SAN DIEGO POLITICS AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
The biggest fraud and misconception of this saga is that the people of San Diego voted. That is misleading if not just plain wrong. If you were to look at the demographics in the city of San Diego. The Chargers home is based in Chula Vista and National City. Chargers fans are spread out everywhere but this election was only held only within the city limits. The other fans were shut out from the election. Let me breakdown the sad reality of this election.The vast majority were silenced by California district election laws.
FINAL RESULTS OF MEASURE C
Yes Votes 127,433
No Votes 168,677
The measure lost by 14%. The measure lost by 41,244 votes. The people who couldn't vote was around 295,595. There are 89 neighborhoods in San Diego. About 24 is all that could vote in this election.
9 districts within the city limit.
This was not an election by the people only a select few decided the fate of the San Diego Chargers.
The Nine districts within the city who could vote on Measure C
1. La Jolla, Torrey Pines and Carmel Mountain Councilwoman Person Barbara Bry
2. Mission and Ocean Beach City Councilwoman Lori Zaph
3. Balboa Park, University City, North and South Park City Councilman Chris Ward
4. Paradise Hills and Skyline City Councilwoman Myrtle Cole
5. Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, San Pasquel and Sabre Springs Councilman Mark Kersey
6. Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa and Miramar Councilman Chris Cate
7. Sierra Mesa, Tierrasanta Councilman Scott Sherman
8. Otay Mesa Councilman David Alvarez
9. Tallmadge, Rolando, City Heights and SDSU Councilman Scott Sherman
NEW RULE: "If you are going to take a position in opposing a proposed plan then you MUST have a alternative plan!!!
In November you have the power to change the way things are done in this city. You can make it a mandate on the people who failed you. Bry beat Ray Ellis (who was against project in 2016). Bry wasn't really involved in the measure besides speaking out against it but the responsibility wasn't hers at the time. The rest of the 8 should pay a price for their role in the failure of city government to accomplish the mission. Speak out with your friends and family. Tell your co-workers. Get involved if you have the time in their opponents campaign. MAKE A CHANGE!!!! #voteall8out
Oh well, It is what it is...
It is a citizen initiative. You can not consult with the city for their input because that is illegal. Because there was no county money involved just the city TOT the county was not allowed to vote. THIS was not a choice. The team knew it needed the county they also wanted all fans involved. They played by the rules of the laws of California. Once it is written and amended you can not make ANY changes to the amendment. This was a time limit issue to get written and submitted. It was rushed and then just sat at the voters doorstep. It was never campaigned for nor fought for. you can't grow a garden without sun and air. You can't pass a ballot initiative unless you defend it and fight for it.
So what happened is the team just let Tony Manolatos and April Boling spread lies and fear through social media. There is no fact checking on social media. They talked about schools, roads and police. Things people fear if unfunded. Comic Con leaving and the roads, school and police was meant to scare. Who cares if not a penny would be subjected to any of them. If you repeat something over and over people believe it. They don't look into if it's true or not.
The hoteliers used their might in 2008 to create the SDTMD, an agency that some argue collects money illegally. Lawsuits are challenging the 2 percent that the district collects from hotel guests. That figure is in addition to a 10.5 percent room tax and brings in $25 million a year. A couple of years later, the City Council extended the 2 percent levy for 40 years.
It's like the San Diego Tax Payers Assoc and Tourism and Marketing District. Well, now that seems like a good reliable companies. That is where April Boling use to work with Chris Cate previously. The CEO is Haney Hong
https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2015/dec/24/ticker-hoteliers-vs-san-diegans-open-government/
Hong wrote an email endorsing Cory Briggs measure D. Then he flipped and said it was way to risky. Tony Manolatos and Apex strategies = Former co workers and current clients the SD City Council. April Boling and Chris Cate along with the Mayor get major donations from the Hoteliers. Close to the Hoteliers Haney Hong and Steve Cushman. The Hoteliers are the San Diego Tourism and Marketing district. The group that raised the TOT and pocketed the money until the courts ruled it illegal. Money for their desires and hidden projects go through political PAC's.
A number of other high-profile hoteliers serve on the board, including John Schafer, area vice president and general manager of the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego; Colleen Anderson, general manager of the Omni San Diego Hotel; and John Gates, general manager of the Rancho Bernardo Inn.
The Tourism Authority also boasts a number of big hoteliers on its board. Among them are Dania Duke, general manager of the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine; Joe Eustice, general manager of the Wyndham San Diego Bayside; and Tuni Kyi, general manager of the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. Briggs challenged it in court and won. Same people stay in charge, loss of millions from SD Tax payers and the tax was removed.
The Chargers are offering a 1% tax more, give them half cost of expanding convention center and a public vote. Yet, the Mayor and Council seem to be appalled at the offer.
