The League of Conservation Voters San Diego just announced its endorsement of three candidates for San Diego City Council. Winning the nods were Sherri Lightner in District 1, Todd Gloria in District 3 and Marti Emerald in District 7—all Democrats. No surprise there in Districts 1 and 7. But it’s got to be somewhat of a blow to District 3 candidate Stephen Whitburn, who’s backed by environmentalist City Councilmember Donna Frye. Now Gloria can claim some credentials in the environmental community and diffuse charges that he’s in the pocket of the developers who are helping finance his campaign. No endorsement was announced in the District 5 race, which pits Republican Carl DeMaio against Democrat George George.
April 8, 2008 - 8:26 am at 8:26 am
Don’t quite understand the “just announced” part of this entry, concerning Gloria. The LCVSD endorsed him on March 7. Check out his MySpace page.
Gloria cannot diffuse the reality of who is giving money exclusively to him. Unless the long list of lobbyists and other groups that will have their infill projects in front of the city council over the next 4 years are all lifelong friends, I’d say they have chosen the one they know will side with them when it the choice is to listen to community residents or listen to the Land Use-connected developers. He is an investment, and his developer donors are looking for a return.
Whitburn and Frye, his council endorser, have incredibly good creds as environmentalists, in more ways than one. Gloria’s vow that he will protect canyons is an easy promise: Kehoe has pretty well done that already, no? Last night at the forum, his environmental promise was only about the canyons. But the “environment” is much more than already protected open space: it is also noise, pollution, and stress induced by crowding too many people into too large buildings in small neighborhoods, resulting in too many vehicles on too little roadway. It is also too much infill for too little water. That is why Gloria’s environmental creds are more than suspect, and way too simplistic.
April 8, 2008 - 10:17 am at 10:17 am
One more environmental issue:
In last night’s forum, Whitburn importantly emphasized finding ways to help house the homeless who live in canyons. This is another way to protect the canyons (from negative effects of campsites: fire, plant destruction, waste contamination) and also represents what I want San Diego to be: a great city, one in which the government speaks loudly for compassion for the unfortunate and shows concern for the safety and quality of life for everyone.
April 8, 2008 - 3:33 pm at 3:33 pm
You’re right, Go. Apparently, Gloria had previously boasted of his LCVSD endorsement. But the rest is bran-spankin’ new.
April 8, 2008 - 7:12 pm at 7:12 pm
Go’s comments are typical Whitburn spin. I was there last night and Gloria too mentioned the homeless in canyons. And the canyons were the only environmental issue raised during the debate. Check out Gloria’s enviro platform on his website (posted on the home page no less) and compare to Whitburn’s. It becomes clear why LCV made the call. Substance always beat empty rhetoric.
April 8, 2008 - 8:41 pm at 8:41 pm
Thank goodness for public campaign finance reporting. Gloria — as we now know — is trying to run from his Republican developer funding without actually having to give the money back.
Whitburn months ago was endorsed by the Sierra Club, the grandaddy of environmental advocacy groups. The Sierra Club of San Diego has about 10,000 members in San Diego — a big chunk of them in District 3. ( See http://www.stephenwhitburn.com/files/Sierra%20Club%20Endorses%20Whitburn%20News%20Release.pdf ) Will their shoe leather counter Gloria’s Republican developer money? Stay tuned….
April 9, 2008 - 9:01 am at 9:01 am
As an aside, it is interesting to note that there was an incredibly low turnout at the LCVSD candidates’ forum: maybe about 15 people attended. Why? I can’t imagine such a low turnout for a Sierra club-sponsored event.
April 9, 2008 - 9:13 am at 9:13 am
And… Fly: In the Ointment. No spin. Just facts.
I must have missed Gloria making an urgent issue of helping the homeless. No doubt he would like to help, he’s a good guy, but … will he really make it an issue and frame it in the way that Whitburn has?
There is a possibility of San Diego emerging as a shining and admired city, with a new progressive, developer-lobbyist-realtor-influence-free council roster (Pres Frye, plus Whitburn and Emerald). Others, “buyables” such as Hueso and Young, would be less buyable, perhaps. It’s exciting. It’s not so much who takes and gives election money, but what it practically represents. Everyone understands what it represents. Everyone. It is a signal, a scent laid down and marking a path to the future.
April 9, 2008 - 10:04 am at 10:04 am
One last thought:
There was a question asked at the April 7 forum: it went something like “the past has shown that candidates who take developer money vote to support developer interests…if developers have given you money, how will that influence your decisions?”
Gloria responded with chagrin that the question was aimed at him, and then just joked that he takes money from everybody. He missed a good chance to explore the whole idea of donors, expectations, and retail politics. What he could or should have said, I don’t know. But he had better give it some intellectual space in his game plan: the actively interested voters who are judging who is the best candidate are not stupid, and are starved for intellectually honest discussion from their elected reps.
April 9, 2008 - 10:11 am at 10:11 am
It should be noted, however, that Gloria was given just 30 seconds to answer that question. He didn’t have much time to say much of anything.
April 9, 2008 - 5:16 pm at 5:16 pm
Agreed.