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

Unidentified flying freebies

Councilmembers Tony Young and Marti Emerald gave away thousands of dollars’ worth of the Holiday Bowl and Chargers tickets.
Councilmembers Tony Young and Marti Emerald gave away thousands of dollars’ worth of the Holiday Bowl and Chargers tickets.

After a grueling election year, things are settling back to normal at San Diego’s city hall, with favors and freebies the coin of the city’s political realm, and elected officials scrambling to be the first to hand out the traditional goodies to their friends and most loyal constituents. The giveaway bonanza is revealed by so-called Forms 802, public disclosure statements required under state law regarding the source and destination of freebies given away by public officials in California. But not all details, including the identities of who got the politicians’ giveaways, are always spelled out. Fourth District Democrat Tony Young, who is quitting the council in the midst of his term to become head man at the local Red Cross, showed he was still adept at the art of the political handout. On December 27, Young took the opportunity to give away 28 Holiday Bowl tickets, said to be worth $80 each, provided to him by Bridgepoint Education, the controversial private-school outfit. The spoils went to “various community volunteers,” according to Young’s January 16 filing. Three days later, on December 30, Young distributed 28 tickets to the Chargers-versus-Raiders game. The recipients? Also “various community volunteers.” The football team furnished Young with those freebies, said to be valued at $98 each, according to the disclosure.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Young’s fellow Democrat Marti Emerald reported giving 25 of the $98 Chargers-Raiders tickets, also provided by the team, to the “City Heights CDC Organization.” According to its website, the City Heights Community Development Corporation’s mission is to “To Enhance the Quality of Life in City Heights by Working with Our Community to Create Quality Affordable Housing and Livable Neighborhoods, Foster Economic Self-Sufficiency and Stimulate Investment.” Board members include Scott Drury, vice president of “Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion” at San Diego Gas & Electric; Jose Sarmiento, a branch manager at Citibank, and Ridham Shah, a software engineer at Qualcomm. Democratic city councilman David Alvarez played angel to the Luckie Waller Winter baseball team with 19 $30 tickets to the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam on January 19, courtesy of Advance Auto Parts.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Next Article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Councilmembers Tony Young and Marti Emerald gave away thousands of dollars’ worth of the Holiday Bowl and Chargers tickets.
Councilmembers Tony Young and Marti Emerald gave away thousands of dollars’ worth of the Holiday Bowl and Chargers tickets.

After a grueling election year, things are settling back to normal at San Diego’s city hall, with favors and freebies the coin of the city’s political realm, and elected officials scrambling to be the first to hand out the traditional goodies to their friends and most loyal constituents. The giveaway bonanza is revealed by so-called Forms 802, public disclosure statements required under state law regarding the source and destination of freebies given away by public officials in California. But not all details, including the identities of who got the politicians’ giveaways, are always spelled out. Fourth District Democrat Tony Young, who is quitting the council in the midst of his term to become head man at the local Red Cross, showed he was still adept at the art of the political handout. On December 27, Young took the opportunity to give away 28 Holiday Bowl tickets, said to be worth $80 each, provided to him by Bridgepoint Education, the controversial private-school outfit. The spoils went to “various community volunteers,” according to Young’s January 16 filing. Three days later, on December 30, Young distributed 28 tickets to the Chargers-versus-Raiders game. The recipients? Also “various community volunteers.” The football team furnished Young with those freebies, said to be valued at $98 each, according to the disclosure.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Young’s fellow Democrat Marti Emerald reported giving 25 of the $98 Chargers-Raiders tickets, also provided by the team, to the “City Heights CDC Organization.” According to its website, the City Heights Community Development Corporation’s mission is to “To Enhance the Quality of Life in City Heights by Working with Our Community to Create Quality Affordable Housing and Livable Neighborhoods, Foster Economic Self-Sufficiency and Stimulate Investment.” Board members include Scott Drury, vice president of “Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion” at San Diego Gas & Electric; Jose Sarmiento, a branch manager at Citibank, and Ridham Shah, a software engineer at Qualcomm. Democratic city councilman David Alvarez played angel to the Luckie Waller Winter baseball team with 19 $30 tickets to the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam on January 19, courtesy of Advance Auto Parts.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

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

Second largest yellowfin tuna caught by rod and reel

Excel does it again
Next Article

Tigers In Cairo owes its existence to Craigslist

But it owes its name to a Cure tune and a tattoo
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