Morning Report: Cloudy Future for Lauded Arts Program
For nearly a quarter century, National City’s A Reason to Survive community arts program has provided arts programming and a welcoming embrace of community to thousands of families in some […] The post Morning Report: Cloudy Future for Lauded Arts Program appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
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For nearly a quarter century, National City’s A Reason to Survive community arts program has provided arts programming and a welcoming embrace of community to thousands of families in some of San Diego County’s lowest income neighborhoods.
Now the organization’s future looks increasingly uncertain. Negotiations with National City officials over ARTS’ city-owned building have been slowed by turmoil in City Hall.
And a nationwide pullback in philanthropic support amid heightened economic uncertainty threatens a key funding source.
“I stay painfully positive,” said ARTS Executive Director Lucy Eagleson. “That’s all I can do.”
Our Jim Hinch visited ARTS’ annual spring exhibit of student artwork on Saturday. Budget worries took the day off as kids and teaching artists celebrated months of hard work and creativity.
Spoiler alert: C4, a world-destroying robot, and a puppet named the Cheese Wizard steal the show.
Gloria Announces More Cost Cutting
Mayor Todd Gloria announced he would consolidate city office space to save $13 million over the next five years.
San Diego is trying desperately to plug a $258 million budget deficit by finding cuts and also adding new sources of revenue.
The mayor presented his proposed budget last month, which includes nearly $200 million in cuts. (NBC 7 has a good breakdown of it here.) The mayor’s proposed budget seeks to cut costs by closing libraries two days a week and cutting recreation center hours. It would, however, increase police spending by nearly $30 million.
As part of the office consolidation, the city will significantly reduce the space it is renting at a location on B Street and move city personnel to city-owned office spaces.
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In Other News
- Well, that’s depressing. A new study found that to buy a home in San Diego you’d have to have an annual income of more than $250,000. (Union-Tribune)
- Three people died after a boat that officials suspect was used for smuggling capsized off Del Mar. First responders and other agencies were searching for nine people who were missing from the boat, the Union-Tribune reports.
- KPBS reporters spoke with San Diego farmers who say they are taking a “wait-and-see” approach as world leaders fight over tariffs.
- Over the weekend, residents of San Diego’s northern neighborhoods protested Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposal to close a police station in Carmel Valley. (Fox 5)
- Something good: A new ramen restaurant in Kearny Mesa is offering customers a unique experience. Read more here. (Fox 5)
The Morning Report was written by Jim Hinch, Will Huntsberry and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.
The post Morning Report: Cloudy Future for Lauded Arts Program appeared first on Voice of San Diego.
