Voice of San Diego Podcast

We are going to go through some updates to stories but we’ve got a special co-host today, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo. We’ve got some questions for him and he said he’s come up with a contribution to our hot takes segment at the end. SHOW NOTES Segment 1 00:02:15 Updates 00:06:28 Fletcher Nathan Fletcher’s Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Claim — for Now 00:08:13 Vargas South County Report: Supervisor Race Takes Shape Segment 2 00:11:17 She Said What? County Supervisor Candidates Have No Love for New Immigration Policy New San Diego Council President Wants to End SeaWorld Fireworks 00:23:55 Padres Matthew Seidler denies allegations of wrongdoing from wife of late Padres owner Peter Seidler (Associated Press) Matt Seidler responds to Sheel Seidler’s lawsuit, says Padres not going anywhere (Union Tribune) Segment 3 00:30:27 Raul Campillo Interview 00:55:21 Do you want to run for mayor? Segment 4 01:00:57 Hot Takes Andrea: The County’s Sanctuary City Statement Raul: The Future of Balboa Park Scott: SDGE’s Fire Safety Policy Jakob: No hot take (!?) January 28th Event: Meet the Beat: South County January 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Free Have you met our newest journalist Jim Hinch yet? Have refreshments and get to know the face behind Voice’s South County Report. This event is open to the public. Become a Member See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is our first show of 2025 and it is already starting with some huge news: We finally will discuss the incredible news that County Supervisor Nora Vargas will not be taking the oath of office for her re-election. The balance of power in the county is once again up for grabs, right as the county braces for thousands more people being forced into treatment. What’s going to happen? Who’s going to run? We’ll get into everything plus an update about stunning news from the San Diego Housing Commission: It has decided it no longer has the resources to dole out vouchers to specific low-income housing projects. IT’s a move that could have major implications for the Sports Arena project and other efforts to provide housing. SHOW NOTES Segment 1 0:05:21 - 0:11:28 The Libby App (app that Scott uses to read books) The Power Broker (book) Segment 2 0:11:33 - 0:19:26 Politics Report: Another County Supe Down by Scott Lewis, December 21, 2024 Locate Your District (San Diego County site) Segment 3 0:19:39 - 0:40:56 Morning Report: Another Scandal Ends in a Resignation by Voice of San Diego, April 5, 2023 Segment 4 0:41:01 - 1:05:12 In 2025, San Diego Can’t Look Away from the Screaming by Scott Lewis, January 1, 2025 City’s Housing Agency Won’t Issue Vouchers for New Housing Projects The San Diego Housing Commission has decided it no longer has the resources to dole out vouchers to specific low-income housing projects, a move expected to slow the pace of new homeless housing. by Lisa Halverstadt, January 2, 2025 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the last episode of 2024 and we have a super mega roundtable for you. I am in studio with the core four – Lopez, Jakob, Bella – and we have one open seat so we’re going to bring in one reporter at a time. We’ll ask them each what’s going to happen. What’s one thing they want to know "What’s going to happen?" I think that’s the core compelling ingredient of media of all kinds. If a piece of content makes you wonder “What’s going to happen?” you’re hooked. So prepare to be hooked. Show Outline and Notes You can show your support for our podcast today by going to vosd.org/podpeople. 00:00:00 Intro 00:06:56 Segment 1 What’s Going to Happen to TikTok? Bella Ross - Social Media Producer Pew Research on TikTok Book: Infinite Just What’s Going to Happen to Forces of Gentrification on the South Bay? Jim Hinch - South County Reporter Gentrification Is Coming for South San Diego County South County leaders have made it a goal to catch up to wealthier North County cities. But the race to the top risks leaving some residents behind. Port of San Diego: Chula Vista Bayfront Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center 00:29:12 Segment 2 What’s Going to Happen to Nathan Fletcher and His Accuser? Andrea Lopez-Villafaña, Managing Editor, Daily News Who Is Nathan Fletcher? San Diego Explained Fletcher Resigns as MTS Chair as Former Agency Employee Accuses Him of Sexual Harassment and Assault in Lawsuit Morning Report: MTS to Release Fletcher Investigation What’s Going to Happen to Del Mar Housing? Tigist Layne - North County Reporter Morning Report: The Builder’s Remedy Prevailed in an LA Court. Will the Same Happen in Del Mar? 00:36:46 Segment 3 What’s Going to Happen to AI