District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis is running for mayor on the platform that she has the executive leadership experience needed to get the job done.
Her proof? “One of the things that we’ve done in the District Attorney’s Office is to downsize the budget,” she declared recently.
Keegan Kyle looked into that claim. Turns out that her office’s budget has risen by almost a third during under her control (when adjusted for inflation). It did dip once and is still lower than its 2009 peak.
That means we found enough of a nugget of truth to give her a Barely True verdict.
• On Fact Check TV, we break down County Supervisor Ron Roberts’ attempt to shine a positive light on the county’s attempts to fix its services for the poor.
Those programs have come under fire as the county has consistently ranked at or near the bottom in connecting its needy residents with government assistance. Roberts and his peers have seen their participation numbers climb, but not to the level he portrayed.
No Halt for Pension Reform Measure
A judge declined to stop the pension reform initiative from going on the city ballot in June, NBC 7 San Diego reports.
Reader’s Guides Galore
It can be difficult to keep up with news storylines as they gradually unfold over months or even years.
That’s why we’ve been creating readers guides to give you a bird’s-eye view of local issues along with links to stories and other resources in case you want to dig deeper.
In an editor’s note, Andrew Donohue explains more about why we do these guides and offers a list of his favorites. They examine the perilous state of San Diego’s roads, the big plan for the county’s transportation system, the future of the convention center, that pension reform initiative slated for the June ballot and SDG&E and the wildfires.
Is there an issue that you think merits a reader’s guide? Drop us a line and let us know.
Some Teachers Find their Union Revolting
The latest edition of VOSD Radio explores the state of San Diego’s teachers union: it’s become more isolated and got blowback from its members after taking a contorted stand on changes to state law regarding advance notice of layoffs.
Another Revolt
In letters, Bob Stein accuses the U-T of whining about the lack of serious attention given to its front-page plan to remake the city’s waterfront: “How does a newspaper whose reputation for meanness, prejudice, the assertion of power and the public humiliation of anyone who opposes it pretend not to be its real self and suddenly become a victim? Simple: just do it.”
Stein also takes aim at the U-T’s publisher: “Please, Mr. Manchester, didn’t they tell you there’s no crying in journalism?” (It’s true! If you see me crying while working on a story, it’s because I just peeled some onions.)
Comic-Con Relocation Fears Are Back
Maybe it’s time to declare an emergency and turn on one of those big Batman spotlights: if the latest speculation is true, San Diego might need some superhero assistance to keep the nerds from skipping out of town.
The NC Times has the story: “The southern migration of Comic-Con International’s sister convention has sparked online speculation that convention organizers are planning a trial run of what may be a new home for the popular San Diego event.”
At issue is the WonderCon, which is temporarily relocating from San Francisco to Anaheim. A Comic-Con spokesman denied the rumors.
The Comic-Con draws tens of thousands of visitors to San Diego and creates plenty of hoopla. There’s been talk over the years that it may take its hordes of Hollywood types and comic-book geeks and leave, but it’s sticking around for the time being.
Issa in the Crosshairs of Liberal Critics
North County’s Darrell Issa has become one of the most well-known congressmen in the nation and a perennial punching bag for lefties. His decision last week to invite a bunch of male religious leaders to discuss contraception at a congressional hearing drew barbs from Slate, Salon, The Daily Show (“While no ladies actually ever spoke on behalf of ladies, some of these fellas were wearing gowns, so that’s something”) and Think Progress.
Best Places to Do Your Business
Not too long ago, we profiled a local restroom etiquette guru and heard from readers about their favorite and least favorite, um, sit-down establishments. Now, the U-T takes a trip to the loo and asks a panel of foodies to list the top restrooms in town.
The first restrooms to be mentioned are at a restaurant at The Grand Del Mar hotel, which is owned by new U-T owner Doug Manchester. The restrooms “have a lot of gold in them,” apparently.
The owner of Bread & Cie pines for simplicity: “Ultimately, I’m Old School New York: Give me an ice-filled urinal any day. Sadly, this doesn’t exist in S.D.” Huh. Quick, operator, get me the Fact Check desk!
Meanwhile, a food blogger says “The Pearl Hotel takes the cake!”
Better not be the urinal cake.
Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.