To make the home building process more efficient and housing more affordable, San Diego should consider reverting back to a “council-manager” system of governance and ditch the current “strong mayor” system. This change could potentially streamline city operations through professional management — something that the city critically needs.

San Diego faces a significant housing shortfall, with an estimated deficit of around 90,000 homes needed to meet regional demand, according to Ray Major, the chief economist at the San Diego Association of Governments. This gap in housing supply has emerged because the region has not kept pace with its job and population growth.

The city’s 2023 housing report indicates that to meet the state’s annual housing needs, San Diego would need to triple its current rate of housing production. Interestingly, the decline in home building began around 2006, coinciding with the city’s switch from a “council-manager” system of government to a “strong mayor” system.

San Diego is the only city in the region that that operates under a strong mayor form of governance. The other 17 cities in the county generally follow a council-manager form of government, where the city council appoints a city manager to oversee administrative operations.

San Diego transitioned to a strong mayor form of government on Jan. 1, 2006, following a voter-approved change. This change was part of a five-year trial period. This system was made permanent in June 2010 after San Diego voters approved Proposition D, which solidified the strong mayor system beyond the trial period. 

A “strong mayor” form of government means the mayor also acts as the chief executive officer of the city, having significant administrative and executive powers, such as veto authority over council decisions and control over the city budget and staff. Under the “council-manager” system of government the mayor typically has a role similar to that of a council member, with some ceremonial duties and possibly some additional powers like presiding over council meetings and other official functions. It is clear that the current system of government is not working when it comes to making homes and rents affordable in San Diego.

Since the shift in government San Diego has not been able to keep up with housing demands. Building permits fees have skyrocketed to a point where it is almost impossible to build affordable housing. High permit fees are just one factor leading to the astronomical costs to build. Other reasons such as inflation, labor costs, and increases in building materials are also significant factors that raise the price to construct new homes.

Government has little or no control over these things. However, local government has the ability to manage regulatory costs that account for 34% and 51% of the average cost of building housing.

San Diego has made efforts to accelerate approvals of new housing and other projects, but the city increased developer fees to do so. The increases are to cover additional city workers, new technology and other efforts. Under the changes, the permit cost for a 500-square-foot ADU rose from $1,484 to $2,885. For a 3,000-square-foot house, the fee increased from $4,925 to $6,640.

The new fee structure also shifts to a per-hour formula. The city will now charge an applicant $145 per hour for staff time. These fees may speed up the permitting process but will do little to make homes more affordable.

There is no single solution to tackling the affordable housing and rental crisis in San Diego, and we will most likely need a multifaceted approach to increase the number and affordability of homes. Therefore, we must encourage our elected officials to take a second look at how government is currently being run in San Diego and consider reverting back to a council-manager system of governance as the strong mayor system has not delivered the results we had hoped for. With proper professional oversight a city manager could help streamline the building permit process using things such as AI technology or privatize building permitting to speed up the process as they did in Arizona.

The mayor’s role should be that of a visionary leader, someone who thinks outside conventional boundaries and is not afraid to take risks to achieve San Diego’s housing goals. The city manager’s goal is to help make the mayor’s vision a reality in a cost-effective way. Having a professional city manager to oversee and run the administrative operations may make local government more efficient and potentially help to make housing more affordable in San Diego. 

Mark Powell is a licensed California real estate broker and former vice-president of the San Diego County Board of Education.

Numerous elected leaders will tout their commitment to making housing affordability a priority. However, they often back policies and ballot measures that directly contribute to escalating housing costs.

An example of this contradiction is their support for a parcel tax dedicated to flood control which, while serving an important environmental and safety purpose, inadvertently raises the financial burden on homeowners, making housing less accessible and affordable.

Recent heavy rains caused flooding in San Diego and drove hundreds of people from their homes and caused millions of dollars in damage. Instead of taking responsibility for failing to maintain flood-control channels, elected leaders saw this as an opportunity to propose a parcel tax for stormwater projects. The proposal was unanimously supported by the City Council’s Rules Committee and will be put on the November ballot by the council.

