Opinion: Supervisor Lawson-Remer demonstrates leadership in county reserves debate

Terra Lawson-Remer at a Board of Supervisors meeting Courtesy Sup Lawson-Remer s office A woman is the full circle Within her is the power to create nurture and transform Diane Mariechild This week s San Diego County Board of Supervisors budget deliberations started with a bang sparked by Interim Chair Terra Lawson-Remer s intrepid proposal to revision the county s old-world fiscal reserve structure Lawson-Remer s call to action before the Trump Administration pulls out the rug from San Diego County residents is timely Her aptitude for translating economic theory into fiscal program informs her plan to leverage the county s financial reserves to strengthen the social safety net for San Diego s largest part vulnerable residents including working families veterans and seniors Enter Supervisor Joel Anderson His May op-ed in Times of San Diego is a typical conservative response to Lawson-Remer s amendment proposal Rather than debating the plan on its merits Anderson resorts to rhetorical attacks describing it as a raid on our county s reserves that is last-minute and reckless even dangerous Anderson s inflammatory language portrays Lawson-Remer the only member of the board of supervisors with college degrees in economics law ethics and philosophy university-level masses strategy teaching experience and the real-world protocol chops she served as a senior advisor to the Obama Administration s Treasury Department as dangerous to the county s financial stability Nothing could be further from the truth Anderson fails to mention the linchpin of Lawson-Remer s proposed reforms A st-Century transformation of the county s reserve fund that prioritizes neighborhood quality of life over the compounded interest accrued from squirreling away populace revenue in a convoluted rainy-day fund By challenging the uncompromising confines of the county s fiscal structure Lawson-Remer makes a compelling scenario for the power of representative cabinet to protect San Diegans - particularly its largest part vulnerable residents from the Trump Administration s chaotic wrecking ball approach to downsizing the federal administration while setting aside an ample reserve of the constituents s money to enable the county to withstand the economic calamity caused by a stock arena crash global pandemic or natural mishap Anderson s representation of Lawson-Remer s proposal as last minute is misleading Her plan was the centerpiece of the interim board chair s April State of the County address In fact Lawson-Remer s speech articulated her vision of a responsive people-centered county executive that makes fiscally sound investments in the present while charting a program for a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future As a woman serving in elected office Lawson-Remer s speech drew inspiration from her lived experience Instead of the top-down plant your flag thinking driving the decision-making of their male counterparts women leaders are wired to balance compassion with resilience and common sense with creativity More importantly women leaders are intuitive a gift that connects their decision-making at present with a deep understanding of its consequences the coming day By claiming the county s outdated reserve strategy protects the county s safety net and deriding Lawson-Remer s plan as taking every proposal or news clip as an approved approach or guessing what might happen next Anderson undermines her leadership as interim board chair and by extension paints the women who have the courage to challenge San Diego s conservative political establishment as dangerous and impulsive At the same time his inclination to systematically monitor and evaluate changes as they become clearer parrots the Republican Party s fawning let s wait and see approach toward the take-no-prisoners Trump presidency This tactic feeds the myth of Donald Trump as a business genius whose economic prowess is indisputable Lawson-Remer s proposal is creative grounded and forward-looking It should be championed by San Diegans who believe in the power of representative cabinet to adapt to changing times with an eye to preventing harm while making significant masses investments in improving San Diego County s collective quality of life Vibrant equitable communities are resilient communities The county s journey to resilience begins when its leaders value its fiscal healthcare and our district s vitality in equal measure A second-generation San Diegan and nonprofit consultant Molly Bowman-Styles is the president of Windansea Communications Laurie Black served as president of the Downtown Partnership a San Diego port commissioner and as a board member of the Centre City Evolution Corporation A Democratic party activist she also served as chief of staff for former Congresswoman Lynn Schenk