The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
New Chief of Police Shelley Zimmerman took some heat from residents of San Diego’s eastern and southeastern neighborhoods this week, as she held two public meetings to hear feedback from those community’s residents. Megan Burks reported that a department previously “unaware” of racial profiling concerns has now heard those concerns directly. “I can point out to you cops I’ve seen say racist things and be violent with people who have done nothing,” one audience member told Zimmerman.
At least one audience member at each meeting brought up the possibility of an involuntary federal monitor being brought in to address officer behavior concerns that have risen out of repeated sexual misconduct situations. In response, Zimmerman instead focused attention on the voluntary review the department is undertaking in partnership with Justice Department researchers.
Who Axed the School Librarian?
“San Diego’s school libraries will be open at least one day a week next school year,” wrote Christie Ritter. “That’s actually the good news.” Ritter asked her child’s school principal why students weren’t getting more library time, and in doing so discovered that 44 San Diego school libraries are unstaffed, leading to limited, if any, library hours for students.
Many of those libraries are new.
SeaWorld’s Impact: San Diego Explained
San Diego gets a cut from their sales. We also get a big rent check from them every month. From tourism to direct revenues, SeaWorld continues to leave a big economic footprint in San Diego. Lisa Halverstadt joined NBC San Diego’s Catherine Garcia to review the major ways that the theme park impacts our region in our most recent San Diego Explained.
• Speaking of big economic impacts, a study released found the impact of Petco Park on the region’s economy has been over $44 million, so far.
Power You Pay For
Utility customers will save an estimated $1.2 billion now that the San Onofre nuclear power station has been shut down, UT San Diego reported. The bulk of savings will come through rate reductions through 2021, according to consumer advocates. “Ratepayers would not pay for the defective steam generators beginning on Feb. 1, 2012 – one day after Unit 3 had to be taken offline because of a radiation release,” they reported. Consumer advocates had previously been concerned that operators and owners would seek to have ratepayers pay for the failure of the power station. “The proposed settlement represents a huge win for consumers,” said one consumer advocate.
Aztecs An “Unlikely Powerhouse”
Before suffering defeat at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday (64-70), the San Diego State Aztecs had been on a wild tear through the men’s college basketball world, turning in a riveting 31-5 season. Deadspin took a look at how their coach, Steve Fisher, “built an unlikely powerhouse at San Diego State.”
News Nibbles
• inewsource dug up some documents and found the North County Transit District trying to change paperwork and change the date on official documents after the documents were requested using a Public Records Act request.
• A San Diego City Council committee has ordered up an audit of the money spent for the failed Balboa Park centennial celebration.
• Plans for a new celebration of Balboa Park’s Centennial will be announced Friday. We recently took you deep into the failure of the previous celebration plans.
• Residents of San Diego County still collectively owe $1.6 billion in property taxes, due April 10!
• Mayor Kevin Faulconer was named as a director to the organization Mayors For The Freedom To Marry, which advocates for same-sex marriage rights.
Be Careful Whom You Criticize
We all know that it can be tempting to vent your frustrations on the internet, but SELF Magazine caused an internet uproar yesterday after they vented their frustrations about racers wearing tutus in running races. They printed a nice picture featuring two female runners who were running a marathon, and criticized their choice of apparel as “lame.”
Problem was, one of those racers was San Diegan Monika Allen. Allen has a company that makes those tutus, and then donates the money she makes to a non-profit that promotes exercise and confidence-building for young girls. “The reason we were wearing those outfits is because this was my first marathon running with brain cancer,” Allen explained. That’s right; Allen was running a marathon while she was receiving chemotherapy treatment for brain cancer. The picture in SELF depicts her wearing a Supergirl tee-shirt, which seems apt.
SELF Magazine, following in the footsteps of most internet ranters, felt dumb about the whole thing. But the print edition, complete with the dumb move, is still on its way.
Seth Hall is a local writer and technologist. You can rant at him at voice@s3th.com or follow him on Twitter: @loteck.