Morning Report: Chargers FAQ

Dean Spanos, the owner of the Chargers, successfully persuaded his counterparts to let the team move to the L.A. area. But he may not want to move at all. Spanos was by all appearances disappointed after losing a vote to move the team to Carson. The blow came after what was described as an emotional plea and strong presentation from Disney CEO Robert Iger. Spanos’ counterparts approved Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s much more ambitious vision for a stadium and surrounding development in the city of Inglewood.

Liam Dillon put together a list of the questions we all have and our best answers to them so far.

In a 30-2 vote that approved the Rams’ move to Los Angeles, Spanos’ colleagues also offered the Chargers the chance to join as a partner in the stadium in Inglewood or as a tenant. Spanos would only say he was going to take a day off to relax.

• Before the dramatic vote, I may have been a bit off in my autopsy of the city and county’s approach to the drama. I predicted we would likely hear an announcement that the Chargers were leaving. Many of us suspected Inglewood would prevail and Chargers would go there. And that’s what they got.

But I didn’t anticipate they would be so disappointed in that outcome and may not want to take the option to move to Inglewood. Perhaps, as pollster John Nienstedt put it, the owners really believe in the mayor’s vision and wanted to invest in it.

• The mayor’s chief of staff insisted he would not back away from a pledge that the public would get a vote on any deal.

• In USA Today, Brent Schrotenboer wrote he had a source saying Spanos would take the deal to move to Inglewood. Vincent Bonsignore from the L.A. Daily News seemed to agree.

• Faulconer and Supervisor Ron Roberts released a joint statement reacting to the decision: “Today NFL owners rejected the Chargers’ bid to move to Carson. If Mr. Spanos has a sincere interest in reaching a fair agreement in San Diego, we remain committed to negotiating in good faith. We are not interested in a charade by the Chargers if they continue to pursue Los Angeles.”

• Tattoo you? More like tattoo … ewww. Lots of people have Chargers body art, and lots of people are having second thoughts. Tattoo parlors and tattoo removal joints stand at the ready — and in some cases at the laser — to meet the influx of folks who want their bolts gone or renovated, the U-T reports.

— Scott Lewis

Who Sent Nasty Sheriff Email? It’s Unclear

Four months ago, an advocacy organization called United Against Police Terror received a profanity-laced rant via email and said they’d traced the message to the Sheriff’s Department. Now, a rep for the group tells us there’s been no follow-up from department brass. Nobody’s talking to us either, although the findings of a review board investigation are due within a year from the date of the group’s compliant.

‘El Chapo’ May Face Justice Here

• Federal prosecutors in San Diego are among those who want to try Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman if he doesn’t manage to escape (again) or avoid extradition from Mexico. When he last escaped prior to extradition, he was facing newly filed federal charges here on allegations dating back two decades.

A former DEA agent tells the L.A. Times that his latest capture isn’t likely to disrupt the drug trade. It may even increase violence if cartels see an opportunity to grab market share. For background about how the drug war has affected violence in Tijuana, check my 2014 VOSD Q-and-A with David Shirk, director of the Justice in Mexico Project.

Culture Report: Home Is Where the Art Is

VOSD’s weekly Culture Report leads off with details of a one-night art exhibit in the works at a newly rehabbed (and vacant-for-now) apartment building in Barrio Logan.

Also in the Culture Report: Ziggy Stardust (but no bipperty-bopperty hats, at least for now), My Little Pony, even more hoopla about craft beer, a mac-n-cheese roundup, pretty bugs and much, much more.

Quick News Hits: Pooch’s Close Call

• The City Council voted unanimously to appeal that labor ruling that could kill off the pension-killing Prop. B and create all sorts of chaos while costing the city millions of dollars.

• The local VA is being faulted following a veteran’s suicide. (Military Times)

• When it comes to applications for the coming school year, UC San Diego placed second among UC campuses with 103,000. That’s below UCLA (119,000) and just above Berkeley (102,000). The number for UCSD is up by 9 percent over last year. (L.A. Times)

• An admiral demoted from his Coronado job — he allegedly used an office computer to view porn — has a new Navy post in Point Loma. (U-T)

• Dog meets sea lion. Dog stares down sea lion. Dog survives to tell the tale to unbelieving compatriots at the dog park. (“Oh yeah, RIGHT, Sparky! Sure, and last Saturday, I met an elephant at the farmer’s market.”)

Randy Dotinga is a freelance contributor to Voice of San Diego and national president of the 1,200-member American Society of Journalists and Authors (asja.org). Please contact him directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.