Voice of San Diego Podcast

It's officially the start of San Diego’s silly season.  Your mailboxes will start to fill up with mailers and candidates for public office will try their hardest to earn your vote. We’re here to help you make sense of their messaging and the races.  This week's episode kicked off with the strangest kind of controversy: an AI-generated graphic that took shots at co-hosts Jakob McWhinney and Scott Lewis for something we never said on the showOur hosts walked through the whole saga including angry emails and a deleted apology. Silly Season  City Hall reporter Mariana Martínez Barba published a story on the San Diego City Council District 4 race between incumbent Henry Foster and challenger Martha Abraham.  Our hosts explain how Abraham has tapped into residents’ animosity toward City Hall and the momentum she’s building in the community. Foster last week lost the endorsement of the union that represents city firefighters.  Also, during a recent debate, District 8 candidate Gerardo Ramirez addressed an attack from his opponent Antonio Martinez about a contribution from a landowner who wants to open a landfill in Otay Mesa. Ramirez said he does not support the landfill or anything that will increase pollution in the district.  Extra! We’re hosting a debate between Foster and Abraham, and a conversation with Antonio Martinez on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Politifest. Get your ticket here.  The crew also has an update on the fraud charges brought against 12 individuals  accused of billing the government for daycare services that were never provided.Plus,  Jakob explains how a veteran special education teacher who was just awarded teacher of the year, lost her current job. 0:00 The "AI Slop" Meme Mishap1:17 The NIMBY Avengers Controversy18:31 City Council: Foster vs. Abraham in Southeastern San Diego30:09 Another Contested Council Race Heats Up35:26 Correction from a Previous Episode36:01 Support the Show36:37 Feds Charge San Diegans With Fraud41:41 A Teacher's Position Eliminated Follow Voice of San Diego on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube, and read more at voiceofsandiego.org. Tickets for Politifest are up now at vosd.org/pf26. We need 30 pod people to donate $50 to meet our $1,500 match. Show the power of the pod people and donate today to help us meet our match. Go to vosd.org/podpeople. Instagram: https://instagram.com/voiceofsandiego Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voiceofsandiego/ X: https://x.com/voiceofsandiego LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voice-of-san-diego TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@voiceofsandiego YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/voiceofsandiego Website: https://voiceofsandiego.org Politifest: https://vosd.org/pf26  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, the Voice of San Diego crew was joined by Joey Safchik, host of NBC San Diego's "Politically Speaking," and there was a lot to get through! First, a bittersweet news update. Reporter Jakob McWhinney broke a story last week about an organization embedded in San Diego's law enforcement community that hired a controversial figure. After the outrage, the hire got rescinded. But it didn't stop there – the whole organization has since dissolved entirely. No one says you can’t redeem yourself, but in the end you have to own what got you there.  Also on the show: Our intern Naomi Granata released an article revealing the staggering amount Airbnb spent on lobbying in San Diego, all to kill a proposed tax on vacation rentals and vacant second homes. We dug through the numbers.  Finally, we dive into the midterm election ballot. We covered a few races worth watching: 48th Congressional District: Democrat Marni Von Wilpert faces Republican Jim Desmond in one of ten House races nationally that could flip control of Congress. State Senate, District 40: Former City Attorney Mara Elliot and nonprofit leader Kristie Bruce-Lane, who’s backed by controversial conservative Carol DeMaio, battle it out to replace termed-out Republican Brian Jones. San Diego City Council, District 2: Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey faces off against Deputy City Attorney Nicole Crosby. Bailey just confirmed he voted for Trump in 2024. Could that have an impact on voters?  San Diego City Council, District 4: Incumbent Henry Foster is challenged by political outsider Martha Abraham, who's making the case that a Foster win could leave the council without a single woman. Prop 40:The billionaire tax — a one-time, 5 percent tax on California's billionaires to fund healthcare. This would be the first time the state has ever taxed assets, as opposed to income and property. It’s complicated and many people are split on it.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's podcast episode, our hosts explain how two county supervisors are proposing the region address the Tijuana River sewage crisis. As our MacKenzie Elmer reported, San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra-Lawson Remer think the county, and the county taxpayer, should treat the river. We unpack their proposal on the show. We also have updates: First up, two bills we were following related to the Midway Rising project are sitting on the governor's desk. Next, a scandal involving a former sheriff's deputy with a history of assaulting women blew up days after we reported on his new job as a chaplain. Lastly, new developments related to the Islamic Center shooting and the breakdown of the Muslim community's relationship with City Hall.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the VOSD Podcast, host Scott Lewis sits down with Michael Zucchet, general manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association. They get into pension underfunding and the failed 2024 sales tax measure. (Oh yeah, this is a very nerdy episode.) They also unpack a heated debate over whether San Diego’s workforce is bloated — as some critics claim — or stretched thin by hundreds of new parks and services added since 2015. Also on the show: They also get into labor costs and pensions, a trash-bin “lid lifter” mandate and questions over the Port Commission’s handling of Harbor Island. 0:00 Intro1:10 The City's Pension Underfunding History5:25 Revenue Measures: Trash Fee & Hotel Tax7:57 Sales Tax Attempts & the 2024 Measure11:25 Debating the City's Workforce Size15:50 Budget Cuts in the "Era of Austerity"24:15 Clarifying What Layoffs Really Mean27:20 The City's Reactive Budget Cycle30:31 New Revenue Ideas & Rollout Growing Pains35:46 Labor Costs, Pensions & Wages43:58 The "Lid Lifters" Trash Bin Controversy47:10 New Parks Without New Staff50:24 Port Commission & Harbor Island52:58 Closing & CreditsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this bonus episode of the VOSD Podcast, the crew sits down with Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant. They discuss efforts to revitalize downtown's Civic Center, including a planned partnership between the city of San Diego, San Diego Community College District, and possibly, the San Diego Unified School District. Also on the show: The crumbling state of City Hall and a nod to Balboa Park needing similar attention. 0:00 Intro & Guest Welcome4:41 History of Redevelopment Attempts14:08 Three Moves: Experts, Buildings, Vision15:21 San Diego Unified Declines to Join the JPA21:59 What Is a JPA? (Explainer)26:48 The Vision for the Civic Center34:23 Callback: Joe LaCava's Hot Take41:43 City Hall's Physical Dysfunction44:05 Grant's Hot Take: Balboa Park & a Treasures Tax47:07 Closing & Sign-OffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.