What tourists are saying about paid parking at Balboa Park
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson.it’s WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH
>>>> [ WE SPOKE WITH TOURISTS ABOUT PAID PARKING IN BALBOA PARK ]That next. But first... the headlines…#######
SAN DIEGO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUMMER STEPHAN SAID YESTERDAY THAT A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE GRANTED THE SANTANA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER'S REQUEST TO RECALL HIS ORIGINAL SENTENCE AND ALLOW HIM TO BE RESENTENCED
THE DEFENDANT WAS FIFTEEN AT THE TIME OF THE 2001 SHOOTING, WHEN HE KILLED TWO STUDENTS AND WOUNDED 13 OTHERS
HE PLED GUILTY AND WAS SENTENCED AS AN ADULT TO 50 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON
THE D-A'S OFFICE SAYS THE JUDGE'S NEW DECISION WILL TRANSFER THE DEFENDANT TO THE JUVENILE COURT SYSTEM AND IMMEDIATELY RELEASE HIM FROM PRISON .... WITHOUT ANY PAROLE SUPERVISION OR DETERMINATION THAT IT WOULD NOT POSE A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY
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THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO SAYS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ILLEGALLY BUILDING RAZOR WIRE FENCING ON LAND THE CITY OWNS IN MARRON VALLEY (mah-rrone), NEAR THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER.
ON MONDAY, THE CITY FILED A LAWSUIT TO TRY TO STOP THE CONSTRUCTION.
CITY ATTORNEY HEATHER FERBERT SAYS FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE TRESPASSING. AND THEIR WORK HAS IRREPARABILY HARMED PROTECTED PLANT AND WILDLIFE HABITATS.
IN A STATEMENT TO KPBS, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAID, QUOTE, “WE LOOK FORWARD TO CHALLENGING THIS LAWSUIT.”
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A FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT COMING FROM CALIFORNIA'S LOCAL HOUSING TRUST FUND HAS NOW BEEN DOUBLED BY THE CITY THROUGH A MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM
THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO INCREASE ING THE AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CHULA VISTA
STATE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR GUSTAVO VELASQUEZ SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT IS COMMITTED TO COMBATTING HOMELESSNESS AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO SAFE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT ALL INCOME LEVELS
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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YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD LOTS OF FEEDBACK FROM YOUR FELLOW SAN DIEGANS ABOUT THE NEW PARKING FEES IN BALBOA PARK AFTER PAID PARKING STARTED MONDAY.
REPORTER ANDREW DYER WENT TO SPEAK WITH TOURISTS YESTERDAY TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
PARKPROBS 1 (AD) :43 SOQ
LAURA MENDEZ JUST ARRIVED IN SAN DIEGO FROM IDAHO AND BALBOA PARK IS HER FIRST STOP.SHE SAYS SHE’S ALREADY HEARD SOME OF THE FUSS AROUND THE PAID PARKING POLICY.
LM:“PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE ALSO HAVE TO PAY. …”
THAT’S TRUE BUT AT A DISCOUNT.
THERE’S FREE PARKING AT LOWER INSPIRATION POINT FOR THREE HOURS BUT THERE ARE NO SIGNS SAYING SO.
DMITRI KOROBEINIKOV OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK FOUND THE FREE LOT. HE SAYS HE’S SURPRISED PAID PARKING HAS BEEN AN ISSUE.
DK:“WELL I MEAN USUALLY WHEN YOU’RE IN A CITY LIKE BIG CITIES YOU EXPECT TO PAY UNFORTUNATELY
THE CITY SAYS PHYSICAL SIGNS ARE COMING BUT ALL THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
ANDREW DYER, KPBS NEWS
TAG: THE CITY SAYS THE SIGNS NOTING 3 HOURS OF FREE PARKING WERE INSTALLED AT THE LOWER INSPIRATION POINT PARKING LOT FOLLOWING DYER’S VISIT TO THE PARK.
