VOSD Podcast: The Fight For Representation Is In Redistricting

By Nate John, the Voice of San Diego

November 19, 2021

Every 10 years, we get a new snapshot of who San Diego is from the U.S. Census data.

And this time around there were some interesting changes. VOSD’s Maya Srikrishnan found that the Black population is being squeezed out of the city of San Diego. Southeastern San Diego — largely represented by District 4 — has for decades been the center of Black culture and politics and maintained representation on the city council.

But now, as those residents are being dispersed due to high housing, it’s changing the makeup of the county, which also informs the redistricting process which we are in the middle of right now. Advocates are taking their fight to the county level to create a new coalition of Black power for the region.

On the podcast this week, hosts Scott Lewis, Andrew Keatts and Andrea Lopez-Villafaña review the current state of redistricting as we draw closer and closer to what may end up being the final map that determines the region’s political boundaries for another decade.

Also This Week…

We had a slew of local news updates to run through, including:

• The trolley line known as the UC San Diego blue line is officially opening this weekend — to fulfill the promise of taking one public transit ride from the U.S.-Mexico border to UCSD. On the way, though, Keatts notes that what was designed to come along with this line was more mixed-use development and convenient, affordable housing. But that has yet to be seen after 30 years and $2 billion on the project.
• This week, advocates for city parks and libraries launched a campaign for a proposed parcel tax measure for the November 2022 ballot to fund parks and library improvements. (A parcel tax is of course totally different from a property tax.) This is just one a few proposed measures cropping up that are aiming for the November ballot.

The Latest from Your Second-Favorite Podcast

San Diego 101’s latest episode features experts who have worked for the city and county of San Diego. Our 101 hosts, Maya Srikrishnan and Adriana Heldiz, talked to them about one of the most important distinctions in local politics: the difference between city and county government.

This week, you’ll hear from folks who know the most about it how the entire web of governments overlap and work together to serve the people of the region — and where folks should start if they need to effect change.

Check out “San Diego 101: City Versus County.”

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