My fellow San Diegans, the following depiction of how some voters view political candidates, and how some candidates are elected, is without prejudice. I believe these are basic facts and basic truths in a quest for fundamental goodwill.
On the subject of character attacks, political hypocrisy and off-subject insults hurled at candidates, these types of responses are beneath us. They are illogical, unreasonable and quite frankly just absurd.
No one knows the totality and intent of someone running for office. It’s a slippery slope. For example, one can lament the former President’s association with prostitutes and seek refuge in the opposing party except they are equally culpable. Remember Gary Hart and the Monkey Business or Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky?
There exists a small group of voters who will complain and hurl insults no matter who is in office. These folks are better suited as circus barkers or attendants in the nose-bleed section of boxing events.
Taking words out of context and twisting the truth to suit the illogical and unreasonable interpretation of mean-spirited voters is as old as sin. Society is the loser. We must stick to the facts without prejudice.
The two-party system is increasingly broken. When a few so-called elites and party insiders promote their candidate, the gullible public follows the charade hook, line and sinker. Then those very same voters demand to recall the candidate they elected in the first place.
The man or woman who tells the truth from the start is rarely elected. In fact, the best candidate is seldom chosen since the process is like a shell game. Media types will say, Mr. Smiechowski has raised a minimum of money and therefore rank him as a non-contender. Political merit circulates around financial prostitution and most voters buy into this immorality.
Perception is everything in politics. You wouldn’t bet on a crippled race horse. Ideas and vision plus work ethic are less important than one’s ability to raise money by way of rich and prominent donors.
Yet, the voters complain. But the voters can be hypocrites. Do the voters really know or even care what is going on at City Hall?
I’m running for San Diego City Council because we in District 2 are worse off than four years ago, worse off than eight years ago, worse off than 12 years ago and certainly worse off than 30 years ago. Our streets are a mess with potholes bigger than the Grand Canyon and look like the outskirts of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast.
The homeless like a broken record are camped out along the new Blue Line Trolley extension as expected. Our parks are dilapidated. We can’t even fund our pool lifeguards. Seniors no longer have a meeting place in Clairemont. To add insult to injury, they cannot afford their water bills.
The city’s Real Estate Department cannot be trusted under the cloud of the Ash Street fiasco. Mission Beach is under water during winter storms. Our boards and commissions are chock full of appointees chosen through political favors.
Traffic in District 2 is not sustainable. The Climate Action Plan is pie in the sky. Buses in Clairemont are near empty yet local so-called leaders hail the success of public transportation. The city ought to instead offer financial incentives to own an electric car. Our bike lanes are death traps waiting for another needless tragedy. Most of these devoted bike lanes go unused for days and even weeks.
Landscaping on city-owned property looks like the Siberian desert. And, what on earth is going on with COVID? Are we stuck with the pandemic for another five years? When will all this idiocy end?
This is why I’m running again as a candidate for District 2 on the San Diego City Council.
Daniel Smiechowski is a Bay Ho resident, prolific writer on education issues, and former candidate for the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education and San Diego City Council.