Morning Report: L.A.’s Siren Song

Hear it?

“Come hither,” Los Angeles seems to coo “We’ll get you a stadium. It’ll be wonderful. We’ll live happily ever after, me and the [insert name of NFL team here].”

The Chargers are listening. So are lots of other teams. But, as a Los Angeles Times reporter tells us, they may not be tuning in to this siren song because they actually want out. Instead, Sam Farmer says, they might be playing hard-to-keep in order to get a better deal on their home turf.

Farmer, a leading expert on the machinations of the pro football world, also tells us about the prospects that the Chargers will depart and the odds that a taxpayer-subsidized downtown stadium will be approved here.

Zoo vs. Balboa Park Plan, Cont.:

Earlier this week, San Diego Zoo officials declared that they aren’t thrilled about plans to remake part of Balboa Park because it doesn’t help its parking problem. Now, a major mover behind the plans has fired back by noting that his proposal isn’t “a complete solution for the entire park.”

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Irwin Jacobs, the former CEO of Qualcomm and a major supporter of voiceofsandiego.org, also counters the idea that the zoo has other park institutions on its side.

Believe What I Say, Not What I Show:

Councilman Carl DeMaio has some thoughts about how the city can cut back on salaries and pensions, but one aspect of his pension plans is raising questions about its legality. It’s legal, he declared yesterday, pointing to a city attorney report and a legal opinion provided to the mayor. What opinion would that be? The one you’re not allowed to see. “That’s convenient,” says our Scott Lewis.

Also: the San Diego County Taxpayers Association has endorsed that idea, among others. Why does all this matter? As Lewis asserted last week, DeMaio’s proposal “deals with the burdens at hand,” while the mayor’s current focus does not.

Tidings of Good Employment:

Our Rich Toscano says San Diego employment grew in November, but seasonal retail hiring accounted for most of the new jobs. Toscano, ever bringing tidings of bad cheer on the economy and real estate fronts, says this doesn’t account for his new position as The Grinch at a local shopping mall.

No Fluoride for You:

San Diego isn’t going to start fluoridating its water today, meaning that smaller cities — Coronado, Del Mar and Imperial Beach — won’t begin either. “The staff just felt we needed more testing and training before we start the process,” a spokesman tells City News Service.

While it’s nearly universally accepted, fluoridated water remains controversial. Skeptics began bashing it decades ago, and some people on both the left and the right later united to fight fluoridation. Locally, Escondido rejected fluoridation in 1999, but switched positions in 2001, prompting a lawsuit from miffed residents.

Who Will Run Rehab?

A San Diegan has been at the center of a battle over the future of the Betty Ford Center in Riverside County. “In a disagreement over a succession plan for the leadership of the Betty Ford Center, the once-unified board of the renowned treatment facility went against the expressed wishes of the center’s namesake and widened a rift among its membership.” One board member from San Diego quit and “believes a majority of members betrayed the former first lady’s trust when they ousted her daughter as the chosen successor.” (Desert Sun)

Mouth Meet Foot:

I’m making a list and checking it twice — to make sure local people actually said the outrageous and amazing things that passed their lips in 2010. It’s for our compilation of the year’s most memorable quotes. Whether they were inspiring or appalling, let me know if any quotes still stick in your brain.

The Endampening:

Yes, it’s still wet. Roads were closed, people were being evacuated and workers went home early. (U-T)

Maybe this winter won’t be as soggy as back in 1983 or 1998 — old-timers are now nodding their heads knowingly — but we’ll see. If you want to track the storm’s voyage through your neighborhood, the site wunderground.com has a nifty radar map and instant temperatures from all over the county. And UCSD has several webcams monitoring locations around the county, including some in the backcountry.

A Christmas Visit, Aunt Fern? Well…

Got relatives who are clamoring to visit for the holidays? If it’s not too late (and you’d rather celebrate by yourself), tell them this: a new report says rates at three-star hotels in San Diego next month are expected to be a third lower than in July.

If this rain keeps up, advise them to reserve an upper floor.

Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.