When the decision was made for these upgrades (including desalination and the Pure Water plant), all parties agreed, including to split the cost spread over several decades. What happened? Thats become less true in a hurry, culminating in 2018 when they unseated multiple incumbent Republicans, and progressive challengers did the same to incumbent Democrats who were to their right. Required fields are marked *. | Voice of San Diego is a public-service, nonprofit news organization that focuses on in-depth and investigative reporting on issues impacting the San Diego region. We wont be asking that, or using it as a consideration in our selection.. Seeing the legislation progress, Desmond moved the vote to July. Even if attacks dont succeed, they deliver intolerable trauma to public life. Unfortunately, what were finding from our outreach workers is many of their offers of assistance are declined, said Mayor Todd Gloria, in an interview with Voice of San Diego. Hell evaluate each measure carefully once theyve qualified for the ballot.. We rely on people like you to support this service. Cannabis Industry Is Becoming A Bigger Player In Local Politics It also means the contractors and workers who want those jobs dont get them. Even when Republicans had a majority, Democratic Councilwoman Cori Schumacher had been the agency's SANDAG representative since 2019, after Republican Mayor Matt Hall represented the city before her. The budget for that plant falls under Blinken's department. Learn how your comment data is processed. . So, its not 2010 or 2014 anymore, but the electorate this year is still likely to be somewhat to the right of the one that approved Measure E in 2020. Its only a question of when. We rely on people like you to support this service. Democrats there picked up a Council seat in November, giving them a 3-2 majority. by Voice of San Diego July 21, 2023. Does he have the votes? Voice of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Politics Report: GOP Rivals Scuffle for Supervisor Race. Former San Diego City Attorney Mike Aguirre, whose career is mostly about public interest lawsuits like this and the potential settlements they deliver. The Politics Report our insider's guide to local politics and public affairs by editors Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts; . Its unclear if Gloria will do the same. But now he said the St. Louis case opened his eyes. I think the most important difference are those sensitive sites, the schools, parks, waterways, canyons, homeless shelters, places where we want to control the time, manner and place of encampments in those areas in order to boost safety and public health. Parks and libraries supporters last year announced their own initiative to increase funding for city infrastructure, and while Gloria touted his goal of streamlining city funding for city projects from parks and libraries to roads and rec centers, he didnt mention the ballot measure. Twenty years ago, when the vote to finalize the great deal between all the massive Southern California water agencies came, a couple old farmers opposed. List two candidates who will make it to the runoff. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Todd Gloria State of the City. At the city of San Diego, Mayor Todd Gloria announced he too would stop requiring employees to get the vaccine and accommodate employees who had requested religious or medical exemptions. Sheriff: Which two candidates make it to runoff? That at some point, the Chargers had no intention of staying here. Desmond didnt want to talk. He also writes about local politics, where he frequently Phone: 619-325-0525. The fact is that when it comes to balancing our focus on accommodating the needs of local residents versus attracting more wealthy tourists and fugitive money from places like China and Russia, weve tipped the balance in favor of being a tourist town. Less Than a Third of Chula Vista's Tiny Homes Are Occupied Right? Councilwoman Monica Montgomery Steppe collected another union endorsement this week, giving her a stranglehold on labor support in her county supervisor race. The region has been losing population the last three years because more people have been moving away from San Diego than have been moving here. We want to have the best streets, the best parks, the best public safety, all at a discount. Something else is going on. Contact Us. Politics Report: GOP Rivals Scuffle for Supervisor Race | Voice of San The Water Authority turned into a machine driven by people who really believed they were on a historic mission to preserve the region as a functioning civilization. Aguirre had previously argued to us that the lease the city signed with the Chargers was illegal and thus void. The San Diego Union-Tribune building in downtown San Diego on July 10, 2023. Mitchell estimates turnout is unlikely to reach 40 percent. Please be patient!!! 