Well, I guess we know where District 3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn stands on a key issue for San Diego — short-term rentals.
An association of San Diego’s short-term rental owners is throwing a fundraising for him this week. Whitburn is running for re-election and the Short-Term Rental Alliance (SDSTRA) “is delighted to invite you to a special fundraising event.” Their invite states “Your support is crucial in ensuring that Councilmember Whitburn can continue his dedicated service to our community.”
Wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres and hobnobbing with the councilman are the draws and then you too can ” learn more about his vision for the future of District 3, and network with other community members who share your commitment to a thriving San Diego,” — read mingle with other owners of short-term rentals and learn how to keep local electeds at your fingertips.
Whitburn is running against political upstart, homeless advocate and attorney Coleen Cusack — Cusack made the Primary so she does have support within District 3.
Actually Cusack is endorsed and supported by a whole range of organizations — plus she received the endorsement of the Union-Tribune editorial staff.
While Cusack advocates for more housing for the very needy and regular San Diegans, Whitburn is supported and endorsed by a special interest that is actually reducing housing stock for San Diegans. It’s an accepted fact that short-term rentals have eaten into the housing available for renters in San Diego.
And here are the groups endorsing Coleen:
No worse than Toni Atkins with Jenn LeSar. No conflict there, huh?
How to know if a candidate is in someone’s pocket? Look who is throwing fundraising parties for them. Sadly, his district has some of the worst homeless problems too. We should picket the fundraiser.
Balboa Park
Bankers Hill/Park West
Downtown
Golden Hill
Hillcrest
Little Italy
Middletown
Mission Hills
North Park
South Park
University Heights
We get what they pay for — unless we vote them out.
I am curious. Are there any members of the SDSTR Alliance from the hotel workers union whose president, Bridgette Browning, was key to the STR ordinance “compromise.” Probably not, since some of the residents of San Diego most impacted by the presence of short term rentals are these hotel workers, who are at the low end of the socio-economic scale. It is these hotel workers who are paying forty to sixty percent of their income for rent, and who have become homeless as a direct result of rent increases caused by the short term rentals on the coast. I believe the largest number of short term rental licenses are in Council District 3, while the largest number of homeless are in Districts 6, 7, 8, sand 9. Whitburn should be ashamed.
Hey Gary – long links are not good in the comments section.
Bridget Browning is married to Jen Campbell’s campaign consultant and lobbyist for Midway Rising.
I think it’s safe to say she doesn’t represent the interest of hotel workers on this issue.
Rottenstreich manages Heather Ferbert as well. Who’s running against Maienschein who’d be double dipping with a city pension if he wins. This whole friggin city’s corrupt.
Did not know that (Rottenstreich manages Heather Ferbert). Rottenstreich was Campbell’s attack dog during the failed recall campaign. What a bunch!
A Maienschein piece at TOSD
Whitburn has shown zero interest in curtailing STR conversions, or addressing loopholes in the ordinance. He district is tied for 2nd with the most housing lost to short-term-rentals. And he has more entire apartment conversions to STR, and license fraud than any other district.
Enjoy your caviar, Nero.
Airbnb and the STR industry, will hopefully, go down in history as bad for the world.