February 2025: Jim Desmond Expressed Support For Trump’s Tariffs, Which Cost Families Thousands Of Dollars A Year And Hurt California Small Businesses
February 2025: Desmond Supported Trump’s Tariffs
February 2025: Desmond: “As You Hear Talk About Tariffs In The Coming Days, Remember: Buying American Means Standing With Our Farmers.” “California farmers are being squeezed from all sides—rising costs, water restrictions, and being undercut by cheap Mexican imports. We grow 90% of the nation’s avocados, yet our farmers can’t compete with cheaper goods coming from Mexico. As you hear talk about tariffs in the coming days, remember: Buying American means standing with our farmers.” [Jim Desmond, Facebook, 2/3/25]
Image: see original report, p. 6
[Jim Desmond, Facebook, 2/3/25]
March 2026: Desmond Voted Against His Own Proposal For First-Time Homebuyers After Another Supervisor Added Language Opposing Trump’s Tariffs For Contributing To Rising Housing Costs
March 2026: Desmond Introduced A Measure To Assess A Pilot Program For First-Time Homebuyers
March 2026: Desmond Introduced A Measure Directing County Staff To Assess How A Pilot Program Aimed At Assisting First-Time Homebuyers Would Benefit New Homebuyers In The Unincorporated Area. “The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Wednesday in favor of a pilot program aimed at assisting first-time homebuyers, but the original sponsor voted no over what he considered to be an unnecessary political statement added to the proposal. Supervisor Jim Desmond's original measure directed Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton's office to assess how the program would benefit new homebuyers in the unincorporated area.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
- The Analysis Would Cover Potential Down Payment Assistance, Interest Rate Options, And A Cost Estimate. “That analysis would cover: • opportunities for public-private partnerships, including financial institutions as a way to secure better terms for applicants • potential down payment assistance • interest rate options to improve mortgage affordability • criteria designed to complement two existing programs that help with down payment and closing costs, and down payments for moderate-income residents • an estimate of how much the program would cost, along with safeguards and strategies to lower risk.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
Desmond Said The Program Was “Another Step In The Right Direction.” “Before the vote, Desmond said the program would not magically fix obstacles to home ownership ‘but was another step in the right direction.’” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
Another Supervisor Included Language Opposing Trump Administration Policies Including Tariffs And Military Action Against Iran That She Said Contributed To Rising Housing Costs
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer Added Language Formally Opposing Trump Administration Policies That She Said Contributed To Rising Housing Costs, Including Tariffs And Military Action Against Iran. “However, board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer wanted to add language formally opposing Trump administration policies that she said have contributed to rising housing costs, including tariffs on construction materials and the joint U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
Desmond Criticized The Additions By The Other Supervisor As Trying To “Score Points”
Desmond Described The Additions As A Poison Pill. “Desmond described the political statement as a poison pill. ‘I'm gonna be voting against my own item,’ Desmond said.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
Desmond Said His Colleagues Used His Resolution “To Score Points.” “In an emailed statement to City News Service, Desmond said that while his original proposal was about helping families, ‘they used it to score points.’ ‘I wasn't going to let my name be attached to something that no longer reflected its original purpose,’ he added.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
- Supervisor Paloma Aguirre Said Americans Were Experiencing The Effect Of The President’s Policies. “Based on a suggestion by Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, the proposal also directs Shelton and her team to analyze ‘the impact of geopolitical conflicts and tariffs on inflation, energy costs, construction costs and local housing,’ according to the recommendation, which was shown on a slide. The CAO will report back in 90 days with analysis. […] ‘Just put up, ‘I hate Trump’’ in the proposal, Desmond complained before the vote. Aguirre responded that Americans are experiencing the effect of the president's policies. ‘I think this is factual,’ she said.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
Desmond: “Every Angst You’ve Had Against The Administration, This All Comes Up Unfortunately, When We’re Just Trying To Do Simple Things Here In Our Own Community.” “Desmond described the political statement as a poison pill. ‘I'm gonna be voting against my own item,’ Desmond said. ‘This is why nothing gets done, this is why housing doesn't get built,’ he told his colleagues. ‘Every angst you've had against the administration, this all comes up unfortunately, when we're just trying to do simple things here in our own community. We just need to get more young people and families into housing.’ ‘Just put up, ‘I hate Trump’’ in the proposal, Desmond complained before the vote.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
2026: Desmond Cast The Lone Vote Against The Pilot Program Aimed At Assisting First-Time Homebuyers
March 2026: Desmond Cast The Lone Vote Against A Pilot Program Aimed At Assisting First-Time Homebuyers. “The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Wednesday in favor of a pilot program aimed at assisting first-time homebuyers, but the original sponsor voted no over what he considered to be an unnecessary political statement added to the proposal. Supervisor Jim Desmond's original measure directed Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton's office to assess how the program would benefit new homebuyers in the unincorporated area.” [NBC 7, 3/25/26]
The Average U.S. Household Was Projected To Lose $1,751 Due To Tariffs And San Diego Households Were Estimated To Pay Even More
January 2026: Yale Budget Lab: The Average U.S. Household Lost $1,751 Due To Tariffs. “Overall Price Level & Distributional Effects: TBL assumes the Federal Reserve ‘looks through’ the tariffs and allows prices to rise such that the tax burden is felt through prices rather than nominal incomes. With the Greenland tariffs, price level would rise by 1.3% in the short run, representing a loss of $1,751 for the average household and $964 for households at the bottom of the income distribution. This is marginally higher than the 1.2% price increase without the Greenland tariffs.” [Yale Budget Lab, State of U.S. Tariffs, 1/19/26]
2025: San Diego Households Were Expected To Pay Nearly $2,400 More That Year Due To Tariffs. “Two members of the San Diego congressional delegation said in a press conference Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will impact the average San Diego household – and not in a big, beautiful way. Representatives Scott Peters and Sara Jacobs said local households can expect to absorb a nearly $2,400 hit this year due to higher costs as tariffs are assessed on foreign goods.” [Times of San Diego, 8/13/25]
Tariffs Hurt California Small Businesses
CalMatters Headline: “How Tariffs And War Are Hurting California Small Businesses.” [CalMatters, 4/29/26]
- San Diego Area Small Businesses Reported Increased Costs And Uncertainty Due To Tariffs. “‘It just feels like things keep getting piled on top,’ said Nichole MacDonald, owner of a San Diego business that sells women’s bags. ‘Not just for businesses, but for consumers. And what is a business without consumers?’ […] Other small retailers in the area tell similar stories of increased costs and having to adjust to continued tariff uncertainty in the wake of the Supreme Court decision that invalidated the bulk of President Donald Trump’s wide-ranging tariffs. In some cases, such as if they imported their own goods, they might be able to apply for tariff refunds, though the timeline for receiving refunds is unclear. The president also imposed new tariffs based on a different law, against which California and other states have filed a lawsuit.” [CalMatters, 4/29/26]