Building Industry Association
of San Diego

Click here to listen to San Diego City Councilmember Carl DeMaio discuss the Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR) initiative with BIA Vice President, Matt Adams.

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber,” Ancient Greek Philosopher Plato, modernized, 428 BC-348 BC

With every election comes an opportunity to change the way you, your community and business world are governed. This year, that opportunity takes on an historic nature as all eyes are on Washington, DC and Sacramento as voters take out their frustrations over a chronic recession and high unemployment. Here at home, the attention is focused on a changing of the guard at San Diego city hall, rare runoff elections for county Board of Supervisors and more than one ballot initiative seeking to raise your taxes.

 And whether its candidates or ballot initiatives each time BIA San Diego is center stage in the political arena. For months leading up to the elections, BIA’s political committees interview and debate various candidates and issues on the ballots. The industry’s closely held vanguards also engage well in advance in an attempt to shape those issues and lists of candidates as they emerge. This includes financial support by the industry’s well-respected BIA-PAC each election cycle.

The outcome of the intense review process is the release of the BIA-PAC Voter Guide,  a listing of candidate endorsements and ballot recommendations as a service to our members, BIA proudly does its part to arm you with solid information from knowledgeable industry stalwarts to enable you to make the most informed vote possible.

 Are you part of the movement to shape your industry’s future? On November 2nd, did you vote alongside your industry peers? Only working together does our industry become stronger. To get more involved to make a difference in the future, please contact Matthew Adams. 

View 2010 Election Results

Over eight hours of testimony opposing the draft County General Update is under way in the County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room.  The County’s consultant, the audit firm of Keiser Marston stunningly alleges that the downzoning of 400,000 acres of land will have no negative economic impact drawing strong rebuke from property owners.

BIA joins an impressive array of coalition partners arguing in favor of the following positions to be taken by the Supes:

KEY CORRECTIONS THE INDUSTRY WANTS MADE IN THE GP 2020 UPDATE:

DO NOT ALLOW COMMUNITY PLANS AND COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUPS TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON CLUSTERING.
The general plan relies on clustered developments to succeed but contains language that allows clustering only on the condition that it is consistent with community plans. Most community plans mandate 1-acre minimum lot sizes which makes clustering impossible.

DO NOT SUPPORT THE MORATORIUM ON GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS.
The General Plan will place a moratorium on changes to land use categories unless it is part of a comprehensive General Plan Update.  The last comprehensive general plan update was almost 30 years ago!

DO NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSED DOWNZONING.
The General Plan will downzone over 400,000 acres of private property and eliminate 36,000 housing units. Despite two public votes that soundly rejected massive down zoning, the General Plan will create land use categories of 1du/40 acres, 1du/80 acres and 1du/160 acres.

ELIMINATE REQUIREMENT TO GIVE UP BETWEEN 75% – 90% OF YOUR PROPERTY AS PART OF THE CONSERVATION SUBDIVISION PROGRAM.

This requirement coupled with large minimum lot sizes will result in the loss of potential housing units.

Voters wishing to cast their ballot by mail have until Tuesday, October 26th to submit a Vote by Mail Application.  With the November 2nd General Election just two weeks away the BIA-PAC is urging all members to review its November General Election Voter Guide for candidate endorsements and ballot recommendations.  The Voter Guide is the product of an 11-month process of candidate interviews and ballot proposition analysis.

Polls open at 7:00 am.  Click on the Find Your Polling Place to see where you can cast your vote on Tuesday, November 2nd.  And don’t forget to take along the Voter Guide.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will take up the issue of the Draft General Plan Update at its Wednesday, October 20th hearing.  It has been 13-years since the supervisors directed staff to proceed with the crafting of a new general plan and it has not been without major controversy.

The plan includes the downzoning of over 400,000 acres in the back country with the intent of directing future growth toward existing towns and infrastructure. The downzoning has brought the scorn of hundreds of private property owners and farmers who argue that voters have rejected such downzoning in two county-wide propositions over the last ten years.

While the county claims there is plenty of opportunity for future growth in designated areas, it grants community plans and planning groups the right to veto higher density projects.  It also prevents any adjustments to the general plan until there is another comprehensive review. It has been nearly 30 years between general plan updates.

The BIA is urging all private property owners to attend the Wednesday, October 20th hearing and voice their concern with the draft general plan.  For more information, contact Matt Adams at the BIA.

BIA-PAC Voter Guide

The Building Industry Association Political Action Committee has  released it’s Voter Guide for the November 2, 2010 General Election.  The voter guide is part of its continuing effort to inform industry members on the key candidates and issues that will directly affect our future and economic recovery.  The Voter Guide is available on line and at the BIA offices.  The BIA-PAC and the Political Communications Committee of the BIA have worked for months interviewing dozens of  candidates and analyzing local and state ballot propositions. BIA members are encouraged to visit the Politics and Elections page of the BIA website for all the latest information on candidates and issues.

The BIA PAC offers the following recommendations for the November 2 General Election. Please check back for more, and remember to vote.

County of San Diego
Ron Roberts
Bill Horn

City of San Diego
Lorie Zapf, District 6

Carlsbad City Council
Mark Packard

Chula Vista City Council
Larry Breitfelder

Escondido City Council
Marie Waldron

Oceanside City Council
Jerry Kern

Poway City Council
John Mullin

San Marcos Mayor
Jim Desmond

Santee City Council
John Minto

County Assessor
Ernie Dronenburg

House of Representatives
Darrell Issa, 49th
Brian Bilbray, 50th
Duncan Hunter, 52nd

State Assembly
Kevin Jeffries, 66th
Dianne Harkey, 73rd
Martin Garrick, 74th
Nathan Fletcher, 75th
Brian Jones, 77th

State Senate
Joel Anderson, 36th
Mark Wyland, 38th
Juan Vargas, 40th