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CHAT TRANSCRIPTS

Politics Chat - March 4, 2008

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Union-Tribune reporter Matthew Hall answered questions from readers during a Tuesday morning chat session at uniontrib.com/chat.

matthew_hall(P) Let's get it started. I'm here for the next hour to answer your burning questions about local government. If it's slow you can even throw some other types of questions my way.

moderator(Q) The following question was sent to SOSD Chats via e-mail from b jones: whats your take on the mess with the la mesa mayor? do elected public officals have a responsibility to uphold a higher standard or are they just peeps who make mistakes? should he resign, be canned or maybe just patted on the back and told that everythings ok, the spins will pass soon.

matthew_hall(A) Art Madrid is a character who has drawn his share of criticism over the years, but this incident involving him drinking, throwing up on a street a block from his house and getting a ride home from a police officer a couple weeks ago has many La Mesans asking similar questions. Critics are suggesting he resign and threatening to mount a recall campaign, but he won't and a recall seems very unlkely. He's been around for nearly three decades so he has a lot of supporters who are saying he made a mistake, that many people drink to excess and embarrass themselves from time to time. Holiday partys, anyone? We'll see if this blows over or if questions continue to surface in the days ahead. I wrote a story for Sunday's paper on some of this. Check it out in a spare moment.

francis(Q) when is the mayoral election for san diego? and la mesa?

matthew_hall(A) San Diego's next mayoral contest is looming. It's June 3 and anyone watching TV or listening to radio already is having a hard time escaping it. La Mesa's, however, isn't until November 2010, a long enough time to allow some people to forgive or forget what Madrid did last month.

jamesems(Q) so why did the UT report 55 = 67.5% in this article....inaccurate....unless you include in 5 years posc...but that wasnt detailed...what with the UT

matthew_hall(A) I assume you're asking about the pension story that ran today. I'm familiar with the issue generally, but didn't write this particular story. I can pass along your query to my colleague. Or you can send her an e-mail. Her address is at the bottom of the story. It seems that you're acknowledging, though, that many city employees, and all of those who've purchased five years of service, will get what she reported. Don't know if this was the case here but many times with limited space for our stories, we write broadly, excluding some of the finer points. Again, your best bet is to ask her. If you want to talk about the policy, I'm glad to have a discussion with you.

autopilot(Q) matt saw the story in Sunday's paper. you and liz have done a good job with all this. i'm hoping you'll follow up... what exactly is the timeline for the so-called investigation by the la mesa pd? when are we going to hear from them?

matthew_hall(A) Thanks for the compliment and the question, Autopilot. I'm not sure of the timeline but Liz wrote a story in Saturday's paper quoting a trio of defense attorneys who said that prosecutors would be hardpressed to win a case involving drunk-driving charges against the city employee who was driving Madrid home that night because they didn't give her a sobriety test and using a judgment call simply brought her to Madrid's nearby house. I'm speculating idly here, but one possible outcome is that an investigation goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing except allowing time to pass and emotions to cool in La Mesa.

KenC1313(Q) Have you seen any polls that show what the current percentages of support are for Sanders vs. Francis?

matthew_hall(A) I have not seen anything, particularly since Francis went up on TV with his $100,000 a week ad blitz. I'm sure the Francis campaign has done some polling, but they haven't disclosed anything publicly and would likely only do so if it were to its advantage, i.e. it showed Francis making strides. I don't know of anyone independent who would poll at this point, and I don't think the Sanders camp would spend its limited money on polls, especially at this early stage. That said, I have seen polls that show Sanders' favorability ratings at 60ish percent and if history is an indicator (i.e. Peter Q. Davis' two unsuccessful mayoral runs) Francis' name ID will be low at the outset of this, his second, campaign. But money can buy a lot of things, and one of them is name recognition. Bottom line: Three months out, polling this early won't say much except how big the hill ahead of Francis is.

jamesems(Q) and on the fire committee goin on all over the place...Regional fire comittee (sanders, et al), Ad hoc commitee on fire prevention an recover (Mainshein, et al) and the regional fire safety forum (bowman, et al), LAFFCO...al of them make it clearly known the needs of the community - i.e. brush mgmnt, more rigs, station, personnel, air capabilites, volunteer training, communications, etc...yet no one ever asks or has come up with a plan to fund....where the UT on that simple persuit.

matthew_hall(A) It's an interesting question, especially coming in an election year when certain politicians are compelled to show people they can get things done. That said, the real question is what will happen as a result of all these reports and recommendations, and that answer will continue to be not a lot until someone finds the money to pay for many more fire stations, much more equipment and more firefighters. San Diego doesn't come close to meeting national standards for firefighting capabilities in big cities. Some of these new reports seem carbon copies of ones that followed the 2003 wildfires. If anything is going to happen, it'll happen this year. But more likely (see: Airport studies) the conversation will continue beyond the elections and momentum will again be lost.

jamesems(Q) exclude the finer points? i guess i get ehere you coming from...forgo the details even though they may have keen bearing on the subject and bias the reader. i guess that why the UT is losing readership in droves. You cant be confident in the reports because " limited space might exclude the finer points"...Matt..i gotta believe you even cant buy that explanation

matthew_hall(A) Anyone as familiar with the pension system as you seem to be, jamesems, will realize that all of the details are not going to make it into every story. But we'll keep writing about this issue so if you have a point on this story, please pass it on the reporter. As for your contention that the UT is "losing readership in droves," if your reference is to the print circulation, obviously it's falling as it is with other papers nationwide, but the UT's online readership is also booming, and the company's reach is still the largest of any media outlet in the county.