In addition to the parcel tax, a countywide half-cent sales tax for regional transportation projects collected enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot and under existing law can pass with a simple majority of votes. A 1 cent sales tax increase is also being proposed to help fund municipal operations in the city of San Diego. This would be a general tax increase rather than a specifically targeted one and would also require a simple majority for approval.

If elected leaders really want to make homes affordable, they need to oppose ballot measures that will increase taxes because these increases will ultimately affect a person’s ability to purchase or rent a home and will drive up building costs.

To dramatically increase the number of homes in the region, government also needs to streamline the building process. One sure way to do that is by privatizing permitting to cut red tape and drive economic development. Currently, the permitting process in San Diego and other cities is time consuming and expensive.

San Diego should consider replicating what officials did in Phoenix and shift a significant portion of the planning and inspection functions to the private sector. Phoenix has instituted what’s known as a “self-certification” model, which means architects and engineers who have been through city training are able to submit plans and walk out with a permit on the same day. This includes all new construction up to 75 feet in height.

One of the most damaging factors leading to San Diego’s housing shortage are costly permit fees representing between 34% and 51%  of the average cost of building housing. Local government needs to take bold steps and waive or substantially reduce building permit fees on housing projects. While permitting fees can serve an important purpose, they can also add up. Local government can encourage the development of new affordable housing by waiving these fees for qualifying affordable housing projects.

To address our region’s housing shortage, San Diego and other cities in the county may consider adopting Assembly Bill 1033, a new state law that went into effect this year that allows the separate sale of auxiliary dwelling units built on residential properties. At the core of AB 1033 lies the concept of “condoization,” a term commonly used to describe the process of splitting a traditional single-family residential-zoned lot into a multiple-family lot.

In other words, it will allow a property owner to turn a portion of the lot into a condominium. Individual cities in the county will have the freedom to decide whether they want to opt into AB 1033, giving property owners the option to sell their ADUs. However, the number of ADUs sold would be merely a drop in the bucket when it comes to increasing San Diego’s housing inventory.

Instead of hasty responses or ineffective legislation what’s truly required are practical solutions such as opening relatively small portions of San Diego County’s vast unincorporated lands for master-planned communities. Land near freeway corridors or near employment centers are prime candidates for building.

Government also needs to incentivize building by offering tax credits for developers along with government grants so building homes in these areas can be accelerated. San Diego is among America’s most expensive cities so rather than increasing costs to build through government regulations, tax increases and permit fees, elected leaders must look for ways to reduce them.

Mark Powell is a licensed real estate broker and a former San Diego County Board of Education member. He was reserve officer with the San Diego Police Department and holds a degree in criminal justice administration along with masters degrees in counseling and educational administration. 

Protests continue across college and high school campuses as students voice opposition to Israel’s self-defense in the Gaza war, citing concerns about collateral damage and the loss of Palestinian lives. However, some these demonstrations have transformed from anti-Israel protests to antisemitic protests. Therefore, it is important for educators to teach students about the history of Israel and the Jewish people to help curb the rise of antisemitism 

Local school districts must provide teachers with additional training on issues surrounding antisemitism and the historical establishment of the state of Israel. San Diego schools have a unique opportunity to enrich our classrooms with the deep and multifaceted history of the Jewish people. While the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 marks a significant milestone, it is merely the latest chapter in a long and remarkable narrative that dates back more than 3,500 years. 

Certain student groups incorrectly perceive Israel as a racist, settler-colonial state that supposedly unlawfully took land from Palestinians, leading to the displacement of the Palestinian people. Consequently, they frame Israel as the oppressor and Palestinians as the oppressed. Since Israel is a Jewish state, Jews are considered the oppressor.

Teaching an in-depth history of the establishment of Israel through the newly adopted California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum can offer students multiple perspectives on the history of Palestine and provide a deeper understanding of the Jewish people to help put an end to antisemitism in our public schools and college campuses. This is not merely an act of historical preservation; it is an investment in our students’ future. 

San Diego schools have a history of antisemitic hate crimes on campus. Just days after the gruesome attack on Israel by Hamas, a Nazi swastika was found in the boys’ restroom at Torrey Pines High School. In 2021 two large swastikas were found graffitied on the walls of the boys’ restroom at the same school. At San Dieguito High School Academy a restroom was defaced with swastikas in 2019, and in 2015 La Jolla High School was vandalized in the form of graffiti that included a swastika. 