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THE CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT HAS DECLINED TO HEAR A CASE WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF SAN DIEGO'S MIDWAY DISTRICT. THE CITY WANTED TO LIFT THE LONGSTANDING BUILDING HEIGHT LIMIT IN THE AREA TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH. BUT LAWSUITS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS BLOCKED THAT EFFORT. PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER JAKE GOTTA HAS MORE ABOUT THE COURT CASE...AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
MIDWAY 1 (:54) SOQ (SS)
The city wanted to see thousands of new homes and a new sports arena under a project called midway rising.
Voters approved a ballot measure to remove the height restriction twice…and both times, a neighborhood group successfully sued to block the proposal.
The lawsuits argued the city didn’t do enough environmental reporting when they put the height limit on the ballot.
The city argued they had covered it in previous environmental reports for the area. The courts disagreed.
Now, the California supreme court has declined to review San Diego’s final appeal.
That means, for now, the height limit will remain in place.
And midway rising has hit another roadblock.
But that doesn’t mean an end to the project.
The development team believes the state density bonus law would let them exceed the height limit, but its unclear if the city is on board with that plan.
And the midway district has been rezoned to allow over ten thousand new homes regardless.
So development is likely coming to midway, one way or another.
Jake gotta, kpbs news.
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SAN DIEGO IS STRUGGLING TO CLOSE A BUDGET DEFICIT THIS YEAR. METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS THE CITY'S AUDITOR IS ARGUING HIS DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE SPARED FROM BUDGET CUTS.
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AUDITOR 1 (ab) 1:15 soq
AB: San Diego's Office of the City Auditor digs deep into the operations of city departments in search of efficiencies, and to investigate claims of waste, fraud and abuse. City Auditor Andy Hanau says his department provides an exceptional return on investment. A 2024 audit made recommendations to the Police Department on how to better track and control overtime spending.
AH: And according to the police department, they expect those changes to save $9 million this year in overtime costs, which is one and a half times the budget of our office.
AB: According to a memo Hanau released last month, his office receives less than $1 per $1,000 of city spending. He says that figure has dropped significantly over the past 15 years, and that he's already had to delay filling vacant positions due to budget cuts.
AH: So that all reduces the amount of audit and investigative work that we can do that would save taxpayers money and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of the city.
AB: San Diego finance officials are projecting a deficit next fiscal year of more than $110 million. Hanau says he's been asked to cut his budget by 7%, which would require laying off or furloughing staff. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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THE CITY OF DEL MAR WANTS TO MEET WITH CALIFORNIA’S ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT A STALLED CLIFF-SIDE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
NORTH COUNTY REPORTER ALEXANDER NGUYEN SAYS THIS COMES AFTER THE A-G’S OFFICE ACCUSED THE CITY OF ACTING IN BAD FAITH ON THE PROJECT.
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DMRESPONSE 1(an) TRT: 0:52 SOQ
The back-and-forth between the state’s justice department and the city is over the property on the bluffs overlooking Del Mar’s dog beach.
The property owner wants to build a 259-unit apartment complex here called Seaside Ridge … with 85 affordable units.
The developer maintains that the project qualifies for a builder’s remedy … making it easier to rezone the property.
The city says the builders' remedy does not apply and the A-G is misrepresenting the issue …
Councilmember Terry Gaasterland is the housing liaison for the city. She says meeting in person could resolve miscommunication.
SOT 3611 15;53;13;29 → 15;53;32;27 “So when there's gaps of knowledge on either side and people need time to ask questions, it can be a whole lot more efficient than trying to go back and forth with letters and paper.”
In an email to KPBS … the A-G’s office acknowledged that it has received the letter but declined to comment.
AN/KPBS
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CHANGES TO MEDI-CAL AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT COULD AFFECT THOUSANDS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY RESIDENTS
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE HEALTHCARE REPORTER PAUL SISSON [SIS-in] SAT DOWN WITH MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON TO EXPLAIN WHO WOULD BE IMPACTED. HERE’S THAT CONVERSATION.
