Morning Report: From Too Many To One Plan for Homelessness

There’s a bevy of voices in the debate over what to do about San Diego’s homeless crisis.

A comprehensive regional plan to address the issue is finally in the works. Now leaders just have to get everyone to back it.

As VOSD’s Lisa Halverstadt reports, getting all the disparate nonprofits, cities, business interests and advocates to go from a cacophony to one united voice on homelessness will be tricky.

For one thing, many of the strategies included in the Regional Task Force on the Homeless’ new plan, which is being created by a firm in Sacramento, will likely require big, dramatic shifts for some of the region’s homeless service providers, especially those that have been slow to move away from the transitional housing programs that have fallen out of favor in recent years.

This, of course, is not the first time San Diego has tried to take a more solid regional approach to homelessness. Dozens of initiatives and plans have been introduced over the years.

“Problem is, those plans didn’t come with teeth or get regional support necessary to succeed,” Halverstadt writes.

How SoccerCity Is Playing Out

Mayor Kevin Faulconer came out last week in support of SoccerCity, the proposal to redevelop Mission Valley’s Qualcomm Stadium site into a mixed-use urban center that includes a professional soccer stadium.

And once the Registrar of Voters finishes validating the signatures submitted to put the measure on the ballot, the City Council gets to decide whether to say yes straight away or submit it to voters.

Since no one really thinks the City Council should forgo a public vote, the Union-Tribune breaks down the arguments for and against putting SoccerCity in front of voters in a special election this November rather than waiting for the general election next year.

If Council members opt for a special election, SoccerCity will likely share a ballot with the mayor’s proposal to hike the hotel tax to help pay for a Convention Center expansion, homeless services and road repairs.

Both of the proposals share a sense of urgency, which is why the special election is a very real possibility despite early opposition from at least two Council members.

So how will SoccerCity fare if it does indeed make it to the ballot in November? The U-T’s Mark Zeigler digs into what could end up being the proposals’ Achilles heel – the private investors backing the plan have lost the support and trust of San Diego State University, which wants the Mission Valley land so it can expand.

SeaWorld’s New Orca Show: Sink or Swim?

On Memorial Day weekend, SeaWorld will roll out its new Orca Encounter show.

As a response to changing sentiments about animal entertainment and care and declining revenue, the theme park’s revamped show will be heavy on education and light on theatrics.

The new orca experience will also include a new three-minute ride meant to boost the entertainment aspect.

VOSD did a deep dive on SeaWorld and its existential crisis a few years ago. The series details how and why the theme park has moved away from its killer whale circus-style shows to the new educational presentation.

Meanwhile, SeaWorld’s dolphins and other animals are still doing goofy tricks for applause, so many animal rights activists aren’t ready to back down from their anti-SeaWorld campaigns just yet.

Weekend News Roundup

• A fire broke out Saturday near Jamul and fire crews are still working to contain it. (CBS 8)

• There’s disagreement about where (or even if) Sempra Energy should put in a big new natural gas pipeline. (Reader)

• Is this story about paying gobs of money to dine with rats a gag? Hope so. (NBC 7)

• San Diego is apparently a hotbed for illegally smuggled Mexican sea cucumbers. (Associated Press)

• Surely you’ve seen the Makers Quarter logo in the quickly gentrifying East Village. Here’s details on what the mega development will eventually become. (U-T)

• Busted pipes or squirrely trees could be at the root of the mystery mounds popping up in Mira Mesa. (10News)

• Politicking lately has been harder than usual for Reps. Darrell Issa and Duncan Hunter. (U-T)

• The U-T highlights the potential effects of U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ new orders for prosecutors to be tough on crime, including for lower-level drug offenses, which President Barrack Obama rolled back.

• A man died in Lemon Grove after being shot with Tasers by San Diego sheriff’s deputies who said he refused to get on the ground and appeared agitated. The Sheriff’s Department will investigate how many times the Tasers were used. (U-T)