The power moves that created Horton Plaza – San Diego Reader
SDG&E board meeting on Edison merger, outspoken Larry Stirling, Jim Elliott – the master of political mail, fight over downtown library, Pete Wilson left his mark
Juliette Mondot: “When Horton Plaza opened, the public drunks from the central core were pushed into our area.”
Whatever Ernie wants
“I call it economic feudalism,” she says. Mondot contends that the successful redevelopment of the western portion of downtown, with Hahn’s Horton Plaza shopping mall as its crown jewel, was accomplished at the expense of the social stability of the east side. “They have turned a residential area into a de facto refugee camp,”
By Matt Potter, Aug. 17, 1989 Read full article
“I thought we had been sort of spoon-fed and that you could feel — you could feel the shifting of the winds.”
Merger most foul
“Edison had sweetened the offer to the shareholders, had agreed to — to provide civic and charitable contributions for a set period of time to the communities in which San Diego served; that there were going to be certain directors elected to Edison’s board.”
April 27, 1989 Read full article
Stirling: “Whoever is running San Quentin ought to be fired.”
Larry Stirling may be the most self-righteous, impatient, indignant state senator in California history
Stirling, a devout Presbyterian, has officially parted ways with the church because its national leadership decided to disinvest in corporations doing business with the Department of Defense. Also, the Presbyterians went on record as opposing the death penalty. Stirling, fired off a letter to the church. “I hate to see the Presbyterian church play junior congressman.”
By Neal Matthews, Feb. 23, 1989 Read full article
Tribune editorial writer Ralph Bennett: “The tide of junk mail has risen to flood stage.”
The vote is in the mail
“Willie Brown is my number-one customer in politics, but I’m a Republican through and through. I’m also a businessman with 45 families to feed, and I think that anyone has a right to buy my services. But when [white supremacist] Tom Metzger called when he was running for Congress, I didn’t get involved in a big argument with him, I just said, ‘Gee, I don’t have time.’ So I do think there are things you don’t do for money.”
By Matt Potter, Jan. 31, 1991 Read full article
Proposed library design. “Suddenly O’Connor’s face turned crimson and she said, almost hands-on-hips, ‘Because I’m mayor and I don’t want it there!'”
Now where’s the worst place we can put a library?
“I tried to engage Mayor O’Connor in conversation, ask her questions, get her involved, but she just sat impassively, listening. Finally I asked her to give me some idea what fault she found with Sears. Suddenly her face turned crimson and she said, almost hands-on-hips, ‘Because I’m mayor and I don’t want it there!'”
By Neal Matthews, Dec. 12, 1991 Read full article
The Copley papers were faithful editorial supporters of the mayor.
Pete Wilson was here
Wilson press secretary Larry Thomas frequently dined and drank with members of the press, with the city picking up the tab. Thomas took a Tribune reporter to a pizza parlor. But Jeanie Kasindorf, who wrote a flattering profile of Wilson for New West magazine in February of 1977, was taken to an expensive French restaurant, where Thomas racked up a $72 tab. Another out-of-town reporter merited $56 at Lubach’s.
By Matt Potter, July 26, 1990 Read full article