One of the interesting side effects of having elections for local Superior Court judges is that someone unhappy with how those judges decide things might try to unseat them in the next election. I know, who’d a thunk it?
In San Diego, this usually doesn’t happen. But it’s happening this year. As we report, a conservative website has popped up touting a slate of candidates it plans to run against a group of sitting incumbent judges. Though it hasn’t yet named who is part of their slate of candidates, it seems clear: Unprecedented in recent San Diego history, candidates are challenging five sitting judges.
The courts are abuzz about the website but its architects are not speaking up. It’s not an amateurish production, though. Regardless how you stand, you won’t want to idly mark your ballots when it comes to the judge races this year.
- Those judges aren’t the only incumbents feeling a bit of heat as elections near. San Diego school board member Katherine Nakamura has found herself looking at a potentially tough campaign for reelection. In 2008, the Democrat became part of a minority on the board not supported by labor when John Lee Evans unseated Mitz Lee and Richard Barrera replaced Luis Acle.
Now the teachers union and its supporters have a chance to push out someone with whom it has long battled. They blast Nakamura for a “sky-is-falling mentality” as she pushes for major cuts to handle major budget problems.
Not sure if that means they want a more sky-seems-to-be-holding-up candidate instead.
- The Fact Check is hopping. At her State of the County speech recently, Supervisor Pam Slater Price declared that the county “by partnering with the private sector to provide services” saved $390 million dollars for taxpayers. Is it true? Um, take a look.
- Councilman Carl DeMaio recently claimed that a committee recommending drastic increases to the salaries of the City Council were not taking into account the fact that the city contributes tens of thousands of dollars every year to their relatively generous pension benefit. Were his numbers correct?
- And speaking of numbers, Rich Toscano has noted a further decline in those concerning local foreclosures. There are ever fewer new foreclosures than in recent years but still far more than before the housing bust. Now, question is, does it matter?
Elsewhere:
- The Union-Tribune asked an interesting question Sunday: Is Comic-Con really leaving San Diego? This is central to the discussion about a new expansion of the Convention Center downtown. But as Anaheim and other suitors line up to try to lure the enormous gathering and all its money, is the convention in danger of leaving even before an expansion could ever be constructed? The U-T explains convention space is not the only concern of the event’s organizers.
- San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders pressed the co-founder of Oracle and new holder of the America’s Cup trophy to consider San Diego for the prestigious sailing race. After winning the prize in Spain, Larry Ellison now gets to decide where the next cup will be held. While San Francisco might be a natural for the Silicon Valley leader, San Diego leaders are hoping he’s looking for a little more sun and fewer cargo ships.
- The Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark rate symbolically and this morning, the head of the San Francisco Federal Reserve is speaking at USD as part of a “full-court press” to help people understand the reserve’s thinking.
- Finally, local media figures, politicians and now, labor leaders, have been having some great discussions on Twitter recently. OK, some are more productive than others. But last night, as a discussion went on about fixing the city’s structural budget deficit, labor leader Lorena Gonzalez made this claim about unions’ acquiescence last year to a new pension plan for new city workers: “We were told if we gave on new hire pensions, they would talk revenue. Ditto on 6% salary reduction…”
This is quite a statement. Did city leaders say they would consider new tax increases in exchange for labor absorbing recent cuts? If so, who? We’ll wait for Gonzalez’ response.
— SCOTT LEWIS