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Does mayor's big money game verge on a crime?
Doubtless you will take satisfaction from today's vote of the craven City Council. Nitpickers 1 Visionaries 0. I am disappointed and sad.— June 12, 2017 6:14 p.m.
Does mayor's big money game verge on a crime?
Apples and oranges are both fruit. I have never understood this expression as it makes no sense.— June 12, 2017 6:10 p.m.
Does mayor's big money game verge on a crime?
Tough you don't like my position. "Glib and snarling?"I don't think so. Until you get rid of the Initiative in California, signature gathering (by paid solicitors) of legitimately registered voters still counts for something: in this case, he Soccer City measure has qualified for the ballot and it should appear before the voters for their decision in a timely manner. It's pretty simple. Again, I have to object to your name-calling, Cassander. With such a mindset, it is no wonder you feel deeply disturbed. As for you, dwbat, carefully chiming in, no, I am not "a paid consultant for FS Investors." I like soccer, along with many other adults and millions of kids. I would like to witness something future-oriented and positive happen here and I think this could be it: a major league soccer team for San Diego. Local enemies and competitors of the "outsider" Stones and righteous naysayers such as yourselves could combine to carry the day. But I will keep hope alive. It ain't over 'til it's over.— June 12, 2017 3:20 p.m.
Does mayor's big money game verge on a crime?
"Retaliation and extortion...graduated from gangland to government?" I would say "reality bites," Cassander, in the world of politics on both sides of the aisle. Recently several Democrats in the Democrat-dominated State Legislature were severely punished by leadership for voting against our Democratic Governor's incredibly regressive gas tax hike and an increase in all auto registration fees which even includes higher yearly fees for ultra-green electric cars. The game is hard ball whether you approve or not. Unseemly hardball tactics can be avoided if City Council will do its job and place the legitimately qualified Soccer City measure on the ballot for a vote by the citizenry in November 2017, instead of stonewalling under the pretext of Measure L.— June 12, 2017 11:10 a.m.
SoccerCity backers go off the charts, both ways
Thanks for grudgingly noting in the last paragraph that Stone's Soccer City proposal "raised sufficient valid voter signatures to force the city council to put the measure before voters" in a special election this fall or in one year hence. Obviously, a decision sooner is better -- and fairer -- than later. If soccer fan voters give the idea a thumbs-up, we could snag a Major League Soccer franchise for the first time in this city's history. How fun would that be?— June 11, 2017 9:09 p.m.
Mike and Nick’s Aussie adventure
No, there is no relevant point. Readerwriter Matt Potter doesn't like Stone's Soccer City proposal and is going after tangentially related stories to make us sheeple worry about other Stone investments. Who cares? More importantly, it has nothing to do with San Diego voters being prevented from deciding this fall whether or not they'd like to bring a Major League Soccer team here to play in a new small soccer stadium on the defunct Qualcomm site. That would be too much fun, so rival developers, City Council and Potter are all finding reasons to kill the Stone idea.— June 11, 2017 8:54 p.m.
Does mayor's big money game verge on a crime?
I hope Mayor Sunny's hardball pays off. The people of San Diego are entitled to vote on whether or not they want to have Major League Soccer here in a new Mission Valley soccer stadium where abandoned Qualcomm's vast concrete parking lots now stand. Soccer City's measure has qualified for the ballot with enough signatures. City Council -- always looking out for its own bottom line from campaign contributors -- is wrong to block a special election ballot from happening in November 2017. Let's settle the question with a vote.— June 11, 2017 8:38 p.m.
SoccerCity's open special influence money frenzy
You're wrong about a few things here, Cassander. Most importantly, I believe there IS credible urgency for Soccer City backers to be able to demonstrate to Major League Soccer that San Diego is a perfect place for a franchise, that there is public enthusiasm and a huge market for a San Diego soccer team in a new soccer stadium in the heart of Mission Valley, at the nexus of freeways heading east, west, north and south. There are uncertainties and unknowns, no guarantees, but Major League Soccer needs to know we really want soccer here. Now, not "later." Timing matters in business transactions. City Council has the authority to move this qualified measure to a ballot and it should do so. The people have a right to vote this up or down and I think Council is obliged to make it happen. Secondly, I am neither jaded, blase, sophisticated nor complicit in our comfortable corruption. But I am sick of its evidence at our Democrat-dominated City Council, especially when, for once, a remarkably future-oriented positive possibility such as Soccer City presents itself. Soccer City is designed by smart and successful risk-takers who are NOT our usual venal local suspects. And they are likely soccer fans, as am I, and as are thousands of other children and adults in this large metropolitan area. I am also sick of dutiful reformist kvetchers blathering a great and fun new idea to extinction while soberly invoking rules like Measure L. Soccer City has qualified its measure for the ballot. City Council has the authority to make a special election happen this fall, consistent with the language quoted from Measure L. Delaying, waiting, putting off -- that's the real "end-run." It is unjust for Council to prevent the the people from voting this fall on a plan to bring Major League Soccer to our city.— June 3, 2017 5:36 p.m.
SoccerCity's open special influence money frenzy
What you describe would be criminal if it weren't so commonplace here. City Council seldom has a chance to do anything so unequivocally simple, hopeful and positive as voting this week to put Soccer City's measure on the November 2017 ballot. Then Council should get out of the way and let the people of San Diego decide if the idea has merit. Once the matter is on the November ballot, developers and Labor doubtless will try to influence the public's choice. That's okay. It's how the system works. Unfortunately Councilmembers, as noted here, take and take and take campaign money from developers and labor, and get sidetracked in their purpose. But City Council's first duty is to the electorate. The Soccer City proposal has qualified for the ballot with its sgnature-gathering. Council is obliged to do the right thing and put Soccer City's proposal on the November ballot for the people to decide.— June 3, 2017 4:18 p.m.
SoccerCity's open special influence money frenzy
City Council members can milk the lobbyist cash cow all they want, as far as I'm concerned, but then they should unanimously get behind replacing the vacant Qualcomm behemoth: they should do their duty and place Soccer City's qualified proposal for a small soccer stadium, residential and commercial development and a river park (!) on a special election ballot for November 2017. Infernal caviling about process, propriety, and other niceties of elusive ideal political life in San Diego have never paid off for the citizenry. Private conversations and secret deals have been cut in this town forever for personal profit and ugly densification. Not long ago there was even a useless $2 million environmental "study" commissioned for an obsolete Qualcomm Stadium. Nobody had any problem with that. Suddenly there are hypocritical scruples all over the place as Soccer City visionaries try to do something both historic and fun: bring Major League Soccer to millions of fans in this perfect metropolitan melting pot of San Diego and Tijuana. Soccer is a sport with a future and San Diego is the perfect venue. Soccer City's push to bring a major league soccer franchise to our area depends upon an expression of public support for MLS to consider making it happen here. This City Council needs to suck it up, embrace the risk and vote to put the already-qualified measure on the ballot for November 2017. In this instance City Council's job is to facilitate, not to obstruct. For once, can't we get behind a wonderful idea that deserves a modest boost?— June 2, 2017 8:19 p.m.