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The voiceofsandiego.org explains how PLA’s work and the decision before voters this November.

By the North County Times Opinion staff — opinion@nctimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:01 am

Tuesday’s decision by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to ask voters to put an open-bidding requirement into the county charter is a good one.

Proposed by 5th District Supervisor Bill Horn, the measure now on the November ballot would prohibit the county from entering into “project labor agreements,” also known as PLAs —- essentially deals that deliver all contracts in a jurisdiction to unionized firms, locking smaller and independent contractors out.

While the right for workers to unionize is an important one, the obverse is also true: Americans have a fundamental right to choose to work at nonunion employers as well. And to deny those firms the ability to even bid on public contracts is, at minimum, unfair.

It can also be expensive for taxpayers —- unionized firms can have higher costs, resulting in taxpayers paying more for the same work.

Besides, any time competition is reduced, the buyer is going to end up paying more.

While some have pointed out that the county already has a policy in place against such labor agreements, the policy can be changed with a simple majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. With voters having approved in June a public employee union-backed measure to implement term limits for the Board of Supervisors, it’s not difficult to imagine a future union-backed board trying to reward their private-sector union supporters with a new policy endorsing these labor agreements.

By allowing voters to vote on whether to ban “project labor agreements,” the current board is doing future boards a favor: providing them direct guidance from the voters on how they want the county to proceed.

When it comes to unions, it’s better to be safe than sorry. I have a gut feeling 5th District County Supervisor Bill Horn’s proposed ballot measure to ban project labor agreements (pacts made between government agencies and unions that artificially increase worker wages and benefits) will be a very wise investment for the taxpayers of San Diego, like insurance.

All the signs are there. Union officials are saying it’s unnecessary, that the ordinance the supervisors passed in February already bans those agreements and it’s such a waste.

When you have union spokespeople saying, “At a time when the board is cutting jobs and essential services, it’s not prudent to spend $100,000 of taxpayer money on the ballot for something that is already board policy,” it’s a red flag that it’s probably a good move for voters to put an exclamation point on the ban. Union people talking about what is and is not “prudent” to spend money on flies in the face of reality.

And then there’s Oceanside, where voters approved the charter city measure in June, but because of an even split on the council now, it’s very unlikely this voter-approved measure will leave the purgatory of committees any time soon. This has everything to do with the fact that a key provision, which would immediately go into effect, is that Oceanside can now prevent the city from requiring project labor agreements on construction projects. There’s also a provision that requires city workers to give written permission for labor groups to deduct dues from their paychecks for political purposes.

But never mind. The nice folks at City Hall are there to help. Even when voters approve measures to allow competition to thrive, three union-financed politicians can hold up the implementation, and the will of the voters, as long as they are able to.

I fear a similar sea change at the county level could take care of that pesky ordinance the supervisors passed forbidding the agreements, having a disastrous result for taxpayers.

Project labor agreements perpetuate the entitlement mentality and tie the hands of businesses trying to offer competitive bids on projects by shoving rigid union work rules down their throats. Instead of allowing the best contractors to compete on the basis of their actual skills as well as business approach, labor agreements promote the highly formalized system of uncooperation that pervades our state, and the construction industry in particular, by jacking up wages instead of allowing the market to dictate what construction workers are paid.

Unions plan on sucking extra money out of taxpayers like vampires sucking the lifeblood out of their victims.

SUNANA BATRA writes from Encinitas. Contact her at sunanabatra@gmail.com.

A measure to amend the county charter to prohibit requiring union-scale pay and benefits for workers on county construction projects will go before voters in November.

A majority of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday said an existing ban on “project labor agreements” adopted as an ordinance earlier this year needs to be part of the charter so future boards don’t overturn the law.

On a 4-1 vote, with Supervisor Greg Cox casting the lone dissent, the panel backed North County Supervisor Bill Horn’s proposal to spend about $100,000 so voters can have their say.

“The board needs to assure the present policies remain in place,” Horn said, a statement that assumes voter passage.

Union officials say the move is nothing more than retribution for labor’s support of a supervisor term-limits measure that voters approved in June.

Supervisors rejected putting the measure on the ballot when Horn first proposed it in February.

After term limits passed, the game changed, said North County’s other supervisor, board Chairwoman Pam Slater-Price.

“Term limits now makes certain that there will be new supervisors every eight years,” she said after the board meeting. “We need to put in place mechanisms to ensure and continue the financial solvency of the county.”

Horn maintained that his focus on the issue is not related to the term-limits measure or possible union backing of his November opponent, Vista City Councilman Steve Gronke.

“The contract should go to whoever can build it better, faster and cheaper than the rest,” he said.

Supervisor Cox said he saw no reason to make it part of the county charter. The charter is an 18-page document that basically sets out how the county is organized and outlines its various powers.

“We have seen too many things dumped into charters in other jurisdictions,” Cox said. “The action we took in February as far as I am concerned was sufficient.”

Supervisor Dianne Jacob agreed to help write a ballot argument in favor of the ban.

