As part of our ‘Price of San Diego’ series we look into homeowners insurance
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Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s TUESDAY, MAY 12TH>>>> [ HOW DOES ONE FIND AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY?}More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######
SAN DIEGO UNIFIED EMPLOYEES WHO WERE WARNED OF LAYOFFS ARE NOW BEING OFFERED NEW POSITIONS IN THE DISTRICT.
IN MARCH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TOLD 69 STAFF MEMBERS THAT THEY COULD LOSE THEIR JOBS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT THIS WEEK THE DISTRICT SAYS ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN OFFERED A CHANCE TO FILL UPCOMING VACANCIES.
THE DISTRICT SAYS IT’S REACHED AGREEMENTS WITH THREE UNIONS REPRESENTING CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES. CLASSIFIED POSITIONS INCLUDE SCHOOL SECRETARIES, CLERKS AND TEACHERS’ AIDES.
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A HEADS UP FOR ANY RESIDENTS TRAVELING ALONG INTERSTATE 805 OR CHULA VISTA'S TELEGRAPH CANYON ROAD
STATE OFFICIALS SAY THAT A PORTION OF TELEGRAPH CANYON ROAD WILL BE CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION EACH NIGHT AT 10:30 IN THE EVENING AND END AT 5 A-M
CONSTRUCTION WILL CONCLUDE ON THURSDAY
CALTRANS IS CLOSING THE EAST AND WESTBOUND LANES OF TELEGRAPH CANYON
ROAD SPANNING FROM NACION AVENUE THROUGH HALECREST DRIVE
THE WORK IS PART OF THE BRIDGE SAFETY AND SOUND WALLS PROJECT WHICH PLACES NOISE DAMPENING BARRIERS ALONG THE ROUTE
CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY LATE 20-26
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AN EXTREME HEAT WARNING WAS LIFTED LAST NIGHT AND NOW, THINGS ARE EXPECTED TO COOL DOWN JUST A BIT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS
FORECASTERS SAY THAT MAY GRAY IS AMONG US WITH SOME FOGGY CONDITIONS EXPECTED
THIS MORNING WILL BRING SOME EARLY MORNING FOG, GRADUALLY BECOMING MORE SUNNY THROUGHOUT THE DAY
HIGHS WILL LAND NEAR 75 DEGREES AND LOW'S AROUND 55 DEGREES
OVERALL WARMER WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED TO MOVE BACK IN BY THE END OF THE WEEK
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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HAVING A HOME WITH A MORTGAGE MEANS HAVING HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE.
BUT HOW DO YOU FIND THE POLICY THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU, AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE?
REPORTER JOHN CARROLL LOOKED INTO THAT FOR OUR SERIES, “THE PRICE OF SAN DIEGO...” AND SHARED WHAT HE FOUND WITH ANCHOR DEBBIE CRUZ.
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POSDINSURE 4:54
WELCOME.
LET’S START WITH HOW BEST TO FIND A POLICY THAT HAS THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE YOU NEED. I KNOW YOU TALKED TO TWO EXPERTS… WHAT DID THEY TELL YOU ABOUT THAT?
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REPORTER:
THAT’S RIGHT… I SPOKE WITH JANET RUIZ AND CARMEN BALBER. RUIZ IS WITH THE INSURANCE INFORMATION INSTITUTE WHICH IS A NONPROFT TRADE ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED BY VARIOUS INSURANCE COMPANIES. BALBER IS WITH CONSUMER WATCHDOG… A NONPROFIT THAT WORKS TO PROTECT TAXPAYER AND CONSUMER RIGHTS AGAINST CORPORATE AND POLITICAL INTERESTS AND THAT INCLUDES THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.
RUIZ HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SAY ABOUT FINDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF INSURANCE.
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RUIZ SOT 1 :38
IN: I ALWAYS RECOMMEND OUT: IN THAT MIX
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ANCHOR:
COST IS ALWAYS A CONCERN… SEEMS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS MORE EXPENSIVE IN CALIFORNIA. WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT COSTS HERE VERSUS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY?
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REPORTER:
THAT’S AN INTERESTING THING ABOUT INSURANCE IN CALIFORNIA… INCLUDING HERE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S HARD TO PIN DOWN BECAUSE THE COST FOR YOU VERSUS ME CAN VARY WIDELY. HERE’S WHAT CARMEN BALBER HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
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BALBER SOT 1 :47
IN: IF I WERE TO TELL YOU OUT: INCREASED FIRE RISK
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REPORTER:
THERE ARE SOME AVERAGES TO LOOK AT HERE THOUGH… RUIZ SAID IN 2020, THE AVERAGE ANNUAL COST OF A HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE PREMIUM IN CALIFORNIA WAS $1,241 VERSUS $1,311 AS AN AVERAGE FOR THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. SHE SAID IN 2024, THE AVERAGE COST IN CALIFORNIA HAD RISEN TO $1,750 COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF $1,800.