The facts speak for themselves — Jews have faced the most hate crimes of any religious group. That disparity is consistent with years of hate crime reporting showing that Jewish victims far outnumber other religious targets. 

The persistence of these incidents in San Diego schools underscores the need for a more comprehensive and consistent approach to Holocaust education. Schools must prioritize educating students about the significance of the Nazi swastika and the profound impact it has on individuals and communities. This education should emphasize the harmful and offensive nature of this symbol. It is also crucial to convey that displaying or placing a Nazi swastika on a campus is not only insensitive and hurtful but also legally punishable as a hate crime. 

In 2021, California passed a law mandating that ethnic studies courses be offered in high schools by the 2025-2026 school year, and the San Diego Unified School District already offers ethnic studies-influenced courses in world history. According to California Department of Education’s website one of the general principals of the newly adopted ethnic studies curriculum is to promote critical thinking and rigorous analysis of history and systems of oppression. 

To effectively implement this curriculum, it is essential that all public school teachers possess a comprehensive understanding of the diverse historical experiences of various ethnic groups and be mindful of the potential consequences when addressing systems of oppression. In particular, teachers should be well-versed in the rich history of the Jewish people, a community that has endured centuries of persecution and discrimination. This knowledge will enable them to effectively guide students in exploring the complexities of antisemitism and its impact on Jewish students. 

One of the most successful ways to combat antisemitism is through education, so let’s hope that our local school districts take the opportunity to provide the additional teacher training needed so all students feel safe on campus. Students who do not feel safe at school, either emotionally or physically, are more distracted and less successful than their peers. School safety and student achievement are connected; it’s hard to have one without the other. 

Mark Powell is a former San Diego County Board of Education Member. Powell was a teacher, dean of students and school administrator. He was reserve officer with the San Diego Police Department and holds a degree in criminal justice administration along with masters degrees in counseling and educational administration. 

If our elected representatives are unwilling to repeal Proposition 47, a failed experiment in criminal justice reform, then California businesses should consider turning their stores into membership-based establishments. This approach offers an effective means to deter shoplifting by mandating that shoppers provide identification before entering, enabling stores to better address theft without relying solely on law enforcement. 

A retailer can install surveillance equipment and place detection gates at the exits to help reduce shoplifting. Stores can also hire security to detain shoplifters who are caught stealing. But if weak laws such as Prop. 47 are not repealed, law enforcement will only be able to cite and release shoplifters who will simply return to steal again.

In San Diego, a gang of thieves brazenly targeted the Nordstrom store at UTC during regular business hours in October 2022. They managed to make off with approximately $140,000 worth of merchandise and escaped in a matter of minutes.

Prop. 47 emboldens criminals who routinely steal from stores. If a shoplifter is arrested and the amount they took is under $950, they are simply issued a notice to appear in court. They are free roam the streets with impunity to steal again, oftentimes the very same day.

Costco has a membership-only business model, which means consumers pay a fee to access lower-cost products. Costco’s model is working as their inventory losses due to theft have remained largely unchanged while retail giant Target said its losses from theft will balloon to more than $1 billion in 2023, up $500 million over last year.  

Charging a membership to shop may not seem fair to people on fixed incomes or who simply do not have the means to pay for it. The solution is to provide these individuals with a free membership. However, they would need to abide by the membership rules that include showing their card upon entering the store and providing security with their receipt before leaving the store.

Shoppers who do not follow the store membership policy or break the rules will simply have their memberships revoked and will need to seek out non-membership stores to shop at.

Major retailers in the US have been forced to close locations due to millions of dollars in losses, as rampant theft plagues stores across the country. Target recently announced that it will close nine stores in urban areas across four states, citing increased violence related to theft and organized retail crime. Walmart announced the closing of 23 stores nationwide. 

Rite Aid blames out-of-control shoplifting for closing stores in New York City, and Walgreens received national attention in 2021 when it announced that it was closing five stores in San Francisco, citing shoplifting as the reason .

