County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Thursday announced she was offering to use county funds to foot the bill for the City of San Diego’s fire pits. Mayor Todd Gloria proposed cutting beach fire pits as part of a suite of budget cuts aimed at closing San Diego’s massive budget deficit.
The cut would save the city $135,000 a year, a paltry sum in the city’s $258 million budget deficit. The cut would account for .05 percent of what’s needed to balance the books. Lawson-Remer’s offer to spend $135,000 of her district’s Community Enhancement Grant Program would save the pits – at least for one year.
It’s yet to be seen if city leaders will take the funds, but in a statement, Council President Joe LaCava thanked Lawson-Remer.
“Generations of San Diegans, including my family, have gathered around fire rings to celebrate, reflect, and build community,” LaCava told CBS 8. “This grant will allow the city to refocus on locating the fire pits and ensuring they are used responsibly.”
Fiery opposition: The offer comes as opponents of the cut have turned up the heat. A petition to save the fire pits received thousands of signatures and multiple advocacy efforts have been launched, some even including text message campaigns urging residents to call Gloria’s office and express their opposition to the proposal.
City Council has a budget hearing on Friday, but will cast a final vote on the budget on Tuesday.
The spark: Lawson-Remer’s first foray into fire pit-politik came when our pod crew interviewed her back in April. During the episode, she told our hosts that if San Diego were to get rid of fire pits, she thought people should be able to bring their own ones to the beach.
“Sitting at a bonfire, to me, that’s what summer’s all about and this is the quintessential public good,” Lawson-Remer said on the podcast.
City Status Update: City Councilmembers recently issued memos laying out their proposed changes to Gloria’s budget pitch. In a report this week, independent budget analysts at the city noted that six of nine councilmembers wanted to restore the fire ring program. NBC 7 detailed other changes that councilmembers are pushing.
What’s Next: Councilmembers are set to discuss proposed budget changes at a 9 a.m. meeting today and to vote on the budget next Tuesday.
Appeals Court Cans Yoga Ban
Freedom of speech? More like freedom to stretch.
San Diegans’ right to strike a warrior pose on Sunset Cliffs was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week, which ruled that yoga is protected speech under the first amendment.
This comes about a year after the city banned popular donation-based yoga classes on beaches and shorelines in an attempt to rein in commercial activity on public lands.
By specifically banning yoga — while allowing activities such as Tai Chi classes to continue — the appeal said the policy discriminated against various forms of speech purely on the basis of their content.
Content-based restrictions on protected speech are unconstitutional.
The yoga teachers who filed the case requested a preliminary injunction to continue teaching last July, but were denied. This decision allowed the classes to continue, but left the door open for further legal consideration.
It’s currently unclear how this decision may impact other commercial activities listed in the municipal code, including luxury picnics and other fitness classes.
Elo-Rivera on Calling ICE Action ‘Terrorism’
When federal agents in military gear raided a South Park restaurant and used flash bangs on a crowd, City Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera called them “Terrorists.” That obviously got a big response, including national attention.
But here’s what’s really interesting: Elo-Rivera said Dems need to talk like that if they want to win.
“If we don’t actually call that out, it will get away from us much more quickly than we realize,” Elo-Rivera said. “There is a question of the willingness of the party to name what’s going on right now.”
Elo-Rivera did something not unfamiliar to Donald Trump himself. He tapped into what he called a “simmering rage” over what he has been watching happen in recent months.
But it wasn’t just rage. Elo-Rivera also double checked the dictionary. The raid was obviously designed to strike fear in people’s hearts and, to him, it met the definition of terrorism.
“Our whole city is less safe after last Friday,” he said. “Who knows when you might be sitting down to dinner and the next tank rolls up with your kids sitting next to you.”
Pitch Your Idea for Politifest 2025
Politifest 2025 on Oct. 4 won’t be our usual public affairs summit. We’re bringing together the most knowledgeable San Diegans we can find to go head-to-head in our first ever Solutions Showdown. They will present their solutions and the audience will get to vote on the ones that could best address the biggest problems facing San Diego. Topics will include:
- How to solve the sewage crisis at the border.
- How to reduce water and utility prices.
- How do we build more housing in San Diego people can afford.
- How do we ensure that all children receive an excellent education.
- How does government become more responsive and productive.
- How do we provide clean energy 24/7.
- What to do about street homelessness.
- What to do when people with behavioral health problems refuse treatment
This year we will have a special reader’s choice session. What is an issue facing San Diego that you’d like to hear a solution for? Click here to pitch your idea by June 13.
In Other News
- A San Diego judge ruled Wednesday that the Trump administration has violated two provisions of a settlement that required the government to provide legal services to roughly 9,000 parents and children separated at the border during President Trump’s first term. (Union-Tribune)
- The District Attorney’s office is prosecuting a case against an SDPD officer accused of embezzling thousands from the City’s school crosswalk patrol program to purchase a plethora of personal items, KPBS reports.
- A position that’s cost the City $1.4 million over the past five years has never officially appeared in the budget. inewsource reports on how the general manager of CleanSD’s pay stubs managed to remain under the radar.
- On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to accept nearly $30 million in state Proposition 1 funds to back for the construction of an adult substance abuse treatment facility and a mental health crisis center for children. (City News Service)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney, Will Huntsberry, Bella Ross and Tessa Balc. It was edited by Scott Lewis.
Sean Elo is an Opportunistic Politician who does not follow thru on Completing the Job he signed up for. For example, he quit the affordable housing board of a C3. He quit his role as San Diego Community College District Board. Now he is trying to secure a higher role by selectively choosing to address “heated” issues that draw attention. It is very easy to post fear rants on social media 😂
For whom is San Diego safe?
Clearly, Elo is now using “kids” at restaurants for his own political agenda 💩
Is he talking about migrants’ kids?
It appears the inconvenience was for more for the phaadies than for the families of those arrested.
Don’t be fooled Raza, get these clowns out of office!
By his own definition, Elo-Rivera is a terrorist. A few years ago, he claimed the city had enough money to go through the long, expensive process of purchasing SDG&E through a hostile takeover. Now, the city doesn’t have enough money to keep a few fire pits open. A politician like Elo-Rivera, who has no idea about finances, should be feared by everyone who values their economic life.