in San Diego Schools? Jakob McWhinney - Education Reporter The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified’s AI Future Is Now San Diego Unified paid $83,000 to integrate its high school English curriculum into an online platform and got access to an AI tool as well. Now, some teachers are using it to grade student work. The Progress Report: AI Is in Use at San Diego Unified – But the District Doesn’t Have its Own Plan The rise of AI-supported education technology caught San Diego Unified without a policy. Now, as teachers and students within the district have begun to use AI products in the classroom, district leaders are creating one. What’s Going to Happen to Federal Funding and the Impact on Environmental Projects? MacKenzie Elmer - Environment Reporter Officials Fear Nightmare Flooding from New Tijuana River Border Wall A lifting gate structure could impede the Tijuana River’s flow if it fails to rise during heavy rains like San Diego just experienced. Time to Evacuate the Tijuana River Valley? County officials said the pollution problem is far from triggering a mandatory mass exodus from South Bay, but it’s not totally outside the realm of possibilities. 00:50:43 Segment 4 What’s Going to Happen to the City of San Diego in an “Era of Austerity”? Scott Lewis - Editor in Chief County Supe Slams San Diego Mayor’s Budget City Council budget hearings will begin next week. The City Council has until June 30 to approve the budget. Cup of Chisme: Cuts Hit Different What’s Going to Happen to the Mega Shelter? Lisa Halverstadt - Homelessness What We Know About the Mayor’s Mega Shelter Pitch Mayor Todd Gloria unveiled a plan to convert a large warehouse near downtown into a 1,000-bed homeless shelter. Four Big Disputes Dogging the City’s Quest to Open Its Biggest Shelter Yet The City Council is set to vote Monday on a proposed 1,000-bed shelter and there are lots of questions and disagreements over the city’s plans. Morning Report: Mega-Shelter Monday July 22, 2024 The 30-year lease agreement for the Middletown warehouse the city wants to turn into the city’s largest long-term homeless campus – and the concept itself – have spawned major questions: What’s the value of the building? Can the city count on the site and its potential...

This week we have a special episode for you. This coming year is going to be a difficult one for leaders of San Diego Unified School District. They are facing a massive budget deficit, ongoing stagnation in enrollment. They’re grappling with the aftermath of scandals involving sexual misconduct allegations that got the attention of the federal government and brought down the district’s superintendent. Cody Petterson was just named the new school board president. He’ll guide the five member Board of Education for the District. He’s taking over that role from his colleague, trustee Shana Hazan. Both of them came into the studio to talk about all these issues and more. It was a frank and interesting exchange on some very touchy topics in education. Show Notes You can show your support for our podcast today by going to vosd.org/podpeople Links San Diego Unified School District Board of Education About Shana Hazan Board President - District B Term Expires: December 2026 Cody Petterson Board Vice President - District C Term Expires: December 2026 Selected Recent VOSD Stories: San Diego Unified School District Oct 14, 2024 San Diego Student Test Scores Haven’t Made Up Pandemic Losses The slow recovery from pandemic performance drop offs coupled with growing budget woes may spell trouble for districts like San Diego Unified. Sep 12, 2024 Billions of Dollars Later, Some San Diego Unified Students Still Dealing with Hot Classrooms Taxpayers have voted to give San Diego Unified School District $11.5 billion over the last 16 years with the express purpose of bringing working air... Sep 5, 2024 New San Diego Schools Superintendent Didn’t Mention Misconduct or Victims in Speech to Principals Over multiple district communications since Lamont Jackson's firing, there's been a group of people conspicuously missing. Sep 3, 2024 Lamont Jackson Is Out as San Diego Unified Supe. What’s Next? Fabiola Bagula, who was elevated to acting superintendent from her deputy superintendent role after Jackson's firing, seems poised to keep that role. Aug 29, 2024 Investigation Into San Diego Unified Superintendent Substantiates Allegations of Misconduct Involving Staff The allegations against Superintendent Lamont Jackson were levied by former San Diego Unified School District staff. Aug 19, 2024 Feds Slam San Diego Unified’s Handling of Sexual Misconduct A new report from the U.S. Department of Education skewers how San Diego Unified for years handled sexual