Political housing

Ex–city councilman and former weekly newspaper owner Jim Madaffer has turned to a new trade. According to an October 10 lobbyist disclosure statement filed at city hall, he’s now peddling influence for real estate developer Douglas Wilson. …

Mayor Kevin Faulconer continues to bolster his political machine by rewarding campaign contributors with city board posts. The latest is Dorothy Surdi, a commercial real estate broker appointed by the mayor to the San Diego Housing Commission, “Ms. Surdi is a commercial real estate advisor with the Sperry Van Ness network where she specializes in investment sales and leasing representation for landlords and tenants,” according to a September 26 memorandum. City campaign contribution records show that Sperry Van Ness employees gave $1300 to Faulconer’s mayoral campaign, including Surdi with $100. Sperry Van Ness employees have also so far contributed $825 to the campaign of downtown lobbyist Chris Cate for city council and $550 to the successful reelection bid of councilwoman Lorie Zapf, both Faulconer allies. …

Duty Free Americas, the big customs operation run by the billionaire Falic family of Florida, continues its press for a lavish new commercial complex at the border here. On October 13, brother Simon Falic gave $1500 to the 2014 San Ysidro school-board reelection campaign of Jason Wells. Executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, Wells has become a big booster of the Falic project. “This is parking for my stores, my businesses,” he told U-T San Diego in June.