reader1(Q) Regarding Madrid, Why did the police not arrest him and his companion for driving under the influence? The 911 caller specifically stated they saw them drive up. Is it true the car was running and/or the key was in the ignition?

matthew_hall(A) We've reported that the car was running. Madrid wasn't arrested for a DUI because he was outside the car when police approached. The rationale the police give for not arresting the city finance employee is that officers have discretion in cases such as this, where they come upon a parked car. The police department has been criticized in this for its actions, but the chief has continued to say the officers used appropriate discretion. That doesn't appease the critics who say if the police found Joe and Jane Six-Pack in a similar situation, one or both would have been arrested or cited.

moderator(Q) The following question was sent to SOSD chats via e-mail from mike green: Do you see any of our esteemed local politicians making any noise on the national scene down the road? any budding 2012 or 2016 presidential candidates kicking it in sd county?

matthew_hall(A) I don't think there's an Obama or a McCain in the bunch. A few San Diego County pols have gone on to greater political fame elsewhere (Pete Wilson chief among them), but while the San Diego pols may dream big, they seem to circle in the same current: City Council to state Assembly or state Senate.

jamesems(Q) why hasnt anyone demanded a DROP study...The MOU of all the unions requiremed one to be completed to determine the nuetrality of the DROP...yet no one willing to do so...all we here is SDCERS saying its a winner and Sanders saying he believes its not...when are we gonna compell these people to agree to a sole study source to determin it once and for all

matthew_hall(A) I think the days of studying DROP are over. The city has already eliminated it for new employees and I believe Sanders called for it to be cut in negotiations from those current city employees who haven't entered DROP. If you don't know the acronym, DROP is a deferred retirement plan that allows city employees to draw pensions in their last five years of employment while collecting 8 percent interest on it. It was designed to keep smart people with the city for longer periods of time but Sanders and others contend it has turned into a costly benefit. It's turned into a political issue instead of a financial one, for sure.

jamesems(Q) thanks....i truely hope the UT will keep the politicians feet to the fire before they again - literally

matthew_hall(A) thanks, jamesems. We take our watchdog role seriously and realize it's a big responsibility. We're the eyes and ears for 1.3 million people who don't have the time to do it themselves. Keep tuning in.

b(Q) who can think about politics with spring training in full swing? do the padres have any chance of coming out of the west thsi year and if they do, do they or any other nl team have a shot against the red sox this year? that boston squad looks mighty good!

matthew_hall(A) Someone else who realizes Boston is the Hub of the universe, I see. Well, the NL West is up for grabs this year it seems. The Pads still have Peavs, the Dodgers have Torre, the Dbacks have Herren and the Rockies have the taste of what could have been. I don't see anyone beating the Sox. In fact, as I type this I'm wearing a Red Sox 2007 World Series champion sweatshirt. The only other thing I can say is: Play ball!

reader1(Q) Regarding Madrid: Did the police officers in using their discretion not to arrest the two individuals seek counsel from their superiors while in the field? As an example, are there any recorded conversation of them inquiring about having the Mayor and whether or not they should drive him home or arrest him like everyone else? Does La Mesa have a new Police Department policy of providing taxi service to drunk drivers?

matthew_hall(A) This is a good question. You can find a link to the police chief's report on the incident at www.signonsandiego/more/documents It references a city policy that prohibits police from driving drunk people home in cruisers unless they received approval from a supervisor. My understanding is no such approval was sought or granted.

autopilot(Q) back to madrid one last time... has the u-t interviewed or attempted to interview the staffer who was with the mayor? how about the bartenter who served them? the neighbor who called 911? also, isn't true that the place where the police found them barfing was not on the direct route back from the bar?

matthew_hall(A) Liz Neely has left multiple interview requests with Trisha Turner, the city employee who was involved that night. She has a cast wide, trying to reach out to others as well, and no doubt will continue to do so. I will pass along your contention that the location of the incident wasn't along the route from the bar to Madrid's house. Any other thoughts, contact her directly at Liz.Neely@uniontrib.com

gator(Q) i hate to pile on (like i did during the 1988 season) but does art have a pr person to filter his outrageous comments after his non-arrest? his actions afterward are almost as bad and show no remorse or respect for his constituents. as an elected official he should perform his civic duty and step down if the majority of the people call for it.

matthew_hall(A) Madrid doesn't have a PR person. In fact, he has a reputation of being accessible and returning reporters' phone calls. That hasn't been his m.o. this time around, though. I twice set up times to talk to him for a story that ran in Sunday's paper, and he didn't make himself available.

reader1(Q) Alright a Boston fan! Are you from Boston? How did you come to San Diego?

matthew_hall(A) I'm one of the many Boston area transplants here, and I arrived the same way all the others did, by heading west! Thanks for a good discussion today, everyone. Until next time.

moderator(P) Did an intelligent designer create life on earth? Discuss life's origins with the Discovery Institute's Casey Luskin on March 7 from noon to 1 p.m. And be sure to join us next week for our Monday sports chat and Tuesday politics chat. To read a copy of this chat's transcript visit http://www.signonsandiego.com/chat/transcripts.html . Transcripts are posted shortly after each chat.


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