The Callen Report
By Kate Callen
The September 26 Coastal San Diego Candidates Forum was a trip back in time to an era when politicians sat down with constituents to talk, listen, and learn.
Using a “speed-dating” layout, eight election-year contenders rotated around eight tables to converse with 80 community members. This interactive format was not
conducive to sloganeering. Constituents could challenge political spin – and they did.
Some takeaways:
Who Showed Up: The only incumbent was County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. Challengers were Larry Turner (SD Mayor), Heather Ferbert (City Attorney), and James Browne (CA Assembly District 77).
Who Didn’t Show: Kevin Faulconer, Todd Gloria, Brian Maienschein, and Tasha Boerner.
Measure E: Dueling presenters on San Diego’s proposed sales tax hike were Michael Zucchet of the SD Municipal Employees Association (for) and Haney Hong of the SD County Taxpayers Association (against). Zucchet made a valiant effort, but this audience had no love for City Hall, so Haney carried the day.
Scorecard: Feedback sheets were provided to capture audience views on contender strengths and weaknesses. This was a chance to focus on the person behind the
rhetoric. Here, with thanks to host Pacific Beach Town Council for rapid analysis, are results:
Terra Lawson-Remer: Sincere policy wonk; understands economics and the law; worked with Obama administration. Needs shortened and unrehearsed answers.
Larry Turner: Independent and realistic; high energy; fun to engage with; experience with police-community relations; opposes career politicians. Lack of governance experience; may have trouble building coalitions.
Heather Ferbert: Honest and balanced; fast thinker; understands City Attorney’s role; good relationship with SDPD Chief Scott Wahl. Doesn’t always take accountability for Mara Elliott’s record; not strong enough on short-term vacation rentals.
James Browne: Energetic and passionate; took a more restrictive position on homelessness, gas tax, and taxes in general. Slightly concerning lack of experience or background relevant to office.
Michael Zucchet: Dutifully listened to opposing views; wants new tax dollars used for roads and infrastructure; appreciate him coming out – tough job to defend this. Used factually incorrect statements to support his arguments
Haney Hong: Knowledgeable, honest, and sincere; passionate about holding government fiscally accountable. No weaknesses reported.
James Fontaine for Prop 36: The Deputy DA advocated to increase sentences for drug and theft crimes. He was viewed as direct, articulate, and well-informed on what the measure can and cannot do. No weaknesses were reported; the audience heavily favored Prop 36.
Scott Peters Sends A Sub: The incumbent Congressman wasn’t there, but neither was challenger Peter Bono. Peters aide Jason Bercovitch won high marks for being
transparent and highly knowledgeable about the Tijuana sewage crisis (audience comment: “WE messed up, not Mexico.”). On the negative side: Peters has access
to appropriate authorities but with minimal results.
Why the Forum Mattered: These 80 constituents were opinion leaders with substantial influence. “These are people who will talk to their neighbors, they will advocate,” said Michael Herndon of the PB Town Council. Other organizers were the Ocean Beach Community Foundation, the Mission Beach and La Jolla Town
Councils, and the Peninsula Planning Group. Representatives of Neighbors for a Better San Diego were a welcome addition.
A Great Night, Except…: Circling around the tables throughout the forum, I saw an abundance of courtesy in the room. I also saw an all-too-familiar pattern: In general, men talked more than women, they talked louder than women, and they talked over women (the gentlemen at Table 7, yes, this means you.) There is ample cause to be outraged at elected officials. But when an occasion calls for civil discourse and mutual respect, you need to leave your fury in the parking lot.
Excellent accounting of the event, Kate. The list of who did not show jumped out at me the most. The first three have the egos to believe they don’t need to engage. Not sure about Boerner.
Great event summary Kate! I hope OB Rag readers share this article with colleagues, family and friends. We enjoyed putting this event together and plan on doing it again. We should have invited the speakers to weigh in on their experience too! My apologies to all for Table 7. It’s hard to hear the message through their anger, and equally hard to hear the answers to their questions when consumed by anger. The rest of us heard.
Hi Denise. Could you name the folks in the photo for us and I can add them in a caption?
Here you go Frank. From Left to right: Cathie Jolley, James Browne, Larry Turner, Denise Friedman, Charlie Nieto, Karl Rand, Marcella Bothwell, Jason Bercovitch, Michael Herndon, and Andrea Schlageter.
Thank you Kate for covering the event! We’re so glad you were there!
Maienschein/ Ferbert will be a hard choice. Maienschein never responded to a question I asked. A TOSD article indicated he’d be collecting a city pension while actively working for the city. Ferbert’s campaign manager is Rottenstreich and a conflict of interest with the Midway Rising deal.
Associating with that scumbag is all I need to know about her.
Thx very much Kate for writing this up. Really good info. Love your closing paragraph. Thx!
I would like to double down on Kate’s excellent report. The only difference I would like to see at the forum, which is one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time, is perhaps 15 minutes per table.
I was mostly interested in the mayoral position candidates. I sometimes get the impression that Mayor Gloria feels like his base is strong enough to win the day for him, much like Campbell. So, very unimpressive absence. My main concern with candidate Turner is the total absence of relevant education and experience. San Diego’s 2025 budget is about $5.8B. Corporations of similar size, the Gap, Hertz Global, and others have CEO’s who have earned and proven their way into those positions. When I asked Turner about his qualifications, he immediately pivoted to his plan for a weak mayor and city manager, along with many other experts he would rely on. There have been a number of letters to the UT editor also suggesting a return to city manager. We know Gloria will never entertain the idea. So, this is a big plus for Turn, if he follows through and does this. I also brought up the perennial understaffed police department. He referenced the large percent of calls that are related to homelessness, parroting what Councilmember Sean Elo Rivera has said, but the understaffing has goes back well before there was the huge number of homeless we have now. The other point I will add regards his lack of mention of his experience in the Marine Corp. As a Lt. Col. he might have had some relevant experience that he mentioned to others. If he did, it would be helpful to learn what that was. All in all, I concluded that we are better to stay with what we know, Gloria, rather than risk the possibility of a trump like mess with Turner.
I truly do not understand how anyone could want round two of Gloria. Another four years and this city will be unrecognizable beyond the damage is has already done. Ash St, the southeast neighborhoods that flooded due to his lack of routine maintenance (many people still have nowhere to live as a direct result of his failure), the obvious pay to play with Midway Rising, the state of our roads, his complete lack of caring what his constituents think, the fact that he is a career politician who has never held a job outside of government, I could go on. I truly do not understand. And yet you bring up Trump as if that has anything to do with the current issues and problems in our city.
A big part of that understaffing was the loss of officers from Todd’s insistence on vaccine mandates. Many transferred out of the city or retired early to avoid that. Then at the last second after the damage was done, Todd backed off on the mandate. This was well after everything was fully open.
I don’t care what your or there convictions are about vaccines, if a large percentage of our first responders are threatening to leave over it, you listen.
We know the mess Gloria has made in one term, and you worry about a mess with Turner? Challenges will remain, doubling down on Toad is unacceptable for me. I would like a city government that is proactive and responsive instead of making excuses when they get caught with their pants down.