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Steve Erie, co-author of a new book chronicling the failures of San Diego, its leaders and its resident, believes Rep. Bob Filner is the best bet to fix things as mayor because he’ll “probably find ways to raise revenues.”
But “if (Filner) agrees that San Diegans should pay more for services they demand, he’s not saying it,” writes Scott Lewis in a commentary. He goes on to explain why Filner’s expectations of money-saving pension reform are questionable.
“I don’t blame a mayoral aspirant for being unwilling to say the city needs to raise taxes,” Lewis writes. “But until he does, Erie and other supporters can’t pretend he is somehow more courageous in how he would approach the city’s most pressing polemic.”
For more on the mayor’s race, check out our ongoing coverage.
Police Seek Freeway Shooter
A person (or persons) fired toward least four vehicles yesterday on Interstates 805 and 5, hitting three (including an ambulance) and injuring one person, although not seriously, the Union-Tribune reports. The shootings jangled the nerves of drivers and led to temporary freeway shutdowns. Authorities are looking for a Chevy Malibu and a 24-year-old suspect whom they’ve identified.
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Transmission Line Helicopters Cleared to Work Again
The state has cleared helicopters to return to work on the Sunrise Powerlink transmission line, SDG&E’s mammoth project in the backcountry, the U-T reports. They’d been grounded after accidents were reportedly kept quiet.
Hello Gorgeous
The University of San Diego made Slate’s list of the most beautiful college campuses in the country: “Some campuses are an amalgam of styles; the University of San Diego sticks to just one, and what a glorious one it has chosen—the Spanish Renaissance, with its elaborate façades, delicate ironwork, and carved woodwork. Ocean views and palm-tree-lined courtyards only add to the paradise-on-campus appeal.”
San Diego Biking Blues
Local bicyclists have been speaking up about biking in San Diego. Bicycling here is “inconvenient and dangerous,” writes commenter Stephen Gordon in our new Fix San Diego section. Others agree.
We’re looking into statistics to see if bicyclists face greater risks here than in other cities. Bicycling Magazine doesn’t seem to be impressed: we didn’t show up on its list of the 50 most bike-friendly cities.
Feel free to join our conversation, which has spilled over into the comments section where an anti-bike lob spawned plenty of responses.
Also, we’ve heard from a local bike advocate on the next simple steps San Diego can take to become more bike-friendly and bike-aware.
An Empty Feeling at the Stadium
A photograph of the football stadium during Sunday’s Chargers game provides visual proof of why the Bolts win got blacked out on local TV screens. If you missed them yesterday, we’ve got more photos from the game.
Meanwhile, a former U-T sportswriter who’s now freelancing got the big scoop by observing a Dolphins player as he verbally tangled with a Miami-area sportswriter, saying: “Hey, if you want to see if I can tackle, you put on some pads, homeboy. Don’t get mad. Why you’re going to criticize the team in your own hometown, boy? You’re supposed to support the home team.”
Fact Checking the PD and the SD’s SD
San Diego Fact Check TV finds that San Diego cops were barely telling the truth about tweeting (although that’s changed) and the San Diego school district’s chief was right about attendance rates.
Explaining the School District’s Big Bet
San Diego Explained, our video series, takes a look at the San Diego school district’s mammoth financial gamble.
Mustache Ranking Leaves San Diego Bare
Only one California city — Oakland — made a new list of the top 100 most mustache-friendly places in the country. The American Mustache Institute specifically dinged San Diego, along with San Francisco and Los Angeles, for being less than macho and went a step beyond: “If this trend continues we may see the extinction of the Mustached Californian – Redfordpithicus, as we call him – just as we have seen the great decline of women in the state who don’t have lower back tattoos or ‘tramp stamps.’”
San Diego is effete? Come on. It’s not like we have a male mayoral candidate who goes by the nickname “GirlyGirly.” Oh wait. We do have a mayoral candidate who goes by that nickname. He even showed up for our debate.
Um, never mind, institute of mustachioed-Americans. Carry on.
Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.