“To me, this is about codifying a business practice that has made this board successful,” Jacob said, adding that prudent fiscal discipline is why the county has built up reserves and maintains a AAA bond rating that lowers interest costs when borrowing.

Proponents argue the agreements assure contractors pay wages sufficient to meet the cost of living and give workers basic benefits.

Opponents argue the agreements effectively shut out small contractors and drive up project costs.

Similar bans have been enacted in Oceanside and Chula Vista after the city councils in those cities took the issue to voters.

Building groups have been pushing local governments to enact the ban since the San Diego Unified School District adopted the agreements in more than $2 billion in construction projects awarded in 2009.

Union groups such as the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council say their backing of the successful term-limits ballot measure restricting future supervisors to no more than two four-year terms is the only reason the supervisors raised the issue.

“It makes no sense to spend taxpayer money on this,” said the council’s secretary-treasurer, Lorena Gonzalez. “It’s simply political payback.”

Kirk Stars of the San Diego chapter of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades agreed with Gonzalez.

“Why are we here again on this?” he asked. “The board decided in February it couldn’t afford to put this on the ballot.”

But Brad Barnum of the San Diego office of Associated General Contractors of America argued the measure is an important tool for the firms his group represents.

“County voters should be given the opportunity to have their say on this,” he said.

The ban does not cover contracts funded by the federal or state governments that mandate project labor agreements.

Call staff writer Mark Walker at 760-740-3529.

A coalition of San Diego County business organizations and government backers is promoting a new business cluster, focused on robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, interoperability and cyber technologies.

The nascent coalition is called the Southwest Regional Innovation Cluster. It will compete for $300 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2011 to be divvied up among 15 federally sponsored groups across the country, said Gary Knight, CEO of the San Diego North Regional Economic Development Council.

The council and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International-San Diego are helping the group to get organized, and recruit leaders.

“We’re identifying about 9 to 11 people who will help guide this forward,” with an executive committee, Knight said. A two-day workshop involving local elected leaders such as members of Congress will be held in September or October, Knight said.

Business clusters exist when similar companies form in the same location. They promote competition among companies, and the resulting pool of jobs attracts talented employees, spurring innovation. Many private and governmental organizations at the local and state support developing these clusters. And with the national economy still recovering from the recession, the Obama administration is getting more involved.

The organizational meeting was held at the end of June at Cal State San Marcos, he said, with participants including Lori Holt Pfeiler, Escondido’s mayor, and representatives of Supervisor Bill Horn and SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific.

San Diego County already has elements of such a cluster, with companies such as Northrop Grumman and General Atomics designing unmanned aerial vehicles here, Knight said.

The goal is to marry such technologies with others to advance robotics technology and find new applications, he said.

The Southwest Regional Innovation Cluster will provide training, help with commercialization, and work to move ideas from academia to the corporate world.

Those interested in learning more about the Southwest RIC should contact Knight at 760-598-9311.

Do you know of an entrepreneurial success story or bold beginning in North San Diego County or Southwest Riverside County? Contact Bradley J. Fikes at bfikes@nctimes.com or 760-739-6641.

Members of the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a $4.9 billion county budget on Tuesday that is nearly 3 percent smaller than the current spending plan. They warned that more spending reductions could come later this year when the state approves its budget.

“Needless to say, this has been a tough budget year,” said Walt Ekard, the county’s chief administrative officer. “The budget doesn’t include any of the all-but-certain cuts that will come as a result of the state’s budget, assuming that they decide to adopt a budget this year.”

The budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 includes a $7.2 million reduction in substance abuse services and a $5.2 million cut in child welfare programs, primarily the result of cuts in state funding.

The supervisors also reduced the county’s workforce by as many as 62 workers and eliminated 517 jobs that had been vacant for the last several months.

Several supervisors blamed Sacramento for the budget woes, saying legislators are failing to provide enough money to run social programs.

“They haven’t got it,” Supervisor Bill Horn said. “They haven’t faced any reality.”

Not all was gloom in the brief comments each of the supervisors made shortly before voting on the plan.

Several supervisors noted the county has been able to take on large construction projects in recent years, including a new administration complex and new libraries, thanks to its fiscal management and its AAA bond rating with investors, which lowers the county’s interest and finance costs.

“Our county continues to make strides in our efforts to maintain the quality of life that our citizens expect,” said Supervisor Pam Slater-Price.

County administrators declined to dip into $700 million in reserves to avoid some of the more painful cuts. Ekard said the county has a long-standing policy not to backfill spending cuts for social services handed down by the state because it doesn’t solve the problem.

“The problem is that when the reserves are spent, they are spent and the underfunding still exists,” Ekard said.

Call staff writer Edward Sifuentes at 760-740-3511.

VISTA —- The Moonlight Amphitheatre and surrounding hillsides were alive with the sound of music May 15. Of course, that’s nothing new. But on this night the music was jazz. Furthermore, for the first part of the evening, the jazz was performed by local high school bands. The headliner was Burt Brion.

The event was the Mottino Family YMCA’s First Annual Moonlight Jazz Festival. The goals of the festival were to raise funds to support the families of San Diego through the programs and services of the YMCA, to support local music programs and to offer a family-friendly experience that everyone could enjoy.

