Mariana Martínez Barba
@marianamtzbarba
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@voiceofsandiego city hall reporter via @Report4America | Prev freelance: @AP @latimes @rtenews & more 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 | Alum @newmarkjschool '23
Joined July 2019
It's been an exciting first week at @voiceofsandiego as a @Report4America corps member. I’m eager to learn about the communities that make up San Diego and how public policy influences the daily life of residents. Open to tips, etc! mariana.martinez@voiceofsandiego.org
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NEW: The White House intervened on behalf of accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate during a federal investigation. “It was so offensive to what we’re all here to do, to uphold the law and protect the American people,” one official involved said. https://t.co/ebnjFKFrzB
propublica.org
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
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@voiceofsandiego Why does this matter? San Diego City Council was banking on revenue from Balboa Park to offset their more than $258 million deficit.
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@voiceofsandiego During City Council today, the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) said their projection is closer to $4M. Still, they said, "it will be important to revisit the city's overall revenue... in case budget mitigations become necessary."
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@voiceofsandiego This summer I reported Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo parking fees could generate more than $15 million if the city could start charging by Oct. 1. The latest projection is a significant decrease from earlier estimates.
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Ahead of today's vote on Balboa Park parking, a staff report says the plan could result in a budgetary shortfall of $9.6 million for @voiceofsandiego. https://t.co/phEb0f1rCd
voiceofsandiego.org
Ahead of Tuesday’s vote on parking passes for Balboa Park, a staff report says the paid parking plan could result in a budgetary shortfall of $9.6 million.
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Today's scoop for @voiceofsandiego: Two deputy chief operating officers are leaving City Hall but city officials won’t say why. https://t.co/biwwiUYZZh
voiceofsandiego.org
Two deputy chief operating officers are leaving City Hall but city officials won’t say why.
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My latest for @voiceofsandiego: San Diegans living in their recreational vehicles say the city has not done enough to ensure that its safe parking lots are accessible. City officials disagree. https://t.co/qLCaTDvXuy
voiceofsandiego.org
On Monday, an attorney filed a motion asking the federal district court to force the city to comply with a previous settlement, in which city officials agreed to offer people living in RV’s a place...
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ICYMI.
Labor and advocacy groups are considering pushing a countywide sales-tax hike in 2026. A distrustful electorate could stand in the way. https://t.co/2P3w36L3Tv
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San Diego leaders are looking for answers after a rental contract with the city increased $6 million without Council approval. https://t.co/RiHV8aJSnL
voiceofsandiego.org
A year ago, San Diego city auditors found that staff spent millions more on rental equipment for city departments than what councilmembers approved. But the auditors couldn’t find who OK’d […]
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Local labor unions want to pass a one-cent sales tax for San Diego next year — just two years after voters narrowly declined a similar proposal. https://t.co/2gMca5mR6r
voiceofsandiego.org
The proposed tax would fund infrastructure repairs, wildfire prevention and more.
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🧵It's Monday. ☕️ @marianamtzbarba and I have a local sales-tax pitch double header leading today's @voiceofsandiego news blast. She broke the news that labor groups are working to get a one-cent @CityofSanDiego sales tax on the November 2026 ballot.
voiceofsandiego.org
San Diego politicos are testing the waters on three tax hikes that could hit local ballots next year. We’ve previously reported on San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera’s push for a […]
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San Diego’s top finance official just got a new job at the port. Meanwhile, the city's still grappling with the fallout of this summer’s budget negotiations. https://t.co/mEUEheu5PD
voiceofsandiego.org
The city of San Diego’s chief financial officer, Matt Vespi, is headed to the Port of San Diego. Vespi will be joining the Port as its new chief administrative officer […]
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Two months ago, San Diego announced a crackdown on freeway encampments. But a lack of shelter beds has allowed encampments to persist, despite regular cleanups. https://t.co/6Cf9ngpsCB
voiceofsandiego.org
Israel Elzy loaded an old wheelchair with all his belongings as a dozen workers, rakes and trash bags in hand, began sweeping an encampment along Interstate 5. The 67-year-old and […]
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🧵@SanDiegoCounty has a full-time chief pharmacy officer making a more than $230K annual salary and she's moonlighting at a law firm that represents pharmaceutical companies.
voiceofsandiego.org
Dr. Emily Do is the county’s full-time chief pharmacy officer, collecting a more than $230,000 annual salary. She’s held that job since 2019. Do’s also got a side gig working […]
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🧵It's Wednesday☕... and today's @voiceofsandiego news blast leads with @marianamtzbarba's check in on a @CityofSanDiego/@CaltransHQ deal allowing the city to clear homeless camps near freeways.
voiceofsandiego.org
Our City Hall Reporter Mariana Martínez Barba watched dozens of workers clean homeless encampment trash from a downtown freeway. Homeless people sleeping there watched too, and waited. When the...
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San Diego park officials want to make it harder for nonprofits to host activities at local beaches. Many of these camps support underserved youth, and may not survive if the proposal passes. https://t.co/HhflzGplRF
voiceofsandiego.org
Groups that teach water-based activities like surfing and kayaking to kids who don’t normally go to the beach are worried about a proposed permit system the City Council is considering.
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Groups that teach water-based activities like surfing and kayaking to kids who don’t normally go to the beach are worried about a proposed permit system the City Council is considering. Latest for @voiceofsandiego. https://t.co/iuhl21ybzh
voiceofsandiego.org
Groups that teach water-based activities like surfing and kayaking to kids who don’t normally go to the beach are worried about a proposed permit system the City Council is considering.
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San Diegans living in their cars are being pushed out of Mission Bay to a safe parking lot in Point Loma, but some say that won’t work for them. https://t.co/Cr2nnboAh8
voiceofsandiego.org
Legal hurdles had forced police to stop ticketing RVs in Mission Bay. But now police are beginning to crack down again.
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My latest with awesome @voiceofsandiego intern @tessabalc: A few months ago, @elcajonpolice quietly stopped responding to some mental health crisis calls. https://t.co/6jkRwQtvyf
voiceofsandiego.org
The decision means county mental health teams sometimes also can’t respond to crisis calls involving a threat to a single person or lack police support when they do.
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More monarchs than ever are calling San Diego their permanent home. Here’s how you can be a hospitable host to your butterfly neighbors 🦋 https://t.co/HdHlK6lLOo
voiceofsandiego.org
The Environment Report is back after a months-long hiatus. So stop putting pesticides on your landscaping.
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