City panders to developers, not residents

Letter to the San Diego Union Tribune (published):

Re: "A plan for Mission Bay" (Editorial, Aug. 15):

I never used to be able to understand why the City of San Diego seemingly encourages large-scale tourism projects with immense hotels that often are sited along our beautiful bays, where they effectively limit enjoyment of these resources by year-round residents.  Then it hit me: the pandering to development and tourist dollar makes perfect sense when viewed within the context of the transient occupancy tax (TOT).

Ever since Proposition 13 locked in property taxes at 1978 rates, San Diego has had to look for alternative methods of financing the government machine.  The TOT is just one of the creative techniques made necessary because of the staggering losses in local property tax revenues. Do the math: while the cost of providing services has risen, the amount of money collected from property taxes has remained relative constant.  Therefore, in order for local government to function, it must find new sources of revenue -- new development and/or new hotels.

But shouldn't the City's first responsibility be to its residents? I would venture that many San Diegans live here for the exceptional quality of life available.  But that won't last when the City panders to developers, approving mega-hotels on the waterfront which block public access and allowing ever-expanding development which degrades the environment and worsens traffic congestion.

Growth for the sake of growth is cancer.  When will it end?  Where is the City's vision of the future?  Does it have one?  Or is it too concerned with the balance sheet to think about what kind of City future residents will live in?

BRENT C. MCDONALD
Pacific Beach