The Padres flex political muscle
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The Padres are making themselves heard both on and off the field these days. Photo: Norm Hall/Getty Images
As the San Diego Padres enjoy another winning season with booming attendance at Petco Park, the organization is also increasingly weighing in on pressing city issues.
The big picture: The Padres have been speaking out in various ways as of late.
The organization issued a statement this week criticizing the city for creating a $10-per-hour metered parking zone near Petco Park during Padres games and large events.
- "The city made this decision without meaningful input from key stakeholders, including the Padres organization," the Padres said in a statement to Axios. "We have not yet received information regarding how the new parking revenue will be reinvested locally but look forward to better understanding the city's plan."
- The team has also been outspoken opponents of a proposal from Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera to increase the minimum wage for all tourism workers to $25 — with CEO Erik Greupner sending the City Council a letter saying the team felt disrespected that the proposal specifically called out Petco Park.
The team is polling the public on whether the organization should weigh in further.
- One poll, obtained by Axios and sent to cell phones last week, tested which messages the Padres could employ to strike down the minimum wage effort and whether San Diegans would be turned off by the team's involvement in the issue.
The other side: A Padres official told Axios in an email Friday that the team has no comment on last week's poll or any further comment on its recent public stances on city policy.
Zoom in: Last week's poll asked respondents whether they're Padres fans, to rate the team's performance, how many games they've attended and whether they support other local teams.
- It asked whether they would sign a referendum to overturn the minimum-wage measure and whether Padres involvement in the referendum would impact their support of it.
- The poll closed by asking whether the Padres' endorsing a local candidate for office would make respondents more or less likely to vote for that candidate.
Among other questions, the poll also asks respondents to rate the team's relationship with the city and whether they would support the Padres by attending a council meeting, signing a petition, contacting an elected official or posting on social media.
Between the lines: The poll tested how effective four arguments would be in swaying people against the hike.
- It asked whether people would be more likely to oppose the measure if they learned the city was exempting its own tourism workers from the hike.
- It also noted that the hike would increase concession prices at Petco, that the Padres already pay employees more than other MLB teams and that the Council could pass the measure without a vote of the people.
Flashback: Diana Puetz, the Padres vice president of public affairs, has appeared at council meetings opposing the minimum wage hike, which Elo-Rivera is pursuing through a new committee created to address cost-of-living issues in the city.
- "The whole point of the committee is to lower the cost of living, but this is only going to increase it," she told Voice of San Diego.
What's next: If the minimum-wage measure passes — the full Council could vote on it as early as September — business leaders have already said they will consider trying to overturn it at the ballot box with a referendum.
- The Petco parking price hike goes into effect Sept. 1.