San Diego, fire stations are suffering brownouts. Library hours have been cut by a quarter, youth programs reduced by half. There are fewer cops on the street but more potholes, and because trimming of the city's 30,000 palm trees has been reduced, pedestrians face more risk of being knocked silly by a falling coconut. The city has budget problems, just like every other major American metropolis. But as San Diego girds for a mayoral election next year, the biggest issue isn't the overstretched budget or the atrophy of local services.
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