San Diego Dialogue Members React to REGC

There Must be Land Use Authority
J. Michael McDade, Esq., Attorney, Sullivan Wertz McDade & Wallace:
Local government in San Diego today is a confusing maze of duplicative and overlapping jurisdictions. While it is sometimes effective in dealing with issues that affect only one local neighborhood, it is ill-equipped to deal with major regional problems like traffic gridlock and the disappearance of affordable housing. Sometimes current government structure even worsens these problems. It is clear, however, that unless solutions to these issues are found, San Diego’s quality of life will radically deteriorate in coming years.

In its recommendations to the State legislature, RGEC attempts to propose a new structure for dealing with these regional issues. The recommendation is not perfect, but is an honest attempt to forge a mechanism that would have the power to make progress on regional problems. The consolidation of transportation and planning functions under a new agency makes sense. The elected board proposed to govern this agency could focus 100% of its attention on regional planning. Some have proposed an expanded Board of Supervisors to take over this function instead. While that approach has some merit, it should be noted that the Supervisors have many other duties and responsibilities, and it would mean that regional planning would not get the full time attention it demands.

RGEC call for fiscal reform is also vital. Fiscal reform alone would improve local government’s ability to deal with some regional issues.

If any form of regional government is to be effective, it must have the power to draft a region-wide general plan, and it must have some amount of land use authority. Creating an agency without these powers would be a waste of time.

RGEC Work is Sound
Pamela M. Hamilton, Senior Vice President, Centre City Development Corp.:
Our quality of life is at stake. The core of RGEC’s work is sound. What is needed is the consolidation of existing regional agencies under a single, regionally accountable governing board. The details of this governance model must be debated, resolved and then embraced by the citizens of our region.