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Virtual Mayoral Forum – Part 5: Fixing San Diego’s Broken Infrastructure

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Welcome to Day 5 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition, here , Day 2, Looking back on the Plaza de Panama controversy, here, Day 3, The Building Permit Process is a Hot Mess and Plans for the Planning Department, here. Day 4.  Walkable/Bikeable Neighborhoods and Public Transit, here.)

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too open ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

We emailed the questions to the addresses listed with the City Clerk’s office as contact points, knowing most of the minor candidates wouldn’t respond. Kevin Faulconer’s campaign is refusing to participate. We can only assume–and, believe me we’ve tried to get them involved– their non-response sends a message about their openness to the citizens in this city. You can decide what that message is.

Editor’s note: According to his campaign staff, Nathan Fletcher did not receive our questions until after we began publishing this virtual forum. His responses have since been added to past questions and are included today.

The complete questionnaire can be found here.   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayoral Forum – Part 4: Walkable/Bikeable Neighborhoods and Public Transit

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Welcome to Day 4 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition, here , Day 2, Looking back on the Plaza de Panama controversy, here, Day 3, The Building Permit Process is a Hot Mess and Plans for the Planning Department, here.)

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too open ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

Today’s candidate question about alternative transportation/mobility is one of the most complex ones that we are asking in this virtual forum.   [Read more…]

Nathan Fletcher, The Magic Environmentalist: A Case Study in Machine Versus Movement Politics

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By Jim Miller

If the environment matters to you and you had to choose between a candidate with a 48% lifetime voting record on environmental issues from the California League of Conservation Voters and a 38% lifetime voting record from the Sierra Club or a candidate with an 88% voting record on environmental issues, you’d think the choice would be clear.

That is, of course, unless this choice involves Nathan Fletcher, the magic environmentalist, whose husky whispers of promise and inside game voodoo can make uncomfortable facts disappear like dust in the wind.

Last week San Diego Politico posted an interesting piece on how the San Diego League of Conservation Voters’ endorsement process fell prey to the Fletcher fairy dust as they handed him their endorsement despite the horrible lifetime voting record of 48% he has earned from their own organization.   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayor Forum- Part 3: The Building Permit Process is a Hot Mess and Plans for the Planning Department

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Welcome to Day 3 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition, here , Day 2, Looking back on the Plaza de Panama controversy, here.)

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too open ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

Today’s topic is about what has gone wrong with the permit process and a bonus question about the city’s recently reconstituted Planning Department.  SDFP editor Anna Daniels put together an introduction to the issue so readers can see our thinking behind asking the question.   [Read more…]

Why I Am Not Voting for Nathan Fletcher

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By Judi Curry

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet David Alvarez at a “meet and greet” party. Although I walked into the meeting as a Mike Aguirre supporter, I was very impressed with the way David talked to the crowd; answered all questions without hemming and hawing, and told us his plans when he becomes the Mayor of San Diego.  Although not ready to endorse him over Mike Aguirre, I couldn’t help but feel that a vote for Mike is a wasted vote, and possibly a vote for Faulconer, my current representative on the City Council.

I decided before I could truly make up my mind about the candidates, I would like to hear Nathan Fletcher speak.  I don’t mean in a debate where the answers are canned and fluffy; but in a similar setting as the “meet and greet” for Alvarez.   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayoral Forum- Part 2: Looking Back on the Plaza de Panama Controversy

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Welcome to Day 2 of the SDFP Virtual Mayoral Forum. (See Day 1, Asking about managed competition, here.)

With input from our many contributors, editors put together a series of eight questions we felt were unique, not too opened ended and not trite. We’re publishing one response from the candidates per day (Monday-Friday) so readers can see the verbatim responses side by side.

We emailed the questions to the addresses listed with the City Clerk’s office as contact points, knowing most of the minor candidates wouldn’t respond. What we didn’t count on were two of the big names (Fletcher & Faulconer) refusing to participate. We can only assume–and, believe me we’ve tried to get them involved– their non-response sends a message about their openness to the citizens in this city. You can decide what that message is. (We’ll still be glad to add responses and delete this paragraph. It’s not too late!)

The complete questionnaire can be found here.   [Read more…]

Sex and the City – Special San Diego Mayoral Election Edition

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By Norma Damashek / NumbersRunner

Let’s ease into this subject with a mindful autumn walk.  Notice the days getting shorter…. morning air chillier… leaves turning gold on liquidamber trees.

