Michael Smolens: Levin-Gunderson race jolted by Trump, Biden developments
There's nearly four months to Election Day on Nov. 5, and a lot of dust has yet to settle.
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Michael Smolens: ‘Managed retreat’ from fire zones debated
Experts caution that attempting to move homes, facilities may not be the best option in many cases.
Michael Smolens: San Diego faces minimal water cutbacks under state conservation plan
Expensive, long-term investments put the region ahead of the conservation curve.
La legislación sobre la terapia psicodélica falla nuevamente en California
Un legislador clave dice que el tratamiento puede eventualmente proporcionar "beneficios significativos para la salud mental"
Michael Smolens: San Diego House split on Biden
Democrats who say Biden should to stay in the race have become increasingly vocal.
Michael Smolens: The growing use of direct cash payments to combat homelessness
Several proposals to deal with homelessness in San Diego have surfaced. One would give unhoused people money, no strings attached.
OPINION: Mantener el enfoque en los peligros para la salud del Río Tijuana es una necesidad
Las acciones de los supervisores del condado y los legisladores estatales ayudan a mantener la presión
Michael Smolens: Psychedelic therapy legislation fails again
Key lawmaker says treatment may eventually provide "significant mental health benefits" but suggests the proposal needs more work
Michael Smolens: Keeping the focus on Tijuana River health hazards is a must
The beach has been closed for months on end. Polluted water signs are ubiquitous. There are reports of illness and a stench that keeps people up at night. A historic...
Michael Smolens: upends Alvarez bill aimed at weakening Coastal Commission
State legislation attempting to limit the authority of the California Coastal Commission may now give more power to the on certain housing decisions.
Michael Smolens: Homeless funding comes with ability — at least in theory
Local governments are supposed to show progress on homeless programs funded with state money.
Michael Smolens: As fire season heats up, so do controversial efforts to prepare for it
Projections for hotter-than-usual summer leads to warnings about a tough wildfire season.
OPINIÓN: El presidente Joe Biden brinda apoyo a los inmigrantes ‘Dreamers’
La medida de permitir visas de trabajo y eventualmente tarjetas verdes podría dar residencia permanente a los jóvenes inmigrantes
Michael Smolens: Biden gives some love to immigrant ‘Dreamers’
Program giving temporary legal status for undocumented immigrants threatened by litigation, politics
Michael Smolens: Voters split on California tax threshold measures, poll says
California voters apparently don’t want to make it more difficult to raise taxes, but they also aren’t inclined to make it any easier. That’s one of the key findings of...
Michael Smolens: Hillcrest, University City growth won’t be as severe as some fear
Over the next 30 years or so, the residents of Hillcrest and University City will see a lot more housing construction. But it likely won’t be as much as people...
Crime and politics in California
Democrats in Sacramento push package on retail theft with strings attached, Proposition 47 revision heads to November ballot and there's a big gap between Newsom and legislative leaders on prison...
OPINION: No es de si es posible, sino de cuándo se permitirá la terapia psicodélica en California
El senador estatal Brian Jones de Santee lanza el último proyecto de ley para usar drogas actualmente prohibidas
It’s not if, but when psychedelic therapy will be allowed in California
Legislation to allow the therapeutic use of psychedelics in California keeps getting narrower — and seemingly closer to becoming law.After bills on the proposal have gone up and down and...
Birth control, abortion surface as key issues in San Diego congressional race
Congressional Democrats are seeking to capitalize on Republican opposition to a nationwide guarantee for access to contraceptives.That may be a challenge for Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, in his...
Even routine heat waves bring warnings of climate change
The triple-digit heat that has descended upon the West again has made national news.There's been something of a disconnect in much of San Diego, however, where a low-pressure system at...
The staying power of 101 Ash St.
Attention seems certain to pick up from now through the November election on perhaps San Diego's most infamous address: 101 Ash St.That's bad news for Mayor Todd Gloria and his...
Will the county’s bumpy ride continue?
