Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Price of Influence

The Madaffers Have a Busy Schedule

Robin Munro Madaffer and Jim Madaffer
Robin Munro Madaffer and Jim Madaffer

Ex–San Diego city councilman Jim Madaffer, who fought for years with then–San Diego State president Steve Weber over redevelopment plans for the school’s sprawling campus just off Interstate 8, has put the full weight of his small neighborhood newspaper and online media empire behind the mayoral candidacy of newly independent ex-Republican Nathan Fletcher. “Politics in our nation, our state and at the local level have sunk to a point where many people who are elected serve at the whim of political party bosses and caucuses which dictate outcomes,” opines Madaffer in a recent editorial on behalf of the incumbent assemblyman.

Of course, Madaffer knows more than a little about what he speaks. Divorced from ex-wife Sally of his city council years, Republican Madaffer is currently married to longtime city hall lobbyist Robin Munro Madaffer, a lawyer at the big downtown firm of Schwartz Heidel Sullivan, LLP. Munro Madaffer also serves as her husband’s copublisher at the Mission Times Courier, the Mission Valley News, and the La Mesa Courier, which despite their small size can make a big difference in close political races. Munro Madaffer has also been very busy on the city hall lobbying front.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Schwartz Heidel’s latest disclosure report, covering the first three months of this year, shows that the firm worked on behalf of Cogentrix Energy, LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina, which is seeking to build a controversial power plant in the East Elliott community planning area. Munro Madaffer lobbied Democratic city councilwoman Marti Emerald and development services’s Cecilia Williams, according to the disclosure. Cogentrix paid the lobbyists $2000 during the quarter.

Fore Property Company of Las Vegas forked over $7000 to have the firm lobby on behalf of a senior housing project in Allied Gardens. Munro Madaffer and colleague Lynne Heidel talked to Marti Emerald and her aide Marisa Berumen on that assignment.

Schwartz Heidel picked up $6000 from local real estate giant H.G. Fenton company to lobby for a permit to build a “downtown residential project located at 10th Avenue and Market Street,” the filing says. Munro Madaffer and Heidel talked to city development official Brad Richter about that. Two thousand dollars was obtained from Holland Development, seeking approval of downtown storm drain easements. Munro Madaffer lobbied development services director Kelly Broughton and Richter.

Kilroy Realty wanted a reimbursement agreement with the City for the design of a bridge at Torrey Meadows, and paid the lobbyists $4000. Munro Madaffer talked to first district city councilwoman Sherri Lightner and aide Jesse Mays; Tom Tomlinson of facilities financing; deputy city attorney Heidi Vonblum; and Broughton of development services. Client Matt Baker wanted to open a restaurant in Little Italy, and paid the law firm $4000 to have Munro Madaffer and Heidel lobby downtown development official Richter. Nissan Design America came up with $2000 to have Munro Madaffer obtain a “substantial conformance review for proposed milling machine.” She talked to Mike Westlake of development services.

Developer Oliver McMillan got Munro Madaffer to lobby for “construction permits for Hazard Center Drive extension” with mayoral chief of staff Julie Dubick; deputy city attorney Ryan Kohut; Jaymie Bradford of the mayor’s office; and Kelly Broughton and development services colleague Cecilia Williams. The tab was $4000.

Schwartz Heidel’s biggest single haul, $25,000, came from Scripps Health, which retained the firm to lobby for a “community plan amendment, rezone, [and] related land use entitlements for Scripps Memorial Hospital.” In that cause Munro Madaffer and Heidel lobbied all the usual suspects. According to the lobbyist’s filings, Heidel is officially backing fellow lawyer Bonnie Dumanis, the San Diego district attorney, for mayor. But the firm didn’t come up with much in the way of a contribution to her cause, reporting just $100 from Tim Garfield.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Born & Raised offers a less decadent Holiday Punch

Cognac serves to lighten the mood
Robin Munro Madaffer and Jim Madaffer
Robin Munro Madaffer and Jim Madaffer

Ex–San Diego city councilman Jim Madaffer, who fought for years with then–San Diego State president Steve Weber over redevelopment plans for the school’s sprawling campus just off Interstate 8, has put the full weight of his small neighborhood newspaper and online media empire behind the mayoral candidacy of newly independent ex-Republican Nathan Fletcher. “Politics in our nation, our state and at the local level have sunk to a point where many people who are elected serve at the whim of political party bosses and caucuses which dictate outcomes,” opines Madaffer in a recent editorial on behalf of the incumbent assemblyman.

Of course, Madaffer knows more than a little about what he speaks. Divorced from ex-wife Sally of his city council years, Republican Madaffer is currently married to longtime city hall lobbyist Robin Munro Madaffer, a lawyer at the big downtown firm of Schwartz Heidel Sullivan, LLP. Munro Madaffer also serves as her husband’s copublisher at the Mission Times Courier, the Mission Valley News, and the La Mesa Courier, which despite their small size can make a big difference in close political races. Munro Madaffer has also been very busy on the city hall lobbying front.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Schwartz Heidel’s latest disclosure report, covering the first three months of this year, shows that the firm worked on behalf of Cogentrix Energy, LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina, which is seeking to build a controversial power plant in the East Elliott community planning area. Munro Madaffer lobbied Democratic city councilwoman Marti Emerald and development services’s Cecilia Williams, according to the disclosure. Cogentrix paid the lobbyists $2000 during the quarter.

Fore Property Company of Las Vegas forked over $7000 to have the firm lobby on behalf of a senior housing project in Allied Gardens. Munro Madaffer and colleague Lynne Heidel talked to Marti Emerald and her aide Marisa Berumen on that assignment.

Schwartz Heidel picked up $6000 from local real estate giant H.G. Fenton company to lobby for a permit to build a “downtown residential project located at 10th Avenue and Market Street,” the filing says. Munro Madaffer and Heidel talked to city development official Brad Richter about that. Two thousand dollars was obtained from Holland Development, seeking approval of downtown storm drain easements. Munro Madaffer lobbied development services director Kelly Broughton and Richter.

Kilroy Realty wanted a reimbursement agreement with the City for the design of a bridge at Torrey Meadows, and paid the lobbyists $4000. Munro Madaffer talked to first district city councilwoman Sherri Lightner and aide Jesse Mays; Tom Tomlinson of facilities financing; deputy city attorney Heidi Vonblum; and Broughton of development services. Client Matt Baker wanted to open a restaurant in Little Italy, and paid the law firm $4000 to have Munro Madaffer and Heidel lobby downtown development official Richter. Nissan Design America came up with $2000 to have Munro Madaffer obtain a “substantial conformance review for proposed milling machine.” She talked to Mike Westlake of development services.

Developer Oliver McMillan got Munro Madaffer to lobby for “construction permits for Hazard Center Drive extension” with mayoral chief of staff Julie Dubick; deputy city attorney Ryan Kohut; Jaymie Bradford of the mayor’s office; and Kelly Broughton and development services colleague Cecilia Williams. The tab was $4000.

Schwartz Heidel’s biggest single haul, $25,000, came from Scripps Health, which retained the firm to lobby for a “community plan amendment, rezone, [and] related land use entitlements for Scripps Memorial Hospital.” In that cause Munro Madaffer and Heidel lobbied all the usual suspects. According to the lobbyist’s filings, Heidel is officially backing fellow lawyer Bonnie Dumanis, the San Diego district attorney, for mayor. But the firm didn’t come up with much in the way of a contribution to her cause, reporting just $100 from Tim Garfield.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Reader writer Chris Ahrens tells the story of Windansea

The shack is a landmark declaring, “The best break in the area is out there.”
Next Article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader