A plan to partially restore funding for the arts
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson, it’s MONDAY, JUNE EIGHTH>>>> [ THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A PLAN TO RESTORE ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING]More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….########
AS FIRST REPORTED BY THE UNION-TRIBUNE, SAN DIEGO HOME PRICES ARE SHOWING SLIGHT GAINS BUT HAVEN'T BEEN KEEPING-PACE WITH INFLATION FOR OVER A YEAR
THE CASE-SHILLER INDEX REPORT SHOWS THAT HOME PRICES IN THE SAN DIEGO METROPOLITAN AREA INCREASED ROUGHLY POINT EIGHT OF A PERCENT ANNUALLY IN MARCH...
WHILE INFLATION RATES IN THE AREA CAME IN AT THREE POINT TWO PERCENT
THAT’S A GAP OF MORE THAN TWO PERCENT
THE U-T SAYS THAT SAN DIEGO COUNTY STANDS AS ONE OF ONLY NINE REGIONS TO STILL SEE A RISE IN HOME PRICES...
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CONTINUING ON WITH THE PRICE OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY HOMES…
THE FORMER LA JOLLA ESTATE OF THEODOR GEISEL (GY-SULL) AND HIS WIFE...RECENTLY SOLD FOR NINE MILLION DOLLARS
GEISEL (GY-SULL) IS BETTER KNOWN AS ACCLAIMED CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR, DR SEUSS
THE 5-THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT, SPANISH REVIVAL HOME SITS ON ROUGHLY ONE AND A HALF ACRES AND FEATURES OCEAN VIEWS
THE UNION-TRIBUNE SAYS THAT THE HOMES NEW RESIDENTS ALSO HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR BOOKS, AS OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF LA JOLLA-BASED, BIRD ROCK BOOKSHOP
THE U-T REPORTS THAT UP TO 42 OF GEISEL'S PUBLISHED WORKS WERE WRITTEN AT THE LA JOLLA HOME SUCH AS GREEN EGGS AND HAM AND THE CAT IN THE HAT…
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AND NOW, SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING-RELATED NEWS ...
A GRAND OPENING WAS HELD IN HILLCREST FRIDAY TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF "THE BEL"
IT FEATURES EIGHTY AFFORDABLE HOMES RANGING FROM STUDIOS TO THREE BEDROOMS AND SERVES INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EARNING THIRTY TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE COUNTY'S MEDIAN INCOME
THE DEVELOPER SAYS THE BEL IS UNIQUE BECAUSE WHILE HILLCREST REMAINS ONE OF THE COUNTY'S MOST SOUGHT AFTER AREAS...
IT ALSO CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE LEAST-ATTAINABLE FOR LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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ARTS ADVOCATES, CITY LEADERS AND PHILANTHROPISTS ANNOUNCED A PLAN ON FRIDAY, TO RESTORE SAN DIEGO’S ARTS AND CULTURE FUNDING.
REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SAYS IT'S IN RESPONSE TO 11-POINT 8-MILLION DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE CUT UNDER THE MAYOR’S PROPOSED BUDGET.
RESTOREARTS 1 trt: 54 SOQ
The spending plan was announced outside San Diego City Hall.
City Councilmember Kent Lee says there is a way to restore nearly all of the arts and culture funding in the budget.
RESTOREARTS 1 00:07
“It's been the same budget battle. There has to be a better way. And today we're announcing our intention to find one. ”
He says arts leaders, government officials and philanthropists came together to develop the plan. They’re proposing $10.3 million to support the sector.
Most of the funds would come from hotel tax revenue and a one-time donation from the Prebys Foundation.
Grant Oliphant is with the Foundation. He says philanthropy should not replace public investment in the arts.
RESTOREARTS 1B 00:05
“Our investment is intended to encourage the city to restore as much funding as possible.”
The proposal needs approval from the City Council and the mayor. They will vote on the budget Tuesday. Tammy Murga, KPBS News
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THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY EXAMINED A DECISION BY THE GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD TO CHANGE MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS.
EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS THE DECISION LEFT STUDENTS WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR FOUR MONTHS.
GUSDJURY1 1:15 SOQ
At a 2023 meeting, the board was set to vote on renewing its contract with San Diego Youth Services.
Anthony Carnevale spoke during public comment. He’s a parent in the district and a member of the Cajon Valley school board.
CARNEVALE
They advertise talks to kids on top surgery and transitioning.
He referred to a program from San Diego Youth Services called “Our Safe Place.” It provides mental health services for LGBTQ youth and can provide referrals to gender-affirming care.
