As part of his January 7 Weekend Politics & Media Mashup, Rostra blogger Tony Manolatos wrote:
I leave you with this prediction: look for the U-T to carpet bomb the expansion plans for the San Diego Convention Center in favor of a plan that would funnel some of those tax dollars to a new Downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers. The paper foreshadowed such a move in its New Year’s Day editorial, and its new owners have said from Day 1 that they would cheer for a new stadium.
This would likely set up a war between the hotel owners/tourism industry backing the Convention Center expansion and the Chargers. Happy New Year, San Diego!
Today’s front-page-starting-above-the-fold U-T editorial (meaning the front page of the paper, A-1, not just the front page of the editorial section), includes these excerpts:
…U-T San Diego has come to believe in a new vision. It is a vision that would not just integrate a new stadium with an expanded convention center, but, in phases, would include a sports/entertainment district with a new sports arena, new public parkland, public beach and promenades…
And we believe it is a far better approach than current plans to build a new stadium away from the waterfront and an expanded convention center as separate projects.
To be sure, the hour is late and time is of the essence; another important vote on the current convention center expansion plan is scheduled at the City Council on Tuesday.
It is clearly not this newspaper’s intent to divide the community at this important juncture. If that project goes forward and receives all the necessary approvals — not at all a sure thing — so be it. Our intent is to say that if it does not go forward, here is a better plan…
I’ll leave it to the readers to decide whether the U-T’s opinion qualifies as a carpet bombing “of the expansion plans for the San Diego Convention Center in favor of a plan that would funnel some of those tax dollars to a new Downtown stadium for the San Diego Chargers,” to reiterate Manolatos’ words. I’m guessing he’ll say it wasn’t that difficult to figure out what new U-T owner Doug Manchester was planning. As well, others were making similar predictions, such as Scott Lewis of Voice of SD two days later.
But, all the same, the next time I head to the track, I’m gonna see if Tony is available to tag along.
Comments 6
Ha! Good stuff. Thank you, Barry! I’m not gonna make you rich, though. It didn’t take much to realize what Papa Doug had planned.
Hello San Diego Rostra:
Ballot Language for a 5 percent increase in TOT for public infrastructure, roads, and park land only.
http://www.tinyurl.com/20120103a
Backup documentation.
http://www.tinyurl.com/20111225
Please analyze our solution for San Diego water security through a Waterfront location for a multi-purpose NFL Stadium and contiguous convention center Phase III expansion as an Alternative project in the Draft EIR. Our plan keeps union and public controll of the Convention
Center, meets all the needs for expansion, and forces the Chargers,
NFL, and private business interest to actually pay for a structure by
continuous use throughout the year.
Something from this weekend’s editorial I thought was interesting — in the comments below one reader wrote:
This is disheartening. The priority no. one of the paper is realizing this bold vision of downtown redevelopment? How about priority no. one being bringing is accurate news.
This was followed by a response from the U-T:
UTSanDiego
That is our priority, each and every day. That is the focus and mission of the newsroom. This is an editorial campaign being launched by our publisher and the editorial pages, which is separate and distinct from the newsroom operations. Thanks for your interest.
Wheels coming off already?
Silly commenter — thinking that the front page of a major daily newspaper is for news rather than for editorials. Well, it’s a new day, and a new owner. Get used to it.
Thank Goodness for Voice of San Diego. The stature of this plucky investigative news service can only grow while the U-T wildly waves its pom-poms for its owners’ special interest agenda.
A sports arena? For what? Trying to lure the Clippers back? Or perhaps to lure the Maloof brothers out of Sac?
Morton, San Diego pro basketball has a unblemished record of financial failure. We’d have to not only build them a sports arena, but develop a citizen draft — your number comes up and you HAVE to pay top dollar to go to the game. A new ticket guarantee program!