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An Updated Reader's Guide to Prop. B

2012-06-01T09:00:00-07:00

Last November, we published a Reader's Guide on the city's pension initiative, which now is known as Proposition B. At the time, we called the piece our initial guide on the topic.

But what was expected to be a furious campaign over pensions vs. 401(k)s for city workers hasn't been. The fundamental issues about Prop. B remain the same as they were when we did our first story.

Check out that piece for easy-to-understand descriptions of what the initiative will do, the mayoral candidates' positions and the Social Security issue. There's even an explainer video with Lego people.

Here's an overview of what you need to know about Prop. B since our November story published.

The Savings

The savings in Prop. B comes from something other than the switch to 401(k)s for most new employees, what's been dubbed a "pensionable pay freeze." It aims to freeze the part of city workers' salaries that go toward their pension until the 2019 fiscal year.

The concept is simple: Pay people less when they're working and you pay them less in retirement. Check out this video explainer of how it all works:

In March, the city released its official financial analysis of the measure, examining its effects over the next three decades.

After the analysis came out, Prop. B supporter and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio claimed the initiative saved "roughly $1 billion." Prop. B opponent and mayoral candidate Bob Filner claimed it didn't even save "a nickel."

We rated both claims True:

This is how complicated Prop. B is. Based on the same financial analysis, both sides of the initiative can credibly defend savings estimates that are $1 billion apart.

The $1 billion difference all comes down to the pensionable pay freeze. That's the source of savings in their entirety, according to the analysis.

The initiative calls for the city to start the next five years of salary negotiations with a pensionable pay freeze as the bargaining position. But since voters can't mandate worker salaries at the ballot box, the initiative allows the City Council to override the freeze with a two-thirds majority vote.

In short, the freeze is a strong recommendation, but it isn't guaranteed. And City Auditor Eduardo Luna isn't convinced it will happen. He refused to sign off on the financial analysis, warning that it could mislead voters.

The Budget

No matter how much money Prop. B eventually will or won't save in the long haul, the analysis contends it will cost money in the short term. Current Mayor Jerry Sanders has declared the city's budget structurally balanced, but the budget doesn't account for the initiative's potential costs.

We examined how both Prop. B and infrastructure repairs will affect the budget over the next five years. A hint: At first, there's lots of red ink.

What Would Filner Do?

Filner is the only mayoral candidate to oppose Prop. B. He released an alternative pension proposal in April. Most notably, Filner wants to end six-figure pensions at least for new hires, save on retirement costs by giving smaller-than-assumed salary increases and potentially take out a $750 million loan to pay back some of the city's pension debt. He argues his proposal will save $753 million over 15 years.

We've critiqued the riskiness of his plan and contend he's overstated its savings. The loan Filner wants to take out, known as a pension obligation bond, doesn't erase the pension debt, it just shifts it from one side of the books to the other. He's hoping the city can make more money from the stock market than it has to pay in interest. If not, the city loses money. By issuing bonds, Filner might ease pension payments in the short term, but he's allowing the overall debt to grow for future generations to pay.

Still if Prop. B passes, Filner said he would implement it and defend the measure in court, if necessary.

"If voters vote for something, I have to implement it," Filner said.

The Bottom Line

Filner probably will have to implement it. Prop. B is riding high in the polls, and even its opponents don't mince words about its chances.

“From a political standpoint, it’s pretty likely that this is going to pass in June," labor leader Michael Zucchet said in April. "And when I say pretty likely, I mean we’re [expletive].”

The Prop. B battle, then, appears to depend less on whether it passes and more on two other issues. The first: implementation matters. The pensionable pay freeze presents just one example of the vital roles the next mayor and City Council have if it passes. The second: the courtroom. Opponents have already filed lawsuits against Prop. B and have vowed much more litigation going forward.

Liam Dillon is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He covers San Diego City Hall, the 2012 mayor's race and big building projects. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.

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Morning Report: The Dumanis File

2012-06-01T07:30:00-07:00

If management experience was the key selling point in this month’s primary election, the mere presence of candidate Bonnie Dumanis would have put an end to this soap opera long ago.

Dumanis is the only one of the major candidates with experience running a large bureaucracy. She's built her candidacy around that, as well as a plan to get the mayor significantly more involved in city schools.

In our most recent Reader’s Guide, Dumanis and her plan for the city are put under the microscope for closer inspection. She has put forth a sweeping plan for major school reform that involves a dramatic shift of power to the mayor’s office.

The three other candidates in the race have outlined a clear picture of their policy positions. Many of the finer points in a Dumanis administration remain a mystery.

A full rundown of all election coverage has been pulled together on our Election Central page, where Reader’s Guides to all four candidates and in-depth policy breakdowns can be found. U-T San Diego has also put together a rundown of where the candidates stand on the major issues.

When Policy Backfires: Curfew Sweeps Put Police in Hot Water

San Diego police began conducting curfew sweeps four years ago to the praise of elected leaders across the city. When concerns were raised that the wide-net policy would get good kids tangled up in the criminal justice system, Police Chief Boyd Long assured the public that only the bad ones would be arrested.

It looks like he was wrong.

The latest tale in this ongoing saga involves the 14-year-old son of Allison Rapzlaff and seven other teenagers who were arrested while waiting for a ride outside a movie theater in Mira Mesa. The story is just the latest that raise questions about the claimed effectiveness and implementation of a policy based on a hunch about juvenile crime.

Reporter Keegan Kyle has documented the effects of this policy extensively. His recent Reader’s Guide provides some statistical analysis and statewide context for the issue. With the school year ending in two weeks, we’ve got our work cut out for us this summer.

Kyle will be hosting a panel to discuss the curfew sweeps as part of the media collaborative Speak City Heights tomorrow afternoon at Hoover High School. Details for the event can be found here.

One School Nailed by Layoffs

Teacher layoffs at city schools will claim 26 of the 27 teachers at one school in City Heights, Fay Elementary.

"That leaves one teacher who will be a familiar face to our students next year," writes a group of teachers there who, in a letter to us, implore the union and district to find a speedy solution to the financial problems.

The school's been the site of a major turnaround. Nine years ago, Fay Elementary was struggling Jackson Elementary.

"We have created a totally new environment full of smiles, learning, creativity, good character and overall positivity. We know all the kids and their stories and they trust us," they write. "This is going to be what is ripped away from the students when they come to school next year."

• Likewise, music program advocates at Point Loma High School are worried about what the money crunch means for their beloved projects.

• Amidst all the hubbub about layoffs, the school district's new CFO is set to be paid more than the old one, reports U-T San Diego.

San Diego Children’s Choir Takes On an Opera Giant

This Sunday, the San Diego Children’s Choir will open with its first performance of the 20th century opera “Noye’s Fludde”, a story of Noah and his ark.

When it does, the kids playing Noah and Mrs. Noah will have just met. Despite lots of practicing, the logistics of trying to pull 250 kids from around the county together for a big production like this mean that major details are still falling in line just days ahead of the performance.

Luckily, the two main characters hit it off, reports Allie Daugherty.

"(Lorent) Najbauer said afterward he’s thankful (Jackie M.) Hayes is spunky enough to play the role properly," she writes. "Mrs. Noah is a fitful character, and the duo has a face slap to perfect in the coming days."

We're following the choir as it brings this major undertaking to the stage. Check out the previous pieces here.

The Mayor's Race: Bloomberg Jumps In + Fact Check TV

• New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a fellow independent, has endorsed Nathan Fletcher's bid for mayor. (Sacramento Bee)

• In letters, community activist Dale Peterson explains how he went from all-in on Carl DeMaio to all-in on Fletcher.

• If you've been paying attention to the mayor's race, or maybe just checking your mail, you've likely heard competing claims: Fletcher tried to raise taxes by $1 billion. Nathan Fletcher tried to cut taxes by $1 billion.

