After causing a lot of outrage from San Diegans, Mayor Todd Gloria has revised his budget cuts for the 2027 fiscal year. Bret and Veronica talked about the new budget with City Councilmember Steven Whitburn.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
After taking heat from residents during the last few weeks,
San Diego Mayor Todd Lawis revised his plan for big
budget cuts in an effort to eliminate an estimated one
hundred and eighteen million dollar deficit next fiscal year.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
His revised spending plan restores funding for December nights in
Balboa Park.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It eases some of.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The cutbacks on rec centers and libraries, but it does
not restore funding to the yards.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
On the Coco News liveline is City Councilman Steve Woodburn.
Welcome back to San Diego's Morning News.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Thank you, Veronica, Good morning, Good morning Brat, glad to
be here.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, give us your reaction.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
You know, there's some things that have changed with the
mayor's budget plan.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So what are you thinking, Well, it's a step of
the right direction. There was some good dus that there.
Certainly the restoration of the job of the person who
coretdates to separate heights at Balboa Park. Bal Ball Park
does cost money for the city to put on. It
costs about a billion and a half dollars in a
budget crisis year. I understand that you could make the
(00:58):
argument that the separate heights is dot a core service
of the city. But I think Cliff Albert in his
piece a few minutes ago, did a really good job
of capturing how important December Nights is to so many
San Diego's I asked the mayor, this is my district,
Bulbo a Park. I asked the mayor, let's keep Bulbo
Park at December nites. And I really appreciate the fact
(01:20):
that he restored that in the Bay revise, So that's good.
I think the big question going forward is what happens
to funding for arts organizations. There was no restoration of
the twelve million dollars that the city gives to arts
and culture organizations. Now that money is really important. That money.
(01:41):
A lot of people don't know this, but the money
that comes from the city of grants to those organizations,
a lot of that goes to education programs for the
kids and their schools, music education, arts education. Inviting kids
from disadvantaged communities to come to see a play or
listen to a Concertspier's kids. It keeps them passionate about
(02:03):
that kind of stuff and not getting into games or
whatever else you know they might otherwise be attracted to
doing so it has a real benefit to the city.
I think every council member wants to increase funding for
the arts. The big question what to watch is where
does that mney come from?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, very very good question.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
City Councilman Steve Whitburn joining us on San Diego's Morning News.
You know, the mayor's new plan also restores funding for
maintenance at a few public restrooms near the beaches. In dozens
of other public bathrooms could be impacted as well. So
our question has to do with past history, and that
is do you worry that it could end up triggering
(02:41):
an outbreak of hepatitis A much like we had in
twenty seventeen. Four hundred people then became infected, fifteen died,
and according to the city's website, it was blamed on
poor sanitation. And here you go limited access to public restrooms.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
That has been a big topic of debate in my
district because addition to represent a Belboa Park, I also
represent out towd and that is where we've had a
lot of people who have been living on the streets.
The big difference between then and now is that I
have thought really hard to help people get off the
streets and into shelters and into safe sleeping sites. We
(03:18):
have fewer people on the streets though, and if we
can and all those people have access to bathrooms in
the safe sleeping sites in the shelters. So if we
can say, look, I mean a lot of the people
who used to be on the streets are at a
better place now they have bathrooms. There are fewer people
on the streets today, and we don't need as many bathrooms.
(03:40):
I think that's a fair argument. I'm okay with that.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
We are talking to City Councilman Steve wood Burn about
the new revised budget for the City of San Diego.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here for just a
bit because I've heard this argument.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
While we love the arts, if it.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Came down to we've got to cut something arts or
maybe lease and fire, you know, people are saying, well,
we can't, you know, we can't not be protected.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Do you see a way we can do both?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
That is what we're going to be hearing for the
next month is can we do both? Doesn't have to
be either or, And that's an open question for Veronica.
If there is no change at all in the city's
budget picture, then you know the money for the arts
is going to have to come from somewhere else, and
there's no easy places to get it from that everybody
(04:32):
is going to agree on. We may be able to
get five people, a majority of this City of Council
to do it and to agree on it. There's a
couple other things that we could look at as well.