The San Diego County government is moving forward after a rough stretch, but the fallout from the past year of controversies will linger.It remains to be seen just how much...
San Diego’s homeless efforts left Walton feeling angry, betrayed
It seemed there was nothing Bill Walton wouldn't do for the city he loved.His generous philanthropy and valuable time regularly were aimed at everything from helping the less fortunate to...
OPINION: Los democratas intentan limitar el dano politico de la migracion fronteriza
El Condado de San Diego se ha convertido recientemente en el corredor más activo para cruces ilegales a lo largo de la frontera entre EE.UU. y México.Ahora hay mucha discusión...
Democrats try to limit political damage from border migration
San Diego County recently became the busiest corridor for illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border.Now there's a lot of renewed discussion in Washington regarding what to do about the increasing...
A defunct Ritz-Carlton proposal, Father Joe’s and the rise of affordable housing
As symbolism goes, this is pretty good.City-owned property downtown that not long ago was targeted for a new Ritz-Carlton hotel and other luxury amenities is now proposed for more than...
Before Alito and Menendez, former Rep. Duncan D. Hunter blamed his wife
Former Rep. Duncan D. Hunter and his transgressions seemed to be fading from San Diego's collective memory. Then it all suddenly became national news once again.The recent recounting touched on...
MTS, NCTD focus on keys to increasing ridership: frequency of service and security
San Diego transit agencies received some modest news recently: Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed a commitment to protect billions of dollars for rail and bus lines in the face of a...
Changes up and down San Diego’s coast trigger familiar battles
San Diego's identity is inextricably tied to its coastline, a widely cherished wonder that is in a constant state of change.Depending on one's perspective, the region's seashore has been enhanced...
Unshackling research on guns, marijuana
Separate recent developments underscore the need for research into two matters of vast public health, economic and social impact: guns and marijuana.Firearms and cannabis are ubiquitous across much of the...
State may expand rental assistance, San Diego considers cutting it
San Diego could be the site of a new state program using one of the most cost-effective homelessness prevention practices.The county is one of a handful potentially targeted for a...
Labor’s hardball tactics for county CAO candidate may have backfired
On Tuesday, the region's most powerful labor organization released a letter from 14 elected officials to Nora Vargas, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.The missive under the...
San Diego developer seeks to fill gap in middle-income housing
Many years ago, Robert Ito was focused on helping people get better jobs.Then he turned to getting them into better homes.A housing developer for decades, the San Diego native more...
OPINION: Es hora de abandonar la fantasia de la conexion ferroviaria al aeropuerto de San Diego
El San Diego Flyer no es la respuesta para obtener una mejor conexión de tránsito al Aeropuerto Internacional de San Diego. Pero debería ser parte de la solución.En los últimos...
GOP pushes crackdown on campus unrest with an eye toward the election
Will the Gaza spring on college campuses contribute to a Democratic downfall in November?At the moment, the protests appear to bolster Republicans and highlight divisions among Democrats. Republican leaders from...
California’s housing density push may be on the run, for now
In recent years, the Legislature has ed several laws to increase housing density across the state. But a ruling by a Los Angeles County judge and pushback from the California...
It’s time to ditch San Diego’s airport rail connection fantasy
The San Diego Flyer isn't the answer to getting a better transit connection to San Diego International Airport.But it should be part of the solution.In recent years there has been...
Changing water reality upends huge project, pushes rates higher
We're all in hot water.Sometimes there's not enough water, sometimes too much. Either way, water costs for San Diegans will increase to sticker-shock level and maybe beyond, if that's possible....
States get more aggressive in pushing cities to address homelessness
Gov. Gavin Newsom and his favorite nemesis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are ramping up pressure on cities to resolve homelessness — in very different ways.In neighboring Arizona, a November ballot...
San Diego congressional delegation is all in on foreign aid package
Bipartisanship, if not total unity, was key to the House of Representatives' approval on Saturday of the $95 billion foreign aid package targeted for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other regions.The...
