SB344 Proves That Deception by Politicians is Alive in California – Corruption That Drives Developer Projects
When elected officials disagree with their constituents, scientific evidence, and court rulings on serious environmental issues, the answer should not be to weaken the very safeguards designed to protect the public.
SB344 does exactly that. It undermines critical environmental review protections and shifts the consequences onto the Californians who will be left to live with the risks, costs, and long-term damage. And it reeks of corruption at various governmental levels.
Corruption starts with Mayor Todd Gloria, who received campaign funding ($100,000) for his re-election campaign from developer, Brad Termini and his wife. Termini was given the contract on the Midway project in San Diego, CA in 2022. In 2024, Termini gets Stan Kroenke (Stadium developer) to fund a sizable portion of the project.
To help his funding backers, Mayor Gloria enlists the help of a state lawmaker from San Diego to help fast-track the construction of an arena and housing project, drawing criticism from opponents who argue the site is not suitable for large-scale development because of flooding and infill issues (similar to projects in Miami, FL).
State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-La Mesa) authors Senate Bill 344 and is joined by Assemblyman Chris Ward (San Diego) to be the co-author to help Midway Rising, the project backed by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke, avoid potential lawsuits related to its environmental review.
Both Senator Weber-Pierson and Assemblymember Chris Ward received numerous requests from their constituents to discuss with them first about this Bill before proceeding. Both ignored requests for meeting with their constituents, using excuses about not being available.
Why ignore urgent warning signs: rising seas, elevated groundwater, storm drains flooding streets even when there is no rain, failing stormwater and sewer systems, and escalating public costs. These are not abstract concerns. They are documented realities that demand careful review—not legislative shortcuts.
The courts determined that adequate CEQA analysis had not been performed for the Midway Rising project in San Diego. That ruling should have prompted transparency, accountability, and serious reassessment. Instead, SB344 was designed to override environmental review rather than address the underlying risks.
Leadership requires confronting facts, not bypassing them. Yet, that is what is happening.
This entire project, Midway Sinking (as locals have named it), speaks to the corruption that has taken place and as expected, Governor Newsom felt obligated to sign SB344 due to his allegiance with unions and out of state developers (including Kroenke) who have now taken control of the state.
This allegiance with unions and developers is obvious on more than the Midway project. Newsom already hooked up Kroenke with a sweet surplus lands act deal for the new Anaheim stadium to the tune of $4B as part of Kroenke’s recent acquisition of the Anaheim Angels. Kroenke needed a legislative waiver because surplus land act deals are supposed to prioritize affordable housing.
Newsom was pressured by his allies in organized labor, and his fellow democrats in San Diego, to sign this legislation.
This is about corruption at the highest levels: the Democrat-dominated mayor and city council handed the project to the biggest campaign contributors. Then when the project couldn’t survive legitimate scrutiny, labor and the Democrats passed legislation to exempt the project. Newsom was pressured to sign SB344.
It has become obvious to residents of California that the elected officials currently in office, from San Diego to Sacramento, have demonstrated that corruption rules and that the public they were elected to serve are bystanders that will have to accept whatever they decide.
However, don’t expect San Diegans to sit back and not take action to change the course. Over the next month, expect lots of push back from the thousands of people who say corruption and fraud by politicians should not ruin this city.
Category: Featured Articles, Land issues, Local News
