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

Del Mar’s super brew of politics

Jerry Brown appointee recuses himself from fair-board brewpub vote

Architectural rendering of Del Mar Fairgrounds brewpub complex
Architectural rendering of Del Mar Fairgrounds brewpub complex

“If one vice doesn't work, try another” appears to be the motto of the Del Mar fair board, the gubernatorially appointed body that runs the state's 22nd District Agricultural Association.

After years of dismal financial return from its Surfside Race Place off-track betting emporium — and months of behind-the-scenes controversy over conflicts of interest — the board earlier this week voted 5 to 1 to issue a request for proposals to turn the pseudo Spanish Revival complex into a super-sized brewpub and wedding venue.

The saga first went public in February when Premier Food Services, the fair's food vendor, pushed for an ultimately ill-fated proposal to set up a microbrewery in partnership with booze behemoth MillerCoors and its Blue Moon craft-beer brand.

David Lizerbram

That idea didn't sit well with fair director David Lizerbram, appointed to the board in August of 2011 by governor Jerry Brown. Lizerbram's father Sol, a Rancho Santa Fe osteopath as well as big-time political donor and entrepreneur, was friends with Richard Silberman, Brown's onetime top aide and later husband of GOP San Diego mayor Susan Golding before being caught by an FBI money-laundering sting and packed off to federal prison.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I consider myself an advocate for San Diego businesses in general and craft beer in particular,” the younger Lizerbram was quoted by U-T San Diego as saying about his opposition to the Blue Moon deal.

“When the proposal was presented, it involved several elements, including a prominent sponsorship from Blue Moon. I thought it might be a missed opportunity (to promote local brewers) and not looked at favorably by the local industry.”

After months of quiet wrangling, the fair board was set to consider a final draft of the latest request for pub proposals on Tuesday, September 9. But there remained another matter to be reckoned with first.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Lizerbram, whose website says he is "co-founder of the Craft Beer Association of San Diego, a think tank focused on promoting San Diego County’s dynamic craft beer industry," recused himself and left the meeting.

“We want to do this in a way that passes every smell test,” board chairman Fred Schenk, a Brown appointee whose sister Lynn was a top Brown aide and onetime Silberman political intimate, was quoted by the Del Mar Times as saying about Lizerbram’s departure from the scene.

Del Mar’s solicitation advises would-be bidders they should come clean about potential conflicts.

According to the document, "Prospective Proposers are strongly encouraged to document in writing any known, suspected, or potential conflict of interest with a 22nd DAA director, official, officer or employee and or their immediate family, whether contractual, ownership (including but not limited to any ownership interest in any corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity, or any stock option or other rights pertaining to any such entity), financial or employment related, in or involving this procurement or resulting agreement.

“If any such interest arises at any time during the solicitation period, a full and complete written disclosure should be made immediately to the [fair board]."

That apparently wasn't enough for board member David Watson, also appointed by Brown in 2011, and onetime law partner of San Diego downtown GOP super lobbyist Paul Robinson.

"I think the process is irreparably tainted," said Watson, according to the Del Mar Times account of the meeting. "I don’t see how we can go forward with a micro-brewery at this time."

The latest copy of the Reader

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

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Next Article

Victorian Christmas Tours, Jingle Bell Cruises

Events December 22-December 25, 2024
Architectural rendering of Del Mar Fairgrounds brewpub complex
Architectural rendering of Del Mar Fairgrounds brewpub complex

“If one vice doesn't work, try another” appears to be the motto of the Del Mar fair board, the gubernatorially appointed body that runs the state's 22nd District Agricultural Association.

After years of dismal financial return from its Surfside Race Place off-track betting emporium — and months of behind-the-scenes controversy over conflicts of interest — the board earlier this week voted 5 to 1 to issue a request for proposals to turn the pseudo Spanish Revival complex into a super-sized brewpub and wedding venue.

The saga first went public in February when Premier Food Services, the fair's food vendor, pushed for an ultimately ill-fated proposal to set up a microbrewery in partnership with booze behemoth MillerCoors and its Blue Moon craft-beer brand.

David Lizerbram

That idea didn't sit well with fair director David Lizerbram, appointed to the board in August of 2011 by governor Jerry Brown. Lizerbram's father Sol, a Rancho Santa Fe osteopath as well as big-time political donor and entrepreneur, was friends with Richard Silberman, Brown's onetime top aide and later husband of GOP San Diego mayor Susan Golding before being caught by an FBI money-laundering sting and packed off to federal prison.

Sponsored
Sponsored

“I consider myself an advocate for San Diego businesses in general and craft beer in particular,” the younger Lizerbram was quoted by U-T San Diego as saying about his opposition to the Blue Moon deal.

“When the proposal was presented, it involved several elements, including a prominent sponsorship from Blue Moon. I thought it might be a missed opportunity (to promote local brewers) and not looked at favorably by the local industry.”

After months of quiet wrangling, the fair board was set to consider a final draft of the latest request for pub proposals on Tuesday, September 9. But there remained another matter to be reckoned with first.

Before Tuesday’s vote, Lizerbram, whose website says he is "co-founder of the Craft Beer Association of San Diego, a think tank focused on promoting San Diego County’s dynamic craft beer industry," recused himself and left the meeting.

“We want to do this in a way that passes every smell test,” board chairman Fred Schenk, a Brown appointee whose sister Lynn was a top Brown aide and onetime Silberman political intimate, was quoted by the Del Mar Times as saying about Lizerbram’s departure from the scene.

Del Mar’s solicitation advises would-be bidders they should come clean about potential conflicts.

According to the document, "Prospective Proposers are strongly encouraged to document in writing any known, suspected, or potential conflict of interest with a 22nd DAA director, official, officer or employee and or their immediate family, whether contractual, ownership (including but not limited to any ownership interest in any corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity, or any stock option or other rights pertaining to any such entity), financial or employment related, in or involving this procurement or resulting agreement.

“If any such interest arises at any time during the solicitation period, a full and complete written disclosure should be made immediately to the [fair board]."

That apparently wasn't enough for board member David Watson, also appointed by Brown in 2011, and onetime law partner of San Diego downtown GOP super lobbyist Paul Robinson.

"I think the process is irreparably tainted," said Watson, according to the Del Mar Times account of the meeting. "I don’t see how we can go forward with a micro-brewery at this time."

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

Secrets of Resilience in May's Unforgettable Memoir

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