OPINION: Hay llamados opuestos para combatir el contrabando de migrantes maritimos frente a San Diego
El pasado sábado 14 de abril por la mañana, una lancha motora pasó rápidamente frente a los surfistas justo frente a la costa y llegó a una playa poblada de...
San Diego homeless programs face financial, ability pressures
Despite the need to close a significant financial shortfall, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria said his budget will increase spending on homeless programs.It doesn't feel that way at the San...
Competing calls for combatting maritime migrant smuggling off San Diego
Late Saturday morning, a powerboat sped past surfers just offshore and onto a populated Carlsbad beach, where a dozen or so people jumped out of the vessel, ran across the...
Court ruling, ballot measures could upend infrastructure financing
The Supreme Court has made it easier to challenge development fees that are key to funding a broad array of public improvements, including roads, parks, sewer lines and schools.It's too...
Global warming is wreaking havoc as researchers seek to cool things down
It's pretty hard to be a climate change denier these days. The signs of global warming are everywhere, from an ocean-washed road in Carlsbad to thousands of insurance policies canceled...
Another hopeful zig-zag on homelessness in San Diego
A centrally located, permanent shelter with 1,000 beds and numerous on-site services seems like a good idea, given the breadth of San Diego's homelessness problem.The question is whether the surprise...
Ballot logjam ahead? Public safety tax is floated for November in San Diego
The local tax-increase derby headed for the November ballot is getting more complicated.A countywide transportation sales tax proposal just got hit with some pretty bad PR.A potentially competing sales tax...
Renters are having a moment in San Diego. Will it last?
Thousands of new apartments are opening across the region this year.In the city of San Diego, there's an attempt to give renters a greater voice on community planning groups —...
San Diego continues to chase the mirage of a new City Hall
The city of San Diego's pending move to relocate hundreds of employees out of a decrepit municipal building into modern leased office space seems well warranted.The City Operations Building built...
Political fundraising scam still legal under federal law
A move is afoot in Congress to ban a particularly insidious form of political fundraising that has duped people into making larger contributions — sometimes staggeringly so — than they...
GOP could face backlash over efforts to restrict birth control
It's hard to imagine anything could put Republicans in a bind in this election cycle as much as efforts to ban abortion.The conservative push to restrict birth control just might....
San Diego city attorney primary results create drama for November
It promised to be one of the least dramatic elections on the March 5 ballot.It turned out to be one of the most surprising.The race for San Diego city attorney...
Housing moves: Streamlining, more permits, pressure on Coastal Commission
San Diego still has a housing shortage and its homeless population continues to grow.But recent actions and announcements by local, state and federal officials suggest some movement toward building more...
New Democratic task force engages in uphill battle on border security
The notion that Democrats could turn border security around on Republicans may seem far-fetched.But congressional Democrats have taken another step toward pushing a tougher stance on immigration enforcement and pressing...
Requiem for Sunbreak Ranch
George Mullen recently has been pushing — through emails and opinion columns — for a plan aimed at reducing suicides from the Coronado Bridge.That's a worthy cause on an issue...
‘Pick your opponent’ ploy had mixed results in primary
Maneuvering to boost a weaker candidate to defeat a stronger opponent is a time-honored tactic in politics.Familiar though it may be, it's always controversial, even if allowed under the rules....
San Diego’s battleground district may not swing much anymore
In the past three elections, the Democratic and Republican parties have poured millions of dollars into races in the 49th Congressional District.Whether that kind of largess from the parties occurs...
Is Gloria’s primary performance a glass half-full or half-empty?
The catastrophic flooding in San Diego on Jan. 22 ruined hundreds of homes and upended the lives of those who lived in them.Two weeks later, primary election ballots were sent...
Let’s make a (water) deal!
San Diego's role as a water broker seems to be growing.The San Diego County Water Authority just entered into negotiations to sell some of its surplus water to the Moulton...
Yes, it’s a sleepy primary, but there’s still intrigue and mischief
Super Tuesday may not be so super — especially in California.But while there's an apparent lack of voter enthusiasm for this week's primary election — and plenty of commentary about...