49th Congressional District: Which two candidates will make it to the runoff? / Photo by Adriana Heldiz. It was a project he said even the two water agencies that are now leaving the Water Authority largely supported. First, some background: The state is currently accepting applications for Homekey . But last week, one Democrat balked and thats not a good sign. Voice of San Diego | 2,823 followers on LinkedIn. Unemployment now almost as low as two years ago: In February, San Diegos unemployment rate hit 4 percent, just a bit higher than 3.8 percent we had in February 2020, before the pandemic began. They wont. La Mesa Councilwoman Akilah Weber might have solidified her status as the favorite this week by locking up the state Democratic Party's endorsement to represent an overwhelmingly Democratic [] The City hereby acknowledges and agrees that the NFL shall not be liable to the City with respect to any such activities, reads the lease. Voice of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We need a philanthropist to step in to build a state-of-the-art hospital/facility for the homeless. Fallbrook and Rainbow leaving could mean this period of expansion, innovation, investment and independence is coming to an end. When you see turnout drop, its important to remember that it doesnt drop in all groups equally, he said. MacKenzies alternate supported it and Fallbrook and Rainbow got the five votes they needed. The NFL argued that its team relocation policy wasnt a contract at all. VOSD Podcast: The Art of Political Mailers | Voice of San Diego Just 7 percent of Democrats said the same. by Kathryn Gray July 19, 2023 Podcasts VOSD Podcast: The Art of Political Mailers by Nate John July 21, 2023 News The mayor himself ran for the office in 2019 critical of his predecessors enforcement of laws related to the illegal lodging and encroachment. Public debate on this year's ballot has centered on moves to change the coastal height limit and People's Ordinance, but a project labor agreement-focused measure has generated far more attention from campaign funders. Carlsons speech was loose, but pointed. Scott Lewis oversees Voice of San Diegos operations, website and daily functions as Editor in Chief. Fallbrook, though, got Big Avocado to weigh in. Even if the city of San Diego had to pay $6 billion to buy its power grid off San Diego Gas and Electric, the savings to ratepayers could eventually top $180 million over 30 years of the sale. Your email address will not be published. VOSD Podcast: The Art of Political Mailers . Morning Report: What San Diego's Water Fight Is Really About Politics Report: San Diego Is Dying The region has been losing population the last three years because more people have been moving away from San Diego than have been moving here. It oscillated between admiration of his four dogs and jokes about organic peanut butter, to talk of demonic forces and spiritual warfare. More by Andrew Keatts. Scott Lewis: What does the ordinance do to city law that city law is incapable of facilitating right now? Politics Report: Signs Point to a Low-Turnout. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eleven years ago, when the San Diego County Water Authority was going through the final stages of approving what had, by that time, become a decade-long odyssey to create the first desalination plant on the West Coast, the agency made a prediction. Politics Report | Voice of San Diego . Missing from this article? We expect all commenters to be constructive and civil. Politics Report: County Supes Shift Could Be Huge for Rural Housing Please refresh the page and/or try again. Jamie Lee Curtis Pushes for Climate-Change Fight at Comic-Con - The San Diego Water promised their customer Fallbrook and Rainbow their product would be cheaper. Desmonds board delayed the decision but then the city of San Diego and the Water Authority, so concerned about the divorce, got Assemblywoman Tasha Boerner to push a bill that would require voters across the entire county approve the decision, a vote that would almost certainly fail. You are welcome to, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), A voter casts his vote at the Mid-City Gym polling place in City Heights on Sept. 14, 2021. We dont let voters decide on water rate increases like we do tax increases because somewhere deep down we know its too important. In the meantime, the city should stop handing millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars to its tourism authority to run TV and radio ads all over the United States urging people to come vacation here. Something went wrong. A 25 percent turnout election with 22 million registered voters is much different than 25 percent turnout with 17 million registered voters. Wednesday, Gloria said stormwater needs called for a massive fix, in the same way the Pure Water system the city is building to provide an independent water source. They have their stated reasons: When Rainbow and Fallbrook leave, the rest of us will pay more for water to pay off the bills we took on to build all the things we built and to pay off all the deals we made. Danny 858 405 5118 to volunteer 5 minutes a week. Its the first of a two-part plan that would also see a big section of downtown around City Hall transformed into a large transit hub. Regional transportation would suffer a considerable setback if it doesnt. This would become a new minimum requirement of employment and would be included in all future job bulletins, managers announced to city labor union leaders in July. The region has been losing population the last three years because more people have been moving away from San Diego than have been moving here. The fee we charge to maintain our pipes, culverts, drains and treatment facilities hasnt been updated in almost 25 years, and as a result, weve fallen far behind on critically needed improvements to protect our beaches and waterways.. There are also some water power politics at play. And then there are political questions. Late last month, Councilwoman Jen Campbell did something unusual. