Cup of Chisme: FOMO
EM - News Moderator 
I love when I go on vacation but not for the reasons you think.
Sure, it’s nice to relax and forget about deadlines and emails. But what I love the most is that I get to experience Voice of San Diego like so many of you, my dear readers.
I get to read the Morning Report without knowing what’s in it in advance and listen to the most popular public affairs podcast in San Diego. (I get why so many of you are fans of the podcast. It’s so good!)
Here are some stories I couldn’t put down. Grab some cafecito, here’s what you need to know to start your week.
Impact, Impact, Impact!
Talk about FOMO. Last week, we published a story about the ongoing impact of our stadium concessions investigation from 2023.
Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he was going after the leaders of the fake charity we exposed at Petco Park. The charity was Chula Vista Fast Pitch. The organizers of the fake nonprofit operated concessions stands at Petco Park and pocketed millions of dollars that should have gone to support girls softball.
Will Huntsberry reported that Bonta hopes to recover $3.8 million that should have gone to actual charities.
But there’s more! Bonta’s lawsuit also revealed that he’s suing a man associated with a second charity we exposed in 2024. That charity, Greek Life Aid, had an unclear mission and we couldn’t find proof of its charitable actions.
I asked Will how he feels about everything that’s happened since his story came out. This is what he said:
“It feels very humbling to see all this impact. This is every (good) reporter’s dream — to put a story out into the world that matters so much that it forces change. Reporters who are lucky might have this happen a handful of times in their career. Bad actors are being held accountable and that’s a good thing. But what would truly make me happy is to see the powerful institutions that have quietly benefited from this form of labor reform the whole system.”
You can read all the stories in our stadium concessions investigation series here.
Stolen Park Money
Voice of San Diego intern Rami Alarian told the story of a former county parks employee who pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of dollars that should have gone to county parks.
Alarian combed through court documents to bring the theft to life in his story. He explains that the former employee changed the name on the checks and deposited them to a personal account. The county has since updated its processes to prevent fraud.
San Marcos: A Housing Super Star?
Reporter Tigist Layne is frequently checking in on housing production in North County. Just before I left, she told me she was working on story about how San Marcos had permitted a lot of homes in 2025.
She wanted to know what was going on and how the city was getting it done. She published a story about the city’s progress here. But I had some follow up questions for her for our Morning Report. I pulled them from that post for you here.
Just how much housing is the city supposed to make way for? And how much have they built in each category?
In total, San Marcos has to make way for 3,116 homes by the time this Housing Element cycle ends in 2029 for people in four different income categories: very low, low, moderate and above moderate. As of last year, it has permitted 2,765 homes.
What’s most amazing is the city is even making strides toward building enough houses in the lower-income categories. Most cities skew toward mostly market-rate housing. (San Marcos is building plenty of more-expensive housing too.) So, does this mean once they meet their goal, they don’t have to build anymore? All done?
No. California housing laws require jurisdictions to approve all housing projects that include affordable housing and fit objective zoning and development standards. So, even if San Marcos meets its targets in all income categories, city officials will still have to approve affordable housing projects that come their way.
And after 2029, a whole new housing cycle will begin, which means cities will receive new housing targets.
What do you think is next for the city of San Marcos?
Residents will see San Marcos’ North City development, the city’s new downtown area, continue to take shape as construction is still ongoing.
I also think the city will continue to make strides toward its housing goals. It’s in a good place to meet its targets by the end of the housing cycle, which means it will avoid penalties from the state and potential lawsuits from the attorney general or housing advocates.
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