When stores shut down because of theft, local residents endure the dual hardship of both the crime and the closures. This situation is particularly challenging for individuals, especially seniors, who rely on a nearby pharmacy for medications. Consequently, they are compelled to travel beyond their neighborhoods to have their prescriptions filled.

This is precisely why the membership-only business model is a practical solution. Those who invest in a membership will ultimately save money as they will not be paying for price hikes associated with shoplifting. 

Retail crime accounted for over $112 billion dollars in losses last year and store owners typically pass on the costs of shoplifting to consumers in the form of higher prices. Law-abiding customers should not have to pay for the illegal acts of criminal shoplifters.

It is imperative for our political leaders to strengthen property crime laws by either introducing new legislation, amending existing laws, or repealing laws such as Prop. 47. Until they do, however, California businesses can proactively address the issue by converting their stores into membership-based establishments. This may also prompt our political leaders to take the necessary actions needed to combat this problem effectively.

Mark Powell is a former San Diego Police reserve officer and holds a degree in criminal justice administration. Powell also served as a San Diego County Board of Education Board Member. 

Comprehensive police reform involves reinvestment in law enforcement by doubling the number of police officers in San Diego. Presently, officers are constantly rushing from one high-priority call to another, often without a break.

Response times for top-priority calls often exceed 30 minutes, and some area departments resort to mandatory overtime to compensate for staff shortages. Lower-priority calls frequently go unanswered, and those attempting to report crimes or suspicious activities via non-emergency lines are often on hold so long they simply hang up. 

For the first time in its 27 years of measuring attitudes toward the police, the Gallup poll found that a majority of American adults do not trust law enforcement. Therefore, to foster stronger community relations police must move beyond their patrol cars and engage with the community directly.

This entails walking the beat and actively meeting with community members, business owners, school teachers, parents, and students. Without backing from the community police officers cannot execute their duties effectively.

However, this goal is a currently unattainable, because there are simply not enough officers working in patrol. Additionally, it’s vital to establish safeguards to protect law enforcement officers who make honest mistakes in the line of duty. Officers should not live in fear of incarceration, legal action, or social media backlash destroying their lives. 

In order to achieve meaningful police reform, it is imperative to allocate 20% of a police officer’s weekly schedule towards training. To facilitate this, an increase in the number of uniformed officers is necessary. This training regimen should encompass a wide range of essential topics, including but not limited to de-escalation techniques, legal principles, crisis intervention strategies, cultural competence, diversity awareness, effective communication skills, and physical fitness. Moreover, officers should be fairly compensated for their dedication and their role in maintaining public safety. 

Changes in the law are also needed to implement true police reform. When the need for law-abiding citizens to install security bars on their windows becomes a stark reality in their quest for safety, while at the same time emboldened criminals freely roam the streets with impunity, it signals a troubling imbalance in our society. The very criminals who should behind bars seem to hold a misplaced sense of confidence, knowing that the consequences for their criminal activities remain shockingly minimal. 

Ironically, it was the voters who created this situation by approving Proposition 47, a legislative measure that altered the classification of certain low-level offenses, downgrading them from potential felonies to mere misdemeanors. Crimes such as petty theft below a certain threshold, shoplifting, forgery, writing bad checks, and receiving stolen property, provided the value involved was under $950, all transitioned from felony status to misdemeanors. Simple drug possession was also reduced, and this shift in legal status has contributed to visible open drug use on our streets, with law enforcement often finding their hands tied in curbing it.

Prop. 47 is a virtual “Get Out of Jail Free” card, but those who steal need to be removed from the streets, even if just for a short period of time, so they can no longer prey on law-abiding citizens, and police need the staffing and resources to do so. 

The public was told that savings from reduced incarceration costs will be invested in drug and mental health treatment; programs for at-risk students in public schools; and victim services. Yet over the last decade the number of drug addicted and mentally ill homeless people has skyrocketed in San Diego.

Programs for at-risk students have not achieved the results needed as student test scores are in the gutter. The 2022 standardized test scores recently released show that 66% of Black students do not meet standards in English language arts, and 81% do not meet standards in math. 62% of Latino students do not meet standards for English language arts and 76% do not meet standards for math. Meanwhile, victim services remain a mere promise, with little evidence of government reimbursement for stolen property suffered by victims of property crimes. 