Our latest installment of Fact Check TV gets to the bottom of what those claims mean.

Fix San Diego: More Cops, More Investigating Blackouts

• The president of the San Diego Police Officers Association wrote an opinion piece explaining his organization’s belief that hiring more police officers will be an important task for the new mayor.

• One reader has demanded we get Rob Davis to sniff out the mysterious power outages plaguing the county. It might be time to put our man on the case.

Stories from Around the County

• When questioned at a community forum, City Council candidate Mat Kostrinsky denied working for a union. That denial, the U-T finds, is false. Kostrinsky, who's gone to lengths to say he's not a "labor guy," did indeed work for SEIU. He claims his comment was set up by political rival Scott Sherman.

• The controversial Encinitas artwork known as the “Surfing Madonna” is back in the headlines. The North County Times reports that artist Mark Patterson is on the hunt for a new venue to display the religious icon that was barred from display on public lands in March.

Until he finds a new location, Patterson plans to keep scoping out new spots and waiting for his lucky break. Sorry, that last joke just wrote itself.

Colin Weatherby is a freelance writer. You can reach him at colin.weatherby@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @CCWeatherby.

Trip to Movies Ends with Curfew Arrests

2012-05-31T18:00:00-07:00

Allison Rapzlaff and her 14-year-old son had a plan. He would watch "The Avengers" with three friends at a Mira Mesa movie theater and then text her when the group needed a ride home.

But all did not go as planned.

The same night, San Diego police conducted a curfew sweep in Mira Mesa, and the four boys got caught up in a swarm of squad cars fanning the neighborhood. Police stopped all minors found out past 10 p.m. and then decided whether to ticket them for breaking curfew.

The teens left the theater and texted Rapzlaff as they were told. But by the time her husband arrived to pick up the kids, the boys were sitting on a street curb, surrounded by eight police officers and flashing lights.

Police also arrested four teenage girls at the scene. They had apparently met the boys at the movies and were stopped for violating curfew, too. When her husband arrived, Rapzlaff said, the girls were crying.

Rapzlaff's son was also shaken by the experience. He has a 4.0 GPA in school and has never been to detention, she said. This was the first time he'd been accused of breaking the law.

"We all knew where they were," Rapzlaff said. "He said, 'Will they come to the school and talk to me?' He's terrified. He's really terrified."

The incident isn't a new concern. At a City Council meeting about the Police Department's curfew sweeps last year, Councilwoman Lorie Zapf asked whether kids waiting outside movie theaters would be arrested. Asst. Police Chief Boyd Long assured her that police don't target kids outside of movie theaters. Officers only arrest bad kids, he said.

"We don't want the officers picking on the kids that are doing the right things," Long told the council. "We want officers to find the kids that are subjecting themselves to some violent act or in some cases, some of those juveniles are also out committing crimes also at night."

However, anecdotes show police have cast a broader net over their communities and catch more than just bad kids. Their arrests have included teens like Jobana Castellon, who was walking home from a community celebration, and kids playing soccer in parks. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union argue the sweeps unnecessarily introduce kids to the criminal justice system, prejudicing them against law enforcement.

The eight teens arrested in Mira Mesa were accused of violating the city's curfew and no other law. They were ages 13 and 14, and were out past 10 p.m. in a public space. Told Long's comments at the November council meeting, Rapzlaff's frustration with police grew.

"It's exactly what they did," Rapzlaff said. "It's just absurd to me. I can't believe they wait outside movie theaters."

Detective Sgt. Robert Carroll oversees the officers who arrested the teens. He said there would have been no incident had the teens stayed at the movie theater. Instead, they walked across the street to wait for their ride home.

"We just can't ignore that," Carroll said. "My biggest concern is when they remove themselves from that safe area."

By walking across the street, Carroll said the teens no longer had the safety net of adult supervision and police needed to make sure nothing bad happened to them. In recent years, police have reported more juvenile victims of violent crime in Mira Mesa than many neighborhoods in the city.

Police arrested the teens for violating curfew and called their parents to pick them up.

Rapzlaff said the four boys had walked across the street because that was an option in the family's plan. Rather than wait at the movie theater, they could go to a nearby ice cream shop. Unfortunately for them, the shop had closed by the time they arrived.

"It was pretty innocent," Rapzlaff said. "They wanted to get an ice cream. They didn't want to wander around Mira Mesa."

Carroll said he isn't sure whether all of the teens will be prosecuted. That night, they were just released to their parents and told they would be ticketed. He said officers are still reviewing the case and wanted to see if any teens have prior criminal records.

Rapzlaff also isn't sure what will happen next. Kids arrested during sweeps can decide to fight the ticket in court, attend a crime diversion class or pay a maximum $250 fine. Police offered her son the diversion class and her family is now discussing whether that's the best route.

But her family has already finalized a new plan for the next time her son goes to a late movie. He won't walk across the street for an ice cream. He'll wait inside the movie theater until his parents are directly outside.

Of course, Rapzlaff's family isn't alone in making new plans to accommodate the city's curfew. It became one of hundreds impacted by the Police Department's recent curfew crackdown. In the last five years, police have more than doubled curfew arrests citywide.

Police now conduct monthly curfew sweeps in the City Heights, downtown and southeastern areas. They do them occasionally in places like Mira Mesa and don't normally issue as many tickets. Police say the sweeps cut crime by removing kids from dangerous environments and connecting them with social services.

We've written about the Police Department's unique initiative at length, and why some of the biggest claims surrounding its effectiveness and implementation are questionable or unfounded.

Keegan Kyle is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He writes about local government, creates infographics and handles the Fact Check Blog. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at keegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668. You can also find him on Twitter (@keegankyle) and Facebook.

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Supposed to Be Married, But Just Now Meeting

2012-05-31T16:43:00-07:00

It’s difficult to portray a married couple when two actors have met only five days before a performance.

Yet that’s exactly what Lorant Najbauer and Jackie M. Hayes will have to do. The stars of the San Diego Children’s Choir production of "Noye’s Fludde" were introduced to each other for the first time on Wednesday. It was also the first time they sang together.

"He wasn’t at the auditions with us," Hayes, who plays the role of Noah’s wife, said. "We each got the score on our own and have been preparing separately."

But the pair, who will be performing Sunday, hit it off well, likely glad to have finally been in the same room together. Najbauer said afterward he’s thankful Hayes is spunky enough to play the role properly. Mrs. Noah is a fitful character, and the duo has a face slap to perfect in the coming days.

They were not the only ones to make introductions. The magnitude of this opera has led to rehearsals being performed in groups instead of as a whole — the entire company won’t come together until Saturday. On Tuesday, during the orchestra rehearsal, players within the same section were also meeting for the first time. Many had never before played together, and the wide range of ages and skill levels made the first run through the music full of anticipation.

Typically, the start of each rehearsal focused on working out bugs and bringing everyone up to speed. There were a few mishaps — a temporary wall tipped over onto a bell player and the air conditioning still didn’t work — but by the end of each day, the final product seemed more and more within reach.

The energy building up is almost palpable. Overall Director Margie Orem admitted she is so excited she can hardly sleep. But these rehearsals have not been easy, especially for Director Michael Morgan.

"It’s a madhouse," he said quietly to himself as he crossed the rehearsal space.

There is still a lot to do.

Morgan has already spent Tuesday and Wednesday night leading two rehearsals for this Benjamin Britten opera, and there are only two more before show time.

We're following the choir behind the scenes as it puts together the opera. The tale is based on the story of Noah’s Ark and includes around 250 children and community members performing as actors, the chorus or the orchestra. He and Orem have been working for months to pull this off, but blocking must be figured out, the children need to finish memorizing the songs and the singers and musicians need to learn to perform with each other.

These last few practices will be crucial.

San Diego Children’s Choir presents "Noye’s Fludde" by Benjamin Britten at Copley Symphony Hall downtown on June 3 at 3 p.m. Ticket information found here or 619.235.0804.

