The Morning Report
Get the news and information you need to take on the day.
It’s nice to have power. It lets you do things like voting for projects that you directly stand to benefit from. Randy Goodson sits on the board of the San Diego North Economic Development Council, a group that advocates for growth in North County. He recently voted to support the Lilac Hills Ranch development we’ve been covering lately.
Of course, Goodson would think the plan is a good idea. After all, he is the developer responsible for building the project, Andrew Keatts reports. His vote didn’t tip the scales one way or the other, and the vote was simply a recommendation.
Still, “The chief executive officer of the SDNEDC couldn’t say whether the organization has a policy to deal with conflicts of interest,” Keatts writes.
Sacramento Enters Final Stretch
In Sacramento, the state Legislature is busy burying bills that didn’t make the cut this year, and trying to figure out how to fund providers of services to the developmentally disabled. In our latest Sacramento Report, Sara Libby notes that service providers for the developmentally disabled are worried they won’t get any more money to keep afloat, even though there’s a special session going on to do just that. “California spends less on each individual with a developmental disability than every other state,” Libby writes.
• With mere weeks left in the legislative session, priorities for state lawmakers are quickly narrowing. We called in Sacramento reporter Katie Orr to talk about the end of the legislative line, as well as other state policy shop in this week’s Voice of San Diego Podcast.
• We mentioned on Thursday how lawmakers shelved a state bill to increase the minimum wage. Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins writes the bill will live again in 2016 and says she supports a $15 minimum wage. (Huffington Post)
New Complaint in Police Shooting
The Union-Tribune reports the family of a unarmed man who was shot dead by a San Diego police officer has leveled new accusations against the department. The family says in a new court filing that the department allowed the shooter and his attorney to view security camera footage of the incident prior to being interviewed by homicide detectives. The police have refused to make the video public, so we’re suing to force the video’s release.
• The cop in that case didn’t turn his body camera on. Many observers hoped state regulation like Assembly Bill 66 might help fix that problem by regulating the use of police body cameras. Alas, as we approach the end of the legislative session, prospects for such regulation are not good. (Union-Tribune)
Empty Lots, Big Dreams
Once upon a time, a couple of empty lots in City Heights had a big future planned. The city wanted to make the lots endpoints for transit, imagining rapid buses dropping off busy commuters. Alas, reality turned out differently, and now residents fear the vacant lots will be sold off to build fast food joints or, ironically, gas stations, Ry Rivard reports.
Bridge Battles
Long has there been conflict over the idea of putting a bridge over Rose Canyon in La Jolla, and the Union-Tribune caught up with the latest intrigue over the project on Friday as another decision point looms in November 2016. We formerly covered why the bridge makes a huge difference to the residents of Council District 1.
Tijuana Construction, Our Problem
To our south, parts of Tijuana are preparing for the rains that could come with El Niño and prompt mudslides and flooding. KPBS reports some houses there are built on “foundations made of car tires.” That’s a problem for the people in those houses, but it’s also a problem for San Diegans. Over the years, southern San Diego County has been littered from debris, including tires, from Tijuana River floods.
News Nibbles
• A man who was convicted of murdering a San Diego police officer in 1978 is being recommended for parole, which angers a lot of powerful folks. (L.A. Times)
• Temperatures have been high this year, and the city has kept one popular public swimming pool closed throughout. (KPBS)
• Check out this interview with a CEO of a power company in New York over whether power companies and rooftop solar will ever be able to declare a truce. Here in San Diego, Lisa Halverstadt recently found that SDG&E and rooftop solar boosters probably aren’t singing Kumbaya anytime soon. (Science Friday)
• Community activist and lawyer Omar Passons, who’s been representing an Airbnb host being penalized by the city, offers a catch-up on the state of proposed regulation for Airbnb and other short-term vacation rentals. (Uptown News)
Swift Assistance
Taylor Swift doesn’t only have the key to the hearts of pop-music listeners. Soon she will have the key to the city, care of Mayor Kevin Faulconer. With Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez also tweeting about her excitement for Swift’s concert in San Diego this weekend, perhaps Swift could lend San Diegans a helping hand.
“Now we got problems, and I don’t think we can solve ’em,” Swift sings in her most recent hit “Bad Blood.” San Diegans know exactly how you feel, Ms. Swift. Our city’s infrastructure megabond appears to be in the dying stages while our city’s roads and pipes crumble. Since you’ve got our city leaders’ attention, please do us a solid and mention to them the following sage advice dispensed from your recent chart-topping tune: “All these things will catch up with you.”
Seth Hall is a local writer and technologist. You can email him at voice@s3th.com or follow him on Twitter: @loteck.