2021 State of the City: A Glorious Future for San Diego?
Newly elected Mayor Todd Gloria knows how to give a barn burner of a state of the city speech. I remember his address as interim mayor, back in the dark days following Bob Filner’s departure.
Last night's virtual speech, given under much different circumstances, didn't disappoint.
As Andy Cohen noted in the San Diego Free Press six years ago:
If this was indeed his first and final State of the City Address, iMayor Todd Gloria made it count. As politically aware San Diegans have come to expect, Gloria brought his ‘A’ game to the Balboa Theater, delivering a sweeping vision for what he views is the future of San Diego.
The January 25, 2014 speech was brimming with optimism and bold initiatives.
The sure-to-come Convention Center expansion would bring 3,000 construction jobs and 7,000 permanent new jobs, generating an additional $13 million in city tax revenues with a total estimated economic impact of over $700 million.
San Diego was to become more bike and pedestrian friendly. “Our streets are not just for cars, they’re for people,” said Gloria.
“Let the word go out from this theater tonight that San Diego will be a global leader in addressing climate change!”
He called for the City Council to place a measure before voters in November, 2014 raising the minimum wage.
I sure as heck liked the speech and the enthusiasm for change accompanying it.
Then forces supporting the status quo intervened on the side of mediocrity, as so often happens in San Diego.
Ten months later, the city had a Republican Mayor, and big business interests negotiated the opportunity to end Gloria’s term as Council President.
It was an embarrassing day for San Diego, as citizens lined up for nearly 90 minutes of public comment in which everyone supported Gloria and praised him for moving the city past the scandals of former Mayor Bob Filner.
Nobody publicly supported making a change. Except that the deal was already done. Behind closed doors.
The push for a higher minimum wage, Barrio Logan zoning changes and changes in the affordable housing fees paid by developers were all considered to be “divisive” issues, ones that could be “solved and stopped at the City Council under Sherri Lightner.”
Voters didn’t get a chance to weigh in on an increase in the minimum wage until June, 2016, when 63.22% of the electorate supported Proposition I, which included standards for earned sick leave.
Whether or not the city has become more bike and pedestrian friendly since 2014 is less a reality than supporters would like it to be. Car-centric advocates have fought or watered down changes at almost every step. This shouldn’t be considered Todd Gloria’s fault, but it is sad that so much of the city’s political leadership has been mushy on these issues.
And as for the Convention Center, it’s currently operating as a homeless shelter. An uncertain future for the business model inclusive of large gatherings almost makes the failure to win voter approval for expansion seem like a stroke of good luck.
That was then and this is now. Democrats have an 8-1 supermajority on the City Council.
The underlying ideology behind Republican resistance to change has evolved as its tenets have been disproven by reality and/or disposed of in the name of political expediency by the Trumpist cult running their show.
So now we have to more closely examine the motivations of our elected Democrats on the City Council. The first opportunity to see those motivations in action wasn’t encouraging, as openly progressive, unbought, and unbossed Monica Montgomery-Steppe lost out to Dr. Jen Campbell as the choice for council president.
Is Campbell a tool of the developers/ruling class/evil overlords? It’s complicated.
I would say that the support of the San Diego Police Officers Association, which is less-than-enthusiastic about Montgomery-Steppe's reform agenda is what made the difference in the Council President contest.
These days, with the “thin blue line” types having been classified as defending the old racist order in law enforcement, it’s not so much what the SDPOA can do for candidates as what they can do against candidates.
There is a grassroots recall movement aiming to get Campbell out of office, based on her proposed compromise regarding short term rentals and her support for the voter approved measure allowing increased density and building heights in the Midway District.
Here’s Michael Smolens at the Union-Tribune trying to sort it all out:
Both Montgomery, a Black woman, and Campbell, who is White and LGBTQ+, by most assessments can justifiably call themselves progressives, though there’s disagreement on to what degree.
Clearly, labor leaders, developers and business interests — and Republicans — are more comfortable with Campbell.
Speaking of Republicans, council member Chris Cate was courted by both sides. He backed Campbell and she won on a 5-4 vote. He ended up with a prized appointment: chair of the Budget and Governmental Efficiency Committee.
In this day of Democratic dominance at City Hall, the lone Republican on the council may have determined who would wield the gavel.
Having set the scene for what’s coming going forward, let’s get back to Gloria’s 2021 State of the City speech…
From KPBS:
Overcoming the hurdles of homelessness, social injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic were front and center in San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria's first state of the city address delivered Thursday.
"Honestly, the state of our city is fragile right now," Gloria said. "But I have faith it won't be for much longer."
In a clear sign of the times, the city's 37th mayor delivered his speech virtually, broadcasting the address online from the San Ysidro Branch Library.
From the Union-Tribune:
New San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria plans to take bold steps on homelessness, climate change and social equity during his first year in office, but he says the city is in a “fragile” state because of the COVID-19 pandemic and financial problems.
Gloria used his State of the City address Wednesday to make San Diegans aware of the challenges they face and his plans to address them with what he described as more substantive and proven solutions than predecessor Kevin Faulconer.
The new mayor also laid out several other priorities, including law enforcement reform, shrinking the city’s digital divide, boosting housing affordability and providing aid to businesses and residents most affected by the pandemic.
In a story run last week, the local public radio outlet made note of three significant changes the new mayor has already put in place, namely rejecting the easy road offer made by San Diego Gas and Electric when it comes to determining the future of energy delivery, authorizing the SDPD and City Attorney to go after entities defying COVID-19 restrictions, and finally ending the city’s support for Carl DeMaio’s failed vision of screwing public employees.
Two significant promises made in Mayor Todd Gloria’s address concerned homelessness and support for environmentally friendly infrastructure initiatives. Given that he’s inherited a $150 million deficit due to revenues lost during the pandemic, the speech was remarkably optimistic.
“Let me be clear, we must change the status quo on homelessness,” Gloria said. “Some people want quick, easy solutions to one of our most complex and pressing issues, but there are no shortcuts to end homelessness. Instead, it will take steadfast, unrelenting tenacity.”
From the Times of San Diego:
On homelessness, he said the city will be working with Matthew Doherty, who was the executive director of the Obama administration’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Gloria also pledged to increase supportive and behavioral health services for the homeless by having mental health clinicians be the first points of contact for those living on the streets, rather than police officers.
From City News Service:
Other projects he touted include a transportation plan that supports more walking, biking and alternative transit options, and a plan to transform Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter and Normal Street in Hillcrest by closing down portions of the streets to vehicle traffic.
"It won't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is," Gloria said. "Our city has big things on the horizon. Let's have hope. Let's rise above being fine and dare to be great. Let's build a San Diego for all of us."
So there you have it. Our new mayor has a tough road in front of him. WE --you and I-- need to pay attention. Progressive promises don't mean squat without community support.
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