By Lee Moore, Del CerroThursday, Nov. 5, 2009 | Can the military share an airport or not? On the question of Miramar, I have heard that the military cannot share the land for a dual use airport. In traveling around the country I have noticed that many major airports have a military side. Airports such as Jacksonville, Charleston, Minneapolis all seem to have a military side. I am sure there are many more. Why, with over 10,000 acres, couldn't there be a shared airport at Miramar? I have noticed that many airports around the country have new modern terminals. Our terminal 2 is surpassed. Terminal 1 doesn't even compete. San Diego will never be a major hub, but can't we do better? Building a new airport would be a big job producer. Building that Gaylord project would have provided thousands of good jobs, right now when we could sure use them. I understand Mesa, AZ is under construction right now with the Gaylord resort we didn't want. I guess we didn't need those jobs either.
By Catherine Hockmuth, Ocean BeachThursday, Nov. 5, 2009 | Regarding "Schools Beset with Problems", the headline is dramatic but perhaps a little overly so in response to a single study that seems to take a superficial look a wide range of issues.
I'm hard pressed to understand why it's a negative that we don't fire more teachers. I get that not all teachers are good ones, but doubt the solution to our educational problems is to fire more. I can't say the low number alarms me. In my entire adult life in the private sector, I've seen maybe a handful of people fired for poor performance. Also, did the study look at the intervention process for teachers who've had negative evaluations? Perhaps the real story is that they tend to be successful.
And the idea of mayoral control over the district is a laughable, simplistic solution to a very complex problem. It's a perfect example of the kind of quick fix thinking that dominates educational reform. Got a problem, let's put the mayor in charge! Or better yet -- a CEO!
By Allan Goodman, Kearney MesaTuesday, Nov. 03, 2009 | A new stadium in downtown will only compound the massive traffic and parking problems one sees at Petco, when there is a sellout crowd. With twice as many cars for 60-70,000 people, it will be impossible. The steady breeze that one sees at Petco will only be worse in the winter. There is only one logical place for the new stadium, and that is at the Qualcomm site. The roads, merging freeways, and space for parking are there. Central location for the people from all over this county is there. The facility for SDSU is there. Building a "new" stadium while using the "old" has been done many times in this country á la Yankee Stadium or Stanford Stadium. Jack Murphy and the others who picked that outstanding location were correct. Don't repeat the Petco mistake and move it elsewhere. By Loran Pilling, San DiegoTuesday, Nov. 03, 2009 | The downtown site is perfect. It's a win-win-win for everybody. The only thing missing is a way for the Chargers to make a profit on a vacant parcel to pay for part of the stadium. The answer is to give them a better than market deal on the Sports Arena or Qualcomm site with the condition that they build a NBA/NHL quality sports arena as part of their condo/retail/office development. We all get a new stadium and sports arena. The Chargers stay here in the perfect spot. We get a NBA and/or NHL team. The city's property tax base goes way up with new revenue from the retail/residential/office part of the Sports Arena or Qualcomm development. In addition, the city will have the other vacant site to sell off or develop. The city also gets increased property taxes in East Village. WIN-WIN-WIN!
P.S. The city could use the remaining Sports Arena or Qualcomm site to relocate the marine training base. The marine site plus adjacent land near Lindbergh could possibly add a much needed second runway to the airport. By Laura Palfrey Murphy, North CountyMonday, Nov. 02, 2009 | It's nice to see some coverage from the dispensary perspective.
Cities do not want to make rules/guidelines. Without the grey area of the law, they will not qualify for drug war funds.
The Supreme Court ruled that Federal Law trumps state law in Gonzales vs. Raich due to the interstate commerce laws. We must focus on Congress rewriting these insane laws in order to revisit this issue.
So, what can the average taxpayer do who wants the government, including our own city, to knock this, what should be illegal, shit off? Go to a sleep clinic and then go get a recommendation for cannabis. Or a depression/anxiety clinic. These are two of the most common uses of cannabis. You don't have to use it, but if everyone did that, the government just might finally take notice.
Even the elderly from Leisure World in Orange County have realized its benefit, found a doctor and formed their own collective. Maybe when the DEA starts raiding all the retirement communities and nursing homes with guns blazing, people will finally have the awakening we have all been waiting for.
