In the just-before-Covid-times, a majority of city voters backed a hotel-tax increase that pledged new money for a Convention Center expansion, additional homeless services and road repairs.
After years of legal wrangling over whether Measure C passed, it’s now in full effect but it’s not delivering additional homeless services or immediately funding an expansion.
That’s because Measure C money isn’t actually being added on top of the city’s existing homelessness budget – like many voters intended – it’s replacing it. In other words, the money won’t be paying for new homeless services any time soon.
It’s a prediction that homeless advocate Michael McConnell made at our 2019 Politifest. He was one of the ballot measure’s fiercest opponents back when it was preparing to go before voters. And it turns out, he was right.
It’s not a shock given the city’s budget crisis, writes our Mariana Martínez Barba. San Diego’s massive budget deficit means its existing homeless services were hanging on by a financial thread; Measure C funds are keeping those services afloat.
Also: A city spokesperson made the case that the city did technically follow the will of the voters by expanding homeless services after Measure C passed in 2020, even though the money was held up for years in a legal battle. Now, the city is using the new money to pay for those services it already expanded.
Plug-In Solar: Is It Actually Dangerous?
Utility companies opposing a state bill that would allow people to own plug-in solar panels to generate electricity have had one central argument against it: it’s too dangerous.
Is it, though?
Companies like SDG&E obviously wouldn’t benefit from the bill because it would allow its customers to generate electricity on their own. But they say they’re also concerned about workers’ safety. An electrical worker trying to fix the grid may get electric feedback from the solar panels and get hurt, they argue.
However, our MacKenzie Elmer hasn’t been able to find or hear of one example where someone was hurt by such an incident. And some experts say the concern may be exaggerated.
Read the Environment Report here.
Feds Now Own Otay Mesa Detention Center
The federal government now owns two of the largest detention facilities in California after private prison company CoreCivic sold them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in a deal worth $1.5 billion.
The company sold Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County and California City Detention Facility in Kern County outright, but will keep managing the facilities under existing contracts that will be renegotiated once the contract term is up, CalMatters reported.
Remember: ICE has previously blocked local and state elected officials from visiting the Otay Mesa Detention Center. San Diego County is also suing CoreCivic for allegedly blocking health inspections.
Politifest Is Back
We’re bringing together local politicians to go head-to-head at Politifest: Elections Showdown.
Attendees will hear from candidates across San Diego and cast their votes for who would most effectively address the biggest issues facing our community. It’s all happening on Oct. 3.
Get discounted tickets with early bird pricing today.
In Other News
- Last week, President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a set of trade rules, citing concerns about trade deficits. The move could have massive impacts on San Diego’s cross-border economy, affecting the trade of billions of dollars worth of goods between San Diego and Mexico. (KPBS)
- New sleep cabins in Pacific Beach will soon house six people who are working their way out of homelessness. The group is part of a program that pays them to clean public streets, provides them with case management and houses them. (KPBS)
- Thirteen bathrooms around Mission Bay are now closed due to city budget cuts, which is almost half of the bathrooms in the park. (Axios San Diego)
The Morning Report was written by Lisa Halverstadt and Tigist Layne. It was edited by Andrea Sanchez-Villafaña.