Read more about this month’s Embedded here.

Allie Daugherty reports on arts for voiceofsandiego.org. You can contact her directly at allie.daugherty@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5665.

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Cause of SDG&E Blackouts?

2012-05-31T14:54:00-07:00

In the last weeks San Diego Gas and Electric power failures have occurred all over our region — Scripps Ranch, La Jolla, Lemon Grove, most recently in Mira Mesa. In every instance there have been hours and hours without electricity for homes, businesses and traffic signals. These blackouts happen day and night and take many hours before "service" is restored. It's becoming a regular hassle.

But there's no discount on my electricity bill. I hear only about rising costs to consumers who may have to bear the burden of SDG&E's power lines having caused past backcountry wildfires. We know the San Onofre nuclear generating station is down and may never recover. Meanwhile, these mysterious and frequent SDG&E power failures are announced on the radio, and always with an SDG&E spin, telling only when electricity may be "restored."

What's going on? Can't VOSD's Rob Davis tell us?

Frances O'Neill Zimmerman lives in La Jolla.

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A Reader's Guide to Bonnie Dumanis

2012-05-31T14:03:00-07:00

We're finishing up our Reader's Guides on the four major mayoral candidates with Republican District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Here's what we learned about Dumanis over the year-long campaign.

A Video Introduction

View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.

The Pitch to Voters

You know Dumanis. She's spent the last nine years as district attorney and is the only candidate with experience running a large government organization. Plus, she has the most wide-ranging plan to reform local schools.

Three Big Issues

Every position Dumanis takes comes back to one thing: her time as district attorney. Her experience, she believes, sets her apart. Her plans to reform city schools and spur job growth rely on her ability to manage and implement change in government.

• Experience

Dumanis is the only candidate who has run a large government agency. As DA, she's in charge of 1,000 employees and a $155 million budget. Her three opponents have spent their political careers as legislators, not executives. Her experience becomes all the more important because recent changes to San Diego law have put the city's bureaucracy under the mayor's control instead of a professional manager.

She maintains her background makes her the best qualified to be in charge of the city, particularly when so many of its issues, from pension reform to pothole patching to constructing big buildings, require strong management to see them through to completion.

• Schools

Dumanis has made reforming K-12 public schools her most significant policy position. On its face, education reform is a strange choice. The city has no direct involvement in the San Diego Unified School District.

But big-city mayors across the country have started to exert control over education issues. And San Diego's schools remain in turmoil. The district has flirted with insolvency and plans to lay off one out of every five teachers.

Dumanis contends she will fix city schools by 2016, the end of her first term. She wants to author a 2014 ballot measure that would add four mayoral-appointed members to the current five-member elected school board, create a new city department to address education and appoint an independent board to oversee district finances.

At times, however, Dumanis has struggled with the finer points of her plan.

• Jobs

Like everyone else, Dumanis spends much of her time on the trail talking about job creation. She ties her economic development ideas — streamlining city permitting, and increasing border commerce and veterans hiring — to her government experience.

Her Background

Every time Dumanis opens her mouth, you can tell she wasn't born in San Diego. She hasn't kicked the Boston accent.

But, as she's noted on the trail, she's been working in San Diego governments longer than two of her opponents, DeMaio and Fletcher, have been alive.

Dumanis has had a long political rise from a junior clerk typist in the 1970s in the District Attorney's Office to the nation's first openly gay DA in 2002. Once her political mentor, former Sheriff Bill Kolender, retired in 2009, we felt Dumanis had become the county's most powerful politician:

She has distinguished herself by sheer force of personality: She is a political animal who cultivates relationships with important and average people alike. She is prominent in state politics and has friends in Washington D.C. …

Hers is the most coveted endorsement in town, and nobody in politics or law enforcement wants to cross her.

She's also benefited by circumstance: As a law enforcement official, voters see her more as a crime fighter than a politician.

As DA, Dumanis promotes her high conviction rates and a prisoner reform program that's been successful in reducing recidivism. She's also been active in writing and advocating new state laws and programs.

During the campaign, both Dumanis and her supporters have touted her record fighting political corruption.

But despite some tough talk, her record on these cases is thin and marked by more failure than success:

In four years, three elected officials have been prosecuted by Dumanis' office and, so far, only one of those prosecutions has resulted in punitive action: Earlier this year former Encinitas Mayor Dan Dalager was fined $1,000 for receiving discounted kitchen appliances from a resident he assisted while in office.

(Since that story published in spring 2011, Dumanis decided to prosecute South Bay school officials, in a case that is still winding its way through the court system.)

For more on Dumanis' background, check out our 2010 five-part series on her rise.

Where Dumanis Is Weak

Dumanis' opponents have given San Diegans clear reasons to vote for them. City Councilman Carl DeMaio is the battle-tested pension reformer. Congressman Bob Filner is the lone Democrat. Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is the consensus-building independent.

Dumanis' argument is much more difficult to communicate. As a campaign slogan "Vote 'Yes' For Management!" doesn't hold the same sex appeal as "Kill Pensions!"

Her message required a robust campaign to tell voters why it mattered. That hasn't happened. DeMaio and Fletcher each raised a boatload of money, and had strong campaign staffs and surrogates ready, willing and able to spread their message. For all of Filner's fundraising faults and other missteps, he's detailed a vision that's different from the rest of his opponents and has shown up to nearly every forum and debate since the fall.

Biggest Hit

For one week in early January, Dumanis was the toast of the mayor's race. On a Wednesday, she announced a felony political corruption case against multiple South Bay school officials. The next day, she announced the most significant policy plank in her platform: a sweeping school reform plan.

The week set the stage for her entire campaign. She's running on her record as DA and K-12 education. It also addressed questions about her lack of focus and vision up to that point.

Biggest Flop

For Dumanis, you could call it her biggest flip-flop.

Dumanis came out early in opposing Proposition B, a pension initiative crafted by her biggest supporter, Mayor Jerry Sanders, and her opponent DeMaio. In announcing her position, she said it was her "core belief" that all of the city's public safety workers deserved pensions. Prop. B gives new firefighters 401(k)s.

Yet four months later, Dumanis announced that she had changed her mind. She now supported Prop. B, conceding that she didn't do enough homework before making her first decision.

Her flip came on the heels of her firing her first campaign manager and lackluster fundraising numbers. It also brought renewed attention to her own $200,000-plus projected annual pension.

These missteps didn't look good for a platform based on her experience. And, despite her one week of activity in January, it's unclear if her campaign ever recovered from the early loss of command.

Top Endorsements and a Snapshot of Dumanis' Views

Dumanis' key supporters: Sanders, all five San Diego County supervisors, County Sheriff Bill Gore, former Congresswoman Lynn Schenk.

You can quickly understand Dumanis' positions on major city issues compared to her opponents through our mayoral scorecard.

How She Wins

In the past couple of weeks, we've seen a much feistier Bonnie Dumanis. She's tried to score points at debates and has had a more robust communication campaign.

At a KUSI television debate last week, she said she didn't believe voters were paying attention to the mayor's race until then. She'd better hope that's true. With virtually everyone certain that DeMaio has locked up one of the two spots in the November runoff, she has to finish ahead of Filner and Fletcher. Polls show that will be an uphill fight.

To sneak into the general election, she has to hope that her experience and school reform messages ring true, while benefitting from the flurry of attacks against Filner and Fletcher.

Liam Dillon is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He covers San Diego City Hall, the 2012 mayor's race and big building projects. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.

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Why a DeMaio Fan Left for Fletcher

2012-05-31T13:10:00-07:00

I was contacted more than a year ago by Carl DeMaio and he asked me to support his run for mayor of San Diego. At the time, it seemed like a positive and productive fit. I am a fiscal conservative and socially moderate, or even liberal.

