Accountability with homelessness funding
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Tuesday, February 21st.
A new proposal to increase accountability with homelessness funding.
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….
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Today will be the start of one of the coldest, wettest and windiest weeks of winter in the county, so far.
Temps are expected to be up to 25 degrees below average.
And tomorrow is expected to be the coldest day, with temps around 55.
That’s according to reporting by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
We can expect some rain starting tonight and throughout the week.
The National Weather Service also put out a high wind warning for the county’s Coastal areas.
That goes into effect at 10 tonight, until 8 P-M tomorrow.
Gusts are expected to reach 55 miles per hour.
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A hearing on gasoline price gouging is scheduled tomorrow in Sacramento, months after the governor called for oil companies to be penalized.
Jamie Court is president of consumer watchdog.
"This hearing is about where we draw that line, how much money can they make off Californians? At one point our gas prices were $2.60 more than US gas prices which is the most its ever been."
Court will testify at the first special session of the State Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee on gas prices.
KPBS reached out to the five major oil companies for comment, and did not hear back.
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Great news for those under 18, the SANDAG youth opportunity pass program will continue until at least June 20-24.
The program offers free rides on buses, the trolley, coaster and sprinter for those 18 and under.
SANDAG says they and their partner agencies are working towards making the program permanent, and expanding it to people 24 years old and under.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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The state has poured billions of dollars into reducing homelessness in recent years.
But residents and state and local officials are frustrated over an apparent lack of progress.
A new proposal in the state legislature aims to bridge disagreements between Governor Gavin Newsom and local government leaders on the issue.
Capradio’s Nicole Nixon reports.
The bill comes after months of tension between Newsom and city and county leaders on homelessness. Its lead author, Democratic Assembly member Luz Rivas, summed it up in a press conference announcing the measure. RIVAS: Funding alone will not solve homelessness. The lack of accountability and inconsistent funding has caused a public policy feedback loop. That feedback loop sounds like this. Newsom says the state’s big spending on homelessness – including 2 billion dollars over two years in direct grants to local governments – should warrant better results. Here he is talking about it last month. NEWSOM: “We're not just going to hand out another billion dollars of brand new discretionary money unless it aligns with our goals and we see real progress.Newsom temporarily held back a billion dollars in grants last fall because he was dissatisfied by local plans to reduce homelessness. NEWSOM: Forgive me, but this is life and death. People are dying on the streets in the name of compassion and these stale arguments. I've been hearing ‘em my entire life. Unprecedented support. I want to see unprecedented progress. He eventually released the funds but says he’s going to demand more accountability on homelessness spending. GLORIA: We welcome additional accountability That’s San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. He’s also chair of a group of mayors representing California’s 13 largest cities. GLORIA: But we also expect partnership and we need to have a state that is willing to make a long-term commitment to this problem. Gloria and other local leaders say they’re grateful for the funding, but that it’s hard to make long-term plans to reduce homelessness without an ongoing commitment from the state. As an example, he points to hotel rooms, which the city leases as an option for shelter. GLORIA: I only have a year’s long worth of funding, so you might imagine the price point that I get would be different if I could make a not a one-year lease, but a three-year lease or a five- year lease. Gloria says another way the state can lead on homelessness is by taking on a greater role coordinating between cities, counties and other groups. Assembly member Rivas hopes her bill will address all these issues. First, it would require the state to lead on setting homelessness reduction goals – that’s something local governments have been asking for. It would also tie the grant funding to how well cities and counties can meet those goals – something Newsom has been calling for. And it would provide ongoing funding – though Rivas and other lawmakers haven’t requested a specific dollar amount and acknowledge the state is facing a budget deficit this year. RIVAS: This is the number one issue in the state of California for a lot of us and it requires a large investment to solve it. A coalition of housing groups supporting the bill are asking for 3 billion dollars annually. Graham Knaus is the CEO of the California State Association of Counties, which advocates for county governments at the state capitol. He says the legislation aligns with their goal of developing a homelessness plan that has clear responsibilities and accountability for all levels of government. But he thinks it could go further than Rivas’ bill. KNAUS: Homelessness is the only major issue in California that does not have a system. When you look at child welfare, transportation, criminal justice, health care, education, it’s clear who’s supposed to do what and how it’s funded. Not with homelessness. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the legislation but says he’s having conversations with lawmakers about housing accountability. The bill could be heard in legislative committees in the coming months. SOC
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The Friends of Friendship Park sent a President’s Day message to President Biden … telling him he could be forever known as the president who finished Donald Trump’s border wall … or as the president who saved Friendship Park.
Reporter Alexander Nguyen has more on the group’s rally yesterday.