The chairman of the SD Tourism and Marketing district is none other than......
That my friends is why nothing gets done in this city. There are all corrupt and ran by the hoteliers and special interest groups. It was a battle of all of them VS the fan groups and Charger fans. We never stood a chance.
So here we are it is September and the team has done nothing but run 2 commercials with Fouts and Enberg doing voice overs. No rally's and no town halls. entering 5 months of anti stadium propaganda, For the fan groups there was one bright side coming. It was football season.
and I had a debate to prepare for.
Now to be fair. Dean never made a connection with powerful business leaders in San Diego. He never reached out to the community and bridged a relationship with them. He had an eliteness attitude Towards the media who frames the argument for the public. The one Larry Lucchino type of figure who could have stepped in and accomplished this mission he fired in 2009. In business and in life in general a practice I try my best to live bye is never burn a bridge. Later in life you may need that person or need to work with that person. Dean lived a life of isolation in San Diego from 1984 to the present. Hell. even the fans who loved his team never felt a connection with him. Any feelings they did have were negative because of his personality. He shielded himself among the most powerful people in San Diego. He treated former players with the same discontent. In 2016 when he needed them the most they were purposely absent. "The Legends" of former players mostly being absent was because of their ill will towards Dean. That says about the way the team handled themselves during their 32 years of ownership in San Diego.
Often I see people want to blame one and not the other. This was a 50-50 proposition, The city and the team failed beyond belief. There was no leadership and no vision. When an outsider like the NFL became involved in the details they saw how this get fucked up beyond any recognition. The fans should get a Nobel Peace Prize for their patience and loyalty. Anyone who thinks the fans or the citizens of San Diego had any blame in this fiasco is IGNORANT!
SEPTEMBER 2016....WAITING FOR THE KNOCKOUT PUNCH
It was no secret with anyone that the measure was losing badly. The people who control this city were laughing at the situation. The team basically went into a boxing ring and danced around. They never threw a punch. It was Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks. We fought on our asses off but if the the main players don't try then our efforts were fruitless. The city strategy was have this fail and then compose a better deal for the city. That strategy was wrong and failed. How could Dean stay in San Diego and let the Raiders move into LA? I don't blame them for the decision I would have done the same. Where else was he going to play? The soon to be Tijuana Chargers? Funny thing is Tijuana probably wouldn't have token 15 years to build a stadium.
I went to one of the very few training sessions for volunteers that I had the team setup for a few personal volunteers that we had. We had hundreds of people sign up on the campaign website and were never contacted for help. That was a major indictment on the teams sincerity in this effort. At the training, I explained to the teams campaign manager ( who was from the East Coast not even a san diegan) Andy Demers about how important it was for the team to represent themselves and attend "Politifest". A weekend long debate at SDSU involving on the issues on the ballot. It is put on bty a popular local internet news source ran by Scott Lewis called The Voice of San Diego.
I was told to call Fred Maas directly and discuss it with him. He wanted representation there as well and we both thought this was very important with the election so close and knowing we were getting blown out thus far.
Maas explained the team would be out of town that week for the Chargers vs Colts game in Indianapolis. He recommended that myself and another member of the fan groups to go and officially represent the team at the political convention debate. " You know more about the plan than almost we do. We would like to to do it on our behalf.
I thought Jason Riggs would be perfect as well to do this with me. Jason was a big SDSU supporter and this was on the SDSU Campus. He is also well educated and well spoken on all the issues from running the SD Stadium Coalition for 6 years now. The team sent Marcela Escobar-Eck, Chargers adviser, and land-use consultant to make our side a 3 person panel like the opposition. The debate would be moderated by Scott Lewis, CEO, Voice of San Diego.
I have never studied so hard for anything in my life like I did this debate. Mark gave me the entire 119 pages of the measure to study. Jason and I went to meet with Mark two days before the event near his house in La Jolla. He was trying to get Mayor to endorse that day and we'd be able announce it at the event but that like everything else got delayed a week.
I asked Mark when they were all leaving for Indy? He laughed, there no trip. "Fred Maas just thinks Chris Cate is an asshole he didn't want to do it." You guys know the plan just as good as us.The team couldn't even attend the biggest political debate in this city that was being held just 6 weeks before the election because Chris Cate is an asshole?They gave up!! But to be honest did they even start something to give up.? It's been 5 months of NOTHING but two town hall meetings, one rally and a couple of commercials thrown together.Dean spent the 10 million he budgeted but the majority of that budget was spent on getting the initiative on the ballot, the expensive per signature expense and paying Maas and Fabiani high payroll. Mark is rumored to make 74,000 a month just from the Dean Spanos.The entire 2 years of this fiasco was the Charger fans trying to rescue the tea. The City and the Team failed at every step of the way. At least from the time we got involved in Nov 2014 to Jan 12, 2017. November 8th. Instead of Measure C we should have named it Measure Cluster Fuck. At least then it would have been a honest appropriately named ballot that the city voters would vote on in November.