There will never be a way to convince the power structure of cannabis' benefit. They are addicted to the money it brings. Just like the Mondale Act of 1973 when federal funds opened up for CPS. Suddenly, we had millions of abused children. When the government opens up federal funds, states clamour to get the money.
Anyone have a tally of the cost for Operation Endless Summer or for the 09.09.09 raids? Juxtaposed against the large bottomless pit of what we call our city budget, I smell change or is that cannabis, in the air?
Don't even get me started on the private prison/slave business.
It's time for all of us to come out of the smoky closet and clear the air. Come on, you millions of users I keep hearing about? Come protest with us. Stop being afraid.
Watch "American Drug War" and google Irv Rosenberg's testimony in Michigan. Pretty much says it all. By Dianne Parham, Normal HeightsFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | This is how I predict the main library will proceed.
The estimate will come in at or below $185 million, and no one paid me $500,000 to know that. The City Council members will pat each other on the back, not for being visionaries but because they know some of them will be out of office when the contractors come back to ask for additional funds because, ooops, their estimate was too low.
Then it will be too late because, after all, construction has already started and now we have to add money to the project, even if the fundraising is still pretty pathetic even after a decade of trying to get interest in the project. And the Council will add money and add money and add money, and the public will never be told the total true cost of the project, but will continue to be told it was approved at the original amount. I've seen this before, by the way, and so have you if you've paid attention to projects built in the city. And because it is a bigger building, everyone will be surprised the operating costs went up because, unlike construction costs, operating costs tend to go up, but now we have the building so we have to pay the added costs of running it.
And the first major earthquake we have, the whole thing will fold like the tower of toothpicks it is due to the maneuvers to move school money out of projects that needed the funds and dumping them into the main library in a community that didn't want a charter high school but that's all they get so the safety requirements can be avoided.
Of course there is the added cost of transporting the students to the site, but let's not count that -- the school system can afford that extra expense, right?
Good job all around. Typical city project.
I would love to be wrong, by the way, but I would also have liked to have had a decent design for the library and that didn't happen. By Richard del Rio, Pacific BeachFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | Is it just me or does Emily Alpert's note on a local group of businesspeople and civic leaders at University of San Diego sound like deja vu all over again? When the Chamber of Commerce's Business Roundtable lobbied for hiring former School Superintendent Alan Bersin in 1998, the fix was in. The SDUSD School Board announced that they wanted a "non-educator," knowing all along that Alan Bersin was their man.
Now we have another private group of self-described leaders holding a private meeting to discuss issues of concern for the district. The invitation cites four main areas of concern including transparency and community involvement. Without any irony intended the meeting is closed to the public. If I were this group's English teacher, their invitation to the event would be penalized for not defending the claim.
By Hank Cunningham, EncinitasFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | Sorry, but it's difficult to empathize with the "plight" of the Suttons and other De Anza Cove residents who've lived on one of prime pieces of real estate in coastal San Diego County for years at a pittance of the true value of their leased property. Face it -- they don't own the underlying land, and the term of their land leases expired years ago.
It's time for the landlord (city of San Diego) to exercise its lawful authority and for the tenants to move on. Please relate this to the following article by Scott Lewis that seriously considers municipal bankruptcy.
The city needs to manage the assets it already possesses before even considering reneging on legal contracts with its employees.
By Bill Bradshaw, Mission BeachMonday, Oct. 26, 2009 | More than just a graveyard, indeed. It's an asset that could be converted into cash, instead of an annual $300k drain on the city treasury by simply selling it. But what does the bureaucracy do? Spends time on plans to spend more money to make it a "showplace" for nature and art.
With a $169 million deficit, called "structural" by the IBA, can there be a more fitting example of why this city, one of very few that runs cemeteries,is in deep trouble? Until someone cleans house, there is no way our financial problem will be faced, much less solved. By Ian Trowbridge, Mission HillsFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | The comment by Malin Burnham that the public can't be trusted to express an informed vote on whether the city should build a new Civic Center. Sarah Palin's idiotic political and social pronouncements pale in comparison with Papa Malin's proclamation that he believes in the concept of "in loco parentis" for the majority of adult San Diego voters.
This man is a disaster for San Diego with the influence he wields with the old guard still running this city who, in turn, control the mayor and a least one council member.
Maybe we shouldn't vote at all for mayor or city council members and let Malin pick them himself as he already tries to do. After all, we can't be trusted. By John de Beck, Bay ParkFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | The state constitution does not permit charges for public education activities.
