Lots of news came out of this year’s Politifest, not least of which came during our live podcast with special guest California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
In an interview with former Voicer and current LA Times reporter Liam Dillon, Bonta dished on everything from housing to the shocking number of deaths in San Diego County jails.
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
Here are a couple of highlights:
San Diego jails on notice: San Diego County jails are deadly. In fact, for years they’ve had some of the highest number of deaths of any county in California. Bonta said he was aware of the “disturbing number of in-custody deaths,” but that he wasn’t taking action just yet. First, he said, he wanted to give newly-elected Sheriff Kelly Martinez the chance to fix things. If things didn’t change though, he said he could pursue multiple legal remedies.
Coronado’s housing plan: In 2020, California tasked Coronado with creating plans to add more than 900 homes within its city limits, half of which had to be affordable. But Coronado has ignored the requirement. During Bonta’s conversation with Dillon, the attorney general hinted that something may be coming soon. Less than a week later, Coronado revealed a new housing element meant to get the city on the housing law straight and narrow.
Contentious homeless enforcement: Both Bonta and San Diego Councilwoman turned Board of Supervisors candidate Monica Montgomery Steppe touched on law enforcement’s treatment of homeless people during their Politifest appearances. A case dealing with when cities can enforce camping bans like the one San Diego has passed is potentially making its way to the Supreme Court. San Diego has signed on as a “friend of the court.”
Bonta acknowledged there needs to be more clarity around when officials can enforce such ordinances, but he also expressed worry about the possibility of a “pendulum swing” toward more punitive responses to homelessness if the conservative majority Supreme Court takes up the case.
That’s only a taste of the live pod, which also includes some added gems from Dillon and environment reporter Mackenzie Elmer. Listen to the whole thing here.
Politifest 2023: Our Content Hub Is Here
Tired of hearing about Politifest, yet? No way, right?
This year we delivered some of the most fascinating conversations with leaders, policy experts and advocates on our state’s most pressing issues: housing and water. We are making all the session recordings live on our site today for those who missed out on Politifest 2023.
We’ve already told you about the spicy County Supervisor debate, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s interesting revelations on the live podcast and eye-opening stats from a discussion with the author of the largest study of homeless people in the state.
But, boy, we have so much more for you. From a debate about SB 10 to a discussion on what it’s like to be homeless. Click here for a sneak peek.
Editor’s note: Thank you to our student volunteer note-takers Joshua Hangartner, Sophia Brotman, Maya Couey and Charlotte Izadi with La Jolla Country Day School, and Aaron Price Fellows Jazz Steppe and Sophia Rosas who contributed to this post.
Have You Worked Concessions for a Volunteer Group? We Want to Hear from You.
A few weeks ago, our reporter Will Huntsberry wrote about a fake charity calling itself Chula Vista Fast Pitch that raked in money at Petco Park for nine years. This group was basically a criminal enterprise.
However, we have heard that many high school students have worked at Petco and other major venues with supposed volunteer groups of all kinds.
These groups will frequently pay kids under the table and below minimum wage. Sometimes, we’ve heard, the kids even get stiffed on their earnings.
Has this ever happened to you or anyone you know? We’d love to hear about it. Send Huntsberry an email at will.huntsberry@voiceofsandiego.org or call 619-693-6249.
Song of the Week
Hailing from National City, Los Shadows have for the better part of a decade put out infectious indie rock with just a dash of grime. But the band’s latest album “MOJOMOJO,” finds them trading in their dream pop inspired riffs for a blend of rock and cumbia that comes complete with percussion and call-and-response Spanish vocals.
Los Shadows, “Coahuila”: “Coahuila,” feels a bit like accidentally wandering into a party at a junkyard in the middle of the night. There’s a foreboding air to lead singer Andy Saldana’s deep, octave vocals, which in turn are enveloped in a stew of barking dogs, hooky keyboards, a plodding bassline and assorted sprinkles of percussion. The song puts on full display Los Shadows’ adeptness at blending textures while conjuring undeniably heady and intoxicating vibes.
Like what you hear? Catch Los Shadows at Soda Bar on Friday.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists!
In Other News
- A report from a civilian oversight board shows that despite a nurse determining a jailed man should have been sent to the ER, he was brought back to his cell. He was found unresponsive minutes later, and later died. His death was one of 20 in San Diego County jails last year. (Union-Tribune)
- Customs and Border Protection has released some 18,500 asylum seekers on San Diego streets over the past month. (Reuters)
- Behind Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of a bill legalizing lowrider cruising statewide is a small group of National City activists who three years ago began to fight to overturn their city’s cruising ban. (Union-Tribune)
- Four men’s rights activists have sued a Gaslamp nightclub, alleging the nightclub discriminated against them by making them pay a higher cover charge than women. (CBS 8)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney, Andrea Lopez-Villafaña and Will Huntsberry. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.