Competing propositions on sports betting

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, October 26th.

We break down the two sports betting propositions on your November ballot. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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Home prices in San Diego County are dropping at a rate that hasn’t been seen since 2 thousand eight.

Between July and August, prices decreased by almost 3-percent.

But home prices in the county are still up nearly 13-percent annually.

The median sale price for a single-family home in August was 900-thousand-dollars.

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THE NATION'S TOP TRANSPORTATION OFFICIAL GOT AN IN-PERSON LOOK AT SAN DIEGO'S COASTAL RAIL LINE YESTERDAY.

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTEGIEG SAW THE CLIFF EROSION FIRSTHAND.

“HAVING NOW HAD A CHANCE TO SEE FOR MYSELF JUST HOW FEW FEET STAND BETWEEN THESE RAILS AND THE BLUFFS AND THE BEACH, YOU CAN SEE HOW LITTLE ROOM FOR MANEUVERS, SO TO SPEAK, THERE REALLY IS.”

MEANWHILE … TRAIN SERVICE BETWEEN OCEANSIDE AND IRVINE HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN BECAUSE OF CLIFF MOVEMENT IN SAN CLEMENTE.

A 12-MILLION DOLLAR REPAIR JOB IS UNDERWAY and expected to take two months.

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Someone in San Diego could be 23-million-dollars richer

That’s if they claim their winning SuperLotto Plus ticket by the end of the day on Thursday.

The winning ticket was purchased at a 7-Eleven in San Diego.

And matched all six winning numbers from the April 30th draw.

If the winner does not come forward, the cash value of the prize will go to public schools in California.

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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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Voters are seeing two sports betting propositions this election cycle...

KPBS reporter Matt Hoffman tells us about the differences between Prop 26 and 27.

Collectively hundreds of millions are being spent on Propositions 26 and 27.. It’s almost hard to miss all the online and tv ads.. Both would amend the state constitution to allow for sports wagering in California. Proposition 26 would introduce dice games like roulette and in-person sports wagering at tribal casinos. It also would permit sports betting at four race tracks in California, including in Del Mar. Kathy Fairbanks is the spokesperson for the Yes on 26, no on 27 Campaign– Kathy Fairbanks, Yes on 26, No on 27 Campaign People betting will have to show their IDs, someone will check their IDs and make sure that they are adults and following the law and gabling legally Fairbanks represents a coalition of business groups and more than 50 tribes. Locally the Barona Band of Mission Indians and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation have contributed to the campaign.. Tribes would need to work with the state to determine government payouts.. And racetracks would be required to pay 10 percent of daily bets, minus winnings. Fairbanks The independent non partisan legislative analyst says prop 26 will result in tens of millions of dollars going to california coffers to fund state priorities like education, transportation even homelessness efforts The other Proposition, 27, would legalize online sports betting for tribes and online gamlbing companies. Businesses would have to partner with a tribe to get a license. It’s backed by betting companies like Fanduel, BetMGM and Draftkings along with a few smaller tribes. Nathan Click is the spokesperson for Proposition 27 25 other states have legalized online sports betting. They’re proving you can do so safely and responsibly and create real revenue for states.  Under prop 27 a tenth of betting profits would be prioritized to address homelessness with a smaller portion of that split among tribes without casinos. Nathan Click, Proposition 27 Spokesperson The state’s independent auditor takes a look at every initiative that crosses its path. They found only prop 27 would raise hundreds of millions each year that would go directly to homeless and mental health support Prop 27 is supported locally by the CEO of San Diego’s Regional Task Force on Homelessness. Tamera Kohler, CEO Regional Task Force on Homelessness I’m supportive of whatever it takes to get dedicated, committed funding on a permanent basis Tamera Kohler says it is an opportunity to finally secure a permanent funding source to address the rise in unsheltered residents. This funding is also not just for supporting housing solutions but also mental health behavioral health treatment supports and above all housing  If prop 26 passes, it would mean a sportsbook could open at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. President and COO Josh Rubinstein says his organization is supporting the measure. He thinks a sports book would help support the horse racing business and increase tax revenue. In terms of foot traffic for these local businesses you would think for busy events like the Superbowl and final four that would translate to additional business for north san diego county The public has been hammered with ads from both propositions.. Yet a A UC Berkeley LA Times poll from earlier this month found the measures polling under 50 percent. Both need a simple majority to pass. The tribe's priority from day 1 since 27 showed up was to defeat that measure. So we are looking at the poll results in a positive light because our number one priority is being met Click with the Proposition 27 campaign says they are undaunted- The voters i talk to they understand completely we need a solution to homelessness they support online sports betting and it’s a win win for the state of california For more information check out the KPBS voter guide online. MH KPBS News.

