Women Occupy San Diego address Citizens Review Board on Policy Practices inadequacies (again); Democratic Woman’s Club advocacy for City of San Diego Department of Public Health and Social Welfare
By Anna Daniels
San Diego City Seal
Keep an eye on some of the new ballot proposals that have been filed recently with the San Diego City Clerk. These proposals reflect focused citizen participation that offer correctives to the city’s Citizen Review Board on Police Practices (CRB) and the county’s meager health and human services. These small “d” democratic efforts also happen to be spearheaded by women.
CRB–A Second Bite of the Apple… This is the second ballot proposal that Women Occupy San Diego has filed in an effort to make the CRB more independent and transparent. It was filed after what the organization describes as the “disappointing result” of a year working with the Charter Review Committee. The recommendations adopted on the first pass provide “only cosmetic changes and do nothing to improve the CRB’s ability to actually investigate a complaint about the police department.”
Women Occupy has joined with two dozen citizen organizations to continue their advocacy for real reform of the CRB, which must include subpoena power, the ability to hire independent investigators and independent legal council. They note that “City taxpayers paid out $9.4 million in court awards and claims for misconduct by SDPD officers, but there’s no money for independent investigators and legal counsel with subpoena powers?”
There is an urgency in addressing this issue now–turnover on the council after the November election can potentially delay meaningful reform.
The ballot proposal will be heard at the Wednesday June 15 Rules Committee meeting at 9am in the 12th floor City Council Chambers, City Hall.
City Attorney candidates should also be asked about their position on this ballot proposal as we head into the November elections.
County of San Diego sits on $2.2 billion reserve, health and human services inadequate The Democratic Woman’s Club has submitted a ballot proposal to focus city responsibilities on human services.
Our city is challenged by ever increasing homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, communicable diseases, including but not limited to AIDS, Zika, West Niles and others; affordable housing unavailability, aging issues, new American and refugee inclusion issues and other social conditions which lead to poverty, crime and disease. We see these issues accelerating due to climate change, overpopulation and a lack of services provided for those in need.
What is interesting to us is that this was originally approved by voters on April 7th in 1931 in Section 61 and was repealed in 1963 by voters who believed that these services would be carried out by the county. To date, whatever meager services that have been offered by the county have failed to meet the needs of San Diegans.
The County’s failure in its responsibility to enroll and provide meaningful access to CalFresh (food stamps), Calworks, and basic healthcare to our most vulnerable population has been well documented. All this, while the county grows an unconscionable $2.2 billion reserve.
The City of San Diego has a responsibility to ensure and safeguard the public health and wellbeing of The City of San Diego and it’s inhabitants. Through this department, The City can play a stronger role in ensuring that families of all socioeconomic backgrounds are able to enjoy and thrive in their city.
The ballot proposal will also be heard at the Wednesday June 15 Rules Committee meeting at 9am in the 12th floor City Council Chambers, City Hall.
Ramla Sahid, Stephanie Johnson, Andrea Carter and Stephanie Jennings are to be commended for their leadership on these two issues. Women Occupy San Diego and the San Diego Democratic Woman’s Club have submitted two ballot proposals which would have an immediate and beneficial effect on the quality of life of all residents in the city.
Anna Daniels
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Thank you Anna for writing this article! I didn’t know about these two ballot proposals and I’m very glad to hear about them. I’m glad to learn about these groups as well.
These two groups of women have submitted ballot proposals that are critical to fairness and the well being of our most vulnerable residents. What the public doesn’t see is the work that goes into these proposals. These women are the heroes among us – women with at least as many personal responsibilities as anyone else, as well as health and financial challenges. Yet they find the time (hours and hours of time that could be spent enjoying family and friends and life in general), to identify injustice in our midst and to hammer out these proposals to try to right the wrongs. I have seen the time put into the CRB reform proposal and the cooperation between these women. There is no reward for this work. No one hands them a pay check at the end of the week. No one shows up to go to work, wash the dishes and do the laundry and other chores that must somehow be done in between the hours of phone calls and meetings, community outreach and editing on the computer. But you can show up at City Council to show your support for these proposals – that’s one way to say Thank You for caring about all of us, even when expressing that care involves so much sacrifice and hard work.
I don’t have the exact wording for it, but also at the Rules Committee on Wednesday, Item 11 will address adding $1 per day to the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for each hotel room and rental car, to be paid into the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) for Homeless Shelters and Rapid Housing, and to direct City Building Officials to Implement State Housing and Community Development (HCD) Information Bulletin 2016-01, to make changes to the Municpal Code in order to approve Building Permits for Tiny Homes. This proposal has been prepared by Katheryn Rhodes, another woman who has put in countless hours identifying funds that should be used for housing our poor.