Border politics are always complex, maybe never more so than now
The federal failure to enact workable immigration and border enforcement policies has impacted San Diego for decades.That's been on display in recent days as the U.S. Border Patrol released newly-arrived...
Multiple San Diego tax increases still in play for fall ballot
For several months there has been churning in San Diego government circles about the possibility of multiple tax increases on the November ballot.The churning has intensified with the most recent...
DeMaio likes to attract attention. He has plenty of it from opponents.
Carl DeMaio has crossed a lot of people in his various political endeavors. He's being reminded of that daily in his campaign for the state Assembly.The radio talk-show host is...
Housing Commission diverts homeless resources to assist flood victims
The San Diego Housing Commission secured hundreds of hotel rooms for residents forced from their homes by last month's devastating flood.To do so, money and staff were diverted from the...
City attorney candidates engage in trial run for November
The campaign for San Diego city attorney has several emerging themes.Independence vs. collaboration.Many big endorsements vs. very few. Practicing attorney vs. non-practicing attorney.Republican vs. Democrat.That last one might seem odd,...
San Diego voters are in a grim mood. Here’s why incumbents might survive it
San Diego's electorate is not happy with the way things are going in the city.The recent devastating failure of the city's flood protection infrastructure is only the latest example of...
Is rail travel ing San Diego by at high speed?
In December, a high-speed rail project between the Inland Empire and Las Vegas received a $3 billion federal grant, which helps push the train line closer to its planned opening...
Pro-Gloria committee elevates GOP opponent
Jane Glasson wasn't really considered in the mix among viable mayoral primary election candidates — until now.The special education assistant is being promoted in a mailer financed by the New...
Cautionary tales about homelessness, mental health programs
Ambitious proposals to address homelessness and mental health issues are moving forward in San Diego and statewide.The plans come with considerable promise of improving the quality of life for people...
Will young voters warm up to Biden?
Democrats look at polls and wring their hands at the lack of enthusiasm of some voting blocks that should be solidly in President Joe Biden's corner.This especially has been the...
San Diego House Democrats were split on long-shot border bill; Issa wasn’t talking
The Senate bill to bolster border enforcement and provide funding to Ukraine and Israel has essentially collapsed.House Republicans opposed it even before the text was available and Senate Minority Leader...
Let’s stop the ‘doom’ talk over climate change
Extreme weather events always trigger discussion of how much of an impact climate change may have had, if any.That has come into play in San Diego over the past two...
Congress remains hurdle in border sewage funding
The sustained full-court press to get money needed to fix and expand the international sewage plant on San Diego's border with Mexico continues to impress.The case is being made by...
The immigration vs. abortion election
El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells rarely es up the opportunity to talk about problems at the border — on television shows, social media posts and in his own congressional campaign...
Peter Navarro never stops being Peter Navarro
A federal judge has become familiar with the Peter Navarro San Diegans know all too well.Ever since Navarro's role in the effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election surfaced —...
Flooding again brings focus to San Diego’s shoddy infrastructure
Monday's monumental storm likely would have caused significant damage no matter how prepared San Diego was.But the extensive, in some cases life-changing wreckage almost certainly would have been reduced —...
California voters overwhelmingly say border security lacking, according to poll
As congressional and White House negotiators seek a deal on immigration, a survey in California suggests Democrats may have cover on their left flank as they acquiesce on tougher border...
Atkins leans into experience, personal history in bid for governor
If elections were solely decided by experience, Toni Atkins might be the odds-on favorite to be the next governor of California. Being a successful politician takes more than that, of...
Budget hammer is dropping in San Diego
The city of San Diego's top has ordered municipal departments to suspend "nonessential" spending in the current fiscal year. Chief Operating Officer Eric Dargan further instructed department heads to cut 2...
Will 2024 be a pivotal year in fighting homelessness?
A pledge for more shelter beds in San Diego. Billions of dollar promised from Sacramento. A coming court ruling from Washington, D.C., on enforcing homeless encampment bans.Those and other developments...