When the very foundations of our community’s safety and well-being are shaken, and the intended benefits of Prop. 47 are overshadowed by the unintended consequences, it is evident that a reassessment of our priorities and policies is long overdue. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to reshape public perceptions of law enforcement to enable them to carry out their duties more effectively.

Law enforcement morale has taken a significant hit, with a growing number of San Diego police officers resigning or retiring and recruitment figures have dwindled, forcing the department to ask former officers to return. It is abundantly clear the “defund the police” movement has failed, and the time has come to reinvest in law enforcement in order to implement true police reform. 

Mark Powell is a former reserve officer with the San Diego Police Department and holds a degree in Criminal Justice Administration. He also served as a San Diego County Board of Education Board Member. 

The American Dream of homeownership is unattainable for many San Diegans.

A San Diego County home is now worth more than it was a year ago and the median price is a whopping $835,000. To put this into perspective, in order to afford a home that costs $835,000 a buyer would need a down payment of $167,000 and earn $180,952 per year before taxes. Compare that to the median household income in San Diego County which was $88,240 in 2021. 

Considering that almost half of Americans have seen a decline in their savings over the past year, and merely 43% feel confident in their ability to handle a $1,000 or more emergency expense through their savings, expecting to accumulate $167,000 for a down payment appears impractical for most. 

San Diego is in a housing crisis because the county has not built enough homes to meet the demand. For many years homebuilding has not kept up with the growing demand for housing. 

Higher density in the city of San Diego and other urban areas is unlikely to yield all of the additional homes that are needed, so builders need to look elsewhere in the county to build. One way to increase the housing supply is to open up relatively small portions of San Diego County’s vast unincorporated lands for master-planned communities.

The primary obstacle is much of the land that would be perfect to build on is environmentally sensitive or remote and I would not advocate encroaching on environmentally protected land. However, land near freeway corridors or near employment centers are prime candidates for building. By offering tax incentives for developers along with some government grants, building homes in these areas could be accelerated.  

Developers engaged in backcountry construction are subjected to mitigation fees for certain developments. These fees are intended to offset the expenses associated with creating new or supplementary public amenities required to support these developments. Among the fees commonly imposed are those related to tree and fire mitigation, facilities fees, and impact fees.

The fees contribute to escalating construction expenses, which directly add to the elevated home prices. Government-imposed regulation in San Diego County can add an additional 40% to housing prices. Add on costly school bonds, point of sale mandates and pricey climate-action requirements, and the cost to build homes in San Diego does not pencil out for many developers. They simply take their business to more business-friendly states where building cost are more reasonable.  

In addition to high government regulatory costs, San Diego pays the highest electricity rates in the country. In California we also pay some of the highest income tax rates in the nation along with high gasoline prices, food prices, healthcare costs, auto insurance premiums, housing insurance and childcare costs.

Given the magnitude of these costs, it’s unsurprising that our homeless population is growing at an unsustainable pace. It’s no wonder why our state’s population has shrunk by about 500,000 people as experts have credited California’s high cost of living as the main driver for people moving out of state.

One of the most damaging factors leading to the affordable housing crisis has been San Diego’s costly and sluggish permitting process. In order to begin to build affordable homes, local government needs to take bold steps and waive or substantially reduce building permit fees on housing projects.

Elected officials should exercise caution when introducing new mandates and consider rescinding some that are already in place. Local government possesses the ability to influence affordability by mitigating regulatory expenses and simplifying the construction process, but do they have the will to do so?  

Instead of hasty responses or ineffective legislation aimed at tackling the housing crisis, what’s truly required are practical solutions. These could involve the reduction or elimination of steep permit fees, a cautious approach to introducing new climate-related mandates, simplification or privatization of the permitting process, and the introduction of tax incentives to encourage construction.  

Rather than increasing costs to build through more regulation and fees, the government must look for ways to reduce them. 

Mark Powell is a real estate broker and a former San Diego County Board of Education member.  

Regardless of your stance on the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding Affirmative Action, it is crucial to acknowledge that the inadequate representation of Black and Hispanic students in higher education is not a direct result of their race. Instead, it stems from the longstanding failure of the public education system to address and bridge the achievement gap that has persisted for decades.

