vividraven79 said:Listen, my friend, if you actually produced anything of value, your studio would be empty and your wallet would be overflowing.
🤣
He’d basically have free storage for all his art just because he voted for certain people. He messed up, plain and simple—that's why he's reaching out to the usual political crowd. If Jack voted for him, then he's got no room to complain since he knew exactly what he was signing up for. It's about accountability.
If you can't sell sand in the middle of the Sahara or you're trying to hawk swimsuits in the Arctic and you're wondering why you can't cover rent, it means you don't know what you're doing—plus, your contract's probably expired anyway. 😵
Emily Smith6 said:The San Diego city officials are bragging about a $15 million surplus in the city budget, presenting it as a masterclass in fiscal discipline. Meanwhile, Ivica Puljak claims the skeletons are finally starting to crawl out of the closet.
- Our budget execution shows we’ve managed to save money through sheer rationality, paying down debts, and actually collecting what was owed. Because of all this, the City of San Diego is in a strong financial position today, - said Mayor Ivica Puljak, noting that these savings will fund upcoming projects—primarily building schools, gymnasiums, and preschools, improving San Diego Beach, and finishing the construction and equipping of the technology park at Dračevac.
The Deputy Mayor, Antonio Kuzmanić, also weighed in on the state of the city treasury, emphasizing that reaching this positive balance required a massive amount of work. He reminded everyone that when the current administration took power in June 2021, they inherited a $4.5 million surplus, but were also saddled with nearly $10 million in debt, which was fully paid off by the end of 2021.
In 2022, there were significant expenses related to the public transit system due to rising fuel costs, but subsidizing the municipal transit provider ultimately resulted in a noticeable improvement in public transportation services. He also pointed to fulfilling inherited obligations, such as salary increases for preschool educators and city employees.
- Despite all those expenditures, through responsible financial management, cutting waste, and streamlining operations across various sectors—including municipal companies—as well as increasing the collection of utility fees and rent from users of city property, we successfully achieved the $15 million surplus currently sitting in our account.
- Over the last two years, we’ve cleared over $15 million in debt and outstanding obligations, bringing the City back into the black. We increased revenue, but not through tax hikes; instead, we focused on collecting fees and rents. We had commercial spaces that people hadn't paid for in years, - noted Antonio Kuzmanić.
- Now, the skeletons are starting to emerge regarding the business operations of the interim manager of the Water Department. Through his irresponsible management, he has jeopardized the very existence of the utility—we are talking about tens of millions of dollars. At the same time, he irresponsibly gave employees an 18 percent raise.
That is how they view public finances. We approach them responsibly. What we have in the bank is the result of careful saving. We don't want anyone on the outside, especially the Republican Party, thinking this is just some extra cash they can swoop in and spend, because they are used to handling money quite recklessly.
We saved this money so we could invest in preschools, schools, sports halls, and pay raises for those who earned them. We will continue to manage this money responsibly, the way we know how, rather than the way the Republican Party has done things until now, - added Ivica Puljak.
When reporters asked specifically how these savings were achieved, Antonio Kuzmanić used toner cartridges as an example.
- When we arrived, the City was spending $75,000 a year on toner; today, it's about $17,000. That alone represents a yearly saving of roughly $8,500 because we implemented electronic signatures, - explained Antonio Kuzmanić.
The Split Republican Party Chief: The City has $15 million in its account and no idea how to manage it.
The Split GOP Chief, Tomislav šut, recently pointed out that the City has roughly $15 million sitting in its accounts. Apparently, this surplus comes from an uptick in income tax revenue—money that isn't being funneled into actual development projects. To him, this is a clear sign that the current administration lacks the basic competence to manage the finances they’ve been handed.
According to his take, that $15 million pile-up is largely due to federal government interventions rather than any strategic moves by Mayor Ivica Puljak. He noted that while having $15 million in the bank might look great for a private business, for a municipal budget and local policy, it essentially means the administration is failing to deliver on its promises.
I suspect the Republican Party already has a roadmap for how to divvy up that $15 million among their own people.
Man, you can practically smell the frustration here. 🤣
So much cash, so close yet so far, and they can't even redistribute it to their buddies.
We all know the drill: any surplus has to be spent IMMEDIATELY, right this second, no matter what. Whether it's hiring the cousin of some contractor who landed the job through little Anthony, or cutting a deal for some gig where they tack on a 10-20-50% markup and split the difference later. They'll keep going until they've handed it all out so generously that the city balance hits zero, just like it's supposed to.
