Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Clowning around

— Now that San Diego city councilman Scott Peters is wrapping up his single term on the California Coastal Commission, a behind-the-scenes struggle has erupted over who will replace him. Sources say La Jollan Peters, whom environmentalists have hit hard for his vote to keep the buoys around the beach at his beloved La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, was involuntarily retired from the commission by assembly speaker Fabian Núñez, a Los Angeles Democrat. Under state law, the Peters chair, appointed by the speaker, must be occupied by either a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors or a city councilmember from somewhere in the county.

Some of the names being bandied about include Encinitas city councilmember Maggie Houlihan and Oceanside city councilmember Esther Sanchez, a Brown University alum and lawyer who works for the county Public Defender's Office. Sanchez battled San Diego hotel mogul Douglas Manchester over building a posh resort on the beach in Oceanside, and last year Houlihan was the target of a heckling clown, reportedly hired by a disgruntled real estate agent, who followed her around to various campaign events. Neither candidate is said to be palatable to San Diego's predominantly Republican real estate and development interests, including Manchester, which have enjoyed a relatively free hand under Peters, a nominal Democrat with close ties to such GOP kingpins as Mission Valley's Terry Brown.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Adding to the intrigue of the Peters succession are the roles that assemblymembers Juan Vargas and Lori Saldaña are expected to play in lobbying for their as-yet-undisclosed favorites. Termed-out Vargas, a declared congressional candidate who may instead run to succeed resigned mayor Dick Murphy, is one of the assembly's top political fund-raisers. Vargas is expected to push hard for a pro-business coastal commission candidate, preferably a member of the San Diego City Council who will help him collect plenty of campaign cash. Saldaña, a Sierra Club member who won her Democratic-primary battle against two pro-development Democrats backed by some of the state's biggest and most powerful corporations, is counted on by environmentalists to come through with an appointment more in sympathy with the Green lobby. Also expected to weigh in is state senator Denise Ducheny, another Hispanic legislator, whose husband Al waged a long and ultimately successful battle against the Port of San Diego to build a small bayfront park in Barrio Logan.

Faithful defenders First-quarter disclosures for those "legal defense funds" at San Diego's city hall are in. Dick Murphy, with six accounts, and Donna Frye, with two, are using theirs to pay for their battle over the mayorship; Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zucchet are funding their lawyers in the Cheetahs case. Inzunza raised a total of $19,375 in $250 increments from a tightly-knit group of faithful donors, including his old buddy, ex-city staffer and failed school-board candidate Ben Hueso, along with seven Hueso family members. Zucchet, who raised $29,585, got the maximum from lobbyists Paul Robinson and partner David Watson, developers Sol and Robert Price, and SDSU's Jane Gawronski, active in Point Loma planning issues. Lawyer Watson also maxed out to Frye. Murphy, who later forfeited his job, led the pack with a whopping $204,155 in five committees. (Murphy's sixth committee, set up April 29 to pay for legal expenses arising from a forthcoming ethics commission audit of his 2004 campaign spending, will report next quarter.) Black Mountain Ranch developer Fred Maas, said to be a close friend of ex-mayoral aide John Kern, kicked in the maximum $1250, as did Pauline Foster, wealthy mother-in-law of outgoing schools chief Alan Bersin and chairman of La Jolla's Museum of Contemporary Art, whose new downtown depot gallery Murphy backed. But the biggest Murphy donors were all tied to developer Corky McMillin, who has deals cooking downtown, Scripps Ranch, Otay Mesa, and, of course, the controversial development on the site of the old Naval Training Center, now called "Liberty Station." According to Murphy's filing, at least 23 McMillin family members and/or employees gave $12,900 to the mayor's legal cause, much of it on February 17. On March 15, council minutes show, Murphy voted to advance plans for a 350-room McMillin hotel on the NTC grounds.

Stem cell Olympics The New York Times reported last week that top San Diego advocates for headquartering the state's new stem cell research effort on Torrey Pines Mesa stand accused of cheating. "Some San Franciscans have questioned whether it was coincidental that the two members of the site-selection committee from San Diego awarded significantly lower marks to San Francisco than to San Diego when asked to give their 'general overall impression' of the cities," the paper said. "On a scale of 1 to 30, John C. Reed, the president of the Burnham Institute, gave San Francisco only 9 points, and Richard A. Murphy, president of the Salk Institute, gave it 10, according to unofficial tallies kept by the cities. Dr. Reed and Dr. Murphy, whose institutes are in San Diego, gave that city 27 points and 26 points, respectively, according to the unofficial tallies." Dr. Murphy denied the charge, saying that the site-selection committee had been "extremely professional and objective."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Melissa Etheridge, The Imaginary Amazon

Events April 1-April 3, 2024

— Now that San Diego city councilman Scott Peters is wrapping up his single term on the California Coastal Commission, a behind-the-scenes struggle has erupted over who will replace him. Sources say La Jollan Peters, whom environmentalists have hit hard for his vote to keep the buoys around the beach at his beloved La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, was involuntarily retired from the commission by assembly speaker Fabian Núñez, a Los Angeles Democrat. Under state law, the Peters chair, appointed by the speaker, must be occupied by either a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors or a city councilmember from somewhere in the county.