Recently released 2022 standardized test scores confirm that 66% of San Diego’s Black students do not meet standards in English language arts, and 81% do not meet standards in math. The figures for Hispanic students are 62% and 76% in English and Math. This is simply unacceptable, and the San Diego Unified School District should share a plan to address this academic travesty. 

Parents can no longer stand by and allow the district to socially promote students. Instead, they must demand that the district take steps, starting in elementary school, to meet their children’s academic needs.

One way to increase the academic performance of minority students is to extend the school year or even the school day for those students who are failing or struggling. What’s needed is uninterrupted, full-time instruction just like students receive during a traditional school year that continues into the summer.

Having an extended school year is not a new concept. Many countries have much longer school years than we do. In Japan, the minimum number of school days in a year is 210. In China, the average length of the secondary school year is 245 days. And in most of Australia, the primary and secondary school year lasts about 200 days.  

With the exclusion of race as a criterion in college admissions, academic performance will be based on merit and assessed through measures like grade point average, standardized test scores and other criterion. To help struggling students, San Diego Unified should also increase the number of public school-choice options and allow current choice schools to increase their enrollment to accommodate those students who are currently on long waiting lists. 

Unfortunately, when it comes to school choice, minority parents with little or no money have few options. One way to empower these parents and help prepare Black and Hispanic children for college is to allow families to pick the school that works best for them and ensure that the money to pay for it follows the student. 

Antiquated public schools contribute significantly to the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in college. Well-run school choice options can create competition, and competition can trigger low-performing schools to improve.

Rather than simply providing an alternative to neighborhood public schools for a few students, school choice will also benefit students remaining in their neighborhood schools. The competition will motivate schools and school districts to respond to the loss of students and the associated revenue. A rising tide, as they say, will lift all boats. 

San Diego Unified plans to spend $1.8 billion this school year to educate our children. With that amount of money spent on public education, parents should demand better results. But if school districts continue to stifle public-school choice, then they should be prepared for an artificial Intelligence alternative that will most likely be implemented by the private sector. This could offer better academic results at a fraction of the price.

Educational leaders should take the supreme court’s decision on affirmative action as a wakeup call and seize this opportunity to explore alternative models of education. If done correctly public education could pave the way for increased representation of Black and Hispanic students in colleges and universities across the nation. 

Bridging the achievement gap, ending social promotion, extending the school year, and expanding public-school choice are all steps in the right direction. By addressing these challenges, we can create a more equitable educational landscape. 

Mark Powell has a master’s degree in educational administration and is former vice president of the San Diego County Board of Education. He is the president of Parents For Quality Education and has been a teacher, vice principal and dean of students in the San Diego Unified School District. 

San Diego rents are at an all-time high, and our homeless population continues to increase. This can be attributed to government-imposed mandates that drive up the costs of housing and a failure to manage a growing mental health crisis.

There are things our elected leaders can do to help to change this narrative, but they will need reverse direction on how to address these two crucial issues. 

San Diego elected leaders have attempted to legislate us out of a housing and homeless crisis using ineffective measures such as rent control, no-fault eviction mandates, and costly constriction permit fees. These actions have only exacerbated the rental and homeless crisis we face today. 

It’s time for our elected leaders to stop trying to solve the rental and homeless crisis by stripping away private property rights and begin to focus on real solutions such as training and recruiting more mental health workers, privatizing permitting to speed up home construction. and lowering building costs by reducing permit fees. It appears that some of our elected officials failed to grasp the adverse effects rent control and permit fees would have on affordability in San Diego. 

San Diego rent is now the highest it’s ever been. The average rent in the county was $2,417 a month at the start of June. That’s the highest ever recorded for San Diego County and represents a 3.4% increase in a year. 

Downtown San Diego’s homeless population exceeds 2,000 for first time, marking a new high in the number of individuals living without shelter in the area. There are an estimated 3,285 homeless people living without shelter throughout the city, a 32% increase from 2022. 

In an attempt to prevent homelessness, the San Diego City Council recently voted for a rental protection ordinance, but this ordinance will do more harm than good as rental property owners may be forced to sell their income properties due to punitive eviction mandates. This will further limit the supply of rentals in our region.

