Funding restored for parks, libraries

Today we’re starting off with a significant piece of unexpected good news: after a nail-biter of a lead-up to the San Diego City Council’s budget vote and weeks of testimonials from residents, the council voted to retain funding for public-good programs such as parks, libraries, and fire safety.

However, there is a cloud on the horizon: some of the funding depends on revenue streams that have yet to be approved. Despite this, the vote has offered a shot of confidence to many San Diegans who were in the process of resigning themselves to a much diminished region. (I have no qualms about admitting my extremely strong pro-library and pro-books bias, so I am personally quite happy.)

That’s a big story, but we have others today as well: San Diegans are also rallying against a new slate of travel bans instituted by the Trump administration, the local FBI and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children offer an update in a cold case, and longtime La Mesa mayor and beloved public servant Art Madrid has passed away at the age of 90.

Finally, our opinion piece offers a meditation on the difference between what you often see in today’s coverage and reality, particularly in Los Angeles this week. It’s something to keep in mind as you see what is said about ongoing protests versus what’s happening on the ground.

As I’m also an old Los Angeles breaking news and crime beat reporter, its author and I share a lot of similar experiences; in fact, I covered the events he references here as well, and remember vividly the disconnect between the national rhetoric and what we witnessed back then.

It didn’t go well for anybody back 2007, but perhaps we can create a new, brighter future now.

Thoughts? Opinions? Let us know what you think by emailing news@timesofsandiego.com.