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

Mayor wins big in spin and dollar wars

Chargers departure might boost Faulconer's political future after all

Kevin Faulconer
Kevin Faulconer

Skeptics who predicted that the takeover of the Union-Tribune by Chicago's Tribune Publishing wouldn't really change San Diego's big-money media and political culture may turn out to be right, judging from the latest proclamation by the GOP Lincoln Club.

"Communities United for Tomorrow’s Economy, a new political action committee supporting the re-election of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, raised $600,000 in the first month since its formation," says a July 1 news release posted on SDRostra.com.

"The committee is a coalition of local business associations, sponsored by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lincoln Club of San Diego County."

According to the post, "During the month of June, the committee received contributions from the Chamber, Lincoln Club, California Restaurant Association, Building Industry Association, Associated General Contractors, Lodging Industry Association, and California Apartment Association."

For the moment at least, no serious mayoral opponent to Faulconer has surfaced, but, noted commenter Barry Jantz, "'no declared opposition' also means trying to keep it that way."

Faulconer's PR operation has also done well, getting its candidate out of town and about the country, where he has variously pitched himself on national cable channels, in GOP conclaves, and at pre-packaged environmental events.

Irwin Jacobs

Some local scribes have boosted the Faulconer chorus, including one for the Voice of San Diego, a nonprofit news and opinion online operation that has been heavily backed by Democratic billionaire Irwin Jacobs.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Jerry Sanders

The wealthy La Jollan is a longtime friend and ally of Faulconer's political mentor and ex-GOP mayor Jerry Sanders, who now runs the local chamber of commerce.

Jacobs’s favored candidate in the last mayoral derby, Republican-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, has ruled himself out of next year’s race.

According to a Voice item on Monday (July 6), Faulconer has "embraced a bold climate action plan that would have the city reach for a 100 percent clean-energy portfolio and dramatically increase participation in public transit."

The term "bold" may or may not be in the eye of the beholder, but the characterization has also been employed without quotes by another member of local media, a reporter for the pre-Tribune U-T San Diego, as in, "proposing a bold climate action plan."

Faulconer himself carried a similar message to Sacramento in March, where he did a well-publicized stand-up at a big-business-backed think tank chaired by

Donna Lucas

Donna Lucas, a onetime executive of his former employer, the giant public relations firm of Porter Novelli.

Another success has been the mayor’s One San Diego nonprofit, bankrolled by many of the same special interests that do business with city hall.

“He has worked hard to communicate his concern for neighborhoods struggling with poverty and neglect,” notes the Voice item.

For its part, the new if not yet improved Union-Tribune has remained silent about certain goings-on at the mayor's well-financed developer-supported nonprofit, while at the same time highlighting a string of staff allegations against labor-union-backed Democratic county supervisor Dave Roberts.

Austin Beutner

When it comes to the Chargers stadium wars, the paper's new ownership has been especially hands-off, leading some to believe that the Los Angeles–based management, in the form of publisher Austin Beutner, wouldn't be displeased if the team departed for a venue to the north.

In his earlier incarnation as an L.A. politico, the wealthy Beutner labored mightily to get an NFL team for the city.

"Los Angeles is not going to get a Super Bowl simply by whining or by tugging on the NFL's heartstrings," he said on the Huffington Post in February 2012, arguing for construction of a downtown L.A. stadium.

In the case of San Diego, on the other hand, the paper under his control has adopted a more passive stance.

A June 27, 2014, U-T editorial told readers to "wait till next year," regarding their hopes for keeping the Chargers from moving to Los Angeles, where Tribune owns the L.A. Times.

"This year is all but lost."

The paper subsequently ran a July 4 feature, headlined "San Diego may do better without the NFL,” containing just three glancing references to the mayor.

Omitting mention of efforts to force the team to stay in town by means of anti-trust laws, the story points out that an NFL stadium subsidy would be "a bad business idea for the public."

Noting that the Chargers have "left the negotiating table to pursue a stadium in the Los Angeles market," the piece concludes, "Those who value economic growth in San Diego may be rooting for them to succeed."

Such a relatively painless separation from the Chargers albatross, city insiders believe, could also be a boon for Faulconer's political future, especially if the U-T spins the team's departure in his favor.

Councilman Scott Sherman offered this plan for the existing Qualcomm Stadium site

The mayor, who has yet to appoint a new planning director, might then be well positioned to greenlight with little public discussion the kind of congested Mission Valley mega-building described by the U-T’s Fourth of July story:

"The best private idea is probably that promoted by commercial broker Gary London, who wants to somehow draw the next Google or Facebook into town, tempted by the chance to build a big, unified corporate campus."

