San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria gave his state of the city speech. If last year was the everything is awesome speech, this year was the everything is definitely not awesome speech.

This was the tough conversations speech. The we can do hard things speech. 

The dynamic PowerPoint that went with included such rousing lists like refocus, reimagine, revisit and re-evaluate…

SHOW NOTES

00:00:00 Opening 

January 28th Event:

Meet the Beat: South County

January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Free

Have you met our newest journalist Jim Hinch yet? Have refreshments and get to know the face behind Voice’s South County Report. This event is open to the public.

00:06:14 State of the City Part I

2025 State of the City Livestream

Mayor: Steep Budget Cuts Are Coming San Diego

by Will Huntsberry and Lisa Halverstadt

00:16:43 State of the City Part II

2024 State of the City Livestream

00:32:45 State of the City Part III

Morning Report: Deep Cuts Coming to City

00:37:48 County Update

San Diego Is Less Blue

Public Matters

Public Matters is led by KPBS, inewsource and Voice of San Diego. These three independent, nonprofit news organizations are partnering to share content, conversation, and events that ensure all San Diegans understand their opportunity to participate in the democratic process and that it means more than voting in an election. The initiative provides news stories on politics and governance including the areas of housing affordability, public safety, neighborhood improvements and social justice; facilitated, in-person discussions around important issues that often divide us; and resources to help you make a difference in your community. At its core, it is about reminding us that we have a shared humanity, and together we are empowered to make positive change.

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We are going to go through some updates to stories but we’ve got a special co-host today, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo.

We’ve got some questions for him and he said he’s come up with a contribution to our hot takes segment at the end. 

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1 

00:02:15 Updates 

00:06:28 Fletcher Nathan Fletcher’s Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Claim — for Now

00:08:13 Vargas South County Report: Supervisor Race Takes Shape

Segment 2 

00:11:17 She Said What? 

County Supervisor Candidates Have No Love for New Immigration Policy

New San Diego Council President Wants to End SeaWorld Fireworks

00:23:55 Padres

Matthew Seidler denies allegations of wrongdoing from wife of late Padres owner Peter Seidler (Associated Press)

Matt Seidler responds to Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit, says Padres not going anywhere (Union Tribune)

Segment 3 

00:30:27 Raul Campillo Interview

00:55:21 Do you want to run for mayor?

Segment 4

01:00:57 Hot Takes

Andrea: The County’s Sanctuary City Statement

Raul: The Future of Balboa Park

Scott: SDGE’s Fire Safety Policy

Jakob: No hot take (!?)

January 28th Event:

Meet the Beat: South County

January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Free

Have you met our newest journalist Jim Hinch yet? Have refreshments and get to know the face behind Voice’s South County Report. This event is open to the public.

Become a Member

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is our first show of 2025 and it is already starting with some huge news: We finally will discuss the incredible news that County Supervisor Nora Vargas will not be taking the oath of office for her re-election. 

The balance of power in the county is once again up for grabs, right as the county braces for thousands more people being forced into treatment. 

What’s going to happen? Who’s going to run?

We’ll get into everything plus an update about stunning news from the San Diego Housing Commission: It has decided it no longer has the resources to dole out vouchers to specific low-income housing projects. IT’s a move that could have major implications for the Sports Arena project and other efforts to provide housing.

SHOW NOTES

Segment 1 

0:05:21 - 0:11:28

The Libby App  (app that Scott uses to read books)

The Power Broker (book)

Segment 2

0:11:33 - 0:19:26

Politics Report: Another County Supe Down

by Scott Lewis, December 21, 2024

Locate Your District (San Diego County site)

Segment 3

0:19:39 - 0:40:56

Morning Report: Another Scandal Ends in a Resignation

by Voice of San Diego, April 5, 2023

Segment 4

0:41:01 - 1:05:12

In 2025, San Diego Can’t Look Away from the Screaming

by Scott Lewis, January 1, 2025

City’s Housing Agency Won’t Issue Vouchers for New Housing Projects

The San Diego Housing Commission has decided it no longer has the resources to dole out vouchers to specific low-income housing projects, a move expected to slow the pace of new homeless housing. 

by Lisa Halverstadt, January 2, 2025

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the last episode of 2024 and we have a super mega roundtable for you. 

I am in studio with the core four – Lopez, Jakob, Bella – and we have one open seat so we’re going to bring in one reporter at a time. We’ll ask them each what’s going to happen. What’s one thing they want to know "What’s going to happen?" 

I think that’s the core compelling ingredient of media of all kinds. If a piece of content makes you wonder “What’s going to happen?” you’re hooked. So prepare to be hooked.

