Ahh. The city of San Diego. You have to love it.This is funny:
Jim Waring, the city’s chief of land use and economic development, said he will talk to Chargers executives about the city’s costs for police, maintenance and other services for 10 home games, plus any playoff games.
The city’s total cost for last season is still being calculated, and could top $900,000.
“I hope that during this meeting we can discuss the numbers to see if something can be accomplished that’s positive for the city,” Waring said.
City Attorney Michael Aguirre said at a news conference Monday that he would like the Chargers to start making the city’s $5.7 million annual payment for the $60 million in bonds the city issued for the 1997 expansion of Qualcomm Stadium. The debt won’t be paid off until 2027.
The city has a lease agreement with the Chargers. Apparently, it is now upset with the lease — or, at least, the mayor and city attorney are.
So they’ve been stoking these stories lately. This is the equivalent of your landlord coming to you saying, “Look, I was drunk when I agreed to that lease. Sorry. Give me more money.”
Actually, the city hasn’t even talked to the Chargers. This is more like your landlord calling all of your friends and telling them that he was drunk when he signed the lease with you. So you shouldn’t have gotten the great deal that you got. Logically, then, you’re ripping him off.
All in the hopes, I guess, that your friends end up angry with you?
I wanted to know if this was what the mayor was thinking.
Fred Sainz, the mayor’s spokesman, acknowledged that it was awkward for Waring and Aguirre to come out together on this — considering that they don’t agree with each other about what they’re talking about (plus, there was that whole “corruption” thing.)
He also said that the mayor is fully aware that the Chargers have a lease.
“This is just asking for kindness from strangers,” Sainz said.
But it has merit. He said that regardless of the fact that they have a signed lease, the mayor has a responsibility to advocate on the taxpayers behalf.
“It is completely logical and reasonable that now that we have a quantification of the costs of operating the stadium during Chargers games that they would be asked to partake in that cost,” Sainz said.
Sainz said that unlike Aguirre, Waring isn’t advocating that the Chargers begin to pay off the annual bond payments the city owes on Qualcomm Stadium.
The Chargers’ friends, by the way, weren’t so happy with this little dance.