Mailers sent out by San Diego Works!, a political action committee sponsored by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, make a few bold claims about San Diego City Council President Myrtle Cole.
Cole is facing a tight race against her former staffer Monica Montgomery. Both candidates are Democrats, but the San Diego Democratic Party and the Labor Council are spending heavily to support Cole.
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Equal Pay Ordinance
One mailer says Cole "passed the Equal Pay Ordinance to crack down on discrimination."
The ordinance was approved by the council in 2017 when Cole was council president, but it was proposed by Councilman Chris Ward. It requires all city contractors to provide equal pay to workers regardless of their gender or ethnicity.
Ward's press release announcing the ordinance makes no mention of Cole and instead quotes State Senator Toni Atkins and State Assemblyman Todd Gloria.
But Ward, who has endorsed Cole, said this week that Cole was part of "a joint effort" in getting the ordinance passed.
"One person can't get anything done on their own at City Council, it takes a majority of us and it takes leadership," he said. Ward said Cole as council president expedited the process of passing the ordinance by putting it on council dockets and telling the City Attorney that the ordinance should be a priority.
Cole also seconded the motion to approve the ordinance, saying during the council meeting on July 31, 2017, "This issue is near and dear to my heart. The fact that discrimination still exists in the first place is appalling, whether or not it’s gender discrimination, race discrimination, or wage discrimination. You know I have and still experience discrimination because of the color of my skin. I’ve been a black woman all my life."
But did Cole "pass the Equal Pay Ordinance" as the mailer states?
"We all passed it," Ward said.
Police Body Cameras
Another mailer says Cole "put a police body camera on every SDPD officer."
Cole was on the City Council in 2014 and voted to approve a contract for body cameras, but was not yet the council president so was not responsible for docketing the item or bringing it to the council.
Jack Schaeffer, the president of the San Diego Police Officers Association, said Cole "was one of the influential leaders" who pushed for body cameras in San Diego.
While former Police Chief William Lansdowne proposed cameras to help combat racial profiling, Schaeffer said Cole asked for the Public Safety And Livable Neighborhoods Committee to discuss the proposal.
He also said she helped put San Diego's policies in place for what to do with the body camera footage and was one of the leaders who "kept on pushing for them and kept the idea on track."
The San Diego Police Officers Association's PAC spent almost $3,900 supporting Cole as of the last campaign filing deadline.
Citizens Advisory Board
Another mailer says Cole "strengthened the Citizens Advisory Board to bring neighborhoods and police together."
RELATED: Citizens Group Is Tackling Racial Bias In San Diego Police Department
Cole reinstated the Citizens Advisory Board On Police/Community Relations in 2016 after a study from San Diego State University found San Diegans of color were more likely to be stopped by police. Their mission, according to the city, is to review "policies, practices and programs designed to make law enforcement sensitive, effective and responsive."
The group of 15 citizens has now been meeting for a year and a half and plans to make recommendations on how to improve police recruitment and training later this year.