The board voted three to one to deny renewal of the contract.
The grand jury says the board’s decision was based on QUOTE “falsehoods and misrepresentations” about care provided to LGBTQ+ students.
CASTILLO
Our Safe Place was not a program that was actually located within the schools.
Jonathan Castillo is the CEO of San Diego Youth Services. He says students are only referred to outside programs like Our Safe Place if a mental health clinician thinks it’s appropriate.
In an email, district spokesperson Collin McGlashen said QUOTE “disagreement with a Board decision is not, in and of itself, evidence that Board policies, bylaws, or the Education Code were violated.”
The district has 90 days to comment on the report’s findings and recommendations. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
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IMPERIAL VALLEY VOTERS HAVE REJECTED A CONTROVERSIAL CANDIDATE FOR THE IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT, THE REGION’S POWERFUL WATER AND POWER AGENCY.
REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS CARLOS DURAN’S [doo-RAHN's] CAMPAIGN WAS BACKED BY A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DATA CENTER DEVELOPER.
IIDELECTION 1 (:53) SOQ
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Duran was running for a seat on IID’s Board of Directors.
He had previously worked for the data center developer, Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing. Campaign filings show he took thirty thousand dollars in donations from the company.
Company CEO Sebastian Rucci had accused IID of not giving them a transparent process. Here’s Rucci speaking on KQED’s Forum earlier this year.
18:44 / KQINC1385660954
I was actually given the absolute reverse which I thought was illegal. So, I handled it politically instead of going back at it legally.
During Tuesday’s primary election though, voters rejected Duran by a wide margin. Instead, voting to reelect incumbent director Alex Cardenas. Who’s served on IID’s Board of Directors for eight years.
Cardenas says he sees the results as a sign that voters valued experience and a sense of ethics.
20260604_dataelect_alex cardenas / 4:30
They want a transparent a government that doesn't placate his special interest.
Duran did not respond to an interview request.
Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.
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BEFORE THE CURRENT TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, IMMIGRATION ARRESTS AT MILITARY BASES WERE A RARITY. BUT REPORTER GUSTAVO SOLIS SAYS OVER THE LAST YEAR, DOZENS OF IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ON SAN DIEGO’S BASES.
MILITARYDETAIN (gas) 4:41 SOQ
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As an immigration lawyer, Stephanie Alcala has learned to not be surprised by the lengths ICE and other federal agents will go to in arresting her clients.
But she'll never forget about a case from last Thanksgiving. The father of a Marine had been detained on Camp Pendleton.
CARLOS_1524 00:03:55:14 / 18:54:49:38“He was dropping off his son after they had Thanksgiving dinner. His son was in the military. We went to the military base to drop off his son and at that point he was apprehended.”
Another client of Alcala’s was a woman looking for a cup of coffee.
CARLOS_1524 00:09:04:15 / 18:59:58:35“She was dropping off her daughter, dropped her off. Went to get coffee, coffee shop was closed. She put in the GPS that she wanted to go to another coffee shop and it gave her the directions and she drove as the GPS guided her onto a military base.”
Immigration arrests on military bases were rare prior to the current Trump administration. But last year, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton launched a new initiative with ICE and Customs and Border Protection. The aim was to deter unauthorized access on the base by foreign nationals.
Since then, dozens of immigrants have been arrested on San Diego military bases and held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
Jose Diaz is a Lyft driver who was arrested in March while trying to pick someone up at Camp Pendleton. He was detained for six weeks.
IMG_7576 00:11:35:25“Te amarran de los pies, te amarran de la cintura y vas pegado aqui y vas con las cadenas. Y eso a todo el mundo le afecta.”
Diaz remembers the humiliation he felt when federal agents put cuffs around his wrists, ankles and waist.
He’s been in the U.S. for 4 years. Has a valid work permit. Works three jobs. Pays taxes. And he says he’s never gotten in trouble with the law.
IMG_7576 00:08:41:08“Es como que buscan mas para perjudicarte a ti. Eso lo veo mal. Porque nosotros en este país no estamos asiendo nada mal menos que trabajar.”
Diaz supports deporting immigrants who break the law or accept government welfare without working for it. But says it’s unfair to use those criminal immigrants as a justification to detain people who follow the rules.
IMG_7576 00:25:59:15“Por tipo de esos personas es que nos perjudican a nosotros a los que si queremos trabajar aqui.
When ICE agents arrested Diaz at Camp Pendleton – he met two DoorDash delivery drivers who had also been arrested earlier that day.
In fact, delivery and rideshare drivers have been arrested at military bases so often – that they are now warning each other to stay away. They share their stories on Whats App and in Facebook groups.