Within a few weeks I was placed on DeMaio's website as a Neighborhood Leader from Navajo (four communities located within City Council District 7), along with eight to 10 other community activists from other areas of San Diego. Additionally, I sent DeMaio a couple of modest contributions. My point being, is that I was committed to his campaign both mentally and with my wallet. I was "in."

Roll forward to early 2012. I decided to support Mat Kostrinky, a Democrat, for City Council in District 7. Doesn't matter why (although I have great reasons). It was my choice and it should have been respected.

A few weeks later I noticed that I was no longer on the DeMaio website. And some interesting "political gamesmanship" started coming my way from Carl DeMaio/Scott Sherman supporters in District 7.

Nathan Fletcher made the right decision. It took guts. And, look at all the non-conformist heat that has been flashed his way. It's like the territorial surfing gangs are closing ranks and telling him to go surf in Mission Bay.

I have become convinced that a cadre of DeMaio supporters believe that intimidation and retribution is the path to political success. If they act like bullies before and during the election cycle, ponder how it will be if they are in power after the election.

I don't believe that Fletcher will put the hammer down on non-supporters; or, classify citizens as "with me" people or "against my agenda" people. I have asked him point blank. I am convinced that he will surf with anyone, as long as they appreciate the ocean and respect the other surfers that want share in the joy of the wave.

Dale Peterson lives in San Carlos.

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Dueling Fletcher Tax Claims: Fact Check TV

2012-05-31T12:56:00-07:00

Fans and foes of Nathan Fletcher's bid for mayor want you to know about his voting record on taxes. Just check your mailbox for proof.

In recent campaign mailers and newspaper editorials, they've claimed Fletcher voted to raise taxes by $1 billion and cut taxes by $1 billion in the state Assembly. But there's a lot more to this story than just numbers.

In this edition of Fact Check TV, Andrew Donohue and Scott Lewis examine the dueling claims about Fletcher's votes on taxes and whether they are true or false.

Hungry for more Fact Check TV? You might also enjoy these recent episodes:

• Labor Deal Ban Returns to the Ballot

• Filner's $100 Million Pension Claim

• How Bad Are San Diego's Roads?

New episodes of Fact Check TV appear on NBC 7 San Diego every Friday during the 6 p.m. newscast and our website the following Monday. If you want us to Fact Check a claim, just send me an email explaining the statement and why it merits review.

Keegan Kyle is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He writes about local government, creates infographics and handles the Fact Check Blog. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at keegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668. You can also find him on Twitter (@keegankyle) and Facebook.

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'Who Do They Think Funds the School?'

2012-05-31T12:51:00-07:00

I have an opinion to fix San Diego's school system. It is said that in today's society education is very important and can lead to a successful career. If we keep firing teachers then who will teach the students? If the classrooms get to be around 50 students per class, where is the one-on-one with teacher and student? That may cause a chain effect and cause student's grades to fall overall. Administrators should be the ones laid off, they aren't the ones teaching the students, and they should be the ones taking the pay cuts, not the teachers.

I'm currently enrolled in Southwestern College and this year they asked teachers to not take a pay raise while the administrators ask for a pay increase. Does that sound right to you? They are even firing teachers and cutting classes. Who do they think funds the school? With fewer students, there are less funds. That's just common sense thinking.

I think this topic of education should be a big deal. Where I'm originally from the school system is nowhere near as bad as it is here in San Diego.

Raulito Alarcon lives in the College Area.

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Teacher Layoffs Will Hurt Music Program

2012-05-31T12:40:00-07:00

Collaboration, talent and amazing instructors have made the Instrumental Music programs at Point Loma public schools (called the Point Loma Cluster) a model to emulate across the San Diego Unified School District. A generation of young musicians has been encouraged to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Not that this matters to the people who make hiring decisions. Mid-March, all three instrumental music teachers at the cluster’s middle schools and high school — Dana Middle School’s Ruben Flores, Correia Middle School’s Marc Dwyer and Point Loma High School’s James Sepulvado — received pink slips from school district.

Mr. Flores protested his pink slip at hearings last month due to his 13 years of service, and the pink slip was rescinded. Mr. Sepulvado and Mr. Dwyer, like too many teachers in our district, remain in limbo while going above and beyond their expected duties at their respective schools. Proving the point: Mr. Dwyer recently earned the Outstanding Jazz Educator Award at the California Music Educator’s Association Fortissimo Award Banquet. And Correia’s jazz band won the Best Jazz Band award at the San Elijo Jazz festival on April 25. When he’s not receiving awards, Mr. Dwyer conducts orchestra, beginning, intermediate and advanced bands; two before-school jazz bands; and guitar classes in a growing program.

Dana Middle School Director Flores holds after-school rehearsals and summer camps for incoming fourth graders who will be attending Dana: his work has paid off, as nearly one third of the Dana population is enrolled in the Instrumental Music program. Mr. Flores is also leading the jazz band at Point Loma High School in addition to the numerous ensembles he directs at Dana.

At Point Loma High School, the Instrumental Music program is growing under the direction of Mr. Sepulvado, who has been with the program for three years after a succession of directors. That program features orchestra, two wind ensembles, marching band, and color guard. Point Loma is opening a new Music Center this summer — with classrooms, practice rooms, a choir room, offices and a music production and recording studio. Mr. Sepulvado has spent countless hours ensuring that the space will be filled with the proper equipment and features to provide the most benefit to the students.

The PLHS Cluster music program has been built on the backs of these hard-working men who unquestionably give of their own personal time to support the needs of the students and the programs. Time that includes before- and after-school rehearsals, weekend festivals and tournaments, band camps, endless fundraisers, booster meetings and year- round community performances. Taking one or two of these teachers out of the equation will inevitably add a discordant tone to the harmony, slowing the momentum of a world- class program.

Mr. Dwyer and Mr. Sepulvado have pink slips not because they aren’t performing — but because their ability to keep their jobs is based on time served. Will their replacements be able to write and choreograph musical scores for marching band? Compose musical arrangements? Teach advanced guitar? Direct before- and after-school jazz bands? Provide opportunities for our students to meet and work with high-caliber, professional musicians? Attend all-day tournaments and competitions on the weekends? Run band camps? Write grants? Fundraise? Interface with parent booster groups? Handle a huge inventory of equipment? Manage a budget? Rebuild the relationships that have fostered this successful cluster-wide program?

What we have is working: we don’t want a clean slate. We call on the school board and the teachers union to look at the impact of their decisions on successful programs like the Point Loma Music Cluster and the students who benefit in so many ways.

Let the trumpets sound! Write to Scott Barnett, our area school board representative, at sbarnett@sandi.net.

Kerri E. De Rosier is band booster president at Point Loma High School and Lynne M. Shinohara is the band booster vice president at Correia Middle School.

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Why We Need More Cops

2012-05-31T11:37:00-07:00

Throughout this mayoral election, the San Diego Police Officers Association has been happy to hear candidates recognize the need to hire more police officers, but most forums don’t provide time to explain why this is a priority.

We’ve been hearing for years that, crime is at its lowest in many decades — and that’s true. So why do we need more cops?

First, let me say that the officers at the San Diego Police Department take great pride in having reduced crime over the decades and in solving more cases with fewer officers in 2011 than in 2010, despite the more than 100 unfilled officer positions in SDPD.

But the crime rate is only one measure of a department’s performance, and it’s clear by other measures that the department is stretched thin — and that the choices we’re having to make are not in the public’s best interest.

Fewer cops means it takes longer to get to victims

One of the most broadly recognized performance measures for a police department is response times — the actual time from when a call is received in the police dispatch center to when an officer arrives on scene to handle the incident. The times are measured in categories from emergency — when there is an imminent threat to life — through minor requests for police services like recovering found property.

In San Diego, response times are on the rise in every category — even for the most serious emergencies.