misconduct complaints. Aug 12, 2024 School Is Back in Session: 4 Education Stories to Follow Believe it or not, most schools in San Diego County are back in session. If the new school year snuck up on you, that's likely because start dates have been… Jun 12, 2024 The Learning Curve: San Diego Unified’s AI Future Is Now San Diego Unified paid $83,000 to integrate its high school English curriculum into an online platform and got access to an AI tool as well. Jun 11, 2024 San Diego Unified High Schoolers: Getting Great Grades But Troubling Test Scores An analysis of thousands of letter grades from San Diego Unified high schoolers shows that far more students pass classes in subjects like English, math and... May 20, 2024 San Diego Unified Investigating Superintendent Lamont Jackson Though a district official has confirmed an investigation is occurring, no one will say what prompted it. May 17, 2024 San Diego Unified Is Slowly Embracing Science of Reading The district has long relied on an approach to teaching kids to read that's not back by science. Now, officials are working to change that – but it hasn't... May 16, 2024 San Diego Unified Walks Back Majority of Teacher Layoffs District officials announced Thursday that they had rescinded 96 percent of the layoff notices issued in March. Feb 26, 2024 ‘I Can’t Wait Until You’re 18’: Despite Years of Sexual Harassment Allegations, San Diego Unified Allowed Teacher to Quietly...

December 13, 2024 The election just ended. The election just started. We often accuse politicians of being short sighted but one thing they definitely plan far in advance is their next political move. We may have heard the first shots in the 2028 mayoral race. The city has a new president of the City Council and the region has a new Republican leader, same as the old one. And the county passed a rule about what the sheriff can and cannot do with immigration enforcement officers and the sheriff said thank you but I run my own show. We get into the meat and potatoes of it all. Show Notes San Diego's Pension Scandal: Wikipedia San Diego pension scandal VOSD Mayor Announces New Pension Board Nominees; Whistleblower’s Name Absent by Andrew Donohue February 28, 2005 La Jolla Secession: VOSD Morning Report: In Point Loma, Talk of Secession by Randy Dotinga January 6, 2011 VOSD Mayor Gloria Chimes in on La Jolla Secession ‘As a Mayor, I wouldn’t recommend it,’ he said on the VOSD Podcast last week. by Jakob McWhinney December 10, 2024 101 Ash Street (the former Sempra building) Wikipedia 101 Ash Street VOSD How the City Came to Lease a Lemon It’s likely the city never would have purchased 101 Ash St. if a developer hadn’t come along to act as middleman. But that structure also laid the groundwork for a situation that is stunningly messy even in the canon of San Diego real estate history. by Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx August 10, 2020 San Diego City Council Meeting Item 330: Proposed Settlement Agreement Involving Acquisition of the 101 Ash Street and Civic Center Plaza Properties Carl DeMaio Carl DeMaio Won an Assembly Seat but the Road to Victory Was Vicious The Republican Party of San Diego County has been absorbed in a family feud centered around their newest elected official, incoming Assembly member Carl DeMaio. by Deborah Sullivan Brennan December 6, 2024 Sanctuary City San Diego Border Report: Schools, Churches Mull Sanctuary Policies by Brooke Binkowski December 5, 2016 Neither San Diego – Nor California – Is a Sanctuary for the Undocumented by Scott Lewis February 21, 2017 Border Report: What a Sanctuary City Is, and Isn’t by Kate Morrissey December 9, 2024 Jim Desmond's Instagram Account What does it mean to become a “Super” Sanctuary County? To fully grasp the implications, you need to understand California’s current sanctuary state law and its impact. San Diego County Board of Supervisors Meeting Agenda Item 29 SUBJECT: ADOPTING A BOARD POLICY ON IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY SAFETY (DISTRICTS: ALL) December 10, 2024 Agenda Item 29 PDF Meeting Video on YouTube Statement on Board of Supervisors Vote on Immigration Enforcement Sheriff's Office to continue following state law. Post Date:12/10/2024 5:15 PM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve got the full crew in today to host a conversation with Mayor Todd Gloria, fresh off re-election, the mayor has no honeymoon. A huge budget deficit is coming up and his plan to deal with it – a tax increase – failed. For more on the issues: Can San Diego Finally Pass a Sales Tax Increase? Politics Report: The Civic Center Dream 101 Ash St. Newly Homeless Residents Still Outpacing Newly Housed Homelessness Crisis Response System 2023 Data and