MEDICAL (midday) 1 4:07
You know, before we get into the the specifics, break down some of the biggest changes to MediCal so far. I mean, what do we need to know heading in uh as we head further, rather head further into this new year? I I think, you know, for the moment, the biggest changes are happening to the folks that we have in the uh Covered California Affordable Care Act health plans uh as uh has been covered a lot.
Uh the enhanced premium subsidies that they have been receiving uh have now expired. Uh Congress has chosen not to renew them. Uh so that creates an immediate effect for uh you know about 120,000 people in San Diego County uh and and many more than that statewide and nationwide. Uh and then the the big Medicaid cuts are coming uh but most of those are going to take effect next year.
Uh for example, requirements that a certain group of folks who are currently on Medicaid uh meet work requirements and prove that they're trying to find a job if they if they don't currently have one. Those requirements are are due to take effect at the start of the next year and many of the providers now are sort of looking at what the the impact will be when those take effect. You know, I mean this these are these are you know a big multi-million dollar question.
So they are scrambling to try to figure out how they're going to fill gaps. You know some of these requirements are expected to reduce overall medical enrollment. And so those folks will will end up coming into uh emergency departments. They suspect in in uh greater numbers and and the care won't be compensated. How many people in San Diego rely on Medicaid and receive these subsidies?
Um, well, in terms of the subsidies, that's the ACA marketplace, we have about 108,000 people who are enrolled in those plans and then we have closer to a million folks who are covered by Medicaid. And how much more will they be paying per month under under the increases?
Uh, under the the ACA increases, it it really breaks down differently based on your income level. The hardest hits come to about 160,000 people across the state, about 12,000 of those live here in San in Diego County. And these are folks who are in a household that makes greater than 400% of the federal poverty level. I looked that up for you.
That's a $62,600 per year for a single person or $128,600 per year for a family of four. So I looked under covered California's impact tables. For for this group, they're going to see their average premium go from about $501 per month to $855 per month. So that's an increase in San Diego County of $354 a month, which is you know quite a quite a lot of money.
Um Yeah you know it's it's a lower amount for people who make less than 400% of the that federal poverty amount. Uh covered California says the average average premium increase is going to be about 76% for folks who make less than those amounts that I just gave you. That's about $125 per month and additional premium cost for folks making a little lower on the income scale.
So it hits everybody body, just, you know, the the higher income earners that have gotten these subsidies since 2021, those will go away and they will see the largest increase by far.
You know, which facilities in San Diego see the most Medicaid patients and could these cuts pose an an existential threat to hospitals already strapped for resources. So, yes, uh you know, I mean, that's a question. Will this be an existential threat?
Uh it's it's hard to to fully understand that, you know, a big hospital like Grossman Hospital out out in in La Mesa. I mean, that's a massive operation. They do see a lot of non Medical as well. It's a cornerstone facility. So, you know, you start to wonder, is it going to be the hospitals shutting down? Probably not, but it may be pairing back certain programs that people have come to rely on. Yeah.
Well, when we think about that, I mean, there are some organizations that are also using this as an opportunity to talk about how they can restructure Medical. What did you find out there? Uh, you know, they they are still really in the formative stages of this. Um, you know, they're they're all all kinds of different ideas on how Medicaid and Medicaid generally in the United States might be changed to operate more efficiently.
You know, there's there's talks about capping the amount of spending per enrollee and that that can be seen as a really difficult idea in some places, but other states like Oregon have recently found ways to use these caps to help control spending and still put out a lot of service. Um, so it's a little it's a little nebulous right now. They're just getting started in terms of doing this work.
They're going to start meeting this month at the California Healthcare Foundation to really go through a whole bunch of proposals that they've uh sought from the community and so I think we're going to hear more about that in the coming year
TAG: THAT WAS UNION-TRIBUNE REPORTER PAUL SISSON SPEAKING WITH K-P-B-S MIDDAY EDITION HOST JADE HINDMON.
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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!