ANCHOR:
SO, I’M SURE A BIG QUESTION ON A LOT OF LISTENER’S MINDS IS, HOW DO I FIND THE BEST DEAL ON A POLICY?
REPORTER:
WELL, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS YOU CAN DO. FIRST, IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS HIGH RISK OF WILDFIRE, INSURANCE COMPANIES, IF THEY AGREE TO COVER YOU, MUST OFFER DISCOUNTS FOR MITIGATION EFFORTS. HERE’S WHAT BALBER HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
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BALBER SOT 2 :30
IN: I WOULD URGE OUT: HOME BURNS DOWN
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REPORTER:
AND HERE’S WHAT RUIZ HAD TO SAY ON THAT TOPIC.
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RUIZ SOT 2 :39
IN: IF YOU HAVE OUT: GIVE YOU DISCOUNTS
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REPORTER:
TWO MORE THINGS ON THAT… IF YOU’RE GOING TO GO WITH HIGHER DEDUCTIBLES, RUIZ RECOMMENDS HAVING A RAINY DAY FUND TO PAY THOSE DEDUCTIBLES. SHE ALSO SAYS SOME CARRIERS OFFER MILITARY DISCOUNTS.
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ANCHOR:
SO, WHAT’S AHEAD FOR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE HERE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY? IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE WORKS THAT COULD LEAD TO PRICE STABILIZATION, OR EVEN LOWER COSTS?
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REPORTER:
WELL, KIND OF….
BOTH RUIZ AND BALBER SAID THE SITUATION WITH HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE COULD IMPROVE THIS YEAR, BUT FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS. RUIZ SAID SINCE JANUARY, MORE COMPANIES HAVE BEEN WRITING MORE POLICIES IN CALIFORNIA BECAUSE, SHE SAID, THE STATE HAS ALLOWED THEM TO CHARGE WHAT SHE CALLED "CORRECT" PREMIUMS. SHE SAID WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE A SLOW TRANSITION TOWARD IMPROVED MARKET STABILITY BY MID-2026. NEW STATE REGULATIONS ALLOW INSURERS TO USE FORWARD-LOOKING CATASTROPHE MODELING TO SET RATES, WHICH MAY ENCOURAGE PROVIDERS TO RETURN TO THE MARKET IN EXCHANGE FOR RAISING PREMIUMS.
BALBER POINTED TO LEGISLATION CONSUMER WATCHDOG IS SPONSORING THIS YEAR WITH A GROUP OF WILDFIRE SURVIVORS CALLED THE EVERY FIRE SURVIVORS NETWORK. SHE SAID THE BILL WOULD REQUIRE INSURANCE COMPANIES TO COVER YOU IF YOU MEET STATE FIRE SAFETY GUIDELINES.
ANCHOR:
A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER. THANK YOU JOHN.
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SUPPORTERS OF A NEW SAN DIEGO COUNTY SALES TAX INCREASE SAY THEY HAVE ENOUGH SIGNATURES TO PUT THE DECISION ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. BUT QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO. VOICE OF SAN DIEGO’S SCOTT LEWIS EXPLAINS FOR THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF WHY IT MATTERS.
SEWAGE (vosd) TRT 1:17 SOQ "why it matters"
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You might have seen people gathering signatures recently promising to fix the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
Their petition was for a half-cent sales tax increase for the county of San Diego. But if you asked them what exactly it would do to solve the biggest environmental problem that has plagued San Diego for more than 40 years, they wouldn’t be able to say.
The organizers of the campaign don’t really know either. But they know it will need money and the sales tax would deliver that.
Signature gatherers commissioned by the largest union of county employees, health care and child care advocates and other allies turned in their signatures this week. They say they have more than enough to make sure that the tax gets on the ballot in November.
If voters pass it, it is estimated it will bring the county $360 million dollars more per year. It requires county leaders to set aside about $80 million dollars to fund QUOTE “infrastructure and engineering projects to stop sewage flows from Tijuana into the United States.”
But the problem is a complex one. It starts in Mexico where millions of people live without adequate sewage systems.
