Like councilman, like aide

The hand-picked would-be successor to termed-out Eighth District San Diego city councilman David Alvarez, who is currently raising money for a county board of supervisors race in 2020, has been faring well in the big-money run-up to next year’s council race. Vivian Moreno, who makes about $71,000 a year as Democrat Alvarez’s community representative for Otay Mesa East and oversees Binational Affairs and Spanish Media, ended the first half of the year with $62,443 in her campaign kitty after raising a total of $67,641 through June 30. That’s not much less than the $99,959 Alvarez banked during the first six months of the year for his supervisorial bid. Among employed donors to Moreno, the largest group of givers, with $2800, worked for ColRich, the development firm whose employees were also the biggest contributors to her boss Alvarez, with $6350. In addition to Otay Mesa development, ColRich has been working on a controversial proposal to develop 24 units on about six acres at the corner of Interstate 8 and College Avenue. Back in May, Navajo Community Planners, Inc. voted 6-4 to recommend denial.

Also, like her boss. Moreno and her campaign have benefited from the financial backing of the city’s burgeoning marijuana lobby. Cynara Velazquez of Community Engagement Resources threw a June 27 fundraiser that brought in $2200. Her firm represents the United Patients Alliance/Association of Cannabis Professionals and the South Bay Dreams Cooperative, in favor of “permitting of medical marijuana manufacturing and cultivation in San Diego city,” per an August 7 disclosure filing. Velazquez is vice president of the San Diego–based Association of Cannabis Professionals. Phil Rath and Kimberly Miller, influence-peddlers at Rath Miller, which works for the United Medical Marijuana Coalition, each came up with $550 for Moreno on June 29. Alvarez joined a 6-3 council majority in approving the city’s new pot regulations September 11.