NATS chants: “Biden, Biden … Save Friendship Park” Through chants and song … the friends of Friendship Park are sending a direct message to the Biden administration… “Save Friendship Park.” Last week Customs and Border Protection restarted construction to replace the fence at Friendship Park with a 30-foot fence. C-B-P says it will preserve the 18-foot fence around friendship park to preserve access to the park. But John Fanestil from Friends of Friendship Park says…That’s not entirely true. “This is one of the great tragedies of these 30-foot walls as they eliminate the views in and out of space. On the Mexican side right now at Friendship Park, from a lookout, you can see all the way up the San Diego coast to downtown San Diego and Point Loma. On a clear day, all the way up the Southern California Coast.” C-B-P says the new fence is needed for border infrastructure. AN/KPBS
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President Biden's visit to Ukraine yesterday brought hope to some Ukrainians here in San Diego.
Reporter Kitty Alvarado has that story.
We were actually very surprised that he actually did come to Kyiv which is great. Orysya Barua is a board member at the House of Ukraine in Balboa Park. She says seeing President Joe Biden walking around the Ukrainian capital with President Zelenskyy sends an incredible message of hope. It gives hope because it shows solidarity. It shows the good should prevail, and I think that hopefully it’s a sign to Russia and end as soon as possible. This Friday marks the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. KA, KPBS News.
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Last month, the California Energy Commission awarded almost two-million-dollars to the Navy to expand electric vehicle charging options throughout Southern California.
Military reporter Andrew Dyer went to Naval Base San Diego to find out more.
Reporter: There are already more than one hundred charging stations for government vehicles on San Diego bases.. Rear Adm. Rosen: My government owned vehicle that i use for official business is a plug-in hybrid, and my staff and I are very excited to use that. Reporter: Rear Admiral Brad Rosen is the commander of Navy Region Southwest in San Diego. While there are a lot of government charging stations, there are just four locations to charge personally-owned vehicles on base. That’s about to change. The California Energy Commission agreed last month to help fund ten level two chargers and four level three charges on Naval Base San Diego for both personal and government vehicles.Rear Adm. Rosen: “So the california energy, commission, and navy region. Southwest, we signed a memorandum of understanding back in 2021, and it's really the first of its kind across the nation and we're very excited about it. Reporter: An executive order signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 directed the entire U.S. government to end purchases of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Andrew Dyer, KPBS News.
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Coming up.... We’ve got some composting tips for you. We’ll have that story and more, next, just after the break.
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When organic waste decomposes in the landfill, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Mallika Sen with the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation says that in the fight against climate change…
“Not everyone can afford to put solar on their roof, not everyone can afford to drive an electric car. So many of the solutions that I think get talked about… they’re not available to average people. Not sending your organics to the landfill and making sure you don’t waste food is something that each of us can do.”
And now the state is requiring residents and businesses to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to the landfill.
Many cities in the county are already collecting it, but the county’s largest city - San Diego, just recently began to roll out its program.
And here to answer some questions about how it’s working, is KPBS web producer, Brenden Tuccinardi. Brenden, welcome.
BRENDEN: “Hi Debbie. Happy to be here”
DEBBIE: Are all San Diegans required to compost now?
DEBBIE: I haven’t received my green bin yet. For anyone who also hasn’t yet, when can we expect them to be delivered?
DEBBIE: Do you have any composting tips for someone just starting?
DEBBIE: So when we compost, where does the organic waste go?
DEBBIE: How do we keep our green bins clean? I can imagine they can get pretty dirty after a while.
DEBBIE: Are there any other resources people can check out for more composting tips?
DEBBIE TAG: Thank you for all these great tips, Brenden. And thank you for joining us on the San Diego News Now podcast. Happy composting!
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S-D-S-U’s men's basketball team is in first place in the Mountain West conference, and fans are excited for what’s to come.
Reporter Jacob Aere spoke to S-D-S-U students ahead of college basketball’s March Madness tournament.
The San Diego State men's basketball team is currently 21-5 overall, and 12-2 in the Mountain West. With college basketball’s biggest games just around the corner, fans like junior Benjamin Fernando are ready to cheer on their team. “The students are getting excited, it's getting closer to the end of the season. And you can tell the campus is getting excited and that excitement is being heard.” Freshman Sydeny Gipson is excited to watch her first game in the student section … and for what's ahead. “Hopefully they make it to March Madness. That was interesting to watch last year, especially since I was coming here. So that'll be fun.” The Aztecs are in sole possession of first place in the Mountain West conference and have four games left in the regular season before conference playoffs. Then comes college basketball’s biggest stage – March Madness. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.
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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Tuesday.