Additionally, there is no long-term study or data provided by the city to support the claim that requiring landlords pay two-months rent to a tenant before moving out would have any impact on homelessness. Providing tenants with financial relocation assistance is a good business practice, but it should not be mandated by government, it should be negotiated between renter and landlord.  

On the surface, rent control may appear to be a viable solution to the rental housing crisis, but the unintended consequences heavily outweigh the rewards. The problem of skyrocketing rents was not caused by greedy developers or uncompassionate property owners, but is the result of overzealous building regulations, outrageous permit fees and excessive environmental restrictions that stifled the building of new homes in San Diego. 

Some in government would like to solve the problem of high rents by stripping away homeowner’s personal property rights through rent control and more governmental regulations oblivious to the unintended consequences. But the primary reason for high rental prices in San Diego is simple: supply and demand. Rents increase as more renters compete for the available housing.

It is obvious that some of our elected officials did not fully understand the unintended consequences rent control would have on affordability in San Diego. Renters are looking for housing that will allow them to live self-sufficient lives in a safe community, and government can make this happen by removing rent control and allowing the free market work successfully as it does in other industries.

Stripping away private property rights and imposing rental restrictions on homeowners are ill-advised attempts to solve the rental crisis and homeless crisis. San Diego is now feeling the impact of misguided leadership and poor decision making. Rather than knee-jerk reactions, real solutions are needed. These include recruiting more mental healthcare workers, reducing costly permit fees and protecting private property rights. 

Local government cannot regulate San Diego out of a rental or homeless crisis. If our elected leaders continue to pass laws that drive up home prices and infringe on private property rights, in no time at all we will end up like Los Angeles, whose homeless population is nearly 70,000, or San Francisco, where the average rent for an apartment is $3,313 — even higher than San Diego. 

Mark Powell is a licensed California Real Estate Broker and a former San Diego County Board of Education member. 

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has ignited discussions about the potential to replace humans in various industries. In education, AI offers the promise of revolutionizing traditional teaching methods and enhancing the learning experience for students.

At the rate AI is being accelerated into society, it could eventually replace a large group of traditional schoolteachers, and with historically low test schools in many large metropolitan school districts parents may welcome an alternative to the traditional teaching model. 

AI is already being used in schools to varying degrees. School districts are incorporating AI-powered tools and systems into their teaching. AI-based tutoring systems can provide students with personalized feedback and guidance instantaneously.

These systems can identify areas where students are struggling and offer tailored explanations and practice exercises to help them improve. AI algorithms can automate the grading of assignments, such as multiple-choice quizzes and tests. This automation saves time for teachers and allows for quick feedback to students. 

Khan Academy, a popular online educational platform, already utilizes AI in several aspects of its offerings. Khan Academy has integrated AI-powered features to enhance the learning experience for students and uses AI to provide tailored exercises and questions to students.

The system analyzes the students’ responses and adapts the difficulty level and content to match their individual needs. This allows students to receive practice materials that align with their current skill level, maximizing their learning efficiency. However, it is worth noting that while Khan Academy incorporates AI into its platform, human instructors and educators remain integral to the learning process. 

The integration of AI in education raises concerns about the potential displacement of teachers. Critics argue that AI-driven systems could replace teachers in delivering content, grading assignments, and even providing emotional support. However, proponents argue that AI should be seen as a complementary tool that enhances teaching rather than a replacement for human educators.

While AI can automate certain tasks, the role of teachers in guiding students, facilitating discussions, and fostering a sense of community remains irreplaceable. Yet, as technology advances this could change rapidly, and AI has the potential to replace a large swath of teachers in the not-so-distant future.  

The San Diego Unified School district plans to spend $1.8 billion this school year to educate our children. With that amount of money spent on public education we should demand better results. If AI can offer improvement for a fraction of what taxpayers are currently paying, it may be a viable alternative. AI-powered platforms can also deliver quality education to remote or underserved areas, bridging educational disparities.

The recently released 2022 standardized test scores for San Diego Unified show that 66% of Black students do not meet standards in English language arts, and 81% do not meet standards in math. And 62% of Latino students do not meet standards for English language arts and 76% do not meet standards for math. That’s the opportunity for AI.

