These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Jan. 14-Jan. 20.
1. There’s Already a Challenge to the ‘LA Chargers’ Trademark – and It’s Not From the Dodgers
The Chargers’ application to trademark “LA Chargers” ran into an issue even before the team announced it will move to Los Angeles. (David Lizerbram)
2. The Mayor Fumbled in the Chargers Game but It’s Not His Fault They’re Leaving
The mayor is not to blame for losing the Chargers. But he and others consistently got what was going on wrong. (Scott Lewis)
3. How the Spanos Family Built a Fortune Selling Bologna Sandwiches to Mexican Farmworkers
The Spanos family, which owns the Chargers, is worth $2.4 billion. As the team asks the public to help fund a new stadium, many have wondered where the Spanos family fortune came from. For Alex Spanos, it started with bologna sandwiches and Mexican farmworkers. The family has long faced questions, in fact, of whether Spanos helped exploit farmworkers in the notorious Bracero program that started nearly 70 years ago. (Ry Rivard)
4. Opinion: The Chargers Stopped Caring About San Diego Two Years Ago
I was tired of listening to Mark Fabiani. For more than an hour he arrogantly presented a series of rigid deal points on behalf of Chargers owner Dean Spanos to Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s newly formed stadium task force. I had heard enough so I quietly opened my laptop to check Twitter. What I saw surprised me. (Tony Manolatos)
5. Is the Drought Over? Depends on Which One We’re Talking About
It’s still too soon to know if the drought is truly over. We can’t predict the future, for one thing. Nor can we agree on what is meant by “drought.” President-elect Donald Trump, the California Department of Water Resources, the U.S. Drought Monitor and some top climate scientists all have different definitions. (Ry Rivard)
6. Opinion: Why I Left San Diego’s Art Scene Behind
Between the unsustainably low prices, the lack of any attempt to sell the work and endless opportunities to work for free, there’s little hope for an emerging artist to succeed on any sort of financial level in San Diego. (John Raymond Mireles)
7. How Much Does the California Lottery Provide San Diego Schools? A Drop in the Bucket
Every time school budget problems are in the news, readers always want to know: What about the California Lottery money that’s supposed to be sent to schools? Public records show state lottery money is often a small drop in a much larger bucket that is a school district’s annual budget. (Ashly McGlone)
8. San Diego Deserves Credit for Rebuffing the Chargers, But Faulconer Doesn’t
From the beginning, Mayor Kevin Faulconer could have come out strongly against Chargers chairman Dean Spanos’ antics. He could have been a national leader in decrying the NFL and its owners for holding cities ransom for public money. He didn’t. (Joe Armenta)
9. Photos: Protesters Overwhelm Tijuana Border Crossing
Scenes from Sunday’s demonstrations as protesters overwhelmed Tijuana’s El Chaparral port of entry. (David Maung)
10. Oasis for the Wealthy, Golden Door, Fights Housing Project That Just Won’t Die
Between the Golden Door’s 600 acres and Newland Sierra’s 1,985 acres sit two things: narrow Deer Springs Road and a whole different way of seeing the world. (Ry Rivard)