Feed Editor 10 Apr 2010 16:59:25 GMT Blog of San Diego - Latest Stories http://www.blogofsandiego.com/RSS/Latest.xml en http://www.blogofsandiego.com/RSS/BlogOfSanDiegoLogo.png Blog of San Diego - Logo Councilmember Carl DeMaio's "Roadmap to Recovery", published today, says regarding the pension problem: "Until the city reforms its pension liability, no tax increase will be big enough…no service cut will be deep enough…to satisfy the skyrocketing debt service on the city’s pension system. Like a bankruptcy reorganization plan, the Roadmap to Recovery is committed to restructuring and reducing our net liabilities in the pension system through reform of benefits for both existing and new city employees." More>>> 6 Nov 2010 06:46:26 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#11/05/10 6A40997A-D35F-4409-BE9F-12431AED4C6F "There was a lot of folks who were disingenuous today" said Tony Young during his own absurdly disingenuous "explanation" of why he voted for a measure that will all but guarantee that WalMart will not be coming to a San Diego site near you anytime soon. 4 Nov 2010 06:57:38 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Voting.htm#11/03/10 6EF2EAED-1E95-4390-A34A-1EAACAE36D12 Who is the most powerful person in San Diego today? Fred Maas. Few voters even know his name. Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) once said that "power grows out of the barrel of a gun". In a Marxist-Leninist world, that was probably true. But in the Capitalist world, power grows out of a pot of money. The bigger the pot of money, the greater the power. 2 Nov 2010 22:14:20 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Elections.htm#10/28/10 99D5FE0C-1A2D-40BA-8174-1FEC7A81975E The Mayor sent out this Notice yesterday: "Beginning tonight, top city officials will hold a series of town hall meetings to discuss proposed impacts to the city’s budget. Participants will include Chief Operating Officer Jay Goldstone, Police Chief William Lansdowne, Fire Chief Javier Mainar, Library Director Deborah Barrow, Park & Recreation Director Stacey LoMedico, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Public Works Dave Jarrell and Chief Financial Officer Mary Lewis." 2 Nov 2010 22:13:41 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#10/19/10 A259BB42-A127-4178-990E-B6575F405F5C Today, the U-T editorial staff printed this "We have a Dream" opinion. If this is the best our only daily "news" paper can come up with, then, like Apollo 13 said to Houston, "San Diego, we have a problem". Let's examine this U-T "vision for the future of San Diego". 2 Nov 2010 22:12:56 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#10/17/10 04A121AA-5223-4EF6-88BF-02FDF526EC4E Here is the full SB 863 that sparked the outrage. Section 7 was inserted in the dead of night by Mayor Sanders and his developer friends without the knowledge of either the San Diego City Council or the San Diego City Attorney. It was then voted as part of the State Budget. 2 Nov 2010 22:12:09 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#10/15/10 8DFD0A08-E582-4A4E-A8D7-32E7CDE7836E Charles D. Wurster, President/CEO of the Port District: "I served in the Coast Guard 37 years. Also, the 100 yard security zone is the standard guideline and is most important on the surface of the water. (This space allows distance and time for security forces to make shoot/don't shoot decisions--regarding possibly hostile approaching vessels--during times of high alert.) Ashore, the practicalities of existing infrastructure are taken into account by the Coast Guard "Captain of the Port" who may approve a plan that provides adequate security with less set-back. That is the case for us here in San Diego." 2 Nov 2010 22:11:28 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#09/30/10 D1B1F33A-AE3C-4DFD-9B3D-FD185AC0D9D6 Here is a letter from Christine Anderson, the Port's VP of Operations, dated July 27, 2007. In it she advises the Port Commissioners that Bill Anderson, the Mayor's Planning Director, had attended a meeting of the NEVP Joint Powers Authority (JPA) the day before. Anderson had advised Port staff that his boss the Mayor was unhappy with the Port's plans for a temporary cruise ship facility on Broadway Pier, that he wanted a permanent building there. 2 Nov 2010 22:10:43 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#08/31/10 983C3685-DE6F-4BA3-82CF-0E78838CE53C On November 27, 2007 Carnival Corp sent this letter to the Port of San Diego regarding their shared vision for the future of the cruise ship industry in San Diego. Carnival warned that changes in the cruise ship business environment warranted changes in their joint vision. Carnival worried whether the Port's plan to spend $164 million in planned improvements to B Street Pier could be supported through long term cruise ship usage. Carnival pointed out that it could not "get close to the passenger figures" that would be required. 