If you haven’t heard already, November’s ballot is going to be really, really big.
In addition to picking our future president, city attorney and other elected positions, San Diego voters will have to weigh in on 17 state ballot measures and 14 local measures if you live in the city of San Diego.
That’s a lot for a one-card ballot. That’s why you’re getting two.
In his newly restarted bi-weekly elections rundown, VOSD’s Andrew Keatts delves into some of the potential complications of having two cards instead of one.
If you accidentally use a single stamp and don’t pay full postage, don’t fret. Your ballot won’t be sent back – the County’s Registrar of Voters will pay the difference from its budget so your votes will be counted. But if you accidentally only put one card in the envelope and try to send the second one later, your second card won’t be counted.
Keatts also has some news on the city attorney’s race. An ad has resurfaced candidate Robert Hickey’s rocky relationship with his boss, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who hasn’t endorsed him. Also both Hickey and his opponent Mara Elliott say they would support beefing up the city’s police review board (on top of a measure that’s on the ballot this year).
And Those State ballot Measures
On this week’s San Diego Decides podcast, Sara Libby and Ry Rivard recreate their Politifest state proposition lightning round for everyone who missed it. The 17 state ballot measures range from marijuana legalization to abolishing the death penalty to plastic bag bans.
We also have new videos from Politifest up. You can watch the keynote speakers National Review editor Reihan Salam and the co-founder of Campaign Zero, DeRay McKesson, the fiery debate over Measure K, which would force all city election to a November runoff, and a wonky, Oxford-style debate over Measure A, which would raise the county sales tax for transportation and infrastructure.
Finally, of course, you’ll want to watch the big debate over the convadium.
And So Ends the “Faulconer Watch”
A much-beloved segment on VOSD’s podcast has come to an end.
For the past few weeks, Scott Lewis and Keatts had been keeping tabs on when and if Mayor Kevin Faulconer would weigh in on Measure C, the Chargers’ ballot proposal that would raise hotel taxes to fund a convadium downtown.
Faulconer told the Union-Tribune Friday (though they held it until Monday) that he supports the measure after reaching an agreement with the team on a number of issues.
The team’s concessions include financial safeguards, such as agreeing to cover any construction or land costs beyond what projected tax revenue will cover, so the city’s general fund won’t be used to the project. The team also agreed to several other measures, including giving the city all revenue from non-NFL events at the new stadium, committing to stay in San Diego until the initial debt on the project is fully paid on and addressing quality of life concerns from groups and residents downtown.
Opponents of the measure say these concessions aren’t legally binding.
“Non binding gentlemen’s agreement is the new ticket guarantee,” tweeted City Councilmember Todd Gloria.
Quick New Hits
• In a follow-up to a joint KPBS and Voice of San Diego investigation from last year, reporter Megan Burks checked in with tenants of a San Diego slumlord. What she found was something that’s happening throughout the county: the tight rental market is forcing low-income tenants to either live in substandard housing or have nowhere to go. (KPBS)
• The number of immigrants detained in and deported from San Diego County jails has dropped during the Obama administration, reflecting a nationwide trend. (inewsource)
• Legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last week will make it easier for homeowners to build granny flats in their backyards starting in January. (Union-Tribune)
• The Los Angeles Times has a guide to some must-try breweries along the “Hops Highway” in North County.
• There was a dog surfing competition in Del Mar on Sunday. Here are pictures. I highly recommend Jojo the Corgi.