Show Outline and Notes

You can show your support for our podcast today by going to vosd.org/podpeople.

00:00:00 Intro

00:06:56 Segment 1

What’s Going to Happen to TikTok? 
Bella Ross - Social Media Producer

Pew Research on TikTok

Book: Infinite Just

What’s Going to Happen to Forces of Gentrification on the South Bay?
Jim Hinch - South County Reporter

Gentrification Is Coming for South San Diego County

South County leaders have made it a goal to catch up to wealthier North County cities. But the race to the top risks leaving some residents behind.

Port of San Diego: Chula Vista Bayfront

Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center

00:29:12 Segment 2

What’s Going to Happen to Nathan Fletcher and His Accuser? 
Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, Managing Editor, Daily News

Who Is Nathan Fletcher? San Diego Explained

Fletcher Resigns as MTS Chair as Former Agency Employee Accuses Him of Sexual Harassment and Assault in Lawsuit

Morning Report: MTS to Release Fletcher Investigation

What’s Going to Happen to Del Mar Housing? 
Tigist Layne - North County Reporter

Morning Report: The Builder’s Remedy Prevailed in an LA Court. Will the Same Happen in Del Mar?

00:36:46 Segment 3

What’s Going to Happen to AI in San Diego Schools? 
Jakob McWhinney - Education Reporter

The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified’s AI Future Is Now

San Diego Unified paid $83,000 to integrate its high school English curriculum into an online platform and got access to an AI tool as well. Now, some teachers are using it to grade student work.

The Progress Report: AI Is in Use at San Diego Unified – But the District Doesn’t Have its Own Plan

The rise of AI-supported education technology caught San Diego Unified without a policy. Now, as teachers and students within the district have begun to use AI products in the classroom, district leaders are creating one.

What’s Going to Happen to Federal Funding and the Impact on Environmental Projects?
MacKenzie Elmer - Environment Reporter

Officials Fear Nightmare Flooding from New Tijuana River Border Wall

A lifting gate structure could impede the Tijuana River’s flow if it fails to rise during heavy rains like San Diego just experienced.

Time to Evacuate the Tijuana River Valley?

County officials said the pollution problem is far from triggering a mandatory mass exodus from South Bay, but it’s not totally outside the realm of possibilities.

00:50:43 Segment 4

What’s Going to Happen to the City of San Diego in an “Era of Austerity”? 
Scott Lewis - Editor in Chief

County Supe Slams San Diego Mayor’s Budget

City Council budget hearings will begin next week. The City Council has until June 30 to approve the budget.

Cup of Chisme: Cuts Hit Different

What’s Going to Happen to the Mega Shelter? 
Lisa Halverstadt - Homelessness

What We Know About the Mayor’s Mega Shelter Pitch

Mayor Todd Gloria unveiled a plan to convert a large warehouse near downtown into a 1,000-bed homeless shelter.

Four Big Disputes Dogging the City’s Quest to Open Its Biggest Shelter Yet

The City Council is set to vote Monday on a proposed 1,000-bed shelter and there are lots of questions and disagreements over the city’s plans.

Morning Report: Mega-Shelter Monday July 22, 2024

The 30-year lease agreement for the Middletown warehouse the city wants to turn into the city’s largest long-term homeless campus – and the concept itself – have spawned major questions: What’s the value of the building? Can the city count on the site and its potential landlord? Should the city open a big shelter and pull from housing funds to pay for it? Is it sustainable?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we have a special episode for you. This coming year is going to be a difficult one for leaders of San Diego Unified School District. They are facing a massive budget deficit, ongoing stagnation in enrollment. They’re grappling with the aftermath of scandals involving sexual misconduct allegations that got the attention of the federal government and brought down the district’s superintendent.

Cody Petterson was just named the new school board president. He’ll guide the five member Board of Education for the District. 

He’s taking over that role from his colleague, trustee Shana Hazan. 

Both of them came into the studio to talk about all these issues and more. It was a frank and interesting exchange on some very touchy topics in education.

Show Notes

You can show your support for our podcast today by going to vosd.org/podpeople

Links

San Diego Unified School District Board of Education 

About

Shana Hazan Board President - District B Term Expires: December 2026

Cody Petterson Board Vice President - District C Term Expires: December 2026

Selected Recent VOSD Stories: San Diego Unified School District 

Oct 14, 2024

San Diego Student Test Scores Haven’t Made Up Pandemic Losses

The slow recovery from pandemic performance drop offs coupled with growing budget woes may spell trouble for districts like San Diego Unified.