Performance Report Morning Report: The Battle Against Homeless Shelters Wendy's - 'Where's the Beef ' Ad (Original - 1984) La Jollans Are Trying to Divorce San Diego (Again) November 1, 2024 Podcast: 2024 Election Draft Pick (start at 16:40 for Andrea’s description of the Mayor’s pup) Support VOSD: Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week is thanksgiving so what better time for us to bring back beef week? It’s more like Beef 10 Days. It may seem incongruent but we should all be thankful we can beef in local politics without violence or whatever. And we have a special guest this week, Council President Sean Elo-Rivera is here. We’ll talk about the election and some tough decisions coming up for him and his colleagues. LINKS For more on the issues: Beef Week No Longer ‘Norita.’ Some of Nora Vargas’ Constituents Sour on her Leadership It’s Impossible to Pee Legally in San Diego Sean Elo-Rivera Official City Webpage Sean Elo-Rivera Instagram Voice Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Registrar of Voters made us wait six days for an update on the vote count from November 5 – 16 days ago. The main local race we’re still watching is the Oceanside mayoral race. Just 31 votes separated the incumbent and her challenger. Senior investigative reporter Will Huntsberry will join us later on the show to explain why the city of San Diego has purchased at least $1 million worth of gear from a man involved in one of the largest law enforcement scandals in San Diego’s history. And new data about local schools just dropped. There’s some encouraging news but it’s still kind of bleak. For more on the issues: Bill Walton FBI files Pop culture in the FBI filing cabinet: Sanctuary City rhetoric KTLA’s Story on LA’s Sanctuary City declaration A Man Convicted in a Major Law Enforcement Scandal Is Doing Big Business with the City Voice Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are still processing the election, as I am sure all of you are. But at least some questions have been answered. We’ll go through those updates. And, where does the city of San Diego go from here? The mayor and Council President got re-elected but a sales tax failed and a deficit looms. A lot of people are worried about big cities and we get it. For more on the issues: Deadly Failure: A Sailor’s Struggle in a Fractured Mental Health System, NBC San Diego VOD VOSD Story Election 2024 San Diego County Unofficial Election Results The Learning Curve: Bazzo Has Likely Won – Just Barely Politics Report: Baked Months Ago Voice Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, that was an election. We will go back through the races we drafted last week. As always, there are a couple nail-biters as we begin the tradition of waiting for updates every afternoon. But we can say that San Diego incumbents did well. Mayor Todd Gloria and the City Councilmembers hoping for another term did fine. So did Terra Lawson Remer, the county supervisor who faced down millions in spending against her. Turns out all she had to do was all we suspected she had to do: Connect her opponent Kevin Faulconer to Trump. But like everywhere else in the country, Trump did better here than before. For more on the issues: Union Tribune College/Talmadge/Montezuma Rd Fire Photo Scott’s Twitter/X palm tree post Jakob’s Twitter/X young voters post Voices of the Voters Election Results: We’re Waiting on These Races North County Report: Election Results Are Rolling In See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up on the show this week… It’s time. This is our last show before the apocalypse. We’ve got a special roundtable to go through our ranking of the best elections to watch Tuesday. Local elections that is. The Voice of San Diego elections draft and the elections contest are back. We’ll do it. For more on the issues: San Diego 2024 Election: What’s at Stake Politifest 2024: News and Media Voice of San Diego relies on reader and listener support: Voice Member Benefits Join today and receive insider access. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the last lap of this election season and we have updates on several major races in San Diego. Is Mayor Todd Gloria overstating his creation of homeless shelter beds? Yes. Did Terra Lawson Remer use campaign funds for her kid’s preschool? Yes. She has a good defense but it’s interesting. And in South Bay, the chair of the County board of Supervisors has created several enemies. Finally, remember that fake charity that had fake volunteers selling concessions at Petco Park? Well two of its workers are now running a new charity. The thing is, we cannot figure out what the charity does. