What can we do to help?

Last week, I sent a special newsletter with my thoughts on the proposed budget. We received a lot of great questions and feedback in response. Here is what one of you had to say:

“Raul,

Thank you for your Friday update. I sincerely applaud you for your continuing efforts to take care of San Diego. What can we do as citizens to help the cause?” - AL

First and foremost, the budget is a decision-making document. Since it affects all San Diegans, you should be included in this decision-making process. To help the cause, you can do a handful of things.

A good place to start is taking a deep dive on the budget through the Independent Budget Analyst’s crash course. That can be found here. An informed public is a public that can ask for change. The Independent Budget Analyst also creates a public resource for residents and Councilmembers to review detailed budget impacts if you want to go deeper on this year’s budget conversation.

You can and should voice your thoughts at City Council. We have a number of budget hearings over the next week as well as 6 p.m. meetings designed specifically for budget-focused public comment. I urge you to attend virtually or in person. If you cannot attend due to work or childcare constraints, you can also submit a written public comment. It may seem like these comments go out into the ether, but your words go directly into our public record. It’s more effective than a tweet. Learn how to provide public comment here.

Lastly, if there is a particular issue you care about – whether that is arts, public safety, libraries – there are hundreds of advocacy groups in San Diego that mobilize around issues. Reaching out to a group you believe in or align with is a great way to elevate your voice and help the causes you care about.

Something worth celebrating: San Diego’s promising year of tourism

I’ve shared a lot on here about my belief in San Diego’s tourism economy. It's clear that we are in for a lot of culturally and economically significant tourism this year. We’ve already hosted new events, such as the recent internationally-respected World of Coffee expo, and will host other regular events like Comic Con.

But we are also gearing up to host World Cup games. SD Union Tribune recently reported that Snapdragon Stadium will host tune-up matches for Switzerland, Australia, Columbia, and Jordan.

These matches alone show a promising trend that San Diego, and our world class facilities, are widely regarded as a premium place for evets.

The Month of the Military Child

Active-duty service members are not the only ones serving their country: their families, especially their children, make sacrifices every day on behalf of our country.

This month, I stopped by Hancock Elementary School to share my thanks with the students for their resilience. As we celebrate Month of the Military Child, let’s remember and honor military children’s sacrifice in sharing their parents with the country.

AI has promising potential for use at the City

This year, I’ve endeavored to learn from our analytics department on how AI is currently being used at the City and how we might responsibly enhance use to save costs and time.

Axios recently shared an article highlighting a particularly helpful use of AI in San Diego, one with potential for replication at the City.

The article detailed how a project at San Diego State University comprehensively mapped homelessness, with real-time data, using AI that identified locations of encampments through ariel photos and street view images. The data will be used to inform local organizations on where they should send their outreach teams, an enormous time saver if proven effective.

As the private and public sector continue exploring how to responsibly integrate AI into operations, I’m confident it will deeply benefit the City in efficiency and cost savings.

Big news in the beer world

The news broke this week that Stone Brewing was acquired by Firestone Walker Brewing in a deal that promises to grow Stone Brewing’s reputation as a powerhouse in the regional and national beer market.

Here’s a snippet from a story on San Diego Beer News:

“Stone is one of the most iconic brands in American craft beer and a pioneer of the West Coast IPA. For 30 years they’ve built something legendary, a brand known for its commitment to quality, drive for innovation, and a true fighting spirit. We will honor what’s been built and carry it forward with the same authenticity and conviction that we love them for. The Stone heart keeps beating,” said Firestone Walker CEO Nick Firestone.”

It’s exciting to watch San Diego businesses, especially iconic ones like Stone, grow into household names from the ground up.

Sincerely,