The San Diego Convention Center has been touting a list of 28 major organizations that won’t book events here unless an expansion goes through. Make that 26.
One of the two largest organizations on the list says a new Convention Center would still be way too small and the other says it won’t be moving its shows from current locations at all.
The convention center promises to update the list, which its CEO provided during an interview last month. “I did not say these were current numbers,” she says now. “You did not ask, ‘Were these current numbers?’”
Apparently the mayor’s task force — which just voted 15-1 to support the expansion — didn’t ask that question either.
Now what else is on tap to keep you up to date Friday?
- Who should get $2 billion in federal money for tech companies: small firms with decent funding from venture capitalists or those that haven’t been so lucky because they’re even tinier?
The question is crucial locally, where the vast majority of the 40,000 people in the biotech industry work for small companies.
- The president wanted to speak to elementary and high school students in a televised address, and — no surprise — politicians squawked in protest.
That was 18 years ago. The president was named Bush and the annoyed politicians were Democrats, says The Washington Post.
Now, it’s President Obama’s turn to draw fire for a speech aimed at schools. Locally, the idea of children hearing the president speak has so unnerved Poway Unified School District that they’re ordering teachers to alert parents if they plan to show the speech in the classroom.
Fun fact: In the city of Poway, which makes up a large chunk of the school district, registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by nearly 2-1.
- In other education news, we’ve got news about new school lunches at San Diego schools and two follow-ups to our earlier story about a new way of teaching science to elementary students: a look at other strategies and notes from a retired teacher and a scientist who have thoughts about how to inspire kids to appreciate science.
And in the South Bay, a firm helping the local high school district spend bond money is in hot water with state election officials.
- We’re debuting a new feature. Before each San Diego City Council meeting, we’ll post a link to the agenda and a few words about the issues we’re following. Very few people have the time to make it to City Hall to let their perspective be known about what’s on the docket. But maybe you have a few minutes to weigh in on our site.
- The company that owns the U-T is still wooing the owner of The Boston Globe in an attempt to purchase the paper. But the Globe’s crosstown rival says another bidder might be in the catbird seat.
- A quick spin through the newspapers: County pension officials have hired a new “portfolio strategist” at a hefty rate (NCT), the $300 million Carlsbad desalinization plant is moving forward (NCT), and Lindbergh Field (aka “the Harbor Drive airfield,” as the U-T creatively puts it) is offering discounts to woo airlines (U-T).
- Hello, NFL commissioner? You just put your football in your mouth. The U-T says the commish raised the prospect of remodeling Qualcomm Stadium, rather than replacing it to keep the team in town. The Chargers immediately denied this was even conceivable.
- Finally, Reuters reports that the “Lingerie Football League” — which includes a team called the San Diego Seduction — begins play today.
We’ll let you in on Victoria’s secret: She’s vulnerable to the pass rush.
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— RANDY DOTINGA