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Proposed settlement will cost SDG&E, Edison $873 million
I'm not clear on what would have happened if those new heat exchangers had been used without mishap for forty years. My understanding was that once they were no longer satisfactory, the plant would have closed at the end of its service life. Would the rate payers be on the hook for de-comissioning costs then? Or was the concept one of the owners collecting enough during the decades of operation to cover the shut-down and removal cost? Depending upon what sort of financial status the plant had, there may--and I stress MAY--be some justification for the rate payers to absorb some of the cost. But nowhere in the private sector can a corporation go back to its customers and collect from them to cover the cost of demolishing an old and out-of-date factory. The stockholders take the hit, and that is understood in the world of business. Utilities are not like the rest of the business world. In some ways they have the worst features of both the free-enterprise system and socialism.— January 31, 2018 2:28 p.m.
tronc to San Diego: drop dead?
Happy talk sports will be the last to go. If one pays close attention, many of the predictions are already coming true. The paper seems a clone of its parent, the LA Times. Many of the editorials are identical, and are pure LAT output. The local reporting staff is failing to report many stories that need to be disseminated, but then if they did write the pieces, would there be space on four pages of "local" news to print them all? And it isn't just "yesterday's news today" now, some of the items are a week or more old. Space limitations, or just weak news reporting? Hard to tell. As far as Duncan goes, I doubt the LAT is any more sympathetic toward him than the existing U-T watchdogs. But how about one of the papers going to work on a far more corrupt/corrupted/corruptible local, Bahnee D, who now wants to be a county supervisor? Where has either paper been when it comes to really digging out the dirt on her? Just when you think the news reporting situation has hit a new low, it drops again and plumbs depths that were unthinkable a few months previously.— January 29, 2018 7:58 p.m.
Chaos at newly unionized L.A. Times
I didn't take a job in the media or in analytical work at that time. Instead I ended up in corporate finance and accounting. But keep in mind my age. I'd be at least five to ten years retired by now, regardless.— January 28, 2018 6:56 p.m.
Chaos at newly unionized L.A. Times
There were almost 300 employees in the "newsroom" bargaining unit? I"d have believed that some years ago, but still having 300 to me sounds high. Is there some sort of breakdown of that number, as in how many editors, how many beat reporters, how many investigative reporters, how many gofers, etc.? Back when all the big dailies had news bureaus all round the nation and world, they must have had huge staffs. But it's my understanding that most of those bureaus are gone, and the papers either depend on each other or the AP for news in other cities and countries. If these folks thought that voting in a union would somehow protect them from arbitrary dismissal, they were mistaken. And now it looks as if it will have just the opposite effect. I'd not want to be in that industry now, either as a reporter, support staffer, or executive. Thirty-five years ago I had a chance to work for the LA Times in an analytical staff job. It would have been a wonderful thing to land at the time, except for one thing: it meant moving to LA and working in downtown LA. I came to SD years earlier to escape from LA, and just could not bear the thought of going back to the smog, traffic and noise. I passed on the opportunity, and then for years wondered if I'd made the correct decision. All history now, of course.— January 28, 2018 5:15 p.m.
McMahon's XFL could put hurts on L.A. Chargers
As it was first constituted the league sounds just awful. But there 's a market for something rougher than NFL play. The team that promotes a thuggish image, the Raiders, is popular across the nation. The black and silver color scheme and its logo, along with the "Raider Nation" emblems we see frequently attest to wide spread appeal. But you are right about pro wrestling, which isn't sport at all, but rather scripted "entertainment." Any football league sponsored and/or run by McMahon would be suspect. One thing I think has to be present in football is a belief that the games are truly competitive and that there is never a fix. That's something that NFL fans think is true today, although I sometimes wonder.— January 26, 2018 4:36 p.m.
Mountain-bikers don't want illegal trails either
While I'm not particularly fond of mountain bikes, hikers like myself can coexist with them. The particular area in question, not far from home, is not one of my favorite places to walk. The chalky soil in the area doesn't make for good walking, and it really isn't scenic IMHO. About twenty years ago a family member who attended Rancho Buena Vista High School was on the cross country team. Their coach had the kids train by running in that Calavera Hills area back then, before the barriers went up and some trails were closed. I have no idea if that team still runs there.— January 26, 2018 4:27 p.m.
Damaged sidewalks cost city big bucks last year
When these settlements are paid, insurance is covering most or all of the cost. To the less-than-sophisticated observer, that means that they cost the city little. Not true! The insurance industry isn't totally populated with fools, and it doesn't lose money year after year. When a city or state or school district or business has a history of costly claims, the insurer raises the premiums to reflect the cost of claims that it can expect. There's no free lunch in buying municipal insurance. Whether the city pays the claims directly or through an insurance policy, it pays! And it is a sure thing that some outlays to keep the streets and sidewalks in good repair will prevent and will be less costly than paying claims. In San Diego infrastructure maintenance has been neglected for decades, hence there is a huge backlog. The mayor claims to be attempting to catch up with the backlog, but that's not anything that seems to be a major effort. And we all know how frustrating it is to play "catch up ball."— January 26, 2018 10:12 a.m.
Would disbarred Bill Lerach dare practice law again?
There would be fewer questions asked if she just did her thing and he stood quietly in the background. Setting up a consulting firm attracts attention to him and might bring some other clientele, but it also draws the wrong sort of attention. He better watch it. In the Kentucky case, they probably are onto something that smells bad. Those big firms like Blackstone are treated as if they can do no wrong, and some less-than-sophisticated fund managers in Kentucky could easily have fallen for some poor investments.— January 24, 2018 8:53 a.m.
University of Saint Katherine coming to Chula Vista
bbq, you are right to question this land grant. One thing that Chula Vista might be able to land is a cal state campus. The county outgrew SDSU, and eventually the new Cal State San Marcos opened about thirty years ago, and has grown rapidly. SDSU is now too big for its britches (has been for a very long time), and wants to be a "research university." The campus on the mesa is tiny and cramped. They have bought property to the south starting decades ago, and have expanded down just about to Montezuma Road, but it is still far too limited in land area for what it has planned. That's where the stadium property comes in, but there is no guarantee that SDSU will get any of it. Even if it does, the popularity of SDSU (which I cannot explain) will likely continue, meaning that eventually it will no longer be able to grow physically or in enrollment. The logical thing now is for the CSU system to start the planning process to add a So County campus. And that land set aside in CV would be the perfect spot for such a campus. If this deal means that all the land that could have accommodated a CSU campus is now gone, I'd call it a very bad deal for the city.— January 23, 2018 3:53 p.m.
Monster manse for SDSU’s new prez
That home is probably larger and fancier than the governor's mansion in at least 25 of our 50 states. Why is it that these university administrators are considered deserving of princely salaries and also princely accommodations? Many deserving students don't get a university education because of the cost. Many of those who do attend and graduate are left with a debt burden that precludes home ownership and even forming a family for many years thereafter. This sort of elite grandiosity is sending the wrong message about state-sponsored higher education, and ought to be condemned by the taxpayers and voters. Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.— January 23, 2018 2:16 p.m.