Valentin is an immigrant driver and organizer. He asked KPBS not to reveal his full identity due to his lack of legal status.
IMG_7544 00:05:04:52“Tenemos que tomar cuidado – aunque siempre es riesgoso.”
He encourages all immigrant drivers to refuse trips to military bases … tells them to just cancel the rides … even if it means making less money.
IMG_7544 00:01:35:52“Los que necesitan Nuestro servicio pues tenemos que a veces cancelarlos.”
The lost income is significant. On weekends, driving sailors and marines back from the bars to their bases can be lucrative. By not accepting those rides, Valentin says his weekend earnings drop between 10 and 15%.
A Camp Pendleton spokesman deferred all questions to ICE. A spokesperson for ICE declined to comment on individual cases. But confirmed ICE agents are helping verify identification and entry points to military bases.
Jose Diaz no longer drives for Lyft or Uber. He now questions whether it is possible for immigrants to have a safe and stable future here.
IMG_7576 00:23:07:23“De que vale ser una persona recta y justa en este pais cunado tu aportas al pais y el pais te trata como delinquent?”
In detention, Diaz struggled to understand why he was there. He remembers asking his lawyer Stephanie Alcala why.
CARLOS_1524 00:13:53:45 / 19:04:48:09“I don’t have an answer. And I can’t answer that. And it’s frustrating because I can see the anguish in my client’s eyes and there’s nothing I can do about it which is frustrating because I’m supposed to be the person who is supposed to be able to fix it and I can’t fix it.”
Alcala doesn’t see this as a security issue. None of her clients have criminal records. Her theory is that the Trump administration is doing this because they know they can get away with it.
CARLOS_1524 00:07:28:51 / 18:58:23:15“The detention primarily was because they could.”
She is also telling her clients to avoid San Diego’s military bases.
Gustavo Solis, KPBS News
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RESIDENTS OF A CHULA VISTA RETIREMENT COMMUNITY ARE CELEBRATING A STAFF MEMBER WHO'S SHOWN UP FOR THEM FOR HALF A CENTURY.
HEALTH REPORTER HEIDI DE MARCO TELLS US WHY HE HAS NO PLANS TO RETIRE.
50YEARS 1 1:09 SOC
Every morning, security supervisor Tom McKievick (MAH KEE VIK) starts another day at Fredericka Manor…making his rounds through the Chula Vista retirement community he first joined in 1976.
SOT: Hello, hi…
If you ask him what he's loved most about the last 50 years…
TOM MCKIEVICK:
I guess that I can be of service to people…that I can be an important part of their life.
Along the way, he's formed friendships with residents like Charlie Bradley.
The two bond over a shared love of music.
SOT: CHARLIE PLAYING GUITAR
CHARLIE BRADLEY
Tom always seems to be there when we need someone to take care of us.
Serving others, he says, has brought its own rewards.
TOM MCKIEVICK
It's a situation where you're helping them but in a lot of ways…they're helping you.
The job gives him structure, friendships and something to look forward to each day.
And despite reaching a milestone few workers ever do, he says he has no plans to retire.
Heidi de Marco, KPBS News.
ANCHOR TAG: FOR FULL DISCLOSURE -- FREDERICKA MANOR IS A SUPPORTER OF KPBS.
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A GRADUATION CEREMONY WILL BE HELD TODAY (MONDAY) FOR STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE UNITED LOWRIDER YOUTH LEADERSHIP BIKE CLUB.
TERESA GARZA IS ONE OF THE PROGRAM MENTORS. SHE SAYS STUDENTS AT HIGH TECH HIGH CHULA VISTA JOINED THE PROGRAM TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD CUSTOM LOWRIDER BIKES AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
TERESAGARZA TRT :23
“WE DO DIFFERENT PAINT JOBS, DIFFERENT PATTERNS, IT'S TO OUR LIKING, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE OUT OF THE STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, USE THEIR IMAGINATION, BUILD THEIR BIKES THE WAY THEY WANT TO SEE THEM ... WE WANT THEM TO FEEL CONFIDENT. WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, RESPECT EACH OTHER.”
ANOTHER COHORT WILL LAUNCH IN THE FALL AND THE PROGRAM WILL ALSO EXPAND TO SERVE STUDENTS COUNTYWIDE AT SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE UNITED LOWRIDER COALITION WEBSITE.
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That’s it for the podcast today. This podcast is edited by Brooke Ruth and hosted and produced by me, Lawrence K. Jackson. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Thanks for listening and have a great day/weekend.
