With budget funds still short, Mayor Bob Filner got off and running on his plan to make ordinary life in San Diego neighborhoods the center of a city revival during the recovery. One last above ground utility pole removed from the Bay Ho neighborhood made clear the city's neighborhoods will have new looks, and new steps on the walks.
"Putting neighborhoods first," has meant more than the city guaranteeing the city's diverse neighborhoods get investment money.
And, the people are on the Mayor's extra workers bench. The top individuals and groups have already earned one of Filner's dozens of proclamations for outstanding work or a sustainable milestone. Others, over 200 citizens, stopped in to talk with the mayor at a table at the City Hall lobby during the Meet the Mayor hours held on Saturday. And, gave the head man an official viewpoint on zoning issues, or asked for a city job opportunity.
The City Hall staff are stretched out, and could use the help. Equal opportunity plain in the more than half woman staff made up of white San Diegans and Latinos, African Americans and Asian Pacific Islanders also leaves opportunities open to all the citizens in the city's neighborhoods. The moratorium on hiring decided to reign in the city government's spending just rules out government jobs. Not citizen jobs.
The campaign to cut down waste, and even trim productivity costs, continues.
Final notice on a five year deal with the city's labor unions has yet to come. The fiver year freeze on pensionable pay will come after the handshake the mayor's team is negotiating.
But, greening the government will again produce jobs.
Adding solar to government rooftops, including those in the unified school district, made the discussion tables at the solar summit. The renewable energy mandate will eventually guarantee everyone in government work has sustainable energy.
The work is never ending.
Sustainable growth is balanced to the current public servant in the City Hall seat. CicloSDIas, or bike day, will in August take up a city pathway in the southeast that turns through Logan Heights, City Heights, Golden Hill, South Park, and up to North Park. Taking over taxi cab management from MTS proved Filner plans on taking action in the city's streets.
Still loyal to the neighborhoods near Mexico, he has not let border work get held back.
Border accomplishments have just begun to add up. Work done together with Mexico to change both the border area habits and the culture is more dependable now that the city has a border affairs office in Tijuana. Work on shortening the border wait times is on stand by. Even an effort to get a bi-national Olympics in Mexico moves ahead.
But, the garden variety steps neighborhoods take are the key to Filner's plans for piecing together a new San Diego. Standing strong to guarantee there is a walkers plaza at the Plaza de Panama and the 2015 centennial celebration celebrates a more pedestrian friendly Balboa Park, and to keep the Chargers in town, the simple traditional goals, did good work to give the city two praise winning victories. Neighborhood scenes, though, anchor the Mayor's progress.
This article is the latest developing news article for Open Commitments on every second Wednesday. On the other Wednesdays the articles are telling commentaries for Post Edition.
To read earlier articles, read
Civic San Diego takes up southeast development
County to not stray from sound recovery path
Economic green lights to stay green in 2013
Counting out border smugglers' ready money
Citizens will find city leaders to refill council out a top man
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