These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Oct. 5-12.
1. A Reader’s Guide to the Local Ballot Measures
From pot taxes to school bonds to the future of Mission Valley, San Diego voters have a lot of big decisions to make. Here’s a study guide. (Lisa Halverstadt)
2. Opinion: It’s Time to Put Roads Over Transit
More than 50 percent of local transportation dollars are spent to move just 3.5 percent of commuters. This huge disparity is part of the reason why the vast majority of us sit in traffic each day. (Richard Bailey )
3. Opinion: The San Diego Airport’s Terminal 1 Plan Threatens Nearby Neighborhoods
The airport’s selfish plan to capture all the new revenue from revamping Terminal 1 while making others pay to solve related transportation problems is shameful. (Lorie Zapf)
4. Dog Pile: Local Agencies Blast the Airport Authority’s Plan to Redo Terminal 1
Local political leaders from across the spectrum agree the airport’s more than $2 billion plan to renovate Terminal 1 is a big regional priority that could boost the economy. Yet officials from several agencies have weighed in to express exasperation and frustration with the airport’s approach to the project. (Andrew Keatts)
5. Councilman Wants to Ground Plan to Turn Skydiving Building Into a Homelessness Center
City Councilman Chris Ward, who represents downtown, is calling for a holistic homelessness strategy before he’ll back Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan to open a housing navigation center in East Village. (Lisa Halverstadt)
6. Sweetwater Eyes $19 Million in Cuts to Stay Afloat in Current School Year
Sweetwater Union High School District announced Monday that it will make $19 million worth of cuts and budget transfers this school year to adjust for overspending in last year’s budget and more than $30 million in miscalculations in recent months. (Will Hunstberry)
7. San Diego Has Two Half-Empty Juvenile Jails and No Plans to Close Either
Either of the county’s two juvenile jails could contain the entire incarcerated population. But county officials don’t have a clear answer to why they want to spend a quarter of a billion dollars renovating one and also keep both jails operating into the future. (Will Hunstberry)
8. The City Is Moving Forward on the Plaza de Panama Project Amid Court Battles
The city is waiting for two challenges to the controversial project to resolve in court but released a request for bids from construction companies and has consulted attorneys on when it can seek bonds for the project. (Lisa Halverstadt)
9. SDSU Can’t Say How it Will Pay for Everything in SDSU West Plan
If Measure G passed, SDSU expects to need $550 million to build a new stadium and begin preparing the land. SDSU officials have repeatedly promised they will not raise student tuition or fees, but they are uncertain or secretive about how exactly everything would play out. (Ry Rivard)
10. Opinion: The Well-Meaning But Insulting Things Men Say About Sexual Assault
On the campaign trail, I heard well-meaning but misguided comments about women’s issues all the time, including from Democrats. So if we want to make government work better, here’s a simple solution: Start by electing more women at all levels — from city council to Congress. (Sara Jacobs)