“The goal is that no one gets turned away regardless of their financial situation,” Membership & Marketing Director Amanda Bove said. “The funds raised tonight will support programs such as swim lessons, camps, memberships and child care before and after school.”

The event began at 4 p.m. on the warm May evening. Guests could bring their own picnic or be served by Feliccia’s Restaurant and Deli. There were tables of salads, breads and wonderful-smelling pasta.

Meanwhile, onstage the show was beginning. The San Marcos High School band led off, followed by bands from Oceanside, Rancho Buena Vista, Escondido, Vista and El Camino high schools, then 78 Jazz Collective and Burt Brion.

Beautifully wrapped gift baskets were on hand for guests to win. Contents of the baskets were donated by local businesses, including Belmont Park, Birch Aquarium, Boomers —- Vista, Calloway Winery, Harbor Fish and Chips, Oceanside Museum of Art, Rayne Water Systems and Vigilucci’s.

The 2010 Jazz Fest chairman was Gary Marchetti. His committee included Brent Ayers, John Osborne, Becky Bove, Greg Voisen, Jeff Guzzardo and Knox Williams.

Major sponsors included San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn, Modern Postcard, Genentech, Wells Fargo and Smooth Jazz 98.1. Other sponsors included the City of Vista, MGM Plastics, Moonlight Amphitheatre, the North County Times, TMSmith Design and Stay Classy.

Those attending included Executive Director Jeff Guzzardo, Associate Executive Director Kate Winzenburg, and board members Lee Russell, Joe Kasper and Sarita Maybin.

Others attending included staff members Gina Connors and Kookie Abad. Also there were Jeff and Laura Segall; Dan and Nancy Jones; Owners of Feliccia’s, Nina and Sam Feliccia; Midge Finley; Ed Partovich; Melinda Anderson; San Marcos High band members Alex and Dylan Juhan; and, representing Smooth Jazz 98.1, Adam Aguilar and Eric Claussen.

Support Bill Horn for supervisor

Bill Horn is a local patriot who has served as the voice for so many in North County advocating for private property rights. Bill Horn is a local leader who has successfully championed the protection of open space, the development of new parks and he is taking action to secure water resources for San Diego County for generations to come.

Bill Horn is right on the issues most critical to San Diego County today. Bill supports advancing fire protection, improving roads and highways to keep traffic flowing, and most importantly, securing our borders.

In a time when leadership is lacking at all levels of government, government spending and debt is out of control and our freedoms are vanishing by the day, North County needs Bill Horn more than ever before.

Please join me in re-electing Bill Horn on June 8.

Mike Sannella

San Marcos

EDITORIAL: Horn has issues right, merits return
OUR VIEW: Despite rifts, supervisor’s stance solid

In reviewing the candidates for North County’s 5th District seat on the Board of Supervisors we find ourselves in the surprising position of recommending the re-election of the incumbent, Bill Horn of Valley Center, in the June 8 primary election.

Despite our strong objection to some of the things he’s done in office and his sometimes questionable behavior (coziness with developers and sometimes arrogance), we find Horn to be on the “right side” of what we see as core issues more times than not. And in these difficult economic times, we must give him and his board colleagues credit for keeping the county’s fiscal house in relatively decent shape.

Nine months ago, it appeared voters would be seeing a real battle for the position the often controversial Horn has held for nearly 16 years; instead the contest has become, well, rather vanilla.

Horn has five opponents on the ballot, in a vote that will see anyone who receives 50 percent plus one of the vote declared the winner. In the event no one wins a majority, the top two finishers will face each other in a November runoff.

Among the other candidates, Vista City Councilman Steve Gronke is the strongest. But on many issues, his view of the world is often the opposite of Horn’s —- and of what we mostly see as the “right side.”

Also running are John van Doorn of San Marcos (not the John Van Doorn who is a NCT columnist), Fabio Marchi of Vista and Tom Bumgardner of Valley Center. Unfortunately, both van Doorn and Marchi present themselves as one-issue candidates; Bumgardner is a relative cipher about whom we could discern little.

We agree with Horn on the general areas of transportation, managed growth, housing, term limits and eminent domain, to name a few.

Specifically, Horn supports, as we do:
– Putting the funding needs of freeways and major thoroughfares above (or at least on a par with) those of mass transit, which primarily benefits the city of San Diego;
– Supporting managed growth close to existing transportation corridors (the failed Merriam Mountains, for example) with the jobs and housing those create.

And Horn opposes, as we do:
– The June ballot’s Proposition B that would impose two-term limits on supervisors;
– The use of eminent domain powers to take any private property except for public safety.

We have long disagreed with Horn, and will continue to do so, over the existence of the supervisors’ $20 million per year (recently cut to $10 million) “Neighborhood Enrichment Program.” And we will also battle any attempt to revive the inefficient and flawed fire tax proposal Horn and his colleagues touted two years ago.

But on the bulk of the issues, Horn is on the same page as we are. Thus we believe he merits another four-year term representing the 5th District’s residents