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Also on the November ballot is Proposition 30.

It's the plan to tax the wealthy to pay for electric vehicle incentives ... and the measure has split Governor Gavin Newsom from his fellow Democrats.

K-Q-E-D’s Kevin Stark explains the measure… and the split.

California has set an ambitious goal to phase out the sale of new gasoline cars. But its still struggling with thorny issues. How to make electric cars affordable? Who will pay for public charging stations? And environmentalists thought they had the solution. ZANE: There’s one planet, we're in it together. We have to take the steps to ensure that climate change is abated and reversed. Denny Zane is the former mayor of Santa Monica. He has a long history of pushing Californians to raise taxes to pay for clean transportation. He convinced Los Angeles voters on a sales tax hike to pay for public transit in 2008 and 2016. ZANE: We went to the ballot and it worked. And so L.A. now has about $120 billion over the next 40 years coming to invest in transportation. After those wins, Zane wanted to go bigger … he and other California Democrats conceived of Proposition 30 … a “clean air initiative” that would raise the income tax on Californians who make more than two million dollars a year … to pay for electric car rebates, charging stations and wildfire prevention. SCHAAF: Prop 30 is an innovative measure that all California's must support, as if their lives depend on it. Oakland’s Mayor Libby Schaaf says climate change and air pollution are killing Californians and is one of the state’s many Democrats supporting the bill … Most of them were shocked when Newsom -- who banned the sale of new gasoline cars after 2035 -- opposed it. Electric vehicles and wildfire prevention are two of Newsom’s top state priorities ... he’s already committed to spending TEN BILLION DOLLARS on to help people buy EVs. So he says Prop 30 is redundant and its funding model is flawed … Since so many of the state’s wealthiest rely on the stock market for their income, their taxes can fluctuate widely. One strong recession could crater the program. Newsom starred solo in an advertisement "warning" Californians not to vote for the measure. NEWSOM: Don’t be fooled. Prop 30 is being advertised as a climate initiative. But in reality, it was devised by a single corporation to funnel state income tax to benefit their company. The “corporation” is the ride hailing giant, Lyft.  The company has spent tens of millions of dollars bankrolling the campaign in support. California recently MANDATED that 9 out of 10 miles for ride-hailing companies must be with an EV by 2030. Lyft wants the state to invest in the charging infrastructure … this measure would do that… and fund rebates that would make cars cheaper for its drivers, too. Lyft President John Zimmer pushed back on Newsom's assertion that the measure was "devised" by the company. This is about the health of our neighbors and communities. That's why we agreed to get involved when environmental leaders approached us with their plan to reduce California emissions. Prop 30 has majority support among likely voters according to a recent poll. Gov. Newsom’s opposition could put a dent in that support. For his part, transit activist Denny Zane thought Newsom would be a partner in this fight. We finally had somebody who was going to help back the signature drive. Suddenly, it's like a scheme. That's just wrong. It's just a mistake. And he says he won’t stop pushing. The state estimates the measure would generate billions over the next two decades… If it passes in November. In San Francisco, I’m Kevin Stark.

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Switching over to a local measure… voters in San Diego are voting on whether to allow the city to charge single family homeowners for trash services.

But the fees might be higher than estimated.

inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla explains.

