Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers managed to swing an endorsement of Prop 401 (which would increase the power of mayor, reduce City Council elections to once every four years, increase the pay of City Council members and give the city manager more power to fire department heads) from the Pima County Democratic Party. Today’s press release:
It is our sincere belief that passage of Prop 401 will save Tucson taxpayers money, streamline Tucson government, make bureaucrats accountable to the citizens and voters of Tucson and pay a fair living wage to those dedicated public servants who choose to serve our great city. Tucson is a wonderful place to live, work, raise a family, and start a business. We are dedicated to giving Tucson the best government structure possible. We hope the voters will agree that Tucson deserves more than an antiquated 81 year old City Charter designed for a city of 30,000 residents when it now encompasses the entire valley with a population of over 500,000 and a budget of over a billion dollars per year.
Proposition 401 is backed by an extremely diverse array of groups and individuals. Pima Area Labor Federation (PALF), an arm of the AFL-CIO which represents 28 labor unions in Southern Arizona, joins with traditionally conservative business groups such as the Southern Arizona Leadership Council (SALC), the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
and the Tucson Association of Realtors in backing this forward thinking measure. Environmental groups, Non-Profits including Nonprofit Executives Together, Republicans, Democrats – even Trent Humphries of the Tucson Tea Party all agree that this charter change is important for Tucson’s future. Co-chairs of this campaign include PALF Chair Linda Hatfield, former congressman Jim Kolbe, El Charro owner Carlotta Flores and U of A President Emeritus Peter Likins.
Please join us in improving the structure of our city government and vote yes on Proposition 401.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 6, 2010.
Mr. Rogers’ complaints about our city’s “81 year old City Charter” make about as much sense as complaining about our nation’s 212 year old constitution. Both have been amended regularly over the years, and Prop. 401 would simply amend our charter yet again.
Tucson’s charter has been changed by amendment or repeal 33 times since 1929. Our “staggered” city election system, for example, came in 1960 in a major package of charter changes that also eliminated the offices of City Treasurer, City Assessor, City Health Officer and others. The most recent charter change, passed by voters in 1999 (it was called ‘Prop. 101’) required Mayor and Council to select a Vice-Mayor at their first meeting each May. This narrative about how the “1929 charter” needs an “update” is nonsensical political PR, aimed at the ignorant.
The Yes on 401 campaign is unclear on what, exactly, it aims to “fix,” and the notion that the city’s troubles are attributable to an old charter is absurd. Several things in the city clearly need fixing, and the budget is clearly #1. But Prop. 401 doesn’t address the budget or any other aspect of city finance.
Prop. 401’s backers make numerous claims about what it will do, many of them lies. It won’t, as advertised, make council members’ jobs “full-time.” And it won’t make city department heads “more accountable.” It certainly won’t “streamline bureaucracy” and, in fact, may well do the opposite. And nobody knows yet what its budgetary impact will be.
To be sure, Prop. 401 mandates very expensive raises for city politicians. A 155% salary increase for each council member. And it mandates no funding source for these other than the city’s general fund, which isn’t funding too many other raises these days, and has never given anyone–politician or otherwise–a raise this size in history.
I’d personally rather see the money spent on saving a fire station or two, or maybe saving a few city pools. Or fixing some of our roads. Paying politicians a whole lot of money doesn’t have a great record of solving problems: Congress currently gets $175,000 annually, plus an astounding array of benefits. Are we getting better government at the federal level now than we were when Congress made five figures?
I still don’t understand what the Prop. 401 people expect for all the money they’re spending on it, but I’d like to see them be a little more honest about what it actually does: (1) it gives the Tucson City Council a 155% raise with no strings attached, (2) it gives the Mayor more power, and a raise with no strings attached, (3) it gives the city’s unelected manager more power (he already makes well over $200,000 per year), and (4) it reduces the frequency of city elections. That’s all Prop. 401 does.
So basically, Prop. 401 weakens the City Council’s authority while fattening their wallets.
Maybe “Rig City Government Now!” would be a better slogan.
Yeah, anything that Labor Unions and the Democratic Party support must be rigged!
All the yes 401 signs say “Fix City” Couldn’t have said it better myself ‘cuz the fix is in for the Manager, the Mayor, the Council, and powerful businesses and unions.
“Fix” the city for the already over-paid Manager (almost $250k)by exponentially increasing his power. Just what Tucson needs a more powerful bureaucrat who only needs to count to 4 to be the man behind the marionette strings like Huckleberry.
“Fix” the city for the Mayor Bob by giving him a big-fat raise and more power over the council so that he can build a really expensive hotel he’s been working on for 11 years now.
“Fix” the city for the council by reducing their responsibility and diluting their votes and giving them a big fat raise.
“Fix” the city for powerful business interests and unions who think they can have back room influence over the manager.
Seems like this “Fix City” is for everyone but the average Tucsonan!
If they wanted real reform they would get rid of the back room deal City Manager system and the current mayor and council in favor of real leadership in new “strong mayor” system just like San Diego did in 2005 and reaffirmed this year by more than 60% of the vote.