Sep 12, 2024

Billions of Dollars Later, Some San Diego Unified Students Still Dealing with Hot Classrooms

Taxpayers have voted to give San Diego Unified School District $11.5 billion over the last 16 years with the express purpose of bringing working air...

Sep 5, 2024

New San Diego Schools Superintendent Didn’t Mention Misconduct or Victims in Speech to Principals

Over multiple district communications since Lamont Jackson's firing, there's been a group of people conspicuously missing.

Sep 3, 2024

Lamont Jackson Is Out as San Diego Unified Supe. What’s Next?

Fabiola Bagula, who was elevated to acting superintendent from her deputy superintendent role after Jackson's firing, seems poised to keep that role.

Aug 29, 2024

Investigation Into San Diego Unified Superintendent Substantiates Allegations of Misconduct Involving Staff

The allegations against Superintendent Lamont Jackson were levied by former San Diego Unified School District staff.

Aug 19, 2024

Feds Slam San Diego Unified’s Handling of Sexual Misconduct

A new report from the U.S. Department of Education skewers how San Diego Unified for years handled sexual misconduct complaints.

Aug 12, 2024

School Is Back in Session: 4 Education Stories to Follow

Believe it or not, most schools in San Diego County are back in session. If the new school year snuck up on you, that's likely because start dates have been…

Jun 12, 2024

The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified’s AI Future Is Now

San Diego Unified paid $83,000 to integrate its high school English curriculum into an online platform and got access to an AI tool as well.

Jun 11, 2024

San Diego Unified High Schoolers: Getting Great Grades But Troubling Test Scores

An analysis of thousands of letter grades from San Diego Unified high schoolers shows that far more students pass classes in subjects like English, math and...

May 20, 2024

San Diego Unified Investigating Superintendent Lamont Jackson

Though a district official has confirmed an investigation is occurring, no one will say what prompted it.

May 17, 2024

San Diego Unified Is Slowly Embracing Science of Reading

The district has long relied on an approach to teaching kids to read that's not back by science. Now, officials are working to change that – but it hasn't...

May 16, 2024

San Diego Unified Walks Back Majority of Teacher Layoffs

District officials announced Thursday that they had rescinded 96 percent of the layoff notices issued in March.

Feb 26, 2024

‘I Can’t Wait Until You’re 18’: Despite Years of Sexual Harassment Allegations, San Diego Unified Allowed Teacher to Quietly Retire

For years, students and faculty at Roosevelt Middle filed complaints against a middle school math teacher. Students alleged he'd grabbed their butts,...

Feb 21, 2024

San Diego Unified Board Member: Teacher Layoffs Are Coming

In June, San Diego Unified officials announced the district was projecting big deficits in the coming years. The expiration of hundreds of millions of...

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

December 13, 2024

The election just ended. The election just started. We often accuse politicians of being short sighted but one thing they definitely plan far in advance is their next political move. We may have heard the first shots in the 2028 mayoral race. 

The city has a new president of the City Council and the region has a new Republican leader, same as the old one. 

And the county passed a rule about what the sheriff can and cannot do with immigration enforcement officers and the sheriff said thank you but I run my own show. 

We get into the meat and potatoes of it all.

Show Notes

San Diego's Pension Scandal:

Wikipedia San Diego pension scandal

VOSD Mayor Announces New Pension Board Nominees; Whistleblower’s Name Absent
by Andrew Donohue
February 28, 2005

La Jolla Secession:

VOSD Morning Report: In Point Loma, Talk of Secession
by Randy Dotinga
January 6, 2011

VOSD Mayor Gloria Chimes in on La Jolla Secession
‘As a Mayor, I wouldn’t recommend it,’ he said on the VOSD Podcast last week.
by Jakob McWhinney
December 10, 2024

101 Ash Street (the former Sempra building)

Wikipedia 101 Ash Street

VOSD How the City Came to Lease a Lemon
It’s likely the city never would have purchased 101 Ash St. if a developer hadn’t come along to act as middleman. But that structure also laid the groundwork for a situation that is stunningly messy even in the canon of San Diego real estate history.
by Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx
August 10, 2020

San Diego City Council Meeting Item 330:  Proposed Settlement Agreement Involving Acquisition of the 101 Ash Street and Civic Center Plaza Properties

Carl DeMaio 

Carl DeMaio Won an Assembly Seat but the Road to Victory Was Vicious 
The Republican Party of San Diego County has been absorbed in a family feud centered around their newest elected official, incoming Assembly member Carl DeMaio. 
by Deborah Sullivan Brennan
December 6, 2024