That is not debateable.
When charges are requested for student participation in a school-sponsored activity or class, the case law supports the constitution and any attorney that says otherwise is wiggling away from legal precedent.
The excuse that a child whose family can't afford the charge will be taken care of by the school (through donors, or by school funds) is just that: an excuse! The constitution does not have a means test. It doesn't say it public education is free for the poor, but not free for the others!
As a board member, I and others elected to office are sworn to support the constitution. The issue of whether or not parents choose to attend private schools because we make public schools free (or stop requiring payments for activities) is irrelevant and should not color our judgment.
School folks have tried to justify the process of charging by asking parents to go to vendors directly for uniform or other requirements. In addition, they have made requirements for periodic "donations" as installment payments of the charges they require for student participation. They also deposit donations into the ASB (Student Body) accounts and then use the accounts to actually pay district employees for work they do after hours for district sponsored activities.
There is an official pay schedule for extra-curricular activities and every principal manages it from their high school budget.
If they want other activities and can't pay for them, charging parents seems like an easy way out. But it is unconstitutional -- not a gray area.
If, as many courts have held, that these practices are unconstitutional, then those who want the worthwhile activities to continue should figure out the constitutional way to support them. Donations are always welcome for public school activities, but requiring them to be paid so your child can participate in a public school activity is wrong. The end does not justify the means. By Lisa Chavarria, TierrasantaFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | I found your article about school fees very interesting. There is a rise in fees, obviously, but a $25 soccer uniform for an extra-curricular activities is mild, even if money is tight. I find it interesting that parents are complaining over $20 for art, a $20 activity card, etc.
No one is complaining that an elementary school class has 40 kids in it. Or that there is little to no art or music in elementary and middle schools. The schools have to made do with the limited resources they have. I guess to stop all this complaining about activities your kids don't "have" to be in (they're called extracurricular for a reason) ... cancel them all. Sure, you love soccer, cheerleading, football and art. Find a community organization to participate in (if you can). And let the fees roll! It will make your $20 seem like a steal. By Frances O'Neill Zimmerman, La JollaFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | The issue of requiring public school students and their families to pay for uniforms and/or supplies to participate in a particular kind of class or extra-curricular activity is prohibited by law and everyone knows it, no matter what the practice at a given school. Pay-to-play rules don't "stigmatize" poor kids: they exclude them.
This is an opportune moment for a philanthropic institution like the San Diego Foundation to step in, develop a fund and make an annual significant donation to the local public schools to cover such costs. It would be a huge help, it's entirely local and it would win that organization a lot of friends. By Carrie Schneider, San DiegoFriday, Oct. 30, 2009 | Rob Davis does a great job of pointing out the mess created at the border by the Federal Government. The legislation that allowed this project, without any standards for mitigation of the deleterious effects, was the Real ID Act. This bill was supported by both of California's senators, and was ostensibly about improving identification verification, but also included a section that waived all laws (not just environmental laws) in order to speed border fence construction. This was despite the fact that none of the 9/11 terrorists entered the border through Mexico.
The failure of California's congressional representatives to remove this section from the bill means that San Diego will suffer for decades to come unless steps are taken to force the Federal Government to act responsibly. Kudos to Susan Davis for taking some steps to address this problem, but what is needed is a new act of Congress that forces the federal departments to repair the damage they have done to San Diego. By Dylan Mann, Linda VistaThursday, Oct. 22, 2009 | This was an excellent article. voiceofsandiego does a great job covering education, housing, and of course, city politics, but I would love to see regular reports (perhaps even a dedicated column) on San Diego health care. Indirectly, more press coverage will help provide care to the underserved. Make no mistake about it -- PHILANTHROPISTS READ VOICE OF SAN DIEGO.
Many of our fellow San Diegans are skipping primary care because they can't afford $30 co-pays at a local clinic. We all know what happens next ... their conditions fester, they head to the nearest emergency room, and our society pays their bill, which grows to $30,000.
There are people reading VOSD who have the means to underwrite many health clinic co-pays. This is an attractive, "upstream" intervention for donors looking to get the most bang for their philanthropic buck, so to speak. If you want to help people like Ángeles Hernandez, write these kinds of stories as often as possible. I guarantee it will make a difference. By Terry E. Abrams, San DiegoTuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 | Solution: just put a "photo enforcement" camera on every corner, and "click" our way out of the financial crisis.