Now notice a fact as unwavering as the seasons — the fact that sex plays a dominant role in San Diego public affairs.  Hook it up with other San Diego mainstays (uninspired leadership, stunted civic aspirations, free-floating corruption, overinflated egos, corporate welfare, legal-establishment collusion, Republican Party strategy, dubious fidelity among leading Democrats, to name a few) and it wallops a punch potent enough to knock a new mayor out of the ring and force the city into a costly, rushed election to bring in a replacement.

Of course this is not how the Chamber of Commerce markets our city.   [Read more…]

Virtual Mayoral Forum- Part 1: Managed Competition

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One of the best ways for voters to learn about candidates is via debates.

Debates, however, have real limitations. The positive aspect of actually being able to see a candidate as a person can be countered by constraints of time and space.  Sometimes its hard to follow what’s being said, especially if things get heated and candidates start talking across each other.

So we came up with the concept of presenting a virtual debate; an event where the only opinions will be the ones proffered by the candidates.  And we tried to come up with questions that were not trite or unnecessarily open ended. (If you’re looking questions about the Chargers, go to any one of the other debates.)

At our September contributors meeting  eighteen (or so) of us shared ideas on just what we wanted to ask. Copious notes were taken and eventually we came with what seemed to be a reasonable list.

It all sounded lovely on paper.   [Read more…]

Kevin Faulconer and the Republicans Really Don’t Want Liberal Voters to Vote for Nathan Fletcher

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By Frank Gormlie/OB Rag

It’s very clear – Kevin Faulconer really doesn’t want you – the liberal voter at the beach – to vote for Nathan Fletcher.  Faulconer, of course, is OB’s current City Councilperson and sole Republican candidate for mayor of all San Diego.  And of course, Nathan Fletcher is one of his Democratic opponents.

Two recent, slick campaign fliers have recently hit the beach area and tell the story.

One of them shouts out that “Nathan Fletcher is a trusted conservative.” as a quote from liberal nemesis, Karl Rove.  Natch, there’s also a nice color photo next to the quote showing Fletcher and Rove standing together – and Karl has a huge smile.   [Read more…]

A Two-Dem Runoff for San Diego Mayor?

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By Gordon Clanton / Del Mar Times

Politics, like rust, never sleeps.  Politics is a year-around affair, especially in San Diego.  Because of the resignation of Mayor Bob Filner, city voters will go to the polls in a special election November 19.  Mail ballots will go out this week  – and perhaps two-thirds of the voting will be by mail.

Based on recent polling, most observers expect a runoff between newly Democratic former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher (32 percent) and Republican Councilman Kevin Faulconer (28 percent).  Although the Democratic Party endorsed Councilman David Alvarez (20 percent), many influential Dems are assuming that Fletcher will be their candidate in the runoff and some are openly supporting Fletcher in the first round.   [Read more…]

Barrio Logan Split Really About Business as Usual (Or Not)

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By Doug Porter

If you want to see a critical difference between Democrats Nathan Fletcher and David Alvarez, look beyond the article posted in today’s Voice of San Diego.

Reporter Liam Dillon does a good job of exploring the opposition to Alavrez’s mayoral ambitions from within his Barrio Logan, starting with Rachael Ortiz’s long standing opposition to the District 8 Councilman.

Her current issue with Alvarez is the contention that he sold out Barrio Logan’s interests by proposing a compromise solution with the maritime industry regarding the Community Plan approved by the City Council.

The headline on the VOSD article suggests this deal could come back to haunt him.   [Read more…]

A Virtual Forum for San Diego’s Mayoral Candidates, Coming Soon

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By Doug Porter

We love elections at San Diego Free Press in much the same way some people love watching organized sporting events.

We’re unabashed partisans and usually have an opinion of the progressive/liberal/contrarian persuasion.  But, like true fans, we also like all the trappings of the event.  Voting turns us on. And we’d like everybody to do it as often as the law allows.

During the 2012 election cycle our Progressive Voter’s Guide was a major draw.  This time out we’re seeking to expand our efforts.

We’ve already published the City Clerk’s ballot statements for all 10 candidates. We’ve got biographic info lifted verbatim from the candidates’ websites.  And we’re updating with new links about each contender every so often. (SDFP will get around –or not– to doing an endorsement after we published all this info and had a meeting that will last way too damn long.)   [Read more…]

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