The two candidates in the race for San Diego County Supervisor both say they can improve how the County deals with homelessness. But the two have distinct differences in how they would do it.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and Chula Vista Mayor John McCann are both running for the District 1 South County seat on the Board of Supervisors – the one left vacant by former Supervisor Nora Vargas.
Our Jim Hinch has been following the race closely, and noted that homelessness, a top voter issue in the region, wasn’t central to either candidate’s campaign. One thing they did have in common, though, was their critiques of the County’s role in the region’s pressing homelessness issue.
Hinch looked back at how Aguirre and McCann have handled homelessness in their own cities and what they’ve said about the issue, and found the two agree in many respects. They are both critical of some County programs, the region’s limited shelter space and the lack of available substance abuse and mental health treatment options.
Their differences lie in their approach. One candidate prioritizes accountability, the other, compassion. And voters must decide which approach they think could help reduce homelessness in their communities.
Want more supervisor race coverage? Check out our South County Decides homepage for candidate Q&A’s, debates, the money race and up-to-the-minute developments.
The Progress Report: Restorative Justice Gets Support, and Cuts, at SD Unified
San Diego Unified School District is expanding its restorative justice policy, building on a policy district officials passed in 2020. But even as it works to improve it, the district is cutting funding for restorative justice in the next fiscal year.
Restorative justice is a form of disciplining students that focuses on repairing harm and building relationships rather than punishments. San Diego Unified has been working on integrating the method into the district since 2014.
After officially passing a policy in 2020, district leaders recently passed a new one, improving on its methodology and addressing any missing guidance and confusing language.
At a recent budget meeting, though, district leaders allocated about $580,000 less to restorative justice in the upcoming fiscal year than it did last year. That’s because of budget cuts related to the district’s ongoing budget deficit.
Still, some leaders of the policy are determined to make the policy the best it can be. Others are more wary of how less funding could impact its implementation.
Read the Progress Report here.
Don’t Miss It: Local Journalists on How to Fight Corruption
Question Everything, a podcast about journalism, invited our Lisa Haverstadt and three local news reporters from across the country to talk about the power of local journalism and work they’ve done that made a difference. Listen to the conversation here.
In Other News
- Excessive bacteria levels brought a slew of water quality advisories to beaches along San Diego County shores. Advisories were in place all the way from Cardiff to Coronado on Thursday. (NBC 7)
- Downtown San Diego’s electric rideshare shuttles may be brought to a full-stop at the end of this month. While city leaders have said that there may be room to extend the contract, it’s still set to expire June 30. (NBC 7)
- The first nonstop flight to Panama City from San Diego International Airport took off Wednesday evening. San Diego officials have worked to secure a convenient connection to Latin America for the last 12 years. (Union-Tribune)
- Community leaders are calling on the La Jolla Town Council president to step down following a controversial move she made to remove two board members and the resignation of several others after. (Union-Tribune)
The Morning Report was written by Tigist Layne, Jim Hinch and Tessa Balc. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.