The post-war community of Clairemont Mesa virtually demands to be called “quiet.” Now, a Democratic challenger in the race for county supervisor is trying to make some noise: he wants to turn it into a major front in his campaign.
But he faces a tough road in his bid to replace the longtime incumbent: he didn’t do well here in the primary and had trouble finding anyone who recognized his name in a visit on Sunday.
By the way, Clairemont Mesa is the city’s official name for a bunch of neighborhoods with “Clairemont” in their names.
In Other News:
• The fight over Prop. D — the financial reform/sales tax hike measure — has included debate about timing. Will some reform get done before the election in November? Will the reform save the city money by then?
Our City Hall reporter writes that “this debate should end.” He explains why the argument is irrelevant.
Speaking of timing: If Prop. D passes, when will the higher sales tax end? We’ve got the answer: it’s written in stone (or at least in the ballot language).
• Also at City Hall, the city attorney says he has a plan that would allow both the city and its employees to save money on pension costs. But, as we report, it’s based on a lot of ifs: The city needs to win a lawsuit, beat back union officials who are standing firm against the idea of forcing employees to pay for investment losses, and develop a 401(k) system that employees will like.
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Perhaps the city attorney will also pull a rabbit of a hat?
• The mayor’s plan to cut off funding for some public art has spawned plenty of debate, and we’ve summarized opinions in a new post. At issue: With the city in such dire financial straits, can it afford to pay for art? Art fans say yes, but some are less than pleased with how the city has chosen the public art it has.
A City Council candidate in Escondido is in the middle: “Don’t get me wrong, if I’m choosing between drinking water and a giant interconnected web of hubcaps, I go water. But there is value in creating an aesthetically pleasing community. Attracting residents and shoppers has net benefits.”
I was thinking about local public art and had trouble coming up with examples outside of places like Balboa Park, UCSD, the waterfront and the airport. This list shows that there’s plenty of artwork around town (such as the “trees” at the Mission Valley library branch) that doesn’t scream “Hey everybody! Public art here!”
• Last week, it looked like Southwestern College’s newspaper wouldn’t get printed due to a dispute between its management and the Chula Vista community college’s administration. Now, the paper — which has been critical of those who run the school — appears to be ready to go to print after all.
• We’ve run Fact Checks on nine statements by Mayor Jerry Sanders. How many times did he pass the test? Well, we only reached a “true” verdict once. But, as we explain, that doesn’t mean he spends a whole lot of time being wrong.
• The latest episode of Fact Check TV takes a look at a City Council candidate’s truth-stretching and bestows a rare “Huckster Propaganda” verdict.
• Our arts editor is visiting the Southern California mountains this week and getting more than just some fresh air: She’s recording an album with her band.
Elsewhere:
• SDG&E says it’s stepping up its inspections of natural gas lines after the big fire up in the Bay Area. The U-T has a nifty map of where the biggest natural gas lines are.
• La Jolla Playhouse’s new musical Limelight, about the life of Charlie Chaplin, got poor reviews from Variety and the U-T. We revealed numbers about the play and told you about Chaplin’s San Diego connection: according to Hollywood legend, his infamous obsession with women led to the 1924 death of a filmmaker in a yacht off San Diego.
The supposed (but never proven) killer was William Randolph Hearst, the publisher who inspired Citizen Kane. The LAT now says the Beverly Hills house where he shacked up with mistress Marion Davies is on sale for $95 million, marked down from $165 million.
• Finally, the Headline of the Day, from the San Diego Reader: “Imperial Beach City Staffers Look into Adult Arcade Booths.”
Nice work if you can get it.
Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.