What is the state of California up at Sacramento. They
are looking at the budget right now as well for
the state. If the state legislature comes up with more
(04:52):
money for cities, including San Diego, and we end up
having more money in our budget, I think one of
the first places that that would go would be to
helping to restore some of this arts and culture funding.
You know, people may say, well, this is what we
use reserves for. If they want to tap into reserves
to support some arts and culture funding. Other people will
(05:14):
argue that that's not a fiscally good practice. We're going
to hear all of that. I think it's an open
question what happens.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Was San Diego as a city affected by federal cuts
and do you think that the political will and Sacramento
would be to kind of restore some of those cuts
that maybe the stake can come to the rescue.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
The federal government has impacted San Diego's finances, certainly around
homelessness and housing affordability. Those are a couple of areas
where federal constant added impact here. It does make what
happens in Sacramento all the more important. In Sacramento, we
have a legislature that buy and large, wants to address hopelessness,
(05:57):
wants to address housing affordability. The state legislature, initially well
the governor's initial proposal significantly cuts funding for homeless services.
The state legislature is looking at restoring some of that.
If they restore some of that money and that helps
to pay for some of our homeless services, that perhaps
(06:17):
we have a little bit more money in another bucket
that we could put towards the arts. There's just a
lot of different moving pieces right now, So I just
don't know how this is going to play out. I
think what the state legislature does could be important, and
then the broader conversation around Okay, we all agree that
we want to put more money in the arts, Where
can we find a cut that everybody could live with.
(06:40):
That's what we're going to be hearing for the next
month that I'll tell you next Monday, Monday evening at
six o'clock, the City Council is going to have a
special hearing. Everybody listening right now is welcome to call
in or cut down to council chambers, let us know
what you think we should do about the arts or
any other part of the city budget.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And by the way, anyone can call it Cogo line
which is on our iHeartRadio app, and let us know
that way too. Counselmate Stephen Whitburn, thank you so much,
Thank you, counselman.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Always by pressure. Thank you, thank you, thank you for
that is.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
San Diego Cidy. Councilman Stephen Whitburn,
After taking heat from residents during the last few weeks,
San Diego Mayor Todd Lawis revised his plan for big
budget cuts in an effort to eliminate an estimated one
hundred and eighteen million dollar deficit next fiscal year.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
His revised spending plan restores funding for December nights in
Balboa Park.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It eases some of.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
The cutbacks on rec centers and libraries, but it does
not restore funding to the yards.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
On the Coco News liveline is City Councilman Steve Woodburn.
Welcome back to San Diego's Morning News.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Thank you, Veronica, Good morning, Good morning Brat, glad to
be here.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, give us your reaction.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
You know, there's some things that have changed with the
mayor's budget plan.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
So what are you thinking, Well, it's a step of
the right direction. There was some good dus that there.
Certainly the restoration of the job of the person who
coretdates to separate heights at Balboa Park. Bal Ball Park
does cost money for the city to put on. It
costs about a billion and a half dollars in a
budget crisis year. I understand that you could make the
(00:58):
argument that the separate heights is dot a core service
of the city. But I think Cliff Albert in his
piece a few minutes ago, did a really good job
of capturing how important December Nights is to so many
San Diego's I asked the mayor, this is my district,
Bulbo a Park. I asked the mayor, let's keep Bulbo
Park at December nites. And I really appreciate the fact
(01:20):
that he restored that in the Bay revise, So that's good.
I think the big question going forward is what happens
to funding for arts organizations. There was no restoration of
the twelve million dollars that the city gives to arts
and culture organizations. Now that money is really important. That money.
(01:41):
A lot of people don't know this, but the money
that comes from the city of grants to those organizations,
a lot of that goes to education programs for the
kids and their schools, music education, arts education. Inviting kids
from disadvantaged communities to come to see a play or
listen to a Concertspier's kids. It keeps them passionate about
(02:03):
that kind of stuff and not getting into games or
whatever else you know they might otherwise be attracted to
doing so it has a real benefit to the city.
