San Diego, CA
Organized Labor Rallies Around Cindy Chavez as Next San Diego County CAO | San Jose Inside
Sources say Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez has re-applied for the position of Chief Administrative Officer in San Diego County, where organized labor is turning up the heat to pressure the county board of supervisors to include her among finalists for the $400,000-a-year post.
Members of SEIU Local 221 and the local United Domestic Workers union, supported by the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, held a public rally outside the county administration building on Tuesday, pushing for Chavez’ appointment as the supervisors met behind closed doors to discuss the hiring process for CAO, the county’s top staff position.
A flier and poster for the “Rally for Transparent CAO Process” that was posted on Instagram, called on union members to “Tell the board to interview Cindy Chavez, a champion for working families, as a finalist for Chief Administrative Officer.”
Chavez, former director of the South Bay Labor Council in San Jose and a two-time unsuccessful candidate for mayor of San Jose, was considered the top candidate for the San Diego CAO early last year.
Her San Diego appointment was scuttled at the last minute, when a sexual harassment scandal forced the resignation of Supervisor Nathan Fletcher – husband of Chavez friend and political ally, state labor leader Lorena Gonzales Fletcher – and the postponement of the CAO search until after the November election. When another Democrat was elected to fill Fletcher’s seat, supervisors re-advertised the position and told prior applicants they would need to re-apply if they were still interested.
In mid-April, the influential online news outlet, the Voice of San Diego, reported that Chavez “is once again interested in the role.” Chavez has consistently not responded to requests for comment, and county officials have not identified any of the current applicants.
At Tuesday’s rally, the focus was on new board chair Nora Vargas to support “a transparent process that will include candidates supported by the community.”
The union leaders claimed that the supervisors last spring actually voted “to hire a pro-worker, Latina candidate [Chavez] to become the next Chief Administrative Officer, but the board suddenly changed its mind and rescinded the offer.” The board never revealed any details of its private deliberations.
The union leaders called the board’s action to change its mind on the Chavez appointment a “flip-flop [that] is unacceptable and could seriously harm the future of care in the county for years to come.”
In the Instagram post, the union leaders called on the county “to create a public, transparent process where the public can meet the finalists.”
The Voice of San Diego reported that the county apparently responded, and is expected to name semi-finalists this month. Each county supervisor will be able to nominate two constituents to interview them before finalists are put forward by the end of the month.
Also, in mid-April the executive committee of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council approved a resolution in support of Chavez’ application to be the new county CAO.
The proposed resolution will now go to the full group of delegates that represent all the unions within the Labor Council. It follows a similar resolution by the San Diego County Democratic Party.
Crystal Irving, president of SEIU 221, which represents over 10,000 San Diego County employees, told the Voice of San Diego last month: “We are at a crossroads. We can either cling to the conservative ‘financial experience’ that prioritizes old fiscal policies, or we can embrace a bold, progressive future that truly serves all community members. Our coalition of Democrats, union members and progressives feel Cindy Chavez embodies this much needed change and will deliver on the board’s pro-worker vision for the future.”
Three decades of journalism experience, as a writer and editor with Gannett, Knight-Ridder and Lee newspapers, as a business journal editor and publisher and as a weekly newspaper editor in Scotts Valley and Gilroy; with the Weeklys group since 2017. Recipient of several first-place writing and editing awards, California News Publishers Association.
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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