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up on the show this week… We’ve got more mailers here to dissect. We’ll cut through what campaigns want voters to know and what we don’t even understand like: Why are California realtors bullying a candidate for her poker playing skills? There’s a newspaper endorsement that’s not really a newspaper endorsement … It is silly season in San Diego. To wrap it up, We’ll talk about a key school board race and the latest in the biggest race of them all – the District 3 County Supervisor contest. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming up on the show this week… The race between Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer and former mayor Kevin Faulconer is easily the hottest race this year. Millions are being spent on behalf of the candidate. The mailers are getting wild. We’ll get into it. Speaking of mailers, we’ve got some good ones. Plus, the latest in the city attorneys race and can a new million dollar infusion help a cop beat the incumbent mayor in the mayor’s race? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We got through Politifest. We’re going to discuss some of the many things people said and didn’t say. It was a big day for us. Also, why does Brian Maienschein, who is running for city attorney, have a campaign finance account for an attorney general race in 2030. We posted an explainer we can give you the cliff’s notes on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A million dollars has already gone into the big county supervisors race from outside groups – most of it in support of mayor Kevin Faulconer, and if you’re in the district, you can tell from your mailbox. Usually mail waits until ballots are out. That’ll be our introduction into Politifest Week. We’ve been trying to run the show like normal while preparing for our big annual gathering. We’re going to go through some of the sessions we’re most excited to see. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why the San Diego Republican party has had it with Carl DeMaio. Nobody has been more influential than him in the party but resources are now going to flow to DeMaio’s opponent in a closely watched Assembly race. We’ll get into the beef. Also, we’ve got more details on the allegations of sexual harassment against former San Diego Unified Superintendent Lamont Jackson. New documents reveal the allegations against him from two former high-ranking district officials. And if you haven’t heard, we welcomed a new reporter this month. Jim Hinch is covering South County San Diego. He’ll join us later on the show to discuss his latest stories. All of that and more in this week's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The city of San Diego stands to lose hundreds of shelter beds. Mayor Todd Gloria is proposing one solution: move some people from the Golden Hall shelter to the city’s safe camping sites. Feels like the city and county are going backwards on shelter. We’ll dig into it. University researchers raised an alarm about a toxic gas in the Tijuana River Valley, but the county says there’s no reason to panic right now. And moments after we published a story about battery storage fire fears, a site in Escondido went up in flames. All of that and more in this week's episode. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in the state, fired its superintendent. It appears trustees have already settled on his successor. We’ll talk about what she apparently doesn’t want to talk about. It’s been 10 years since California banned plastic bags at grocery and liquor stores. Now a San Diego lawmaker is trying to get the state to ban plastic bags at grocery stores. Why one of the statistics is shocking. And we’re back with one of our favorite recurring segments: Climate change promises that are fun to make but really hard to pull off. This week? Battery facilities. Recent fires have caused a panic and may lead to bans. But where else are they going to store power for when the sun doesn’t shine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A few months ago Jakob here broke news that San Diego Unified School District had commissioned an investigation into its superintendent for alleged misconduct. Now, they’ve apparently finished that investigation. We’ll tell you what we know. For months, Nathan Fletcher’s advocates have said he was wrongly accused of assault and that soon enough, they’ll have the receipts to prove it. A new court filing last week revealed text messages his accuser sent that do not help her case at all. We’ll review. Finally, the county quietly lifted a major barrier to building housing in unincorporated areas of San Diego because of a case involving a recycling plant. We’ll explain how that happened. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.