{"id":307202,"date":"2026-05-09T04:46:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/307202\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T04:46:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T04:46:11","slug":"san-diego-mayor-proposes-canceling-christmas-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/307202\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego mayor proposes canceling Christmas festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

San Diego might cancel its beloved Christmas festival, December Nights<\/a>, under a cost-cutting proposal by Mayor Todd Gloria.<\/p>\n

The city is facing a $146 million deficit. So Gloria says no \u201cIn Excelsis Deo\u201d on No\u00ebl.<\/p>\n

Residents are furious. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Balboa Park for the event every year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s part of the holiday season in Southern California, just like chilly beach sunsets. Now, the good people of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Finest City<\/a>\u201d might have to do without their Christmas revelry.<\/p>\n

San Diego might cancel its beloved Christmas festival, December Nights, under a cost-cutting proposal by Mayor Todd Gloria. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The city is facing a $146 million deficit. So Gloria says no \u201cIn Excelsis Deo\u201d on No\u00ebl. Getty Images<\/p>\n

But this budget crisis didn\u2019t arrive out of nowhere.<\/p>\n

As local outlets have noted over the past several weeks, San Diego spent like crazy on middle management positions in city government over the last decade.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

In 2015, there were 70. Now, there are 400, according to Fox 5 San Diego<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many of those in mid-level city management earn well over $200,000 a year, more than the members of the City Council<\/a> who created their jobs.<\/p>\n

As local outlets have noted over the past several weeks, San Diego spent like crazy on middle management positions in city government over the last decade. Getty Images<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same budget problem popping up everywhere that Democrats govern.<\/p>\n

They added staff, perhaps so they could hand out patronage jobs. Then the Biden administration gave them loads of \u201cemergency\u201d cash to fight the coronavirus, even though the first Trump administration had already spent trillions keeping local governments and small businesses afloat.<\/p>\n

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n

California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a>
California Post Sports Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, X<\/a>
California Post Opinion<\/a>
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!<\/a>
California Post App: Download here!<\/a>
Home delivery: Sign up here!<\/a>
<\/a>Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!<\/a><\/p>\n

Then the Democrats in charge made the convenient assumption that the new \u201cemergency\u201d levels of spending would be the new baseline. The good times would last forever.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, they didn\u2019t. The State of California and many cities within it started feeling the pinch even before Biden left office.<\/p>\n

Then the Democrats in charge made the convenient assumption that the new \u201cemergency\u201d levels of spending would be the new baseline. The good times would last forever. Getty Images for Democracy Forward<\/p>\n

With the Trump administration cutting wasteful federal spending, these governments are now feeling the pinch.<\/p>\n

Now some voters in San Diego are talking about recalling Gloria. It\u2019s worth reminding them that Gloria was the Great Democrat Hope when he was elected in 2020. <\/p>\n

He was a bunch of \u201cfirsts\u201d: First person of color to be mayor of the city; first gay mayor; and so on.<\/p>\n

He replaced Republican Kevin Faulconer, a moderate Republican who clashed with Trump but who managed the city well.<\/p>\n

Faulconer, in turn, had replaced Bob Filner, who had brought Democrats the prize of victory in the city, only to leave office in disgrace over sexual misconduct allegation.<\/p>\n

San Diego chose Democrats. Those Democrats then chose wasteful spending \u2014 on expensive, pencil-pushing bureaucrats.<\/p>\n

Now the Democrats want to cancel Christmas.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s do the math. Have we learned our lesson yet?<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t