Here is how it goes: There are always 500,000 cars driving around San Diego. And .. we know all these drivers do something illegal in the course of an hour or a week or a month. At $350 per ticket, that is $175,000,000 in six months minimum.
Budget problem solved! In the course of a day, I see just most drivers: text or phone, run a light or stop sign, make an illegal turn, speed, not buckle up, etc.
Leave the cameras up for 5 years and we will have a huge budget surplus. We did not have this technology in 1984, but today "Big Brother" could indeed be our financial savior!
Note from Your Friendly Web Editor: Hey Terry, Wonder if the city is already on to your idea? Click. By Jacob Pyle, Pacific BeachMonday, Oct. 19, 2009 | I've been reading about the San Diego financial crisis for the last several years and I've seen virtually nothing done at City Hall except for some minor moves to reduce some potential spending as long as it doesn't get any employees or constituents upset. Now with the most recent deficit forecasts, we are seeing more big, tough talk from a mayor and council who have proven time and time again, they are capable of anything EXCEPT making big, tough decisions.
But I finally realized it is all going to work out. The mayor and council will push and haggle for some cuts. They will cave to complaints from the voters, the unions and their campaign supporters. Once again nothing will be done and the city will be forced to declare bankruptcy.
It will be a painful process, but it just might get the city back on some sound financial footing in a decade.
By Lindsay Sprenger, Point LomaThursday, Oct. 15, 2009 | I just read the article about El Cajon Blvd. and prostitution, but I noticed Keegan Kyle didn't mention anything about prostitutes as trafficking victims. I know not all of them are victims, but we'd be surprised how many are. San Diego needs more research on human/sex trafficking; it's a huge problem here, but people don't realize it. Maybe you guys could write an article about it? The Global Forum on Human Trafficking was in Carlsbad last week. It's a start, but we have a long way to go. By Susan Mournian, Bay ParkSaturday, Oct. 10, 2009 | The annual arguments over the Winter Shelter have dominated much of the local press in the last weeks with the mayor offering potential sites in all of the council districts. Two sites were overlooked. Fiesta Island offers space, views, and a short walk to the trolley and County Mental Health Services on Rosecrans. The overflow parking lot near Interstate 5 and Seaworld Drive is suitable. In my area of Bay Park/Clairemont, an abandoned shopping center named Bay View Plaza might work if the developer CW Clarke needed the money. Apparently he does not as this project has languished for over 8 years.
We will soon have a monument sign in the median near the site which proclaims "Welcome to Clairemont". Some residents wanted the sign to say "Welcome to Bay Park" but I am relieved that Clairemont will be taking the rap for the blight. By Woody DuBois, Kearney MesaTuesday, Oct. 13, 2009 | The oldest profession probably will never go away, but as stated by law enforcement representatives it can be controlled if you use the right methods. High visibility policing was mentioned as the most effective method. With the SDPD down 250 Officers and a hiring freeze in place one has to wonder where the officers conducting these high visibility patrols are going to come from. In addition, most arrests are made by undercover vice detectives. With the investigational ranks of the SDPD being depleted to supplement the dwindling patrol divisions it is only logical the ability to arrest will be lessened. With the limited resources the SDPD has to use, one has to believe prostitution issues likely are going to get worse, not better.
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The week's Coffee Collection and a display of bipartisan unity in the Saturday Report.
Saturday, November 7 -- 10:22 am
Two local congressmen are among just 17 in U.S. House of Representatives to oppose vote honoring World Series champs.
Saturday, November 7 -- 11:06 am
The early afternoon light finds its way into the frame.
Friday, November 6 -- 5:01 pm
SURVIVAL IN SAN DIEGO
Percentage of those at least 90 days behind on mortgage payments rises to 8.3 percent in San Diego, up from 5 percent last year.
Thursday, November 5 -- 12:04 pm
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A Dual-use civilian-military operation of Miramar air strips is out. Lindbergh Field is a sticky issue; how about a new airport?
Thursday, November 5 -- 8:22 pm
CAFÉ SAN DIEGO
Wednesday, October 28 -- 5:29 pm
COMMENTARY: SLOP
One beautiful, the other important.
Thursday, October 29 -- 10:20 am
COMMENTARY: RICH TOSCANO
Saturday, November 7 -- 1:04 pm
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Letters may be edited for length -- we prefer they not be longer than 350 words. And they may be edited for style and libelous content.