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Mayors dont usually put forward big new laws or policies to the City Council if they dont have the votes lined up. Carlson is just the latest right-wing luminary to make the trip. At the same time, the cost of water from Met climbed but nowhere near the pace. Daniel Smiechowski SDCC D2 candidate PS Campbell was right about her support of an area in need of TLC. Anyway, go through the list and send in your answers like this: Send them to scott.lewis@voiceofsandiego.org. Voice of San Diego is a 501 . The Voice Poll | Voice of San Diego They, like all customers, recognized that and are now choosing a different supplier. This is the kind of all-hands-on-deck approach we need to repair our stormwater infrastructure, he said. In this episode, Lewis described to co-hosts Andrea Lopez-Villafaa and Jakob McWhinney that mailers while objectively annoying inbox filler that most people throw . Voice of San Diego is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. And they not tourists, will determine what the future of San Diego holds. The sounds of someone listening to a Trump speech on their phone mingled with John Legends All of Me and Kelly Clarksons Since Youve Been Gone on the radio. The first set of returns would hit just after polls closed, composed almost entirely of mail ballots that were disproportionately cast by older, whiter and richer voters. If either candidate cant secure the endorsement themselves, simply blocking the party from endorsing their opponent would itself be a big deal. All told, the industry has contributed $315,000 to local candidates and Democratic. Links. Politics Report: Measured Race. Her campaign (distinct from the couple independent expenditure committees spending money on her behalf, against former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana), has brought in $157,000 for the race including the $25,000 she loaned it. Mayor Todd Gloria: I think this is an opportunity to reassert what our expectations are of really everyone who uses our public spaces. What does this do? Politics Report: 79th Heats Up | Voice of San Diego They are wrong and I ask of your vote to D2 SDCC. Politics Report: Q&A with the Mayor | Voice of San Diego High by Scott Lewis June 17, 2023 Politics Report: Q&A with the Mayor by Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts June 10, 2023 Politics Report: Housing First Hate Continues to Take Shape by Andrew Keatts and Scott Lewis June 3, 2023 The New Partisan Lines on Homelessness by Andrew Keatts May 30, 2023 Politics Report: Campaign Finance Rocked by New Law Ive enjoyed it all, even sparring with some of you on Saturday mornings when you didnt like what we had to say. Politics Report: The Special Election Is Upon Us - Voice of San Diego And many of us here in San Diego looked at it with happiness for our compatriots in St. Louis. Does he have the votes? He just wanted them to think he would. / Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran for Voice of San Diego. What will they do?) Last time around, Brookfield Properties won the bidding and then helped fund the campaign. List two candidates who will make it to runoff. If water stopped flowing, though, everything is over. More by Scott Lewis. Political observers think the dynamic is a bit more complicated. Now, though, it appears Gloria has acknowledged he never intended to actually fire the bulk of employees who refused the vaccine. By the end of the day, staff had gotten them to change their vote so it would be unanimous. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So we have an aging population, and demographic forecasters werent ready for that in 2008.. More by Scott Lewis, Your email address will not be published. And often when its drugs and human, prostitution that it also begets other things like the violence we saw just last week on Commercial Street in Barrio Logan, East Village. Well forgive your spelling errors, to a point. It covers the issues that are crucial to the region's quality of life: its politics, educational system, environment, housing . It has absolutely nothing with being promised a product at a price and having been unable to follow through with that promise, resulting in the customer choosing another supplier. It has never been lost on me how lucky I was that there was a large group of you who cared to do that. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The great separation battle in San Diego water is interesting for all the normal reasons, the impact on ratepayers, the potential change to power. The Politics Report was at an event recently with lots of political people who reminded us that we needed to do the Elections Contest again, which had almost slipped our minds with the relative boringness of this election. Measure E will come to fruition. About. More by Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts is a former managing editor for projects and investigations at Voice of San Diego. Its surreal to see that written down. Please donate or sponsor VOSD today. On election night in 2020, Zucchet said he hoped Gloria would usher in a new era in which the city was honest with residents that they couldnt get a world-class city on the cheap. People didnt want to vote on a pig in the poke. Democrats are fired up about it, the business community is fired up about it, everybody knows we need to do something about infrastructure, transit and traffic in this town, he said. He could, theoretically, keep the competition open until the votes are in. Right. Another product of Voice of San Diego is Voice of San Diego at Home. It means that future plans, like massive pipelines or wastewater re-use or more stormwater capture, are in jeopardy. And, the Elections Contest is back. More by Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts is a former managing editor for projects and investigations at Voice of San Diego. by Andrew Keatts and Scott Lewis October 29, 2022. Business Manager, San Diego Building and . Youve since then released a comprehensive shelter solutions plan. And I think it does warrant clarification. Major said SANDAG is beginning to ponder how that should change the agencys approach. More by Andrew Keatts. The projections were wrong. If you vote on something, youre in it and you have to stick around and pay for it, Denham said. The star took part in a panel at San Diego Comic-Con to debut her first graphic novel, 'Mother Nature,' which focuses on a nefarious oil company. Learn how your comment data is processed. 