POOR CITY MANAGER

            The City Manager, Pat Martell, has shown poor performance in many areas, as noted below, yet the City Council continues to support her.

HIGH SALARIES

            The City Manager makes $304,000 a year!  This in spite of her poor performance.  About TWO HUNDRED other city employees make over $100,000 a year, in spite of the tough times faced by many residents and businesses that pay the taxes.
            The one exception is the City Clerk, Annette Hipona, who had her salary cut in half as recommended by the City Manager and approved by the City Council.  She is considered by the Council to be a political enemy.

ALLIED WASTE CONTRACT

            Last year, when we went to combined recycling pickup, the city contractor, Allied Waste, proposed a forty percent increase in their rates.  Without any expert on our side, no cost analysis and no negotiation, the City Manager recommended and the City Council approved this rate increase, which we now pay.
            Since AW went to automated pickup at that time, the cost of doing business may have actually gone down.  Yet, we all pay a forty percent rate increase.

DALY CITY MAY BE FINED MILLIONS FOR LOW RECYCLING RATE

            Daly City is currently at about 40 percent recycling rate.  The State mandated 50 percent in 2001, and may fine the city million of dollars for non-compliance.  Some cities are at 80 percent recycling, so it can be done.
            What is needed is an on going public education program about recycling.  This has not been done to date, neither by the city nor by Allied Waste.          
 

CITY COUNCILWOMAN CHARGED WITH FOURTEEN FELONIES

            The County District Attorney has charged City Councilwoman Maggie Gomez with 14 felonies, mostly related to her collection of disability funds while she was carrying on a very active life---a felony theft of public funds.  If convicted, State law would require her to give up her Council seat.

ATTEMPT TO REQUIRE TWO BUILDING PERMITS BEFORE HOME SALES

            In November, over 300 residents showed up at a City Council meeting to protest the City’s attempt to require two expensive building permits before the sale of a home.  The Council, surprised that they had so little understanding of the residents, tabled the matter after they got an earful from the crowd.

NO ENERGY CONSERVATION, NO RENEWABLE ENERGY

            Unlike many cities, Daly City has done nothing to curb its carbon dioxide emissions.  There have been no energy audits of city buildings, no move to alternate fuels for vehicles.  The City has not invested in renewable energy, either.  Many Cities have helped residents in this area, by supplying free energy audits, and low interest loans for the energy fixes.  Daly City has done nothing.

SOLAR PERMIT FEES ARE HIGHEST IN COUNTY

            Many cities have encouraged solar installations by reducing their solar permit fees or by eliminating them.  Daly City has not.  As of today, Daly City solar fees are the highest in the county.          

BUDGET SHORTFALL.

            In spite of the down economy, the city made no plans to expect reduced property taxes and sales taxes.  Now they are making an effort to cut expenses to cover the shortfall, as these revenues have dropped.  Capital improvements should have been paid for by municipal bonds, which the city has refused to do.  High salaries, as discussed above, add to the problem.  Because of the high salaries, high pensions, and high retirement benefits, the city may face large shortfalls in future years.

10 Reasons to Kill the Senate "Health care" Bill

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Right and Left Against the Empire

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 A conflict of interest at Senator Lieberman's office