In many ways, response times are a better measure of police service levels. In some cases, the department’s lack of response or slow response has been particularly egregious due to our limited staffing. They include having victims of sexual assault and business owners threatened by gang members having to wait for hours for our officers to respond to their calls for assistance.

Even if an officer couldn’t have halted the crime in progress, a slow response makes crime victims feel victimized twice — first by the suspect, then again when they learn no units were available to handle the call when it was received.

Something's gotta give — and it does

Anyone who’s worked in a severely downsized environment also knows that service slips when each person simply has too many duties to cover. With the current low staffing levels, even when officers do respond promptly to a call for service, their options are often limited by staffing.

Recently, officers and their supervisor responded to a disturbance at a residence that resembled a garbage dump. Pill and alcohol bottles littered the premises, where drunken adults argued as their four children slept on the floor without any furniture or bedding.

Officers evaluated the scene and determined the children needed to be taken to the Polinsky Center for their safety. At that point, another radio call came in about a woman being beaten in the street with a hammer. There were not enough officers on the street to handle both calls, so the children’s needs were placed on hold while officers responded to the higher-priority emergency.

These types of decisions are taking place every day with the current staffing levels — and they affect every area of the department. Detectives with unmanageable case loads are forced to cherry pick the cases they are going to investigate. Patrol supervisors must tell investigative units they can’t provide patrol officers to back up their action plans. For vice detectives, this means they are often unable to carry out sting operations on prostitution rings that plague some areas of our city and make teenage girls captives of their pimps. It means narcotic teams don’t have patrol officers available to make arrests following their buy/bust operations.

In other words, we’ve been forced to scale back on proactive policing — the very tactics that have helped us bring our crime rate to historic lows. We’ve eliminated narcotic teams in Mid-City and Central Division so those detectives could be returned to patrol operations. The department’s DUI team, which focused mainly on investigating and apprehending drug- and alcohol-addled drivers, was quietly eliminated.

And even with the diversion of so many investigative units to patrol duty, this doesn’t mean our patrol units have been beefed up. The fact is, SDPD no longer has any minimum staffing requirements at patrol division — meaning we know how many cops we need to cover a certain area, but we’re not meeting those levels. This places both citizens and officers in danger.

Finally, the future of our police force suffers when we understaff today. When we have unfilled sergeant positions in patrol units, newer officers are not getting the mentoring and training they need to develop into officers who make legally and morally sound decisions. This can result in lawsuits — and far more importantly, in decisions that erode the trust of the community we serve.

The adequacy of police staffing can’t be gauged simply by looking at response times and reported crime statistics; its impact needs to be examined by looking at the department’s service to the community as a whole.

Safety and justice are central to our quality of life. San Diegans expect and deserve a police force that’s able to protect what we value in our great city.

Brian R. Marvel is the president of the San Diego Poilce Officers Association.

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Teachers at Fay: Union and District Need to Find 'Speedy Solution'

2012-05-31T11:11:00-07:00

Time is running out for teachers in San Diego Unified. Within the next few weeks, schools will begin staffing for next year. As it is right now, more than 1,500 employees are laid off and many of those layoffs came from Fay Elementary. In a few weeks, any teachers who have not been laid off will be able to apply to take our positions. We realize that the district and the union are beginning to have conversations, but our fear is that any solutions to this current stalemate could be too little too late. We don’t want just any job, we want to work here.

Until May 29, no one has asked what we thought, despite the fact that these layoffs will wipe out 26 out of the 27 teachers at Fay Elementary. That leaves one teacher who will be a familiar face to our students next year. If you will allow us, we would love to paint you a picture of Fay Elementary, and why this is such a big deal.

The story really starts nine years ago, at Jackson Elementary when a brand new staff was hired to teach at a school in southeastern San Diego. It was well known to be one of the worst schools in the city. The scores were low, the behaviors were challenging, and the perception of the neighborhood was bad. But here we came, brand new teachers fresh out of college, excited to teach and ready to put in the work. And we did.

In nine years, Jackson Elementary has turned itself around. We have a new name and a new building, but more importantly, we have the same staff and this same staff has become a family — and the kids are the heart of it. The kids know we care about them because we have stuck around, and all they needed was a little love and security to shine. We have created a totally new environment full of smiles, learning, creativity, good character and overall positivity. We know all the kids and their stories and they trust us.

This is going to be what is ripped away from the students when they come to school next year. Twenty-six teachers, who they were sure cared about them, are gone. And let me just mention that these are 26 teachers who are not new teachers. The teachers at Fay Elementary have double master’s degrees and national board certifications, and one of our teachers has just earned a Ph.D. We are college professors and district trainers. We are innovative and creative, and we work on our three months off. We work all the time, because we care so much.

We’ve got to turn this fight between the union and the district around. We’ve got to turn it to what really matters. And what really matters is the students — the students of Fay Elementary.

However, this is not just a story about us. If the district goes through with the layoffs, every classroom will be affected. Every child will sit in a classroom with more students, every school will lose some teachers (either due to layoffs or reorganization) and every school will lose important student support services (nurses, counselors, etc.).

We can’t speak for everyone, but as for us, we want to keep our little family together, and we are willing to make some sacrifices. We stand firm that this is an issue that affects everyone in our city, and we are demanding that our district and our union reach a speedy solution to this problem. It’s not about our pockets. It’s about their future.

Sharon Fargason, Rebecca McRae, Corrin McEwen, Jennifer Sandoval, Ysabel Watts, Mike McEwen and Melanie Speros are teachers at Fay Elementary.

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Morning Report: What We've Learned About Bob Filner

2012-05-31T07:13:00-07:00

He thought he'd be a shoo-in to make it into the top two in next week's mayoral primary. Rep. Bob Filner has more experience as a politician than any of his rivals. In a race that doesn't feature any San Diego natives, he's been around town just about forever. And most importantly, he's the only major Democrat on the ballot.

As Liam Dillon shows in his guide to Filner, the congressman has offered the starkest contrast of ideas to his three main rivals and, in the bigger picture, to the last two decades of Republican leadership in the Mayor's Office.

But it hasn't been so easy. You could blame lax fundraising, lukewarm support from his base (CityBeat called him "cantankerous and overbearing" in an endorsement) or a campaign that never quite got off the ground. Whatever the case, he's got quite a battle on its hands to make the general election.

We're offering reader's guides to each of the major candidates this week. So far, we've covered Filner, Carl DeMaio and Nathan Fletcher. Up later today: Bonnie Dumanis.

• Don't forget: Come join us on Election Night for a party. We're hosting a special election-watching Brews and News event.

Every election, candidates, parties and special interests host their own parties around City Hall. So we figured the general public should have one too. Join us, and spend the night with our staff and other members of the Voice of San Diego community. Here are the details.

Who Lobbyists Like

The mayoral candidates regularly take digs at each other for being tied to special interests. So that got us thinking: Who among them gets the most money from City Hall lobbyists?

It's not the only way to measure special interests, but it's one quick way.

Data guru Keegan Kyle crunched the numbers and found that have given money to all the major mayoral candidates. At the top of the list: Fletcher. At the bottom: Filner.

Carl, Meet the Point

Councilman Carl DeMaio is touting himself as the candidate with the real plans to fix San Diego. In a campaign mailer, he quotes us to back up his education plan.

"DeMaio connects his school reform ideas to his other plans. His financial plans will guide how the district can make changes."

But there's a problem: the story was about how he didn't actually have an education plan.

That story also applauded him for not pandering on education. We may need to retract that.

The Noah's Ark Opera and a Famous Director

Hundreds of local kids are preparing for a production of the opera "Noye’s Fludde," whose olde English title refers to the story of Noah and the ark (and the flood, to be exact). Turns out that the opera has a sterling reputation among classical music fans, including filmmaker Wes Anderson.

You may be familiar with Anderson as the director of arthouse hits like “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," and “The Royal Tenenbaums." His new movie, "Moonrise Kingdom," features much of the music from the opera.

