A statewide firefighters organization has raised more than $1.7 million to defeat Carl DeMaio in the 75th Assembly race this year, with big donations from business organizations including Blue Shield of California, DoorDash and the California Apartment Association.
Congressmember Scott Peters and numerous labor and trade groups have also kicked in for the “Committee For a Safer San Diego to Oppose Carl,” sponsored by California Professional Firefighters.
The red-leaning 75th district spans part of North County and San Diego’s backcountry. It pits DeMaio, a conservative radio host and former San Diego City council member, against another Republican, Andrew Hayes, a Lakeside Union School District board member and former district director for state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones.
Brian K. Rice, president of the California Professional Firefighters, told me they are trying to expose DeMaio’s “true record of defunding public safety.”
“For the two decades Carl DeMaio has been seeking elected office, he’s been playing politics to serve himself and not the voters he claims to want to represent,” Rice wrote in an email. “Along the way, more and more people have discovered this truth about Carl DeMaio and that he can’t be trusted. He said he’d solve his city’s financial crisis by cutting death benefits for firefighters and police, and then his plan cost the city more money.”
The firefighters committee spent $793,903 on field campaigns, video ads and mailers against DeMaio between the start of the year and the last campaign filing deadline on Sept. 21. It had $765,367 left after that, and got another $270,000 over the past few weeks.
Peters also worries about DeMaio’s record on public safety, his Chief of Staff MaryAnne Pintar told me.
“Since his days on the San Diego City Council, Scott has supported and stood with our firefighters, including when then councilman Carl DeMaio tried to take away their death benefits,” Pintar said. “He completely understands why these public servants would be concerned about Carl DeMaio being in public office again, he shares their concerns and that’s why he contributed when asked.”
But it’s not obvious why the business groups want to defeat him, since their interests sometimes intersect.
DeMaio has urged his supporters to vote no on Proposition 33, which would allow cities to impose rent control. The California Apartment Association, which chipped in $100,000 against DeMaio, is also urging voters to reject the measure, arguing it would stifle housing development.
DeMaio also championed the 2020 ballot measure Proposition 22, which allowed DoorDash and other gig work apps to hire drivers as independent contractors, rather than employees; nonetheless DoorDash donated $50,000 to fight his assembly bid.
Neither organization responded to my calls requesting comment. DeMaio’s campaign chalked up their opposition to politics as usual.
“We’re not surprised the political establishment in Sacramento is spending millions on false ads to defeat Carl DeMaio,” his campaign spokesperson Jen Jacobs said. “They know Carl’s long and successful record of always fighting for the people and doing the right thing to expose corruption and reform our broken state government. That isn’t the track record most government insiders are excited about.”
The firefighters’ fundraising represents a significant boost to Hayes. His own campaign spent $700,264 by Sept. 21 and had $203,390 cash left. He has raised about $75,000 since then, including a $35,000 infusion from the Republican Party of San Diego County. (For more about that, read our editor Scott Lewis’ report on how the party struck a neutrality agreement with the two candidates, then pulled the plug after a fallout with DeMaio.)
DeMaio is well ahead of Hayes in campaign cash. He spent nearly $1.7 million this year before Sept. 21 and still had $931,000 remaining.
He also runs a ballot measure committee that spent $962,055 this year before Sept. 21, and had $763,363 in campaign cash left. That’s ostensibly dedicated to advocacy on California propositions. But Brian Marvel, president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California, filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that DeMaio was using the ballot measure committee as a slush fund for his own assembly campaign, our Tigist Layne reported.
Despite DeMaio’s cash advantages, the firefighters’ fundraising could level the playing field between him and Hayes.
No Four-Year Nursing Degrees for Community Colleges
The state legislature came close to passing a law to authorize four-year nursing degrees at community colleges. But Gov. Gavin Newsom killed the bill, and the hopes of San Diego Community College District.
State Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, aimed to open more doors for students to earn Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees. He cited the demand for nurses with four-year credentials and the lack of capacity to train them. Community colleges have recently started offering bachelor’s degrees in other professional fields, so officials said this would be a logical next step.
“These are consistent with the community college system (goal of) preparing students for workforce degrees,” said Jack Beresford, a spokesman for San Diego Community College District. “These are all needed for the local economy.”
They’re also necessary for students, the college argued, citing numbers showing that the cost of a Bachelor of Science in nursing in San Diego County ranges from $37,280 at San Diego State University to $177,520 at Point Loma Nazarene University. A comparable degree at City College would cost about $15,000, the college stated.
The Cal State system and private colleges opposed the bill, saying it would duplicate existing programs.
Late last month Newsom vetoed Roth’s bill, SB 895, and a similar bill, AB 2104, warning that they could undermine existing coordination between community colleges and universities.
“Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, nursing students at San Diego City College will remain
without an affordable and accessible option for pursuing a BSN,” San Diego Community College District Chancellor Gregory Smith wrote in a letter. “For most students, that means attending a costly private or for-profit college to earn their BSN.”
Could Proposition 36 Fulfill Its Promise to Force Defendants Into Drug Treatment?
A decade after California softened its criminal laws with Proposition 47, a majority of
Californians say they’re inclined to beef them up again. A poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 71 percent of likely voters plan to vote “yes” on Proposition 36. The ballot measure would crack down on theft and drug crimes and mandate treatment for people convicted of some offenses involving fentanyl and other hard drugs.
But does California have enough slots for all the people it wants to force into treatment? A Cal Matters report published this week says no, probably not. “Most counties don’t have nearly enough behavioral health treatment facilities, services or workforce to accomplish what the measure aims to achieve,” it concluded.
To learn more about the pros and cons of Proposition 36, read my report or watch our Politifest debate.
The Sacramento Report runs every Friday and is part of a partnership with CalMatters. Do you have tips, ideas or questions? Send them to me at deborah@voiceofsandiego.org
He must be doing something right if these entrenched special interests don’t want him in.