9. The only thing that might bring down housing prices is enough people moving out, and the citys promise to reduce the number of homes serving as short term vacation rentals by about half, with half of them returning to the long-term rental or for sale markets. Gloria outlined the need for more money in multiple policy areas in which there are already potential ballot measures in the works: libraries and parks, stormwater, and transit. What is happening: Recessions slow population growth. Environment Report: San Diego Isn't Cracking Down on Bad Composting So how does that work out in your head? Turnout is likely to be lower in 2022 than it was in 2024 And maybe just maybe the voters will finally wake up and stop voting for political prostitutes. More by Andrew Keatts. The assumption that this would continue has driven policy discussions for 20 years. List two candidates who will make it to the runoff. Some of those expectations have been muddied in the last couple of years because of the pandemic. 110 West A St. Suite 650, San Diego, CA 92101 They would no longer just move teams out of cities at their unilateral discretion. And we have lots of questions. Sign up for one of our free newsletters below to get the latest news directly from our reporters. 8. Pretty simply, I mean, first off, the law does not require us to have a one for one option. The video featured health care workers responding to the pandemic and a message about why they . Somethings got to give here. Please donate or sponsor VOSD today. Thats my expectation. But then, the lawyers argued, they discovered that the NFL and the Rams had no intention of respecting that process. And the lease has nothing to do with the target of a lawsuit here. SAN DIEGO . To illustrate how that works: California is 40 percent Latino today. Please refresh the page and/or try again. He also writes about local politics, where he frequently It was a huge deal and a very expensive one. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. The next trophy up for grabs between the two is the party endorsement itself. In Jesus name.. But, Denham told me, the projections, the high costs, theyre all part of a largely successful three-decade-long push to make San Diego water independent, to shelter it from drought and cutbacks it cant control and to thrive when the rest of the west dries. How will it be enforced? I went through it. The homeless population downtown and in the surrounding area has increased 160 percent since September of 2021. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. San Diego City Council District 2: Choose OVER or UNDER for Linda Lukacs, 10 percent. Please donate or sponsor VOSD today. There are CC& Rs, setback and zoning considerations in Point Loma, and beyond which must be addressed with public approval. We expect all commenters to be constructive and civil. Jack Bebee, the general manager at Fallbrook was up for talking. But walking away now is like a group sitting down for dinner, then one couple decide that the food wasnt worth the priceor was more expensive than they expectedand walk away before the waiter brings the bill, stiffing the rest of the people at the table. The just-passed transportation plan for the county that Gloria voted for in December is already counting on voters approving a ballot measure next year, and for it to bring in more than $10 billion for new projects. He also touched on another of his favorite topics, the unraveling of Western civilization, which he said was ultimately an effort to destroy Christianity. Voice of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 110 West A St. Suite 650, San Diego, CA 92101 Phone: 619-325-0525. She had let them know she couldnt attend a meeting in July. Something went wrong. Listen Cannabis Industry Is Becoming A Bigger Player In Local Politics Listen to this story by Katy Stegall. In each case, though, Gloria steered clear of mentioning whether hed lead on those measures or even if hed support them. I skipped the first three, Im not getting that one either, Carlson said. The encampments often attract this kind of behavior, and thats precisely why its not safe to leave people out there. He also writes about local politics, where he frequently Required fields are marked *. Sheriff: Choose OVER or UNDER for Kelly Martinez, 31.5 percent. Brennan said the organization supported the camping ban, along with a handful of other new homeless initiatives. And, the Elections Contest is back. Almost 800 employees, the city announced, would be granted exemptions for religious and other reasons. Thats never been an asset during her political career. This is the highest tent and person count on record for our organization, making the actions being considered by our elected leaders in the coming weeks critically important, wrote Betsy Brennan, president and CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, in a blunt email releasing the organizations monthly count.