It’s Time to Make San Diego Work for San Diegans, Not Out-of-Town Investors and Corporations

Sean Elo-Rivera is a San Diego Councilmember. He represents District 9, which included the neighborhoods of City Heights, College Area, Stockton, Talmadge, Normal Heights and more.

San Diego has natural beauty, unbeatable weather, and a thriving economy — so why do so many of our workers live in poverty, and why is our city so underfunded?

San Diego is desirable in many ways, but a great city isn’t defined by its place on travel lists. It’s defined by whether the people who live and work there can build stable, dignified lives. It’s about whether a city delivers for its residents.

It’s time to make San Diego work for San Diegans.

Recently, my wife and I were walking our son and dog along the bay on a perfect San Diego afternoon — bright sky, sparkling water and kites flying. It was the kind of day that makes a tourist say, “I wish I lived here.” The irony hit hard.

For too long, San Diego has worked better for out-of-town investors, large corporations and tourists than for the people who live here. Rather than using our booming economy to uplift San Diegans, we’ve allowed multinational corporations to extract wealth while workers struggle to pay rent. Instead of leveraging the value of our world-class public assets — our beaches, parks, and cultural centers — we’ve given them away for free and forced everyday San Diegans to pick up the tab.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

San Diego welcomed more than 32 million visitors last year. The tourism industry generated billions. The corporations that own many of our largest hotels and entertainment venues are not struggling.

Money comes here, but it doesn’t stay.

Much of the wealth generated in San Diego is extracted for corporate executives and shareholders who don’t live here. Meanwhile, the workers who keep this economy running are left with impossible choices: rent or groceries? Gas or childcare? Can they afford to stay in San Diego, or will they be forced out?

Now, after generations of insufficient revenue, we are in the midst of a budget season where basic city services are at risk. Mayor Gloria’s proposed budget includes cuts to libraries, parks and recreation centers — services vital to children, youth and seniors alike.

But let’s be clear: San Diego doesn’t have a budget problem. We have a fairness problem.

For too long, City Hall has been afraid to demand that those who take the most from San Diego contribute fairly. We’ve catered to tourists and investors instead of standing up for working families. It’s time for change.

Here’s where we start:

• Raise wages for tourism workers. A $25/hour minimum wage for hotel, janitorial and event workers would ensure that the people sustaining San Diego’s economy can afford to live here.

• Make Corporations Pay their Fair Share. Large corporations, for-profit events and professional sports franchises that rely on city-funded infrastructure, public safety and administrative work should pay to cover the cost of the services they benefit from—just like small businesses and residents do. 

• Make non-residents contribute. San Diego is home to two of the four most-visited municipal parks in the country—Mission Bay Park and Balboa Park. Charging non-residents a modest parking fee at beaches, bays and parks would generate tens of millions annually for their maintenance and operation—while easing the burden on San Diegans. We should also amend our lease with the San Diego Zoo to create a revenue-share agreement for non-resident parking. This, too, could generate tens of millions for the city and provide the Zoo additional revenue to ensure their workers can afford to live in San Diego. 

• Expect more from those who profit most. Our biggest companies should show their support for the city they profit in by sponsoring our libraries, parks and recreation centers. Many other cities benefit from corporate and philanthropic sponsorship. San Diegans deserve no less. 

These simple steps would generate significant, ongoing revenue to protect library hours, keep our parks clean and safe, sustain recreation programs and ensure first responders have the resources they need.

Critics will claim asking more from wealthy corporations or expecting visitors to contribute will hurt our competitiveness as a tourist destination.

But I believe in San Diego enough to bet on San Diego.

We don’t need to beg for business or sell out our values to compete. We don’t need to give away public resources or underpay our workers to remain desirable. What we need is the confidence and courage to demand fairness.

The choices we make in the months ahead—about wages and the city budget—will shape the future of San Diego. Let’s stop bowing to corporate interests and acting as a low-cost playground for tourists. Instead, let’s build a city that puts San Diego’s working people first.

San Diegans deserve a city that works for them.

Then — and only then — can we call ourselves the greatest city in the world. Not just because of our beaches, weather or parks, but because of how we take care of the people who call San Diego home.

The post It’s Time to Make San Diego Work for San Diegans, Not Out-of-Town Investors and Corporations appeared first on Voice of San Diego.