San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria gave the first State of the City address of his new administration this week. It was a big deal — not just because it was his first as head of the city. It was also the first (and hopefully last?) of the pandemic, and the first since former Mayor Kevin Faulconer launched his exploratory committee for governor.
VOSD hosts Scott Lewis and Sara Libby on this week’s podcast discussed a few notable parts of the address. Gloria said the state of the city was “fragile,” a stark contrast from typically optimistic addresses leaders have given. And in a rebuke of his predecessor, Gloria referenced Faulconer’s failed homelessness solutions and the major budget deficit he’s inherited.
As VOSD’s Lisa Halverstadt reported, the city is bracing for a $124 million shortfall in the coming year. (Gloria had it in the ballpark of $150 million in his speech.)
Council Unknowingly OK’d Police Surveillance Gear
VOSD’s Jesse Marx joined the the show to talk about his story detailing how late in 2020, the outgoing San Diego City Council approved funds for a secretive law enforcement group to purchase a heap of surveillance technology.
On the show, Marx explains just what type of gear the group wanted. It kept the wish list secret from the public and even the public officials who voted to approve it. He also pulls back the curtain on the tangled web of agencies and regulations involved in the group that contribute to why its dealings are so often hidden. Catch the interview at minute 23 in the show.