Sign up for our eNewsletterBy Ben Baltic and Jim Frost
The San Diego City Council approved the annual Uptown Community Parking District (UCPD) budget at its Sept. 12 meeting. Few are aware of the events that took place before the vote. Critically, those events focus on Benjamin Nichols and his blatant conflict of interest.
Nichols serves as the unpaid chairman of the UCPD while he is employed full time as executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA).
Read MoreBy Leo Wilson
Recently, the visionary concept of building a public park on top of a multi-story parking garage in Hillcrest has been put forward by the Uptown Gateway Council.
The Uptown Gateway Council is a group of commercial property owners in Hillcrest who hope to transform the area roughly between Fourth and Seventh avenues and from Washington Street to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Read MoreBy Rep. Susan A. Davis
When thinking of higher education, most people’s minds go straight to a four-year degree. There is no doubt we need to expand opportunities and increase the affordability of two-year and four-year degrees.
However, higher education is essentially all the formal learning we do after high school. Higher education is the bridge between high school to many careers. A neglected component of higher education and our economy is apprenticeships. They are key to building a highly skilled workforce and closing the skills gap.
Read MoreBy Toni G. Atkins | Notes from Toni
As this column, derived from my newsletter “Toni Times,” was being prepared, my top-priority bill, SB 2, was still under consideration in the Assembly — the deadline for Senate bills to pass “the other house” is Sept. 15.
SB 2 — the Building Homes and Jobs Act — is part of a package of bills aimed at addressing California’s severe housing crisis. Gov. Jerry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon all pledged to make the package a priority during this session’s home stretch.
Read MoreBy Rep. Susan A. Davis
In the current political climate, bipartisanship can be a rare thing. But it is not extinct. Proof of that was on display this month when Congress passed legislation to expand education opportunities for our veterans.
The Forever GI Bill, as it is commonly known, which I am proud to have co-sponsored, will ensure that this critical education benefit will always be there for future generations of veterans. It also just became the law of the land.
Read MoreBy Omar Passons
My mother is 84 years old. She did not earn a high school diploma, and spent the better part of her life caring for children in San Diego County whose parents were unable, unwilling, or unfit to care for them.
She was a foster parent to me and over 100 other children in this community. But she could not afford the incredible surge in rents and costs at assisted living facilities that have overwhelmed the San Diego region.
Read MoreBy Toni G. Atkins | Notes from Toni
There was reason for celebration on July 17 when the Senate and Assembly worked with Gov. Jerry Brown to pass a package of bills that will extend California’s Cap and Trade program, clean up the air in our communities and continue our leadership role in the fight against climate change.
But what made it even better was that it passed with bipartisan support — Democrats and Republicans coming together to move California forward.
Read MoreBy Rep. Susan A. Davis It is always inspiring to see communities come together to help those in need. That was on full display recently in San Diego as the 30th Stand Down commenced to provide much-needed services and assistance to homeless veterans. The concept of Stand Down comes from the Vietnam War where combat-weary warriors were provided a safe haven to recharge and refresh. They could get clean, get new uniforms, as well as […]
Read MoreBy Toni G. Atkins | Notes from Toni This is beginning to be a habit — a good one for the people of California: For the seventh year in a row, the Legislature on June 15 passed a state budget that is balanced and forwarded to the governor on time. The 2017-18 budget is strong, prudent and progressive. As in recent years, it saves more money for a rainy day and at the same time invests […]
Read MoreBy Rep. Susan A. Davis If asked, most people could probably explain what the First Amendment or the Second Amendment does. Very few could probably explain the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The recent debate about emoluments may have had a number of people running for their dictionaries. In essence, the emoluments clause is designed to prevent corruption, and President Donald J. Trump is violating it.
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