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In our last podcast of the year, co-hosts Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts invited Voice of San Diego managing editor Sara Libby on to chat about the loudest, leading voices around our city in 2013.
Here are some of Libby’s takeaways on the high- and low-profile people we watched shape San Diego.
The Cindy Marten-Barack Obama comparison stands.
“People — especially when (Marten) first came into this role, the same way Obama did — kind of saw her as this very inspirational figure who could unite all these different groups of parents and teachers, unions and people who don’t work for a union and things like that. At some point, we’re kind of trying to figure out: When is a good time to ask for results and not just this really lofty, inspirational rhetoric. Admittedly, she is very inspirational. She really can get you believing in the power of kids and schools and what they can do.”
Todd Gloria didn’t do much — and that’s a good thing.
“When you think about this conversation of who did the most good or who changed things for the best, you think of really bold personalities, or someone who stood up for something and who spoke out for something. Todd Gloria is really celebrated for kind of doing none of that, and just for kind of quietly guiding the ship. And I think that people are really attracted to that after what we went through with Filner. He’s been doing a really great job of just keeping things on track. He’s made a few policy decisions but hasn’t been taking been taking any really bold stands, and I think people are just so relieved to have somebody who’s competent and calm in that position.”
You should pay attention to Tim ‘The Judge Man’ Taylor.
“This is somebody who’s not in any way a household name. He’s a Superior Court judge — those generally aren’t people you know very well. But he so happened to be the person who was assigned to all these really monumental decisions that will change the course of the city – the SANDAG transportation plan, and probably most notably, he’s the one who shot down the Balboa Park plan. And I think there was another one involving the TMD — but just someone you have no idea who he is or what he does is quietly shaping how the city is going to be for the next few decades.”
Check out the rest of the Auld Lang Syne edition below to find out who we named Hero and Goat of the Year.
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