Morning Report: Climate Equity Fund Takes a Hit
EM - News Moderator 
This post has been updated.
It seems like nobody is happy with Mayor Todd Gloria right now.
From supporters of libraries to artists to homelessness services providers to youth advocates, everyone’s got beef with his new budget proposal. The mayor’s plan proposes deep cuts to all sorts of city programs as a way to shore up a nearly $150 million budget shortfall.
Our MacKenzie Elmer learned about another way the mayor is trying to solve the deficit: by not contributing to a rainy day fund for underserved San Diego neighborhoods.
The Climate Equity Fund was created five years ago as a way to funnel money from SDG&E and state taxes into infrastructure projects that protect underserved neighborhoods from the impacts of climate change. Gloria’s proposal would redirect a $7 million contribution to the city’s general fund instead.
Correction: This section has been updated to correct that the mayor’s proposal is to redirect a contribution to the Climate Equity Fund to the general fund. Not to raid the Climate Equity Fund.
Dem Supes Advance County Reform Measure
San Diego County board Democrats on Tuesday voted to put major governance reforms on the November ballot that, if approved, will give supervisors more power.
The reforms, championed by Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, would give supervisors a potential third term, the power to approve the hiring of top county officials and to fire them with a super majority vote. The measure would also create two positions that report to the supervisors: an auditor and budget analyst.
Republican Supervisors Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond, who voted against the measure, protested a series of last-minute changes to the measure before Tuesday’s vote.
Also at Tuesday’s Board Meeting
- Supervisors voted unanimously to approve Supervisor Paloma Aguirre’s proposal to develop a county film initiative that includes creating a county film office and rebate program to bolster the county’s status as production hub.
- Supervisors unanimously backed a plan to reallocate funds previously directed toward public-private partnerships to sleeping cabins for homeless residents instead, in order to expand a diversion program designed to move people out of homelessness. We wrote about how diversion works last year.
- Board Democrats approved an agreement with the Mexican Consulate to help fund legal representation for Mexican nationals. Lawson-Remer said the agreement will allow Mexico to help pay the county’s costs.
Historic Twist: Kumeyaay Could Own the Padres
We heard this weekend and now The New York Times/The Athletic is reporting that the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation is among the many partners purchasing the Padres alongside lead investors Jose Feliciano and his wife Kwanza Jones. Though it sounds like the partnership is far from set.
How the team became so valuable: Sportico, which covers the business of sports, had an interesting analysis of just how well the Padres have done generating revenue. Most data points about the team’s finances are confidential but the outlet said it had sources who reviewed the numbers as part of the sales process.
The Padres play in one of the smallest media markets in Major League Baseball and yet only 10 teams had more income and they all had better TV deals. “And, depending on what happens with MLB’s next collective bargaining agreement, the Padres’ economics could become even stronger.”
Show Me the Money
Money is pouring into the race for California’s 48th Congressional District — which is being vacated by Republican Rep. Darrell Issa. Democrats now have a slight edge in the district, post-redistricting.
On the surface, Democrat Brandon Riker appears to be in the strongest position with more than $1,000,000 in cash on hand. But there’s more going on here, writes contributor Mason Herron. The vast majority of Riker’s dollars come in the form of loans to his own campaign — which are different than contributions.
When it comes to contributions alone, San Diego city councilmember Marni von Wilpert has outraised the other Democrats in the field in recent reports.
Republican County Supervisor Jim Desmond also had a strong war chest with more than $1,000,000 cash on hand.
In Other News
- A San Diego Superior Court judge has tentatively ruled that right-wing news outlet One America News Network can’t stop a social media influencer from calling politician-turned-commentator Matt Gaetz a pedophile. The decision comes after the San Diego-based network applied for a restraining order against the social media provocateur. (Times of San Diego)
- SDG&E customers are getting cheaper electricity. During midday hours, customers can run appliances like dishwashers and air conditioning at a much lower price. (Union-Tribune)
- Juvenile great white sharks that have called the San Diego coast home in the last few years have left the area, researchers discovered. But if you’re missing the sharks don’t worry. Warmer-than-usual water, and potentially a full-on El Niño, are expected this year and that may bring in lots of new and different sharks! (Union-Tribune)
- Former female athletes from San Diego State University will receive a combined $300,000 in damages after they sued the school for violating federal gender equality laws. The settlement marks the first case in which a school will pay damages to female athletes for unequal athletic financial aid. (USA Today)
- Google’s AI-powered search is favoring a city-run website rather than actual news outlets. That means citizens seeking out news written by a reporter, are instead finding updates written by public relations specialists whose job is to cast the city in positive light. (Axios San Diego)
- Big study find pot make kid dumbr. (UCSD)
The Morning Report was written by Mariana Martínez Barba, Jakob McWhinney and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Will Huntsberry.
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