Our post has more details and a trailer from the film that includes a bit of the opera-heavy soundtrack.

• Here's another tidbit for opera fans: the Reader explores why opera singers are known for having a bit of junk in their trunk, if you know what I mean. Scientists have actually looked into this, wondering if large bodies translate into better human acoustics or if the act of singing actually makes people large. So far, there's no good answer, although the restaurant-heavy traveling schedules of opera singers may have something to do with their extra poundage.

Our Reporter Makes the Broadcast Rounds

We have a video explainer on the talk of insolvency swirling around city schools, compliments of VOSD reporter Will Carless, his British accent and NBC 7 San Diego.

Teachers Union to Inspect District Books

Teachers union analysts will pore over the San Diego school district's finances before teachers weigh in on whether to accept lower pay in order to stop massive layoffs, the U-T reports.

This is a big development because the district has long offered to open its books, but the union didn't want to take a look. The analysis could provide insight into whether there's a third option -- cutting expenses outside teacher salaries -- to avoid layoffs or pay cuts.

The much-respected Poway school district, where teachers and district officials get along well, found a path to better communication by allowing an inspection of its books.

• If you follow education, by the way, check this commentary by the Washington Post's Matt Miller. He says teachers unions are key to the success of education in several other countries. There, he says, they focus on achievement instead of protecting their least effective members. Why? Because, for a variety of reasons, they don't have many of the latter.

SD as 'Farmers Market Mecca'

In letters, Eugena Ossi of Poway says San Diego could become a center for markets of all kinds, from flea to farmer, and cites markets in Brooklyn and London as inspiration.

With Friends Like These

As I noted above, CityBeat endorsed Filner even while calling him "cantankerous and overbearing." One of our commenters, meanwhile, supports DeMaio while calling him the least likeable of the mayoral candidates.

The reaction of these two guys must be: Thanks. You shouldn't have. No really, you shouldn't have.

I'm looking for other examples of lukewarm or positively chilly political endorsements in and around San Diego. If you've seen one, drop me a line.

Quick News Hits

• District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has subpoenaed a law professor's notes from her interviews regarding ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's controversial shortening of the sentence of a son of a former Assembly speaker, the U-T reports.

The law professor says she doesn't have to give up the information. A prosecutor working for Dumanis says, "I am merely seeking to obtain information that will bring transparency to clemency procedures in California and possibly to the procedures involved in this particular case."

• My phone, and probably yours, has been busy ringing lately with robocalls supporting various politicians. CityBeat says political robocalls are illegal. And they're probably useless.

Local pollster John Nienstedt says "using a robot to make calls is exceedingly cheap, and a consultant who buys them can tell the client he’s doing something: ‘We made 20,000 calls in support of your campaign!’ Of course, since they don’t work, the money was wasted anyway.”

• Here's something amazing: A Chinese man asked for the Santee mayor's autograph.

Here's something else amazing: the mayor, Randy Voepel, told him to bug off: "The People's Republic of China is a repressive and evil communist regime that runs a Police State. I fought in Vietnam to stop communism and will fight communism until the day I die. Please accept me as a very determined enemy, as I assume you to be to me," reports Patch.com.

Voepel's offered up some colorful global quotes in the past.

He said this to our Rob Davis about a power proposal: "We will use Viet Cong tactics. We will fight a guerilla war that never ceases. ... This is a hill I will die on."

And he told Kelly Bennett that global warming was good because, "our enemies are on the Equator" — (it's good when they fry).

Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.

A Reader's Guide to Bob Filner

2012-05-30T16:46:00-07:00

Next up on the list of Reader's Guides on the four major mayoral candidates: Democratic Congressman Bob Filner. Here's what we've learned about Filner in the year-long campaign.

A Video Introduction

The Pitch to Voters

Filner's the only Democrat in the race and he represents the biggest change from two decades of Republican leadership.

Three Big Issues

Whenever he can, Filner tries to make the case that he's different from his three major opponents. His key issues, Democrat, neighborhoods and the port, all attempt to show a distinction in substance and emphasis from everyone else.

• Democrat.

You might have heard that Bob Filner is a Democrat. He'll tell you that himself multiple times in a television advertisement. In part, saying so is a simple strategy to make the November runoff. He's the only Democrat running in a city that has a Democratic plurality. He has to make sure enough Democrats know that, and turn up to vote along party lines on Election Day.

But his liberal perspective isn't just about his pitch to voters. He opposes a pension initiative, a ban on mandating union-friendly contract deals, outsourcing city services and the Convention Center expansion plan that all his opponents support. He's more likely to talk about grand visions for homeless issues, mass transit and alternative energy than them, too.

• Neighborhoods.

Filner also builds his campaign of difference on transfering power from downtown to other neighborhoods. He wants to accomplish this plan by giving neighborhood activists more seats at the table in his administration than they have had previously. He wants to create redevelopment-like structures in various sections of the city to boost revitalization efforts. But, like many of Filner's ideas, it's unclear how he'd implement his proposal.

• Port.

Filner's economic development plan relies on a massive expansion of San Diego's port. He believes that targeting the port will create more middle-class, sustainable jobs than the Convention Center expansion or permitting and fee cuts favored by his counterparts.

His Background

Filner's political activism goes back a half-century.

As a college student in New York, he travelled to Mississippi to protest legalized segregation. He was arrested for integrating a bus station waiting room and spent two months in jail.

When he moved to San Diego to teach history at San Diego State, he became upset when the local school board was planning to close his children's schools. So in 1979, he ran for school board and won.

That began a long tenure in San Diego politics. He later served on the City Council. Filner has spent the last two decades in Congress, representing California's entire border area with Mexico.

His biggest accomplishments in Congress have come through his work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. After Filner announced he was running for mayor, Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call examined his committee efforts (subscription required):

Veterans' groups generally agree that Filner's brash and abrasive in-your-face style of politics helped secure the significant funding increases the VA has enjoyed over the past several years. They also agree they need an advocate, such as Filner, to protect their interests as budget realities begin to catch up with programs once considered untouchable.

Filner's biggest asset and liability during his time in San Diego politics has been his personality. Many longtime local officials have stories of fiery run-ins with Filner, not to mention that one time with an airport baggage attendant.

But he has a knack for fighting hard for those he represents.

We've termed the phenomenon, The Two Filners:

His even-keeled talks with constituents, and his history of quarreling with the establishment, underscore the two Filners in Congress. There is the Filner who is a cantankerous curmudgeon with his colleagues, news media and even presidents, the one who is assertive and downright blunt. Then there is the Filner who listens to and works hard for his constituents.

Where Filner's Weak

Before he entered the mayoral campaign, Filner had lots of swagger.

"Certainly, I'm the most qualified," Filner said in November 2010, "and there's no question I would win if I run."

Now with the primary winding down, Filner has sounded a much more humble tone. He said he should have devoted more time to raising money, and his lackluster fundraising totals hurt his ability to communicate with voters. He underestimated Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher's aggressive candidacy. The race, he said, is much closer than he thought it would be.

On issues, Filner hasn't done himself many favors. He repeatedly promised a pension reform plan for 10 months before releasing one that mirrored proposals discarded in the early stages of the city's pension crisis. At times, he's shown a reckless disregard for the importance of fact, even for matters vital to his platform.

And compared to his opponents, Filner has taken less advantage of the media to spread his message, something particularly significant for campaigns that aren't well funded. For the other campaigns, staffers and surrogates get quoted all the time. For Filner, it's only him and it's sporadic at best.

In all, Filner's lack of campaign organization and failure to produce detailed policy proposals raise questions about his effectiveness in running a large American city.

Biggest Hit

He's been on the trail constantly. Along with Fletcher, Filner has shown up to nearly every forum or debate all across the city since the fall. His affability, candor and humor have proven to be a refreshing departure from DeMaio and Fletcher's more polished approaches and the times when District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has appeared detached from the race.