2 Nov 2010 22:10:00 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#08/30/10 D700E4A7-B7B5-4D0B-B6F0-A4AADE80CF54 The San Diego School Board will meet in special session on Tuesday 5:00 P.M. August 31st to discuss this letter from the County Superintendent of Schools, Randolph Ward. The letter imposed a September 8, 2010 deadline for the District to adopt a revised budget that will be acceptable to the County Superintendent. In the meantime the District is operating at the pleasure of the Superintendent. He has the power to declare the District to be "not a going concern" at any time 2 Nov 2010 22:09:17 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Schools.htm#08/25/10 48EC609C-42EA-4734-AFEA-1B9139BC1F4F This is the dirty Agreement that is spawning multiple lies about the Embarcadero Oval Park. The fact is that a Panamanian company, the Carnival Corporation, advanced the Port District $12 million at 4.5% interest to construct two home ports, one on B. Street Pier and one on Broadway Pier. The sole source of funds for repayment of this loan, which must be repaid in full by April 30, 2015, shall be a Special Facility Fee charged to each passenger while Carnival branded vessels will receive preferential berthing rights. 2 Nov 2010 22:08:24 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#08/19/10 B39F4AC7-0565-4410-A0F9-BD4A88E7876C On August 6, 2010 I called on the Florida media to investigate the sale and financing by Jeff Greene of 300 condo units in Ridgecrest, California that I had investigated and written about back in April 2009, long before Greene announced that he was a candidate for U.S. Senator from Florida. Greene had sold 300 converted condos in a former military housing project in which he is still the landlord for a substantial number of rental units. 2 Nov 2010 22:07:31 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Mortgage-Crisis.htm#08/17/10 889CD7E5-2CC3-4108-B6F7-DB8E30F4C7C6 What is a colorful Los Angeles real estate mogul/playboy doing running for the U.S. Senate from Florida? I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Jeff Greene's fast-talking, smiling face on national TV touting his qualifications to represent the State of Florida in the U.S.. Senate. Where did this guy get his cojones? 2 Nov 2010 22:07:01 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Mortgage-Crisis.htm#08/06/10 7D94F8DD-B3F7-4238-86DE-AB7B3D49C33D The heated arguments over Chula Vista's Prop G have centered around whether Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) increase or decrease the cost of public works projects. Both labor and developers accuse each other of increasing costs through exclusionary labor practices. But I think there is more to it than that. I think the truth is much deeper. This is not about cost. 2 Nov 2010 22:06:03 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Elections.htm#06/07/10 AE8D351A-4354-4A54-B86E-3D9A279DD9E7 Lorie Zapf, a candidate for City Council District 6, is attempting to turn a bust into a boon. Last week Dave Maass of CityBeat broke a story busting her for being in default on her family home in Clairemont. Responding to CityBeat Ms. Zapf tried to paint herself as the champion of all families who are attempting to negotiate a modification of their mortgage with their lender. 2 Nov 2010 21:53:10 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Elections.htm#05/24/10 64D7CDB6-D1B6-4E02-99BB-7C51567D39A4 I went to a strong-mayor forum (Prop D) last night at the San Diego County Health Complex sponsored by Common Cause and Empower San Diego, with guest speakers Donna Frye and Carl DeMaio. It was well attended, informal, with lots of great comments and questions. Carl and Donna are a great double act and the crowd loved it. More .... 6 May 2010 20:13:24 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Elections.htm#05/06/10 37803974-13DE-40B8-BB65-B886886E8F7B As my contribution to the public debate called for by City Council on April 27, 2010 when it postponed a decision until June 22, 2010 about whether to extend downtown redevelopment by raising its tax increment "cap", I offer the following suggestion: the City Council should direct CCDC to concentrate on the area east of 10th Street outlined in red in the picture below. More .... 5 May 2010 23:56:42 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Voting.htm#05/04/10 81219028-E801-4F55-9C0E-0741E240E40F This Agreement is a must read for anybody who wishes to understand what is happening on the Embarcadero. It makes the infamous Charger's Ticket Guarantee seem like a sweet deal for the City. With this Agreement the Port Commissioners tried to cede control of the Embarcadero to a Panamanian corporation. They thought that by signing this Agreement the NEVP was dead. But it is not. This Agreement is legally flawed. The Port cannot grant what it does not own. More .... 