These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Aug. 24.-31.
1. What We Know About a Hillcrest Restaurant’s Hazy Past and Future
As the sprawling Pernicano’s property in central Hillcrest is once again on the cusp of a sale, here are questions and answers about its storied and decrepit past, and its uncertain but possibly promising future. (Randy Dotinga)
2. Why Duncan Hunter Is in So Much Trouble
We have decided, except for some narrow circumstances, that you can’t give politicians money that they can put directly in their pockets. We don’t want politicians to feel personally indebted to people who want things from the government. (Scott Lewis)
Employment cases are often messy, but the Water Authority’s case against Connie Williams is striking. The agency harshly punished her for an apparently minor infraction — and it all might have been the result of a simple misunderstanding. Williams and another employee say it’s a sign of deeper problems. (Ry Rivard)
4. Opinion: A San Diego CCA Would Shift Costs to Everyone Else in the County
Roughly 2 million San Diego County residents may be forced to pay more for their electricity if the San Diego City Council decides to launch a government-energy program to serve its 1.4 million residents. (Jim Desmond, Ron Morrison, Bill Wells)
5. Grossmont Teacher Fired for Touching Students Is Fighting to Get His Job Back
A high school teacher fired by the Grossmont Union High School District for inappropriately touching and talking to students is fighting his termination in court. The dispute highlights how difficult it can be for public school districts to terminate tenured teachers in California, even when the state panel overseeing termination disputes agrees with the decision. (Ashly McGlone)
6. Opinion: New Vacation Rental Rules Aren’t a ‘Ban’ — They’re Reasonable Regulations
San Diego is doing what cities like New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles are also doing. We’re preserving our residential housing for the residents who live and work here, while providing ways for residents to use their own home to make a little extra money. (Matt Valenti)
7. Opinion: The Costa-Hawkins Act Is Failing California
When Costa-Hawkins was signed into law in 1995 by Gov. Pete Wilson, its real-estate lobby supporters claimed builders would be incentivized to build more housing and the price of renting would fall. Fast-forward to 2018, and that clearly has not happened. (Paola Martinez-Montes)
8. Problems at This Lincoln Park Strip Mall Keep Getting Worse Despite City Intervention
A strip mall in Lincoln Park has been rife with problems, drawing 42 police calls between October 2017 and July 2018. The city has intervened by filing criminal charges, citing code violations and proposing fixes, yet community members say the city’s involvement hasn’t spurred any noticeable improvements. (Kinsee Morlan)
9. Opinion: Rent Control Harms the People It’s Intended to Help
A statewide initiative to repeal limitations on local rent control policies will disincentivize builders and strip private property rights in the San Diego area. (Mark Powell)
10. Why Graduation Rates in San Diego — and Across California — Went Down
Earlier this year, a federal audit found that California was seriously overcounting its graduates. To get into compliance, the state agreed to fix the way it calculated graduation rates, by not including adult education diplomas as well as making other changes. (Will Huntsberry)