Today at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley, during a luncheon speaking appearance by Andrea Tevlin—the San Diego City Council’s independent budget analyst—10 News consumer-advocacy reporter Marti Emerald asked a question of Tevlin, with not one but two follow-ups, that provided a hint as to what sort of thing Emerald would give a damn about were she to run for City Council. She’s considering a run for the seat currently occupied by Republican Jim Madaffer.
Emerald asked about the 19 pieces of real estate that Mayor Jerry Sanders wants to sell off in order to fund long-overdue capital maintenance projects. (The City Council this week approved, in concept, the sale of 17 of those parcels.) Emerald seized on a discussion brought up by (who else?) Donna Frye at this week’s council meeting.
Frye, again, was the council member who expressed unwillingness to write someone a blank check financed by taxpayers. This time, the check would be written to the real-estate brokers who’d get commissions for helping find buyers for the land. The council members were being asked to OK these commissions as part of the ordinance before them. Frye had a heck of a time getting anyone to answer a fairly straightforward question: What is a ballpark figure, in terms of percentage of the overall land value, that a broker would ask for? After Frye tried to rephrase the question about 739 different ways, Jim Barwick, the dude who heads the city’s Real Estate Assets Department, finally said 6 percent would be on the high side, so the council capped the commissions at 6 percent, with the understanding the city would likely pay less than that on many of the parcels.
Anyway, Emerald wanted to know why the city would outsource that work to the private sector instead of doing it itself—and she asked the question in a tone that sounded an awful lot like a candidate for elected office. (Tevlin deflected the question by simply stating the view of the mayor’s office, that private brokers could do a better job than the city of finding a greater number of potential buyers, without expressly endorsing that view.)
I noted that Emerald hadn’t identified herself as a reporter or a candidate when she asked her question (other people with questions mentioned their affiliations), so afterward, I asked her.
Neither, she said. “I’m here as a citizen.” In other words, she was there as a probable candidate, but she can’t say she’s running for office yet because she’s under contract with 10 News through September. Look for her to announce her candidacy then.
Emerald is already a darling of San Diego’s progressives. The face of one former and future candidate for public office who attended the Tevlin event brightened at the mention of Emerald’s name, noting Emerald’s ability to articulate complex issues in easy-to-understand ways. If she runs, she’ll win—and District 7 will shift to the Democrats.
May 25, 2007 - 6:56 am at 6:56 am
unseat madaffer? the man who’s idea of representation means showing up to community meetings months (years?) after a problem is underway, spout his smoke-and-mirrors rhetoric, and then return to his cushy seat on the council where he rolls his eyes at important public comment (i’ve seen him do it)? you go, marti. whip madaffer’s scrawny, republican ass. a public flogging is well overdue.
May 20, 2008 - 5:56 am at 5:56 am
FYI:
Mr. Madaffer let’s ask our Good Mayor about why it is so hard for him to deal with a basic
“Right Thing To Due Not Politics” and let US Vets who are poor and have served their country, be buried at Mt Hope City owned Memorial Park. Mr Madaffer, just so you might be better informed; your Good Mayor did agree to take this on but it was just like grapes on a vine after a long period of time, they dry up.
Mr. Madaffer, you might want to consider, along with the Good Mayor, not to speak out so openly about how much you all appreciate our US Vets. When our Mayor of the seven largest city in America (one of the largest military cities and the economic contributors) can’t do as the US govenment does, bury US Vets for free knowing full well the City of San Diego already has the free space at MT Hope Memorial Park. What’s wrong with this picture? This is the least the seventh largest city could do for those who have served their country well and for folks like you to be able to say I am strongly supporting Mayor Jerry Sanders.
Lets Talk about this statement:
While Sanders has been Mayor, funding for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department has been increased by 60%, and police officers received a pay raise so that the city can recruit and retain qualified officers.
I wonder If you or your readers are aware of how little the Good Mayor and you as well only put about 5% into the fire budget for fire prevention and supression. As you might know if we would put more into prevention our seniors and communities would have less call outs by the Fire Dept to this end:
1) Save more money in the fire budget
2) Hire more fire fighters to put out fires
3) Bigger focus on getting ready for large fires, we don’t have to talk about this, we know the great pain the citizens of San Diego had to endure at that time of one of the largest fires in San Diego.
Come on Mr. Madaffer Let’s deal with human rights for man kind not politics. Let’s tell the voters the real deal.
Don’t you think it’s a time for change? With all the billions of dollars spent of defending coffin loaders on the back of the city of San Diego and the pension fund. By the way, are you one of the receivers of the pension plan? Is the Mayor? Is Scott Peters?
I would like to advise you and your endorsees to stay away on this Memorial Day Weekend Celebrations and allow those who really put their money where their mouth is to allow those who have put their lives on the line salute their fellow veterans.
I wonder why this e-mail now?
November 5, 2008 - 5:16 pm at 5:16 pm
Anybody who thinks Marti Emerald has the voter at heart is in for a rude awakening. I had an experience with her over ten years ago – which I saw for what she really was. She’s just another gold digging charlatan (law school?), trying to enhance her career at the expense of the real issues. I was never one of her fans, and she’ll never speak for me.