It’s memorandum time in the city of San Diego’s budget saga. Councilmembers may be headed for a historic standoff with the mayor. We’ll do a little history lesson to show how interesting it could get. 

 

Only 58 percent of San Diego Unified high schoolers are on track to graduate. Rather than get them on track, they’ve decided to create a new track

It&rsquo;s memorandum time in the city of San Diego&rsquo;s budget saga. Councilmembers may be headed for a historic standoff with the mayor. We&rsquo;ll do a little history lesson to show how interesting it could get.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Only 58 percent of San Diego Unified high schoolers are on track to graduate. Rather than get them on track, they&rsquo;ve decided to create a new track

This is Voice of San Diego’s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.

This is Voice of San Diego&rsquo;s weekly spitfire roundup of news. We cover local and regional politics, the environment, education, the border and more. This show features our investigative reporting and interviews with lawmakers and other special guests.

Voice of San Diego Podcast

Gloria's Budget is Still the Story

On this week's podcast episode, our hosts explain how two county supervisors are proposing the region address the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

As our MacKenzie Elmer reported, San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra-Lawson Remer think the county, and the county taxpayer, should treat the river.

We unpack their proposal on the show.

We also have updates: First up, two bills we were following related to the Midway Rising project are sitting on the governor's desk. Next, a scandal involving a former sheriff's deputy with a history of assaulting women blew up days after we reported on his new job as a chaplain. Lastly, new developments related to the Islamic Center shooting and the breakdown of the Muslim community's relationship with City Hall.

 

On this week's podcast episode, our hosts explain how two county supervisors are proposing the region address the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
As our <a href="https://voiceofsandiego.org/2026/08/31/two-supes-think-county-should-own-tijuana-river-pollution-crisis/">MacKenzie Elmer reported</a>, San Diego County Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra-Lawson Remer think the county, and the county taxpayer, should treat the river.
We unpack their proposal on the show.
We also have updates: First up, two bills we were following related to the Midway Rising project are sitting on the governor's desk. Next, a scandal involving a former sheriff's deputy with a history of assaulting women blew up days after we reported on his new job as a chaplain. Lastly, new developments related to the Islamic Center shooting and the breakdown of the Muslim community's relationship with City Hall.
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We Got a Border Sewage Plan

On this episode of the VOSD Podcast, host Scott Lewis sits down with Michael Zucchet, general manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association.

They get into pension underfunding and the failed 2024 sales tax measure. (Oh yeah, this is a very nerdy episode.) They also unpack a heated debate over whether San Diego’s workforce is bloated — as some critics claim — or stretched thin by hundreds of new parks and services added since 2015.

Also on the show: They also get into labor costs and pensions, a trash-bin “lid lifter” mandate and questions over the Port Commission’s handling of Harbor Island.

0:00 Intro
1:10 The City's Pension Underfunding History
5:25 Revenue Measures: Trash Fee & Hotel Tax
7:57 Sales Tax Attempts & the 2024 Measure
11:25 Debating the City's Workforce Size
15:50 Budget Cuts in the "Era of Austerity"
24:15 Clarifying What Layoffs Really Mean
27:20 The City's Reactive Budget Cycle
30:31 New Revenue Ideas & Rollout Growing Pains
35:46 Labor Costs, Pensions & Wages
43:58 The "Lid Lifters" Trash Bin Controversy
47:10 New Parks Without New Staff
50:24 Port Commission & Harbor Island
52:58 Closing & Credits

On this episode of the VOSD Podcast, host Scott Lewis sits down with Michael Zucchet, general manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association.
They get into pension underfunding and the failed 2024 sales tax measure. (Oh yeah, this is a very nerdy episode.) They also unpack a heated debate over whether San Diego&rsquo;s workforce is bloated &mdash; as some critics claim &mdash; or stretched thin by hundreds of new parks and services added since 2015.
Also on the show: They also get into labor costs and pensions, a trash-bin &ldquo;lid lifter&rdquo; mandate and questions over the Port Commission&rsquo;s handling of Harbor Island.
0:00 Intro 1:10 The City's Pension Underfunding History 5:25 Revenue Measures: Trash Fee &amp; Hotel Tax 7:57 Sales Tax Attempts &amp; the 2024 Measure 11:25 Debating the City's Workforce Size 15:50 Budget Cuts in the "Era of Austerity" 24:15 Clarifying What Layoffs Really Mean 27:20 The City's Reactive Budget Cycle 30:31 New Revenue Ideas &amp; Rollout Growing Pains 35:46 Labor Costs, Pensions &amp; Wages 43:58 The "Lid Lifters" Trash Bin Controversy 47:10 New Parks Without New Staff 50:24 Port Commission &amp; Harbor Island 52:58 Closing &amp; Credits

Mike Zucchet Wants to Cut City Services

On this bonus episode of the VOSD Podcast, the crew sits down with Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant. They discuss efforts to revitalize downtown's Civic Center, including a planned partnership between the city of San Diego, San Diego Community College District, and possibly, the San Diego Unified School District.



Also on the show: The crumbling state of City Hall and a nod to Balboa Park needing similar attention.



0:00 Intro & Guest Welcome
4:41 History of Redevelopment Attempts
14:08 Three Moves: Experts, Buildings, Vision
15:21 San Diego Unified Declines to Join the JPA
21:59 What Is a JPA? (Explainer)
26:48 The Vision for the Civic Center
34:23 Callback: Joe LaCava's Hot Take
41:43 City Hall's Physical Dysfunction
44:05 Grant's Hot Take: Balboa Park & a Treasures Tax
47:07 Closing & Sign-Off

On this bonus episode of the VOSD Podcast, the crew sits down with Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant. They discuss efforts to revitalize downtown's Civic Center, including a planned partnership between the city of San Diego, San Diego Community College District, and possibly, the San Diego Unified School District.
 
Also on the show: The crumbling state of City Hall and a nod to Balboa Park needing similar attention.

0:00 Intro &amp; Guest Welcome 4:41 History of Redevelopment Attempts 14:08 Three Moves: Experts, Buildings, Vision 15:21 San Diego Unified Declines to Join the JPA 21:59 What Is a JPA? (Explainer) 26:48 The Vision for the Civic Center 34:23 Callback: Joe LaCava's Hot Take 41:43 City Hall's Physical Dysfunction 44:05 Grant's Hot Take: Balboa Park &amp; a Treasures Tax 47:07 Closing &amp; Sign-Off

Gloria's Budget is Still the Story

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