With the ultimate proof that fierce NFL rivalries are actually just puppet shows for one big business, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders have announced that they will work together to build a new stadium in Carson, near Los Angeles.
That is, they’ll do that if they don’t get the subsidies they want from their home markets — this year.
The LA Times broke the news. The Chargers and Raiders put up a statement. NFL.com itself posted more. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer responded. The coalition working to help the effort put up a fancy new website. They claim it will require no taxes or money from Carson City Hall.
Pollster John Nienstedt shared stats of from an 2004 poll that show a majority of San Diegans would be indifferent to a move.
It was not a surprise the Chargers would advance plans in the LA and Orange County region. However, teaming up with the Raiders (gag) was not a scenario outsiders predicted. It’s also a direct response to Stan Kroenke’s proposal for a new stadium in Inglewood that just gathered signatures for a ballot initiative. Kroenke owns the St. Louis Rams.
Quick Results on Slumlord Situation
Mayor Faulconer responded instantly yesterday to the joint VOSD/KPBS investigation of the city’s failure to enforce the law against slumlords. He says he’ll increase funding and investigate the city’s code enforcement system, which is supposed to hold slumlords accountable.
“We have to send a very strong message and very strong enforcement that that kind of stuff will not be tolerated in any neighborhood in San Diego,” Faulconer told KPBS. “When it comes to rules that have to be enforced, the city has to do that. We’re protecting families, we’re protecting our neighborhoods.”
The investigation found that “the city’s code enforcement team knocks out thousands of isolated complaints a year, but does little to hold repeat offenders accountable,” even though state law now allows it to do even more than before.
Debut’s Not So Sunny for Rent-a-Bikes
After delay after delay, San Diego has finally joined the list of big cities with big rent-a-bike programs. But as we discovered, the brand-new DecoBike rollout isn’t going well.
Many of the solar-powered stations were installed in shady locations that won’t get the maximum amount of sun exposure. They could be relocated, but for now, workers are driving around and swapping out batteries to make sure the stations work.
Meanwhile, residents are complaining about the locations of some of the stations, with one Mission Hills resident saying it’s unsafe for cyclists. She says she didn’t receive a notice about it. How’d that happen? Well, her entire complex received a single notice.
There are all sorts of other problems with the program. For one thing, one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods (City Heights) didn’t get any stations, and no one seems to know why. La Jolla, one of the richest neighborhoods, didn’t get any either, which it blames on a poor proposal.
Police Shooting Report Has Data Galore, But…
A new analysis finds that “suspects shot by San Diego County law enforcement officers over a 20-year period were mostly young, white males who suffered from mental illness, were under the influence of drugs or both,” KPBS reports. “Analysis” may be a bit of a stretch, however: The report “doesn’t identify any trends or highlight areas of concern.”
Somehow, the report took almost a year to put together.
• The latest edition of San Diego Explained, our video series with NBC 7, explores when police officers are able to enter your home. The piece is inspired by our coverage of a recent case in which a family ended up in handcuffs and legal hot water when cops entered their home in search of burglars who never existed.
Quick News Hits: Sprawl? What Sprawl?
• Kyle Kraska, the CBS 8 sportscaster who was shot multiple times outside his home last week, is out of the hospital and will recover at home.
• The county pension system is trying to rid itself of its pricey and controversial management company, and now it’s brought in an old hand to help with the transition. (U-T)
• Taxi-like services like Uber and Lyft will be able to legally pick up passengers at the airport under certain conditions thanks to a new arrangement. Reporters haven’t had time to explore the details, however, or find out if Uber, Lyft & Co. are willing to accept the deal, which requires them to pay big money.
We explored the airport’s passenger-unfriendly crackdown on Uber/Lyft pickups (drop-offs are OK) in a recent story.
• The University of California system has been in a bitter fight with state politicians over proposed tuition hikes, but now the UC is shelving its proposal for the time being. (AP)
• Think San Diego is one of those sprawling Sun Belt cities? Nah. A new report says the county is one of the least sprawling metro areas in the entire country. The least sprawling city of all those studied? Los Angeles.
• The Reader is asking local professional actors to describe their ideal roles: “The answers not only reveal aspirations, they may put an idea in the minds of artistic directors and producers — even choices that may seem outside the box.”
Huh. I’ve taken a few acting classes in my time, so let me say that I have a role in mind, and it’s the most famous one in all of drama. Yeah, that one. “To be, or… “ Um… Line!
Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego and president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.