FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2005

HOLBROOK SIGNS TAXPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE
8th district candidate is only candidate to sign pledge to oppose tax increases

San Diego - City council candidate Douglas Holbrook signed a pledge today vowing to "opposed and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes."

"The taxpayers of San Diego did not create our current economic mess - politicians and union bosses did. Now these same politicians and union bosses want to stick the taxpayers with the bill. That is morally reprehensible, and I'll fight against it on the city council," stated Holbrook.

Holbrook signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge sponsored by Americans for Tax Reform (www.atr.org), a fiscal watchdog group. Numerous elected officials and candidates have signed the pledge, including governors, members of congress, state legislators and local elected officials throughout the United States.

"I challenge my opponents in the 8th district to either sign the pledge or be honest with the voters by telling them which taxes they will consider raising if they are elected to the council," said Holbrook. "The voters deserve to know."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2005

HOLBROOK PROPOSES SWEEPING ETHICS REFORM PLAN

San Diego - Douglas Holbrook, candidate for council in district 8, announced today a sweeping ethics reform plan to address the shortcomings of San Diego's officials and to restore public confidence in our democratic system of government.

"Like many San Diego residents, I am appalled at all the ethical lapses from our political leaders," Said Holbrook. "It's time we let the sun shine in on our government."

Given the many scandals that have rocked San Diego in recent years, serious reforms have been called for from all areas of the city.

San Diego, "America's Finest City", as Pete Wilson originally suggested the city should be called, has suffered serious setbacks that is costing taxpayers millions of dollars and a lack of confidence.

The major elements of Holbrook's plan are as follows:

• End all closed-door city council meetings
• Include the city's independent audit committee in all city meetings to clean up our government/ Giving the city's independent audit committee full involvement in cleaning up our government
• Substantially increase fines and jail time for bribery and quid pro quo arrangements
• Require more regular and thorough financial disclosure statements from all elected officials
• Strengthen city's conflict of interest laws
• Disqualify lobbyists from raising money for city politicians' campaigns

A former faculty member of San Diego State University and the University of San Diego, Douglas is currently an attorney in private practice. He was the on-air host of "Perspectives," a nationally syndicated radio program, and "Legally Speaking," a legal advice talk show.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2005

HOLBROOK PROPOSES MORE CREATIVE, LESS POLARIZING APPROACH

San Diego - Douglas Holbrook, candidate for the San Diego City Council, District 8 seat, today called on city officials to include input from our public employee union leaders in seeking a solution to the city's current financial crisis.

Both of our mayoral candidates have offered contrasting solutions to the current problem ranging from tax increases to work force reductions.

Holbrook is suggesting a less polarizing and more creative approach that would avoid any tax increase or reduction in services.

"After all," said Holbrook, "given that the labor unions helped create this problem, they need to help create the solution." "One way or another," Holbrook said, "Public employees will incur most of the cuts that the city needs to impose." Holbrook suggests that, "labor leaders need to be involved in this particular aspect of the decision making process".

Holbrook envisions a spectrum of options which is best illustrated by a triple-tiered or three dimensional chart reflecting cuts on one or more of three separate axis: Reductions in current compensation; Reductions in future pension benefits; Reductions in the present work force.

"All three of those dimensions affect our public employees," Holbrook said, " so it is only fair that we consider their opinions when making those cuts".

Douglas Holbrook is a litigation attorney and a former faculty member at San Diego State University in both the Political Science Department and the Business Law Department. He previously sat on the San Diego Crime Commission and served on the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Task Force. He is currently campaigning on the theme that together, we can "Take Back San Diego".