If you've been paying even slight attention to the race, you can't miss Filner's message. He's different than everyone else.

Biggest Flop

In April, Filner flubbed basic facts about the Unified Port of San Diego, the center of his economic development plan. Filner refused to back down from his erroneous claims. To make matters worse, his cell phone rang during a television interview on the subject.

The incident epitomized what many had seen from him. He hadn't taken the campaign seriously and failed to grasp the importance of facts underpinning his platform's basic tenets.

Top Endorsements and a Snapshot of Filner's Views

Filner's Key Supporters: San Diego County Democratic Party, San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, former City Councilwoman Donna Frye, San Diego Municipal Employees Association.

You can quickly understand Filner's positions on major city issues compared to his opponents through our mayoral scorecard.

How He Wins

Filner wins by having enough Democrats show up to the polls and getting them to pull the Democratic lever. The strategy isn't automatic because there isn't a "D" next to Filner's name on the ballot. But Filner's pitch remains the easiest of any of the four major candidates. At the start of the race, the numbers were in his favor. He just has to make sure they stay that way.

Liam Dillon is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He covers San Diego City Hall, the 2012 mayor's race and big building projects. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.

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Schools Insolvency: San Diego Explained

2012-05-30T16:27:00-07:00

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, as the mess at the San Diego Unified School District has spread out in all directions.

I’ve been focusing on two main issues: The discussion over possible insolvency at the district and the battle over whether teachers should make concessions on pay raises they are owed in order to reduce the total number of teacher layoffs planned for city schools.

Here’s a selection of recent clips from our media partners NBC 7 San Diego and links to discussion on schools from KPBS Midday Edition Roundtable, which I’ve been invited on for the last two weeks.

I’ve also noted my favorite moments from each clip or debate.

1. NBC San Diego: Insolvency at City Schools

I appeared briefly on NBC San Diego’s nightly news program a couple of weeks ago to discuss school board trustee Scott Barnett’s call to send the district into insolvency for its own benefit.

• Gist of the discussion: San Diego Unified has fallen afoul of Wall Street as a result of Barnett saying the district is already insolvent. That could end up costing the district more in interest on its loans.

• My favorite moment: Towards the end of the video, around 00:54, school board president John Lee Evans and vice president Barnett sum up how they feel the district’s budget is doing. The difference is pretty stark.

2. KPBS Midday Roundtable, May 18

I’ve been on this show several times over the years and this was one of the most interesting and informative roundtables I’ve participated in.

In addition to talking about the mayoral candidates’ plans for the port of San Diego and financial troubles at the San Miguel Fire District, we spent a good chunk of the show dissecting the money mess at city schools.

• Gist of the discussion (school coverage begins at 18:17): This was a good round-up of the to-and-fro over whether the school district should declare insolvency.

• My favorite moment: At 22:19, KPBS reporter Katie Orr asked a very good question about what possible benefit there would be to the school district for declaring insolvency. I responded by outlining some of the politics behind Barnett’s plan. At this point, Barnett feels his colleagues on the school board are incapable of making the tough decisions needed to responsibly manage the district. The real benefit of insolvency, as he sees it, would be bringing in someone who will actually make those decisions.

Check out the show, by clicking here.

3. San Diego Explained: School District Insolvency

• Gist of the piece: A quick-hit, three-minute guide to the district’s discussions over insolvency. NBC San Diego’s Catherine Garcia and I recap what insolvency means and how it would impact the district.

• My favorite moment: The last part of the clip, from 1:50 onwards, describes a very important point: Barnett and Evans don’t disagree about the numbers, both say the district’s deficit is about $80 million to $120 million this year. What’s at issue is what those numbers mean. Barnett says they’re tantamount to insolvency; Evans says far from it.

View more videos at: http://nbcsandiego.com.

4. KPBS Midday Roundtable (Radio and Video), May 25, 2012

Last Friday, KPBS hosted another lively discussion on the troubles at the school district.

• Gist of the discussion: This time, the show focused on last week’s big news: The announcement that one in five teachers in the district have been issued final layoff notices. We talked about the impact that might have on schools and also the extraordinary call from the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, which last week asked the teachers union to start negotiating with the district to find a solution to the crisis.

• My favorite moment: There’s always some lively discussion on the roundtable, and I expected some opposition from the other journalists to the call for teachers to start talking about salary concessions to avoid layoffs. But everyone was in agreement that discussion had to happen, even J.W. August. The Channel 10 News managing editor can be a contrarian and all-around no-nonsense guy. He came out strongly in favor of the union sitting down and hashing out a compromise. Check out his comments from 12:30 onwards.

Click here to listen to the radio show. The schools discussion is the first segment.

I also filmed a quick television interview with KPBS Evening Edition:

Will Carless is an investigative reporter at Voice of San Diego currently focused on local education. You can reach him at will.carless@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5670.

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Who City Hall's Lobbyists Like for Mayor: Graphic

2012-05-30T16:14:00-07:00

Some of the most contentious moments along the campaign trail for mayor have focused on the influence of special interests. Candidates accuse their rivals of being beholden to developers, organized labor or a vague group of political insiders rather than the general public.

So I decided to examine who lobbyists want to be San Diego's next mayor and how much they've pitched into each candidate's campaign treasury.

Individual contributions from lobbyists don't encompass all special interests. Political parties and independent committees have dumped more than $1.5 million in the election so far. Lobbyist contributions just provide another glimpse of those trying to influence City Hall.

By law, firms or organizations that contact city officials with the purpose of influencing a decision must register the names of their clients and the employees who will be advocating their interests. The list of employees includes those who have contacted city officials in the past 30 days or who are expected to contact them in the future.

The graphic above illustrates how much people registered to lobby City Hall have contributed to each of the mayoral campaigns. For a full list of the lobbyists and their contributions to the candidates, you can check out this spreadsheet.

I identified contributions from lobbyists by matching people's last names and first initials from the most recent lists of lobbyists and campaign contributions. Then I checked each person's listed employer to see if they were at least similar. For example, some identified their employer as a company in one list and then listed a parent company in another.

The list of lobbyists likely represents a conservative estimate of individual contributions. Lobbyists don't always want their contributions publicized and can put up hurdles to make it harder to find them. Some could try to hide in campaign rolls by misspelling or slightly altering their names.

Though this process churned up 102 lobbyists, I likely missed some contributions if people used different first names (William vs. Bill) or nicknames (such as their middle name). Finding every lobbyist could take days or weeks. I devoted just a couple hours to the project.

Still, the search provided some interesting findings. Here are three takeaways:

— No candidate is immune from lobbyist cash. They all scorn the influence of special interests but then accept thousands of dollars from people registered to sway City Hall.

— Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher reported receiving the most money from lobbyists ($22,500) and Congressman Bob Filner reported getting the least ($7,500).

— Though the amount of lobbyist cash varies by candidate, each reported a similar ratio in the context of fundraising from individual donors. About 2 percent of each candidate's fundraising from individuals came from City Hall lobbyists.

These figures don't include all campaign fundraising, such as independent spending done on behalf of a candidate or against a candidate. It focuses on the individual donations given to each candidate, but excludes the money candidates gave themselves. You can find a list of all campaign fundraising here.

Keegan Kyle is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He writes about local government, creates infographics and handles the Fact Check Blog. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at keegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668. You can also find him on Twitter (@keegankyle) and Facebook.

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DeMaio Misses Our Point on Education

2012-05-30T15:42:00-07:00

In mailboxes right now, San Diego mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio is telling you that he's the one "with a real plan to do more" on significant city issues.

For economic development and road repairs, that's true. His plans are more detailed than everyone else's.

For his education credentials, he cites a story from a very trustworthy and august news operation to try to prove the same point. The ad quotes from the story: "DeMaio connects his school reform ideas to his other plans. His financial plans will guide how the district can make changes."

Here's the problem. Those lines came from the same story that talks about how he really doesn't have an education plan.