I think every council member wants to increase funding for
the arts. The big question what to watch is where
does that mney come from?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Yeah, very very good question.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
City Councilman Steve Whitburn joining us on San Diego's Morning News.
You know, the mayor's new plan also restores funding for
maintenance at a few public restrooms near the beaches. In dozens
of other public bathrooms could be impacted as well. So
our question has to do with past history, and that
is do you worry that it could end up triggering
(02:41):
an outbreak of hepatitis A much like we had in
twenty seventeen. Four hundred people then became infected, fifteen died,
and according to the city's website, it was blamed on
poor sanitation. And here you go limited access to public restrooms.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
That has been a big topic of debate in my
district because addition to represent a Belboa Park, I also
represent out towd and that is where we've had a
lot of people who have been living on the streets.
The big difference between then and now is that I
have thought really hard to help people get off the
streets and into shelters and into safe sleeping sites. We
(03:18):
have fewer people on the streets though, and if we
can and all those people have access to bathrooms in
the safe sleeping sites in the shelters. So if we
can say, look, I mean a lot of the people
who used to be on the streets are at a
better place now they have bathrooms. There are fewer people
on the streets today, and we don't need as many bathrooms.
(03:40):
I think that's a fair argument. I'm okay with that.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
We are talking to City Councilman Steve wood Burn about
the new revised budget for the City of San Diego.
I'm going to play devil's advocate here for just a
bit because I've heard this argument.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
While we love the arts, if it.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Came down to we've got to cut something arts or
maybe lease and fire, you know, people are saying, well,
we can't, you know, we can't not be protected.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Do you see a way we can do both?
Speaker 4 (04:09):
That is what we're going to be hearing for the
next month is can we do both? Doesn't have to
be either or, And that's an open question for Veronica.
If there is no change at all in the city's
budget picture, then you know the money for the arts
is going to have to come from somewhere else, and
there's no easy places to get it from that everybody
(04:32):
is going to agree on. We may be able to
get five people, a majority of this City of Council
to do it and to agree on it. There's a
couple other things that we could look at as well.
What is the state of California up at Sacramento. They
are looking at the budget right now as well for
the state. If the state legislature comes up with more
(04:52):
money for cities, including San Diego, and we end up
having more money in our budget, I think one of
the first places that that would go would be to
helping to restore some of this arts and culture funding.
You know, people may say, well, this is what we
use reserves for. If they want to tap into reserves
to support some arts and culture funding. Other people will
(05:14):
argue that that's not a fiscally good practice. We're going
to hear all of that. I think it's an open
question what happens.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
That's a good point.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Was San Diego as a city affected by federal cuts
and do you think that the political will and Sacramento
would be to kind of restore some of those cuts
that maybe the stake can come to the rescue.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
The federal government has impacted San Diego's finances, certainly around
homelessness and housing affordability. Those are a couple of areas
where federal constant added impact here. It does make what
happens in Sacramento all the more important. In Sacramento, we
have a legislature that buy and large, wants to address hopelessness,
(05:57):
wants to address housing affordability. The state legislature, initially well
the governor's initial proposal significantly cuts funding for homeless services.
The state legislature is looking at restoring some of that.
If they restore some of that money and that helps
to pay for some of our homeless services, that perhaps
(06:17):
we have a little bit more money in another bucket
that we could put towards the arts. There's just a
lot of different moving pieces right now, So I just
don't know how this is going to play out. I
think what the state legislature does could be important, and
then the broader conversation around Okay, we all agree that
we want to put more money in the arts, Where
can we find a cut that everybody could live with.
(06:40):
That's what we're going to be hearing for the next
month that I'll tell you next Monday, Monday evening at
six o'clock, the City Council is going to have a
special hearing. Everybody listening right now is welcome to call
in or cut down to council chambers, let us know
what you think we should do about the arts or
any other part of the city budget.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And by the way, anyone can call it Cogo line
which is on our iHeartRadio app, and let us know
that way too. Counselmate Stephen Whitburn, thank you so much,
Thank you, counselman.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
Always by pressure. Thank you, thank you, thank you for
that is.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
San Diego Cidy. Councilman Stephen Whitburn,
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