24 Apr 2010 19:14:08 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#04/24/10 7FE5E0C1-855B-4AD1-8226-31356821C749 Today at City Council, City Attorney Jan Goldsmith paid off a 2008 campaign debt to Ben Hueso. In doing so he indulged in a type of tortured reasoning I hope he never allowed in his courtroom when he was a Superior Court Judge. More ..... 24 Apr 2010 03:37:22 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Voting.htm#04/19/10 26C330E9-FB19-4A3A-98AA-B2864B620F4D One of the biggest mistakes Mayor Sanders made was to fall for whatever slick sales talk Steve Cushman used to cajole him into backing this used-car salesman for a third term as Port Commissioner, despite term limits. It has now cost him the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan (NEVP). It lies in ruins because of Cushman's cruise ships. More ... 18 Apr 2010 00:27:37 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#04/15/10 4DDE5A42-B655-4E82-AFBC-C24CB17CDD5A The following sentence appears in today's U-T article regarding yesterday's much talked about ethics hearing involving an alleged Marti Emerald campaign reporting violation: "The delay allowed Emerald to collect contributions to cover a debt that had not been disclosed." 10 Apr 2010 23:32:50 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Voting.htm#04/09/10 D8F151C7-9ABC-4744-B839-D7E84D8E5815 In hiring Ron Powell, a veteran Union-Tribune reporter as its spokesperson, the Port hired the ability to get friendly editorials like this to run in the U-T at critical moments like this. This is critical moment for the Port District's North Embarcadero (Cruise Ship Terminal) plan. It needs to pull off another switcheroo. 10 Apr 2010 23:31:36 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#04/07/10 85950242-F346-4DA3-B754-68CEFB356C7A At its monthly meeting tomorrow the Port District will be asked to consent to the assignment and assumption of a lease from Fifth Avenue Landing LLC (FAL) to the San Diego Convention Center Corporation (SDCCC). 10 Apr 2010 23:30:46 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#04/05/10 1A495B7D-3E24-4A46-8CAF-99E9378E9594 Yielding to intense pressure from Carnival Cruise Lines, a Panamanian Corporation, and its political allies, the Coastal Commission staff has issued this Report, "Approval with Conditions", in an attempt to provide political cover for the Commission to grant an illegal "conditional" permit for the Port's cruise ship terminal on Broadway Pier. 10 Apr 2010 23:28:17 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Waterfront.htm#04/03/10 3F0F8640-9772-4A0B-A887-3ACD0BD4CD16 It is very suspicious that Jim McConville, the notorious statewide "straw-buyer" mortgage scamster, has not only escaped jail but has had his enormous debts wiped out by the U.S. Government using bankruptcy, while all the time the FBI has enough evidence to arrest him 10 times over. 10 Apr 2010 23:27:26 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Mortgage-Crisis.htm#03/28/10 B35487D1-EA6A-4A77-AA42-7B0CD7544CB2 Have you ever had a sickening feeling that someone is lying to you but you can't quite put your finger on how they are doing it? That's how some members of the City Council must be feeling regarding the Mayor's contentious $185 million "lease-lease" bond issue - those who are not in on the lie, that is. 10 Apr 2010 23:26:30 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#03/24/10 7FAF250F-4EB2-449B-93A4-ED820EA6FCF6 The City Council has docketed its final approval of the $185 million "lease-lease" bond issue for this Tuesday as Item 50 on the Consent Agenda. That's right the "Consent" Agenda. I intend to go down and "pull" this Item from the Consent Agenda so that Council Members may reconsider. 10 Apr 2010 23:25:24 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#03/22/10 8C691345-AED4-4B32-8429-721ECCC95E56 Last Tuesday, March 9, 2009, San Diego City staff from the Debt Management Department and from our City Attorney's office acted as salespeople for J. P. Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and other Wall Street moneylenders, arguing before City Council for a bogus financial instrument called a municipal "lease-lease" that would put the worst excesses of the real estate borrowing bubble to shame. 10 Apr 2010 23:23:58 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Finances.htm#03/11/10 F7FBCFB9-4F0E-4C20-B4E3-0B436D4121EE A recent land use vote at City Council provides a fascinating peek into the moral characters of our six Democratic City Councilmembers. The issue at hand was a proposed street vacation in front of the La Jolla home of Democratic Party mega-contributors, Bill and Lisa Barkett. 10 Apr 2010 16:59:25 GMT http://www.blogofsandiego.com/Voting.htm#03/09/10