisions every day that impact our lives in important ways.
We will see it in our water bills between now and 2025. San Diego water rates will increase roughly 19% during that time period. Of course, the cost of water will always be an issue in California since much of our water is imported. San Diego has also made investments in desalination and conservation efforts, such as the construction of the Pure Water sewage recycling system.
Maybe it seems easy to justify the cost of water in a relatively arid state. But, we still need to pay attention to how our tax money is being used. Are our representatives really implementing the best policies in terms of sustainable and affordable water for San Diego residents?
For example, land developments that cover open spaces with large areas of pavement limit the amount of water that can filter back into the soil and replenish the ground water, and these developments are popping up all over San Diego County. The Ocean Kamp project that was approved last year will have 700 homes, a resort hotel, shops and restaurants.
That may not surprise a lot of people, but what about the Wave Lagoon, which is a wave pool in Oceanside that will use 5 million gallons of water per year? The developers will tell you that the amount of water used for the pool is only the amount used to sustain one hole on a golf course. But tell that to a homeowner who couldn’t sustain a vegetable garden during some of the water restrictions in past years and see how well that goes over.
And how is our tax money being budgeted? Consider something as basic as brush management. A July 2023 performance audit of the brush management on land owned by the city of San Diego found “inconsistent and potentially ineffective efforts by some departments with significant amounts of land in very high fire hazard severity zones.” Do you live near one of these areas?
There has never been a better time to focus on local and state politics here in California. We need to ensure that our politicians are able to run on their own ideas, which should be based on the needs and concerns of their constituents. That is why I am supporting a third party in California.
The Democratic party controls the offices of Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and both chambers of the state legislature. In fact, the Democrats have had control of the Legislature since the mid 1990s. I am a former Democrat, but I understand that a one-party system results in a situation where politicians have no motivation to be held accountable for their actions.
Local politicians who follow the dictates of their party leaders in Sacramento and Washington are not effective at the local and state levels in a state as big and diverse as California. It’s time for informed voters to make their voices heard.
Linda Bourell is a resident of Vista in North County San Diego and serves as the Vista Chapter Coordinator for the Common Sense Party.
