Written by Michael Palomba
Now that he has termed out of office, City Councilman Scott Sherman has some serious criticism about outside influence going on behind the scenes at City Hall.
“Unfortunately, too many politicians are looking down the road and at what office they are going to run for next,” Sherman said to ABC San Diego.
Instead of doing what is best for the city and the people that live in it, Sherman says that they are looking out for their best interests and furutre endeavors. In a recent op-ed, he alleges that this is why the city has yet to come to an agreement on short term rental regulation, and other pressing issues.
In that same op-ed, he says “During my time in office, I have served with many so-called “activists” who have forgotten this fact or never realized it in the first place. They seem to take pride in delivering services to taxpayers as if they were gifts.”
But, contrary to what those ‘activists’ believe “they’re not.”
“Our government did not earn that money. The money came from hard-working San Diegans struggling to make ends meet. It came from exhausted small business owners operating on razor-thin margins. It came from the people. Remember this fact because many of your colleagues won’t.”
Clearly there’re a lot of problems in City Hall, not surprising considering we live in a very blue state. But elected officials looking out for themselves instead of residents isn’t the only problem. Special interest groups are another major source of outside influence.
“One of the things that bothered me the most in politics is how different special interest groups can literally come down, sit in the front row, and dictate to council members what they will and won’t do if they want their support in the future, and unfortunately most of them do,” Sherman said.
A prime example of this type of behavior can be seen by looking at State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. While she doesn’t work in city hall, she has made her career by catering to special interest groups that, in exchange for getting what they want, shower her with votes.
San Diego, or better yet California as a whole, needs some serious reform so that the wellbeing of citizens is put above the personal gain of those who represent us. Unfortunately, with the City Council and Board of Supervisors flipping blue in the most recent election, it looks like we are moving further from that reform, not closer.
