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Learn how the People’s Reporter feature works and ask him your questions.
In Other News:
• Prop. D, the city’s sales-tax increase/financial reform measure, has jumped over another obstacle: yesterday, it survived a second legal attack.
In other Prop. D news: Voters might wonder how much the city will save on retiree health care if the measure passes. They won’t get an answer: the city says the savings could be between $1 — yes, one dollar — and $42 million a year, but it doesn’t look like there will be a better answer out there before the election. That could hurt Prop. D’s supporters, who are already facing an uphill climb.
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• Prop D. foes say city officials can’t be trusted. So it seemed like a good idea for us to fact-check a statement by the mayor, who said the city has cut 1,400 positions and, since 2006, cut $300 million from the budget. Is he right? We’ve reached a verdict.
• San Diego schools are preparing to dip into their reserve monies, potentially making the emergency fund become about as thin as a piece of Kleenex, unless the governor signs a bill.
• As we told you yesterday, a NYT story reported that taxpayers in several cities are on the hook for millions of dollars in debt for stadiums that have been abandoned and in some cases don’t even exist anymore. Isn’t that silly? It couldn’t happen here, right? Well, funny story: local taxpayers are still paying for 1996’s renovations at the football stadium, and there’s a lot more to pay off even as there’s talk of building a new stadium.
• It’s one of the top-billed matchups on the local ballot in November: Ron Roberts, the longtime Republican county supervisor, vs. Stephen Whitburn, the Democrat who’s out to break the GOP’s chokehold at the County Administration Center.
Whitburn kicked off his campaign yesterday at a press conference in front of a crowd. Well, maybe it was more of a gathering: Only about 30 people showed up, fewer than Whitburn expected, and just two reporters made an appearance. There were more cameras and almost as many people at a nearby wedding party.
• Our video series San Diego Explained takes a look at teacher layoffs: How come a pink slip doesn’t necessarily mean a teacher won’t have a job?
• The spotlights are on, the audience is hushed and the orchestra is ready. Tune in to our site later today as we open the curtains on the Behind the Scene arts blog.
Our staffers and contributors will highlight the happenings in the local arts world, spark conversations and tell the stories of those who create and appreciate art and music.
At the same time, the blog will reflect our mission to shine a light on what works (and what doesn’t) to help San Diego become a better place.
If you prefer to receive our new arts coverage in email, sign up to receive our weekly arts email, which starts Tuesday, September 14.
Elsewhere:
• High-profile City Council candidate Lorie Zapf’s mortgage is in the clear: CityBeat says county records show that she’s no longer in default on her home loan.
This became an issue in the campaign because Zapf has been a proponent of financial responsibility. CityBeat, which has hammered Zapf about it, wonders how the mortgage is getting paid since her company has been dissolved.
• Disgraced former congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham wrote a judge from prison complaining that the IRS is after his life savings, the U-T reports.
• We’ve been asking you for ideas from other cities — like rent-a-bike kiosks in Minneapolis — that might work here.
I came across one yesterday: a North Carolina restaurant that’s sick of loud children has posted a sign banning “screaming” and “crying.” Business is up. What a great idea! Let’s post that sign at restaurants here. We could really make a … oh wait. The sign also bans “whining.”
Never mind.