CRYSTAL: The city says customers could pay between 23 to 29 dollars a month if voters agree to end the free service. But those fees, once implemented, could be higher. That’s because the city doesn’t know exactly how many customers it has. City analyst Jordan More said estimates were based on the city’s 285,000 utility customers. MORE: “They don’t know exactly how many customers they have, but the 285,000 number has always been their best guess…” CRYSTAL: Inflation and future expansions  of services also were not taken into account. For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Crystal Niebla.

inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

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Now to a local council race.

Of the four San Diego City Council races on the ballot, District 4 is the least competitive.

KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen explains why.

AB: Four years ago, Monica Montgomery Steppe soared to victory in one of the biggest upsets in recent San Diego political history. She unseated the incumbent in a landslide, proving her message of community-driven change and accountability for law enforcement resonated with voters. In her first term, Montgomery Steppe won passage of a ballot measure to strengthen civilian oversight of the police. She helped create the city's Office of Race and Equity, which aims to correct the history of underfunding minority communities. And she wants to expand the conversation around public safety. MONICA MONTGOMERY-STEPPE SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MMS: I'm not going to just stand on a corner with partners and say 'We need to stop the violence.' I'm going to address the fact that there has been state-sanctioned violence. The fact that we have had underinvestment in our communities, which causes residents to go towards violence. I'm going to address it all holistically. AB: District 4 includes Oak Park, Encanto, Skyline and Paradise Hills. Montgomery Steppe's opponent is Gloria Evangelista, a dietician who has a limited campaign presence. She declined KPBS's interview request, but said in an email she wants to increase the police presence in the district and opposes efforts to increase housing density and height limits. Evangelista won less than 22% of the vote in the primary compared to Montgomery Steppe's 71%. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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Coming up.... San Diego County isn’t keeping up with homelessness. We’ll have that story and more, next, just after the break.

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In San Diego County, the number of people falling into homelessness is outpacing those being rehoused.

KPBS reporter Jacob Aere says homelessness and cost of living continues to be one of the most challenging issues for the region.

In its first new monthly report, the Regional Task Force on Homelessness says for every ten people who find housing, 13 more become homeless in San Diego County. Mama Heather is one of those people without a permanent home. She formerly lived at Harborside Park in Chula Vista until pushed out, and now lives in a tent downtown. “It's the bills, it's the inflation. It's hard for people to keep up. I've seen many vehicles get caught up, I've seen families get kicked out.” Over the last year the number of people in San Diego county who received services for homelessness was over 41 thousand people according to the report. That’s about five times more than the annual one-night count, which was done in February. Jacob Aere, KPBS News

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Whether it’s the flu or the flu-like RSV illness…families and their children are being impacted significantly across San Diego County.

Confirmed cases of respiratory viruses have more than doubled in the past couple of weeks at Rady Children’s Hospital.

Wait times in the E-R there have been up to six hours.

Months of wearing masks because of COVID… has made some children more vulnerable to getting sick.

Dr. Nicholas Holmes is Rady’s senior vice president and CEO.

“Well they weren't necessarily exposed to the normal common cold viruses and so now their immune systems may not be as familiar with those viruses.”

Dr. Holmes suggests keeping your child home if they have any flu-like symptoms…no matter how light those symptoms might be.

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The Escondido Union School District received an unprecedented donation yesterday.

KPBS reporter Kitty Alvarado says it's only the second school district to receive a multi million dollar donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Tuesday was a big day for Escondido Union School District  I’m proud to announce that the MacKenzie Scott Foundation has donated $16 million Superintendent Luis Rankins-Ibarra says they were contacted last month by a representative of philanthropist Mackenzie Scott I had to pause and said what $16 they said yes and that was the  highlight of the entire year for me Ten year old Raeven Opdycke  says this donation represents opportunity All the schools having a chance and  …   with the donation being able to pay for project to and different experiences for the kids to  learn far beyond what they ever thought  Just under 80 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch and many are food insecure. He says that’s not the only challenge, But he says the statistics do not dictate how big these children dream nor what they can achieve … and  he knows something about that …  I see myself in these kids I also grew up in a home very similar to these students … and that’s why I am so humbled by this gift … it is going to do so much good  Kitty Alvarado KPBS News 

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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 Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.