Supporters of the local tax said the money would stay in San Diego. And ultimately, they hope to divert the entire river.
The tax has a good chance of being on the November ballot. For Voice of San Diego, I’m Scott Lewis and that’s why it matters.
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THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO PRESENTED UPDATES TO ITS STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON MONDAY. REPORTER KATIE HYSON SAYS THE CHANGES FOLLOWED RESIDENTS COMPLAINING THE PLAN WAS REDLINING THEM AGAIN.
PAVEMENT voicer trt 1:16 SOQ (kh/mb)
San Diego has a 10-year plan to improve street pavement.The city planned to stretch limited budget dollars by prioritizing streets that aren’t as bad. But residents in the lower-income, majority Black and Latino neighborhoods in District 4 pointed to a problem. After ten years, the condition of their streets would still not be as good as the current streets in the wealthier District 5.
KPBS brought you that story after the city released the plan two years ago.
Since then, the City has made some changes.
Annual paving investments in what they call “Communities with Equity Needs” now have to be at least proportionate to the percentage of city streets located there.
And instead of relying only on neighbors reporting potholes through the Get It Done App, the city formalized a new strategy. Sending a crew into what they call under-reporting communities to proactively identify and repair potholes.
These changes aim to create more equity between neighborhoods, but the city faces a huge pothole in the budget: a 118-million-dollar deficit.
Because of underfunding, the city lowered its overall street condition goal from satisfactory to fair.
Katie Hyson, KPBS News
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MARINE MAMMALS MAKE SOUNDS THAT HUMANS CANNOT HEAR. AT UC SAN DIEGO, COMPOSER LEI LIANG (lay lee-ung) IS WORKING WITH MUSICIANS TO INTERPRET THEIR SOUNDS FOR HUMAN EARS. ENVIRONMENT REPORTER TAMMY MURGA SAYS THE WORK IS CALLED ‘THE INAUDIBLE OCEAN.’
*Nat pop*
MDAMRON_4435.MXF
10:24:20:20-10:24:28:10
(Pianist Cory Smythe plays)
Lei Liang | UC San Diego’s Department of Music
MDAMRON_4438.MXF
10:32:47:26-10:32:57:04
“We can now hear what the world sounds like at some of the most inaccessible places to human beings.”
Lei Liang | UC San Diego’s Department of Music
MDAMRON_4438.MXF
10:32:14:05-10:32:18:26
“This microphone that records underwater, called hydrophones and...” *NAT POP*
MDAMRON_4438.MXF
10:33:03:18-10:33:17:25
“The hydrophone is being dropped 300m below sea surface and just lays there. And the next year they send out a boat and they retrieve the instrument and then we go to the lab and hear the data that he captured.”
*Nat pop*
MDAMRON_4438.MXF
10:26:29:13-10:26:37:17
“The only way we can actually hear them is to slow them down. Transpose them lower so that they're brought to the human hearing range.”
*Nat pop*
(Camilo Zamudio plays with chopsticks)
MDAMRON_4438.MXF
10:35:48:02-10:36:00:14
“We do something other than just playing some music in a concert hall? And I think that's behind everything that we're trying to do here is to find, new importance of sound.”
ANCHOR TAG: THAT WAS UC SAN DIEGO COMPOSER LEI LIANG.
THE INAUDIBLE OCEAN PREMIERES ON MAY 20TH AT CONRAD PREBYS CONCERT HALL.
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AN ICON OF THE SAN DIEGO CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAS DIED. DOCTOR HAROLD “HAL” BROWN DIED ON MAY 6TH AT THE AGE OF 92.
HE WAS THE FOUNDER OF SDSU’S AFRO-AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM, WHICH TODAY LIVES ON AS THE DEPARTMENT OF AFRICANA STUDIES.
CURRENT CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT, ADISA [ah-DEE-sah] ALKEBULAN [al-KEE-bu-lahn], REFLECTS ON HIS LEGACY AND CONTRIBUTIONS.
HALBROWN 1A (midday) (:20)
“One of the things that I often say is that the universe was aligned, you know, to have Hal Brown in San Diego and to have been a part of San Diego State at the time that he was because without Hal Brown, there would have been, and there would be no Africana Studies.”
ALKEBULAN [al-KEE-bu-lahn] SAID BROWN CONTINUED TO FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UP UNTIL HIS DEATH.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE FULL CONVERSATION ON K-P-B-S MIDDAY EDITION, WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCASTS.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and subscribing; by doing so you are supporting public media and I really want to thank you for that. Have a great day!
