I took a good deal of time away from blogging.  Which, in retrospect, wasn't a great thing to do when I said I would write something each week.  Such is life, I guess.  The freedom to say you will do something and not follow through is a luxury for run of the mill people like me.  I am not saying it is the right thing to do, but I definitely get more of a pass than our public officials or educators or government types do.  So that brings me to my topic today, what are the politicians saying they'll do and is there really any way to make sure they do it?

A couple weeks ago Mayor Sanders held his big State of the City address.  He talked about closing the newly re-expanding budget gap.  He talked about the need for structural reform so that our revenues are in line with our expenses, and he talked about making the City a place that is the envy of the nation.  It seemed a bit long on lofty ideals and short on action steps and statements for which he can be held specifically accountable.

This is a useful point with Councilmember Gloria's State of the District speech coming up on February 1st:

State of District Three
Monday, February 1
6:30 p.m.
Conrad Prebys Theatre at the Old Globe

There is a list of street improvements in our District, and since we are in North Park I am really wondering how many of those improvements directly impact our most neglected streets.  Then we have all these other miniature sources of funds that have to be used in North Park--the Redevelopment Funds and the Maintenance Assessment District Funds come to mind--and I am wondering how much of this money goes to improve the safety and mobility of residents.  It is great to have a thriving business community, but while these new businesses make the neighborhood a desired place to eat, drink, or shop, the downstream benefits to many of us who own or rent property in the area is not entirely clear.  We have residential streets that are extremely dark at night, and sidewalks that are crumbling.  I want to see how the various portions of our community are being prioritized.  As we get ready to hear about the State of our District, there are several specific points I hope the Councilmember addresses.  These include:

1.  Will he champion smart revenue increases through tax or fee increases? It's easy to come out in favor when you know it won't pass, but the question is will he be able to get the votes needed to take the one step we sorely need.

2.  What concrete steps will he take to ensure the people who live in North Park, especially those who lack political power in the central and eastern portions of the community, have their streets and safety issues attended to?

3.  Does he have any strategies to encourage implementation of incentives for water conservation?

These are a few of the most interesting questions to me, and I am hoping that the speech is broadcast so that the various neighborhood groups like the one I'm blogging for (hint, hint, NPCA Board) will put the speech on their sites for even more to see.  One thing has been true about our Councilmember, his word and deed tend to match, which is more than I can say for many public figures.  He is also one who dedicates time to understanding his constituents.  These are tremendous traits.  Now I am hoping he will take a bold step and put concrete items out there that we can use to evaluate his success.