Some of the names being bandied about include Encinitas city councilmember Maggie Houlihan and Oceanside city councilmember Esther Sanchez, a Brown University alum and lawyer who works for the county Public Defender's Office. Sanchez battled San Diego hotel mogul Douglas Manchester over building a posh resort on the beach in Oceanside, and last year Houlihan was the target of a heckling clown, reportedly hired by a disgruntled real estate agent, who followed her around to various campaign events. Neither candidate is said to be palatable to San Diego's predominantly Republican real estate and development interests, including Manchester, which have enjoyed a relatively free hand under Peters, a nominal Democrat with close ties to such GOP kingpins as Mission Valley's Terry Brown.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Adding to the intrigue of the Peters succession are the roles that assemblymembers Juan Vargas and Lori Saldaña are expected to play in lobbying for their as-yet-undisclosed favorites. Termed-out Vargas, a declared congressional candidate who may instead run to succeed resigned mayor Dick Murphy, is one of the assembly's top political fund-raisers. Vargas is expected to push hard for a pro-business coastal commission candidate, preferably a member of the San Diego City Council who will help him collect plenty of campaign cash. Saldaña, a Sierra Club member who won her Democratic-primary battle against two pro-development Democrats backed by some of the state's biggest and most powerful corporations, is counted on by environmentalists to come through with an appointment more in sympathy with the Green lobby. Also expected to weigh in is state senator Denise Ducheny, another Hispanic legislator, whose husband Al waged a long and ultimately successful battle against the Port of San Diego to build a small bayfront park in Barrio Logan.

Faithful defenders First-quarter disclosures for those "legal defense funds" at San Diego's city hall are in. Dick Murphy, with six accounts, and Donna Frye, with two, are using theirs to pay for their battle over the mayorship; Ralph Inzunza and Michael Zucchet are funding their lawyers in the Cheetahs case. Inzunza raised a total of $19,375 in $250 increments from a tightly-knit group of faithful donors, including his old buddy, ex-city staffer and failed school-board candidate Ben Hueso, along with seven Hueso family members. Zucchet, who raised $29,585, got the maximum from lobbyists Paul Robinson and partner David Watson, developers Sol and Robert Price, and SDSU's Jane Gawronski, active in Point Loma planning issues. Lawyer Watson also maxed out to Frye. Murphy, who later forfeited his job, led the pack with a whopping $204,155 in five committees. (Murphy's sixth committee, set up April 29 to pay for legal expenses arising from a forthcoming ethics commission audit of his 2004 campaign spending, will report next quarter.) Black Mountain Ranch developer Fred Maas, said to be a close friend of ex-mayoral aide John Kern, kicked in the maximum $1250, as did Pauline Foster, wealthy mother-in-law of outgoing schools chief Alan Bersin and chairman of La Jolla's Museum of Contemporary Art, whose new downtown depot gallery Murphy backed. But the biggest Murphy donors were all tied to developer Corky McMillin, who has deals cooking downtown, Scripps Ranch, Otay Mesa, and, of course, the controversial development on the site of the old Naval Training Center, now called "Liberty Station." According to Murphy's filing, at least 23 McMillin family members and/or employees gave $12,900 to the mayor's legal cause, much of it on February 17. On March 15, council minutes show, Murphy voted to advance plans for a 350-room McMillin hotel on the NTC grounds.

Stem cell Olympics The New York Times reported last week that top San Diego advocates for headquartering the state's new stem cell research effort on Torrey Pines Mesa stand accused of cheating. "Some San Franciscans have questioned whether it was coincidental that the two members of the site-selection committee from San Diego awarded significantly lower marks to San Francisco than to San Diego when asked to give their 'general overall impression' of the cities," the paper said. "On a scale of 1 to 30, John C. Reed, the president of the Burnham Institute, gave San Francisco only 9 points, and Richard A. Murphy, president of the Salk Institute, gave it 10, according to unofficial tallies kept by the cities. Dr. Reed and Dr. Murphy, whose institutes are in San Diego, gave that city 27 points and 26 points, respectively, according to the unofficial tallies." Dr. Murphy denied the charge, saying that the site-selection committee had been "extremely professional and objective."

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Next Article

San Diego's Uptown Planners challenged by renters from Vibrant Uptown

Two La Jolla planning groups fight for predominance
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.