One of the main reasons is that AI is so effective is that it can analyze individual student data and provide customized learning experiences, accommodating different learning styles and abilities in a fraction of the time it would take a classroom teacher to do so. AI can also process vast amounts of data, enabling educators to gain valuable insights into student progress, identify trends, and adapt instruction accordingly. 

While AI offers significant potential in education, it also raises concerns and ethical considerations. Elon Musk, among other technology leaders, has expressed concerns about the potential dangers of AI. He warns that if left unchecked, AI could become more intelligent than humans, posing an existential threat to society. Musk advocates for proactive regulation and ethical frameworks to ensure safe and responsible AI development. 

Various technology leaders and researchers have echoed concerns regarding AI’s potential negative consequences, including job displacement, biases in algorithms, and the loss of human connection and empathy in education. While AI holds immense promise for revolutionizing education, the complete replacement of schoolteachers is unlikely. However, it could replace a large number of schoolteachers and the cost savings to taxpayers would be considerable.  

Artificial intelligence possesses several attributes that make it an appealing tool in education, and the ability to automate administrative tasks and deliver tailored instruction has the potential to improve educational efficiency and student outcomes. If our current model of education cannot meet the needs of all students — and prove that via an increase in text scores — then AI will most likely replace a large section of the school workforce in the future.

Mark Powell has a master’s degree in educational administration and is former vice president of the San Diego County Board of Education. He is the president of Parents For Quality Education and has been a teacher, vice principal and dean of students in the San Diego Unified School District. 

School shootings have become an all too common occurrence in the United States. From Columbine to Parkland to Uvalde the tragedy of school shootings has left many communities devastated and families grieving.

The reality is San Diego-area schools are not as safe as we would like to believe. While some may argue that school shootings are rare, the fact remains that even one shooting is too many.

While there is no single way to prevent a school shooting, there are ways to make it harder for a shooter to access a campus. However, many San Diego County public school campuses continue to remain openly accessible to anyone at any time, putting our children, teachers and school staff at risk.

It is crucial that we take action now to ensure that our public school campuses are as secure as possible. While there are those who argue that such measures are unnecessary or even harmful, the fact remains that ensuring the safety of our children must be the top priority for all of us. 

The good news is that there are ways to help minimize the risks, and a good start is to increase the presence of school police and security personnel.  School police officers and security guards can act as a deterrent to potential criminals.

As another basic step, school districts need to install fencing to limit access to the campus.  Fencing can act as a physical barrier that helps prevent unauthorized access to the school, making it more difficult for outsiders to enter the campus and potentially cause harm.

A fence can help channel visitors and students through designated entry and exit points, which can make it easier for school staff to monitor who is coming and going. A fence can also act as a visual deterrent to a potential shooter who may be considering breaking into the school.

Fencing is not a foolproof solution to security challenges, and there may be potential drawbacks and concerns, such as cost, aesthetics, and accessibility. However, for many schools, a fence can be an effective tool in enhancing security and improving the overall safety of students and staff.  

Monitoring students’ social media posts is also important. The Chicago Public Schools have begun this practice to watch for signs of potential violence and alert police. Other steps include mental health support and crisis response planning. When it comes to keeping our children safe, we need to involve all stakeholders, including elected officials and community members, in the decision-making process. 

School is meant to be a place where children can learn, grow, and develop into responsible adults. However, schools are no longer the safe havens they once were. The threat of violence can cause anxiety, fear and stress among students and staff members. This can lead to a decline in academic performance, absenteeism, and even a higher dropout rate.

Ensuring that schools are secure can help alleviate these fears and create a sense of security for students and staff. When students feel safe, they are more likely to attend school, be engaged in their education and perform better academically.

Parents expect their children to be safe when they send them to school, and it is the responsibility of school districts and the boards that oversee them to ensure that they are. By implementing security measures, schools can reassure parents that their children are safe while on campus. 

Mark Powell has a master’s degree in educational counseling and is former vice president of the San Diego County Board of Education. He has been a reserve officer with the San Diego Police Department, a teacher and a public-school administrator.