These were the most popular Voice of San Diego stories for the week of Sept. 24-30.
1. If San Diego Is Any Guide, Prop. 51 Could Fund Many New Stadiums
Proposition 51, a statewide ballot measure, is being billed as a $9 billion school bond project that will fix leaky roofs and remove asbestos from classrooms. Those priorities were also front and center in the ballot language for Prop. Z, a local bond passed in 2012. Tens of millions in Prop. Z money has also been spent on stadiums. Prop. 51 funds could also be used to fund stadiums, the state Legislative Analyst’s Office told us. (Ashly McGlone)
2. Oceanside Officials Know Life at This Property Can Be Miserable — They Just Can’t Do Anything About It
Although the city continues to cite 415 Grant St. as a problem property, it hasn’t been able to improve conditions or decrease crime there. (Maya Srikrishnan)
3. What You Need to Know in the Wake of the El Cajon Shooting
El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis has said his office, and the San Diego County district attorney’s office, will both investigate a shooting that took place Tuesday in which a black man killed by police. As that process plays out, here’s what we know about when an officer can legally shoot someone, how the DA approaches the release of shooting videos and how San Diego officers who’ve killed people have been handled in previous cases. (Sara Libby)
4. The Ultimate Guide to the Local Ballot Measures
Can’t tell Measure E from Measure L? We’ve got you covered. (Voice of San Diego)
5. VOSD Podcast: The Haunting Case of the Gaslamp Rape Gang
The author of an explosive Daily Beast story about a rape ring in the Gaslamp Quarter joins hosts Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts this week to discuss some of the issues the story unearthed. (Kinsee Morlan)
6. How the Spanos Family Built a Fortune Selling Bologna Sandwiches to Mexican Farmworkers
The Spanos family, which owns the Chargers, is worth $2.4 billion. As the team asks the public to help fund a new stadium, many have wondered where the Spanos family fortune came from. For Alex Spanos, it started with bologna sandwiches and Mexican farmworkers. The family has long faced questions, in fact, of whether Spanos helped exploit farmworkers in the notorious Bracero program that started nearly 70 years ago. (Ry Rivard)
7. Oceanside Councilman Hopes Deceased Colleague Wins in November
One Oceanside City Council member says he still hopes City Treasurer Gary Ernst wins his re-election bid – even though Ernst died last week. “Even though Gary passed away, he is still better qualified than she is,” the councilman said, referring to Ernst’s living opponent. (Maya Srikrishnan)
8. Debating What the Chargers Convadium Would Bring San Diego
Participants on a Politifest panel debated whether to impose a hotel tax increase to build a convadium. (Jacob Sandoval)
9. North County Report: A Problem Property in Oceanside
An illegal marijuana field near Palomar Mountain, Escondido residents riled over proposed desalination plant , backing dead candidates in Oceanside and more in our weekly roundup of news from North County. (Ruarri Serpa)
10. A Guide to the Latest Bananas Ballot Developments
We vetted several local ballot measures this week. Here’s a roundup of the latest stuff we learned about the ballot. (Sara Libby)