Mayor Sanders’ State of the City Address – Keep the Chargers In San Diego

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders

Mayor Sanders covered the San Diego city deficit, Chargers and “going green” amongst other hot topics in his State of the City Address January 13th, 2010.

With the play off games upon us, keeping the Chargers in San Diego is more important than ever. As the news that we may lose the Chargers looms, Sanders responds;

“The Chargers are a regional asset, with a tangible impact on our economy. As it happens, they also are a pretty good football team, something the rest of the country will realize soon enough.

So let’s talk about the Chargers. They want a new football stadium. They’ve agreed to partner with us to explore sites. And it’s no secret that they could leave San Diego for another city, virtually anytime they choose.

These two issues – whether they get a new stadium and whether they stay in San Diego – have hung over this City for too long. They need to be resolved, one way or another.

This is an issue where many are inclined to draw lines in the sand, rather than seek common ground.

I trust people know where I stand. I believe the Chargers are San Diego’s team, and that they belong right here in San Diego County.

I also know that I was elected mayor to protect the taxpayer and restore our fiscal integrity. My priorities have not changed, and I’m not about to squander four years of hard work and achievement would take for them to decide to stay. We are subjecting each step to careful analysis, including the future of our existing stadium site and the drain it creates on our budget. This is not something the city can do alone, and we are grateful to our county government and representatives of other cities for regional leadership.”

Sanders’ also expresses his interest in taking San Diego green;

“Our children will grow up in a City that has harnessed clean energy to power our homes and protect our beaches and bays. In the coming months, I’ll be asking our City Council to cast a series of votes in support of our CleanGeneration program, which will double the size of our solar sector and boost green businesses that retrofit homes and provide them with renewable energy.”

With the economy in California at one of its worst states in history, and San Diegans trying to stay optimistic the Jerry Sanders State of the City Address should resonate into the community.

Sanders’ reminded us why San Diego represents America’s Finest City with some 100th entertainment anniversaries we’re celebrating this year;

“This year is the 100th anniversary of the San Diego Symphony, the pioneer of our vibrant arts community that brings untold pleasure to people of all ages and interests. Today our theaters have a direct pipeline to Broadway. But we are still inspired by those early arts patrons who brought culture to a frontier town of wooden-wheeled wagons and hard-dirt roads.

This is the 100th anniversary for The US Grant Hotel, still a majestic downtown landmark, despite a bumpy start that included the developer running out of cash during construction. Civic embarrassment was averted when forward-thinking San Diegans put up the money to finish the job.

It wouldn’t be the last time that community pride and investment savvy would go hand in hand.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of the naming of Balboa Park, the moment an expanse of raw land gained its identity as a world-class treasure, one that would be enjoyed by generations. One hundred years ago, a gathering like this one tonight probably involved preparing for the 1915
Panama-California Exposition. That event transformed Balboa Park into an international showcase, but also was designed to lift the local economy from its doldrums.”

Text of speech source: voiceofsandiego.org

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