Sanctuary City San Diego

Border Report: Schools, Churches Mull Sanctuary Policies
by Brooke Binkowski
December 5, 2016

Neither San Diego – Nor California – Is a Sanctuary for the Undocumented
by Scott Lewis
February 21, 2017

Border Report: What a Sanctuary City Is, and Isn’t
by Kate Morrissey
December 9, 2024

Jim Desmond's Instagram Account
What does it mean to become a “Super” Sanctuary County? To fully grasp the implications, you need to understand California’s current sanctuary state law and its impact.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda Item 29
SUBJECT: ADOPTING A BOARD POLICY ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT
TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY (DISTRICTS: ALL)
December 10, 2024
Agenda Item 29 PDF
Meeting Video on YouTube

Statement on Board of Supervisors Vote on Immigration Enforcement
Sheriff's Office to continue following state law.
Post Date:12/10/2024 5:15 PM

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We’ve got the full crew in today to host a conversation with Mayor Todd Gloria, fresh off re-election, the mayor has no honeymoon. A huge budget deficit is coming up and his plan to deal with it – a tax increase – failed. 

For more on the issues:

Can San Diego Finally Pass a Sales Tax Increase?

Politics Report: The Civic Center Dream

101 Ash St.

Newly Homeless Residents Still Outpacing Newly Housed

Homelessness Crisis Response System 2023 Data and Performance Report

Morning Report: The Battle Against Homeless Shelters

Wendy's - 'Where's the Beef ' Ad (Original - 1984)

La Jollans Are Trying to Divorce San Diego (Again)

November 1, 2024 Podcast: 2024 Election Draft Pick (start at 16:40 for Andrea’s description of the Mayor’s pup)

Support VOSD: Member Benefits
Join today and receive insider access.

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This week is thanksgiving so what better time for us to bring back beef week? It’s more like Beef 10 Days. It may seem incongruent but we should all be thankful we can beef in local politics without violence or whatever. 

And we have a special guest this week, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is here. We’ll talk about the election and some tough decisions coming up for him and his colleagues.

LINKS

For more on the issues:

Beef Week

No Longer ‘Norita.’ Some of Nora Vargas’ Constituents Sour on her Leadership

It’s Impossible to Pee Legally in San Diego

Sean Elo-Rivera Official City Webpage

Sean Elo-Rivera Instagram

Voice Member Benefits
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The Registrar of Voters made us wait six days for an update on the vote count from November 5 – 16 days ago. The main local race we’re still watching is the Oceanside mayoral race. Just 31 votes separated the incumbent and her challenger. 

Senior investigative reporter Will Huntsberry will join us later on the show to explain why the city of San Diego has purchased at least $1 million worth of gear from a man involved in one of the largest law enforcement scandals in San Diego’s history. 

And new data about local schools just dropped. There’s some encouraging news but it’s still kind of bleak. 

For more on the issues:

Bill Walton FBI files

Pop culture in the FBI filing cabinet:

Sanctuary City rhetoric

KTLA’s Story on LA’s Sanctuary City declaration

A Man Convicted in a Major Law Enforcement Scandal Is Doing Big Business with the City

Voice Member Benefits
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We are still processing the election, as I am sure all of you are. But at least some questions have been answered. We’ll go through those updates. 

And, where does the city of San Diego go from here? The mayor and Council President got re-elected but a sales tax failed and a deficit looms. A lot of people are worried about big cities and we get it.

For more on the issues:

Deadly Failure: A Sailor’s Struggle in a Fractured Mental Health System,

NBC San Diego VOD

VOSD Story

Election 2024
San Diego County Unofficial Election Results

The Learning Curve: Bazzo Has Likely Won – Just Barely

Politics Report: Baked Months Ago

Voice Member Benefits
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Well, that was an election. We will go back through the races we drafted last week. As always, there are a couple nail-biters as we begin the tradition of waiting for updates every afternoon. 

But we can say that San Diego incumbents did well. Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Councilmembers hoping for another term did fine. So did Terra Lawson Remer, the county supervisor who faced down millions in spending against her. 

Turns out all she had to do was all we suspected she had to do: Connect her opponent Kevin Faulconer to Trump. But like everywhere else in the country, Trump did better here than before.

For more on the issues:

Union Tribune College/Talmadge/Montezuma Rd Fire Photo

 Scott’s Twitter/X palm tree post

Jakob’s Twitter/X young voters post

Voices of the Voters

Election Results: We’re Waiting on These Races

North County Report: Election Results Are Rolling In

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