Analysis Of Supervisors Races And Prop. A

It's been 12 years since a San Diego county supervisor has faced a run off election. We'll discuss why challenges to incumbent Supervisors Horn and Roberts were strong enough to get past the primaries. What are the issues in these races that will motivate voters to go to the polls? Also, how will that that economic news just days before election affect the vote on Proposition A, the ballot measure to ban project labor agreements?

Guests

John Warren, editor and publisher of San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

David King, editor and founder of sandiegonewsroom.com

Transcript

IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS SINCE THE COUNTY SUPERVISOR HAS FACED A RUNOFF ELECTION. THIS YEAR BOTH SUPERVISORS WHO ARE UP FOR REELECTION HAVE CHALLENGES. BILL HORN AND RON ROBERTS WHO REPRESENT THE CENTRAL PART OF THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO WITH ME TO SHARE SOME OPINIONS ON THESE RACES AND ON PROP A THE BALLOT MEASURE WHICH WOULD BAN PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS. JOAN WARREN. DAVID KING CEO AND PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO NEWSROOM.COM. DAVID, WHY ARE THE CHALLENGES TO HORN AND ROBERTS STRONG ENOUGH TO GET THEM PAST THE PRIMARY?

IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE VOTERS WANT TO SEE NEW NAMES. BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE BEEN TOGETHER SO LONG THEY ARE LIKE THE ROLLING STONES AND STARTING TO LOOK ALIKE. BOTH HORN AND ROBERTS WON THE RACES AND BOTH ARE PROJECTED TO WIN IN THE RUNOFF ELECTIONS.

WOULD YOU AGREE, JOHN, THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS JUST GOING TO HAPPEN. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE SAME SUPERVISORS BACK AGAIN?

I THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT NOW. TERM LIMITS WERE PUT IN PLACE FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THAT MEANS PEOPLE WILL START COMING OUT. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST WAVE OF THAT IN TERMS OF FOLKS RUNNING AGAINST THE INCUMBENTS. I THINK WITH 16 YEARS OF HAVING THE SAME PEOPLE ALL OF THE SAME PARTY AND THE DISSATISFACTION WITH INCUMBENTS WE HAVE A GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD CHANGES.

ARE THERE ANY TYPE OF ISSUES TO MOTIVATE --MOTIVATE VOTERS TO GO TO THE POLLS?

YES. ONE THE LABOR AGREEMENT WHICH WOULD BAN SERVICE CONTRACTS. THE AS MUCH SUPERVISORS HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE ONE. THEY WANT TO PUT IN PLACE ONE --

THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY UNION SCALE.

THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY UNION SCALE AND BENEFITS FOR WORKERS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS. THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. HORN WITH THEM BEING TURNED OUT A NEW BOARD COULD UNDUE THE PAST TRADITION. THEY WANT A PERMANENT AMENDMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.

WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT PROPOSITION A. BUT RON ROBERTS IS A REPUBLICAN IN A DEMOCRATIC. HE IS EMPHASIZING HIS PARTY AFFILIATION. HOW IMPORTANT WILL THAT BE TO THIS RACE?

RON ROBERTS HAS REPRESENTED A HEAVILY DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT. ONE OF THE REASONS HE'S BEEN ABLE TO BE REELECTED HE'S ONE OF THE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN PUBLIC OFFICE. HE'S QUALIFIED FOR HIS JOB. HE'S A FORMER ARCHITECT. A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ELECTED MAYOR IN 2004. HIS CONSTITUENTS RECOGNIZE THE FACT HE'S A VERY QUALIFIED FOR HIS JOB ANIDOUS GOOD JOB.

WHY WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE STEVE PUT HIMSELF IN THIS POSITION OF FIGHTING AGAINST AN INCUMBENT THAT IS SO POPULAR ACCORDING TO DAVID?

WHITBURN SAYS FROM THE STAND POINT IF HE WANTS TO SEEDY VERSETY AND ONE PARTY SHOULDN'T DOMINATE. THERE ARE THINGS ON THE BALLOT BEFORE THE SUPERVISOR SUCH AS THE REVISIONS IN THE GENERAL PLAN WHICH WOULD EFFECT THE COUNTY'S OPEN SPACES FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS.

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS?

I DON'T THINK MANY PEOPLE CARE NOW. I THINK MORE WILL WITH WHITBURN BEING CONSIDERED AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AND ROBERT AND HORN BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY ORIENTED. THAT WOULD BRING FUTURE ATTENTION.

WE TALKED ABOUT PROP A BEFORE. JUST TO GO BACK TO IT. PAY AND BENEFITS FOR WORKERS ON PROJECTS THAT DO NOT HAVE PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS. THEY WOULD POSSIBLELY BE LOWER AND IS THAT A GOOD THING IN THIS ECONOMIC CLIMATE WHERE SAN DIEGO'S ECONOMY IS STARTING TO DRIFT DOWNWARD ACCORDING TO TODAY'S PAPER?

VOTERS HAVE CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED THE BALLOT INITIATIVE TO I EFFECTIVELY BAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM MANDATING PROJECT LABOR. EACH ONE USES THE EXACT SAME LANGUAGE. ALL OF THEM DO THE SAME THING. THEY DON'T BAN A DEVELOPER FROM ENTERING INTO A PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT WITH A UNION. THEY BAN THE CITY OR IN THIS CASE THE COUNTY FROM MANDATING IT. HERE THE PROP A ISN'T GETTING A WHOLE LOT OF UNION SUPPORT TO FIGHT IT BECAUSE ALL THE UNION MONEY IN THIS CASE IS GOING INTO THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO PROP D WHICH CALLS INTO WHAT A REFORM MEASURE THAT IS.

WOULD PROP A SAVE THE COUNTY ANY MONEY IN THE LONG RUN?

I DON'T THINK SO. THE ANSWER WOULD DEPEND ON WHICH SIDE YOU TALK TO.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JOHN WARREN AND DAVID KING.