San Diego, CA
Mayor Todd Gloria proposes cuts to San Diego equity programs
The city of San Diego is facing a budget deficit for the next fiscal year of nearly $137 million dollars.
To close the budget gap, Mayor Todd Gloria has proposed cuts to several programs meant to reduce long standing economic and racial disparities in the city.
His proposed budget would reabsorb the Community Equity Fund into the general budget, suspend contributions to the city council’s community projects, take back money in the Climate Equity Fund and suspend most of its $10 million annual contribution.
It eliminates the Cannabis Social Equity Program and funding for the Office of Immigrant Affairs.
Gloria said the proposed cuts are tough but necessary to preserve core neighborhood services.
“During the Great Recession, we did things like, you know, pairing of libraries,” he said. “Two libraries, only one would be open at a time. We did rolling brownouts of fire stations that resulted in real challenges in communities. And we’re avoiding those with this budget proposal.”
They would also offset increased spending on homelessness and the housing crisis.
The mayor acknowledged the city would have to return almost a million dollars in state grant money if it ends the cannabis equity program.
But Megain McCall, an advocate for the program, said it would actually cost the city even more.
“You’re actually cutting a program that could potentially fund other programs that are being cut,” she said.
The new program is supposed to issue cannabis business licenses to people who have been criminalized for it. Historically, Black people in California have been disproportionately arrested and charged with marijuana crimes, according to a UC Davis Report.
“We’re not getting our just due, and the city is not getting the tax revenue that could be paving all these streets that everyone’s complaining about, fixing all these parks that everyone is complaining about,” she said.
Gloria said outside of what he sees as necessary reductions, equity is baked into the budget.
Kim Desmond, the city’s Chief of Race and Equity pointed to specifics, like the new equity factor used to allocate infrastructure money and the restructuring of park development fees.
“Systemic racism work, it is not easy,” she said. “You don’t solve it in one budget cycle.”
But McCall said she’s losing faith in the city’s talk of addressing disparities.
“It’s time to put the money where the mouth is,” she said. “And nothing’s happening.”
Groundwork San Diego-Chollas Creek is part of the city’s Climate Equity Working Group.
Executive Director Leslie Reynolds said the city’s “policies and programs are only as effective as the investments that follow.”
“The elimination of the Climate Equity Fund is only one example among many of the proposed budget cuts disproportionately burdening our most vulnerable communities,” she said.
The Climate Action Campaign, also in the working group, said now is not the time to be cutting climate equity funding in San Diego, after “climate change induced flooding” wreaked havoc on neighborhoods with higher concentrations of low-income Black and Latino residents.
Gloria said many of the proposed cuts are temporary, and he hopes to restore funding when the economy improves.
He pointed to the state’s projected revenue surplus as a positive sign.
San Diego, CA
City considering cutting funding to resource center for those experiencing homelessness
Last week Mayor Todd Gloria released the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal budget. Protected homeless services is among his top priorities mentioned in the proposal. However, some of the reductions he’s proposing could impact thousands of San Diegans experiencing homelessness.
Located on 17th and K Street, the Neil Good Day Center offers an array of services to nearly seven thousand people experiencing homelessness. The services include giving them a place to shower and do laundry, and connecting them to a case manager, among others.
“These are critical services that are helping people off the streets, but really better their lives and their health and their employment situation as well,” Deacon Vargas with Father Joe’s Villages said.
Deacon Jim Vargas heads Father Joe’s Villages, which runs the center. He said through their prevention and diversion strategies, they’ve managed to keep nearly one thousand individuals from falling into homelessness.
“So by helping them pay rent, or helping them with their utilities, or helping them to reunite with family,” Vargas said.
Right now, the city allocates at least $850,000 per year to the Neil Good Day Center, according to Vargas.
But the future and funding for these services are in limbo because of Mayor Todd Gloria’s proposed budget cuts.
“The impact to those whom we’ve been serving the Daily Center would be very severe,” Deacon Vargas said.
In a statement to NBC 7, Mayor Todd Gloria said in part, “We must find more efficient and cost-effective ways to address this crisis and prioritize funding for programs that provide shelter beds and maximize resources to programs that place people into permanent housing.”
Since it’s still at a proposal stage, Deacon Vargas said it’s unclear how the city will decide to move forward.
However, Deacon Vargas said services would be significantly reduced because they would be forced to operate solely on a budget of about half a million dollars they receive from philanthropy.
“The hours would be cut. Some days would be cut. We would have showers that might be impacted because they’re given seven days a week and we’d close two days a week, then the showers would be five days a week, the case management,” Deacon Vargas said.
Deacon Vargas is certain of one thing.
He would like to continue offering services at the Day Center, even if the city goes through with the funding cuts.
“As we work with individuals at the Day Center and at Father Joe’s Villages, the community becomes healthier as a result of it,” Deacon Vargas said.
The budget also recommends additional cuts to homeless services, but does not give specifics as to where those cuts would be.
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San Diego, CA
Solans, Luna, Guilavogui help RSL beat slumping San Diego, extend unbeaten streak to 6 games :: WRALSportsFan.com
SANDY, Utah — SANDY, Utah (AP) — Sergi Solans had two goals and an assist, Diego Luna added a goal and two assists, and Real Salt Lake beat San Diego FC 4-2 on Saturday night to extend its unbeaten streak to six games.
Morgan Guilavogui scored his first goal in MLS and had an assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1). The 28-year-old designated player has five goal contributions in his first six career games.
RSL hasn’t lost since a 1-0 defeat at Vancouver in the season opener.
San Diego (3-3-2) has lost three in a row and is winless in five straight.
Luna opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he re-directed a misplayed pass by Duran Ferree, San Diego’s 19-year-old goalkeeper, into the net.
Moments later, Solans headed home a perfectly-placed cross played by Luna from outside the right corner of the 18-yard box to the back post to make it 2-0. Solans, a 23-year-old forward, flicked a header from the center of the area inside the right post and past the outstretched arm of Ferree to make it 3-1 in the 37th minute.
Guilavogui slammed home a first-touch shot to give RSL a three-goal lead in the 45th.
Marcus Ingvartsen scored a goal in the 14th minute and Anders Dreyer converted from the penalty spot in the 66th for San Diego.
Ingvartsen has five goals and an assist this season and has 10 goal contributions (seven goals, three assists) in 16 career MLS appearances.
Rafael Cabral had three saves for RSL.
Ferree finished with five saves.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
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