Here is an article on the debate and the one hour video of the debate it self. I'd like to add Cate says the city had no input on the preplan. In a citizen initiative it's illegal to consult with the city before releasing the plan. I talked to Cory Briggs the night before to verify my facts. I consulted my mentor on the stage in text messages before the debate. If you see me looking at my phone that what I'm doing. They said to stay calm you got this. Yea, my calm lasted about 15 minutes as you can see. I was emotional and angry. It was a bad performance and I was really disappointed in myself. I came across as angry and I lost my composure.Although, I did get into Cate head because in the end he didn't even want to look my way or speak anymore. You will hear Cate saying keep saying let's do another plan.From the teams standpoint this election is a pass-fail proposal. It's DDAY On November 8, 2016.That urgency was never really communicated in this process from either side and it should have been. It was a vital reason this was such a failure.
So it was finally football season. Everyone knew the team had to win in order to help support the Measure. Of course it got off to a bad start when John Spanos bundled the whole Joey Bosa contract and holdout saga. The contracts are base set now with the new CBA and they couldn't even get the offset language sorted out. Again they looked like a laughing stock at a time they could ill afford anymore criticism. Going into the election the team was 4-5. They finished at 5-11 along with a terrible road loss to the Cleveland Browns. Their only win in 2 years was against the Chargers. Thanks for the help gentleman appreciate it.
As the debate approached I never felt more ready to have it out with Chris Cate. FINALLY, we could address all the lies and misconceptions from the Measure. I let my emotions get the best of me. i was stunned how these three people could just sit there and lie so easily to people. I will regrettably post the link here. That is Jason Riggs and Marcela next to me. Jason did a great job handling himself as I was melting down in anger and frustration.
The did have a few points that we knew would be a problem. The Mayor's failure to deal with the homeless situation in East Village was reaching a major health crises. The data was provided to Save Our Bolts at our request and they were mind numbing and heartbreaking in the results.
The numbers are the amount of homeless in 1 night in their target areas which were N.E. of East Village to Northern Market St, S.E. area east of Park Ave but south of Market St to West of Park Ave and south of Market St.
843 homeless, 113 North of East Village, 475 SE of East Village and 31 SW of the East Village. This is the heart of where the team wanted to build a billion dollar stadium. Where would these people go? This data should have everyone ashamed in charge of leadership and citizens screaming at the city leaders to get off their ass and do something. If you care to help, I would lead you to The Alpha Project for donations 3737 5th Avenue Ste 203 SD, CA 619-542-1877.
For my effort in the debate and because I felt like shit for losing my composure a bit. Mark Fabiani gave me 2 tickets to Dean Spanos Owners Suite for the Saints game. As a fan, this was an unreal experience. I went from barely being able to afford tickets in the upper deck to sitting with the Owners in their luxury suite. The all you can eat buffet and alcohol was a added cherry on the pie.
The election was 1 month away. The teams polling data had..
Strongly for 37,000
Leaning for 59,000
Leaning against 48,000
Strongly against 10,000
We knew we were going to get blasted out of the water. But in public we had to not let that on. Maybe just maybe the yes and people who don't normally vote could sway the numbers our way. Dean was beginning to say in the media "Well, the vote will tell me something. If it's 50%, that says one thing and if it's under 50% that tells me another". In the very beginning of this series I stated the most vital point in all of this.
If this is a vote to keep the Chargers in San Diego and build a new stadium, WE WIN IN A LANDSLIDE.
If this ends up being a mandate on Dean Spanos,we're going to get anal raped by the vote.
You can put any measure or proposal out into the public. If you don't stand behind it and campaign for it then you will lose. The Chargers grabbed a failed proposal from 2009 then made it a city vote with a citizen initiative. They turned it over to the fan groups to campaign for it and then went about their business. They at that point could call the NFL and say "We tried our best and allocated $10 million dollars of Dean money to the cause. We had no support from our city leaders and our attendance is dwindling down every season. We need the NFL help!"
As the election drew closer and closer, I was getting grumpier and grumpier. Let alone the 3 life saving surgeries I had to go through during the process. We planned to gather at Cali Comfort BBQ on Election Night. The media would all be there and we had to address them and the fans that evening. Thank god Cali Comfort serves a lot of beer.
In Part 4 the final part of this series it will include Dean calling my cell phone, Election Night, I privately lose my temper with the team and the fan groups get honored for our efforts of the field before the Chargers-Bucs Game. We'll remember that day January 12, 2017 as well.
Thank for your reading!
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