Todd Gloria and the new Democratic law-and-order party
Mayor Todd Gloria is leaning into a law-and-order stance like never before as he and fellow California Democrats launch anti-crime proposals at the start of an election year.Like many of...
There’s one big thing the transportation tax won’t do
A transit-focused sales tax initiative would help fund numerous projects, including a rail connector to the airport, a trolley from South County to Kearny Mesa and improvements to the north...
Will a boom follow the office-to-housing conversion buzz?
A recently announced makeover of a downtown San Diego high-rise has added more fuel to the tantalizing prospect that increasingly vacant office buildings could help solve the housing crisis.The new...
Solutions to migration morass remain elusive
In a remote corner of southeastern San Diego County, intrepid kindness has taken place amid a sprawling immigration dispute that not only will set the future course of border enforcement,...
Affordable housing stock continued to shrink in 2023
The bad news: Home listings that would be considered affordable to a typical household were horrible in 2023.The sort of good news: It probably can't get any worse.That's the conclusion...
Congressman and wife are confronted by Gaza cease-fire demonstrators at La Jolla restaurant
Across the country, of Congress have heard from protesters advocating a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. That includes of the San Diego delegation.Though some have encountered...
Local elections in 2024 will reverberate from San Diego to Washington, D.C.
San Diego elections in 2024 could affect the balance of political power at the County istration Center, City Hall and in the U.S. House of Representatives.Meanwhile, potential ballot measures may...
Rep. Peters, wife confronted by Gaza cease-fire protesters at La Jolla restaurant
Across the country, of Congress have heard from protesters advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza. That includes of the San Diego delegation.About 100 people chanted "cease-fire now" earlier...
How money, or the lack thereof, impacts homelessness
The nation experienced a dramatic increase in homelessness as rents soared and government assistance declined.A small but intriguing study in Los Angeles concluded that a monthly stipend to homeless people...
San Diego elected officials are key players in pivotal California tax case
The California Supreme Court next year will determine whether a measure raising the threshold to increase taxes remains on the November 2024 ballot — a decision that could have implications...
San Diego transportation agencies face internal troubles, uncertain future
Trolleys are running on time, buses mostly are, and cars are traveling down a South Bay toll road.But all is not well at San Diego's two major transportation agencies —...
Will Jones-Wright change the dynamic of Gloria’s re-election race?
Mayor Todd Gloria's re-election bid may have become more complex with a challenge from social justice advocate and former district attorney candidate Geneviéve Jones-Wright.So far, the former public defender mostly...
DeMaio targets the California Republican Party
Campaign-commissioned polls released to the public almost always show their candidate favorably compared with opponents.A survey from Carl DeMaio's campaign does that and a whole lot more."Poll Shows Carl DeMaio...
Lots of snow, rain and federal money make San Diego water deal a reality
An agreement between San Diego's major water agency and two others in Southern California is expected to save millions of dollars and conserve millions of gallons of water in the...
Good news on climate change is hard to find
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry hit a positive note last week in announcing the United States will work with other countries to ramp up efforts to make nuclear fusion a...
State’s mental health laws leave local governments dangling
Efforts to reduce homelessness increasingly have focused on mental illness and substance abuse among those living on the street.New state laws have created high expectations that those problems will be...
Rep. Peters, Sen. Romney, others face uphill battle in tackling federal debt
Rep. Scott Peters has a unique perspective on a very big number — the nearly $34 trillion federal debt."That doesn't mean a lot," the San Diego Democrat said in an...
The deadly streets of homelessness
Homelessness is a life-threatening condition.That has to be the conclusion drawn from recent reports and studies that underscore the heightened risk of dying homeless people face.The notion that homeless people...
Affordable Care Act could become an issue again in San Diego congressional race
Out of the blue, former President Donald Trump has raised the prospect of another election-year fight over the Affordable Care Act in battleground congressional districts such as San Diego's 49th...