And the story even applauded him for not trying to pander on it.

I guess we'll have to retract that now.

Liam Dillon is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He covers San Diego City Hall, the 2012 mayor's race and big building projects. What should he write about next?

Please contact him directly at liam.dillon@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5663.

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Choir Kids Share Opera Taste with Wes Anderson

2012-05-30T12:34:00-07:00

We’ve been learning about a remarkable 1950s-era opera, “Noye’s Fludde,” the story of Noah and the ark, as we’ve slipped into rehearsals and costume-making sessions for the San Diego Children’s Choir, which is getting ready to perform on Sunday.

The opera has street cred among classical music fans because its composer, Benjamin Britten, is a 20th century giant.

Turns out the piece has street cred with filmmaker Wes Anderson, too. Anderson’s new movie, “Moonrise Kingdom” opened in theaters Friday. It uses much of the music from the opera and Anderson bases part of his plot around a performance of the children’s piece.

Here’s the trailer for the film; listen for a snatch of the opera:

The music Anderson picks for his films has fascinated his fans, including me. For “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” singer Seu Jorge performed acoustic David Bowie songs in Portuguese. “The Royal Tenenbaums” featured The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, The Ramones and The Velvet Underground.

And now, opera.

From a HoustonPress blogger:

Anderson first encountered the opera as a child attending St. Francis Episcopal Day School here in Houston with his older brothers. Meant to be performed by churches and schools, the opera helped inspire the Moonrise plot.

While Britten’s music and other classical composers course throughout the new film, Andersen apparently juxtaposes it with a bunch of country tunes by Hank Williams, Sr.

Doubtful the children’s choir will take on Hank’s canon next.

Fresh Air's Terry Gross just last week talked with Anderson's music director, Randall Porter, about the new film and how they come up with their musical inspirations.

Read our first installment of our 'Embedded' series.

San Diego Children’s Choir presents “Noye’s Fludde” by Benjamin Britten at Copley Symphony Hall downtown on June 3 at 3 p.m. Ticket information here or 619.235.0804.

I'm Kelly Bennett, arts editor for Voice of San Diego. You can reach me directly at kelly.bennett@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.325.0531.

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Morning Report: Understanding Nathan Fletcher

2012-05-30T07:19:00-07:00

Nathan Fletcher flipped. Will that keep him from being a flop? That's one of the big questions in next week's San Diego mayoral primary, when we'll see if the once-obscure assemblyman's fling with the spotlight will pay off at the ballot box.

Fletcher famously dumped the GOP just weeks before the election and is now an independent. The rash of negative attention flowing his way from both sides is the best sign that his rivals think he's a threat.

You can catch up by poring over our Reader's Guide to Nathan Fletcher, which explores what we've learned about the candidate during the year-long campaign with video, the candidate's top issues, his background and his weak spots.

We also point out how Fletcher can win: By not losing. He'll be in great shape if he only comes in second place and gets a ticket to a run-off in November.

We're publishing guides to all the mayoral candidates this week. See Carl DeMaio's from yesterday and watch for Bob Filner and Bonnie Dumanis soon.

More Mayor-o-Rama

There's less than a week until the election, and we're on top of the marquee race in the city:

• Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, is a fan of Fletcher. He said so in a statement released yesterday.

Does that mean Brown is endorsing Fletcher? The statement walks, talks and quacks like an endorsement. Why else would you go out of your way to say something nice about a candidate a week before an election?

Nope, an adviser says: Brown is just commenting on the one candidate he knows well in response in reporter inquiries.

• No money, no Chargers? All the major mayoral candidates have now said they won't support spending public money on a new football stadium.

• We take a look at perhaps District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis' top theme in the race — her experience in running a major government operation. It's not the sexiest sell, but management will play an especially major role in the implementation of big projects awaiting the next mayor.

• We've asked the major mayoral candidates to weigh in on purifying sewage to turn it into drinking water. A new city report says San Diego could eventually reuse enough sewage to produce 20 percent of its water supply.

It's still early, however. The city must first prove that it can properly recycle sewage into water that's drinkable.

All the candidates but Rep. Bob Filner, who didn't respond, said they are open to recycling sewage.

• Tupelo honey alert: Fletcher has gotten donations from all over the place, the Reader reports.

He's received money from the mayor of Tupelo, Miss.; an employee for Oprah Winfrey's television network Harpo Industries; a managing director with the Mitt Romney-co-founded Bain Capital; a student from Sioux Falls, S.D.; a professor of economics at M.I.T.; and fashion designer Diane Von Furstenburg and her daughter.

Should we expect Fletcher to start rocking a white tuxedo? High fashion!

Class Sizes and Big Decisions

• "If San Diego Unified goes through with the 1,600 layoffs of teachers, we're going to have class sizes approaching 50," said Filner during a recent debate.

That sounds terrible. But is it true? Barely, says San Diego Fact Check.

While some classes like gym, band and choir could reach the 50 mark, the average class size should be far from it: "Filner's description might be true, but it likely represents an inflated portrayal of how layoffs could affect class sizes across the district."

• The latest VOSD Radio features a conversation with school board member Richard Barrera about the major happenings in education last week (teacher layoffs, labor intrigue), the dire state of district finances and the prospects for reform.

Après This Week, Le Deluge

We continue to follow the progress of 250 local kids (!) as they prepare for a San Diego Children’s Choir production of an opera about Noah and the ark.

In short: it can be chaotic. Adults struggle with an overheated heat room, kids try to figure out how to sing and make crafts at the same time, and a moveable ark comes to life in a parking lot.

When the whole thing finally comes together next weekend, not just the performers will be singing. The audience will join in on three songs. “When you walk away you feel alive,” says the choir's CEO.

Carl DeMaio Endorsement of the Week

From Jim Jones, likely the most frequent of our commenters: "Carl is the least likeable of the candidates, and the one with the most enemies…" But, Jones thinks, DeMaio's the best of the bunch.

VOSD's Hit Parade

• The news about massive layoff warnings at San Diego schools tops our list of most-read stories from the past week.

U-T TV Goes Live

U-T TV, the newspaper's much-ballyhooed video venture, debuted online yesterday.

Among other things, U-T TV's morning show featured a revealing photo of co-host Amber Mesker's weekend activities. In one segment, co-host and ex-NFLer Billy Ray Smith asked U-T City Hall reporter Craig Gustafson about his pick for mayor. Gustafson declined to answer before co-host Scott Kaplan jumped in:

"Well that and the paper has already endorsed a candidate and if you didn’t vote for that candidate, it could be Trouble City," Kaplan said. "You know what I’m saying?"

KPBS has more about the kerfuffle.

Another lowlight: a cringe-inducing discussion of a news story about an alleged child rapist. Kaplan not-so-classily expressed shock over the suspect's last name (Nutt).

U-T TV plans to debut on a local cable channel sometime soon. Huh. Time to break out the ol' rabbit ears.

Please contact Randy Dotinga directly at randydotinga@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/rdotinga.

The Risk Taker: VOSD Radio

2012-05-29T18:08:00-07:00

Last week was a big one for local education news. First, the San Diego Unified school board voted to lay off one in every five teachers at the district. Then, the region's top labor leader took the unusual step of publicly calling the teachers union back to the negotiating table to talk about giving up upcoming raises.

With all that swirling, school board member Richard Barrera stopped by to guest host VOSD Radio with me. Barrera is a self-described union guy who's found himself at odds with the union over layoffs and the board's request for teachers to give up pay increases.

We talked about his openness to take risks, whether he still defends the 2010 deal the board's now trying to undo and whether this crisis give us a chance to forge a more universal reform of the school district. Listen here.

VOSD Radio also airs on FM News and Talk 95.7 and AM 600 KOGO on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. Subscribe to the podcast here.

I'm the editor of VOSD. You can reach me at andrew.donohue@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.325.0526.

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