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

Tigers In Cairo owes its existence to Craigslist

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

Live Five: Sitting On Stacy, Matte Blvck, Think X, Hendrix Celebration, Coriander

Alt-ska, dark electro-pop, tributes, and coastal rock in Solana Beach, Little Italy, Pacific Beach
Kevin Faulconer
Kevin Faulconer

Skeptics who predicted that the takeover of the Union-Tribune by Chicago's Tribune Publishing wouldn't really change San Diego's big-money media and political culture may turn out to be right, judging from the latest proclamation by the GOP Lincoln Club.

"Communities United for Tomorrow’s Economy, a new political action committee supporting the re-election of Mayor Kevin Faulconer, raised $600,000 in the first month since its formation," says a July 1 news release posted on SDRostra.com.

"The committee is a coalition of local business associations, sponsored by the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Lincoln Club of San Diego County."

According to the post, "During the month of June, the committee received contributions from the Chamber, Lincoln Club, California Restaurant Association, Building Industry Association, Associated General Contractors, Lodging Industry Association, and California Apartment Association."

For the moment at least, no serious mayoral opponent to Faulconer has surfaced, but, noted commenter Barry Jantz, "'no declared opposition' also means trying to keep it that way."

Faulconer's PR operation has also done well, getting its candidate out of town and about the country, where he has variously pitched himself on national cable channels, in GOP conclaves, and at pre-packaged environmental events.

Irwin Jacobs

Some local scribes have boosted the Faulconer chorus, including one for the Voice of San Diego, a nonprofit news and opinion online operation that has been heavily backed by Democratic billionaire Irwin Jacobs.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Jerry Sanders

The wealthy La Jollan is a longtime friend and ally of Faulconer's political mentor and ex-GOP mayor Jerry Sanders, who now runs the local chamber of commerce.

Jacobs’s favored candidate in the last mayoral derby, Republican-turned-Democrat Nathan Fletcher, has ruled himself out of next year’s race.

According to a Voice item on Monday (July 6), Faulconer has "embraced a bold climate action plan that would have the city reach for a 100 percent clean-energy portfolio and dramatically increase participation in public transit."

The term "bold" may or may not be in the eye of the beholder, but the characterization has also been employed without quotes by another member of local media, a reporter for the pre-Tribune U-T San Diego, as in, "proposing a bold climate action plan."

Faulconer himself carried a similar message to Sacramento in March, where he did a well-publicized stand-up at a big-business-backed think tank chaired by

Donna Lucas

Donna Lucas, a onetime executive of his former employer, the giant public relations firm of Porter Novelli.

Another success has been the mayor’s One San Diego nonprofit, bankrolled by many of the same special interests that do business with city hall.

“He has worked hard to communicate his concern for neighborhoods struggling with poverty and neglect,” notes the Voice item.

For its part, the new if not yet improved Union-Tribune has remained silent about certain goings-on at the mayor's well-financed developer-supported nonprofit, while at the same time highlighting a string of staff allegations against labor-union-backed Democratic county supervisor Dave Roberts.

Austin Beutner

When it comes to the Chargers stadium wars, the paper's new ownership has been especially hands-off, leading some to believe that the Los Angeles–based management, in the form of publisher Austin Beutner, wouldn't be displeased if the team departed for a venue to the north.

In his earlier incarnation as an L.A. politico, the wealthy Beutner labored mightily to get an NFL team for the city.

"Los Angeles is not going to get a Super Bowl simply by whining or by tugging on the NFL's heartstrings," he said on the Huffington Post in February 2012, arguing for construction of a downtown L.A. stadium.

In the case of San Diego, on the other hand, the paper under his control has adopted a more passive stance.

A June 27, 2014, U-T editorial told readers to "wait till next year," regarding their hopes for keeping the Chargers from moving to Los Angeles, where Tribune owns the L.A. Times.

"This year is all but lost."

The paper subsequently ran a July 4 feature, headlined "San Diego may do better without the NFL,” containing just three glancing references to the mayor.

Omitting mention of efforts to force the team to stay in town by means of anti-trust laws, the story points out that an NFL stadium subsidy would be "a bad business idea for the public."

Noting that the Chargers have "left the negotiating table to pursue a stadium in the Los Angeles market," the piece concludes, "Those who value economic growth in San Diego may be rooting for them to succeed."

Such a relatively painless separation from the Chargers albatross, city insiders believe, could also be a boon for Faulconer's political future, especially if the U-T spins the team's departure in his favor.

Councilman Scott Sherman offered this plan for the existing Qualcomm Stadium site

The mayor, who has yet to appoint a new planning director, might then be well positioned to greenlight with little public discussion the kind of congested Mission Valley mega-building described by the U-T’s Fourth of July story:

"The best private idea is probably that promoted by commercial broker Gary London, who wants to somehow draw the next Google or Facebook into town, tempted by the chance to build a big, unified corporate campus."

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

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount
Next Article

Drinking Sudden Death on All Saint’s Day in Quixote’s church-themed interior

Seeking solace, spiritual and otherwise
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