Friday, May 16, 2008

Friday - Quick Hits

Environmental and human rightsd groups join forces in opposing the border fence project that will fill in canyon. UT

The S&P restores San Diego's credit rating. UT

Oceanside city council agrees to talks with private firms over airport operation. UT

Now that Oceanside has approved project, developer claims it is not in a hurry to start building. UT

Thursday, May 15, 2008

70 Hours and Counting: Where’s Jerry Sanders?

Even though blue-collar city workers from AFSCME Local 127 agreed to resume bargaining the moment Jerry Sanders’ poverty pension proposal was shot down late Monday night, Jerry Sanders has yet to sit down to the bargaining table 70 hours later.

Lorena Gonzalez, secretary-treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, called on Mayor Jerry Sanders to return to the negotiating table.

“We believe Jerry Sanders’ announcement to meet and confer by ballot box is another stunt by his political operation to scapegoat city employees in order to deflect attention from his inability to find solutions to our city’s challenges.

“Late Monday, when he made the political calculation that he didn’t have support for his pension experiment, Jerry Sanders – aided and abetted by Mike Aguirre – delivered a last-minute substitute that had never been formally offered before in order to save face.

“This offer was presented about 9 p.m. at night and away from public view. Had it been adopted, an average blue-collar city worker who had worked for 30 years would retire with an $18,500 annual pension with no social security benefits and no SPSP. On its face, the Jerry Sanders’ plan would have left hard-working employees to retire into poverty. Regardless of the proposal’s merits, the unethical tactics of Jerry Sanders and Mike Aguirre run contrary to the rules that they agreed to back when negotiations started months ago.

“The attempt by Jerry Sanders and Mike Aguirre to make a late-night switcheroo was aimed to unfairly shove down our workers’ throats a proposal that had never been discussed prior and was never and still has not been put into the public record of the City.

“Now, Jerry Sanders is trying to force his campaign timeline onto the hard-working blue-collar employees of this city, but it’s clear he’s the one on the clock. Over 70 hours have passed since the City Council shot down this half-cooked pension proposal, and he has yet to come back to the table.

“Instead, Jerry Sanders wants to put a pension proposal in front of voters, but AFSCME Local 127 has said they’re ready to bargain now. I’m calling on Jerry Sanders to end these shameless campaign tactics, for him and Mike Aguirre to stick to the rules he agreed to, and return to the table so the city can move forward.

“Clearly, San Diegans are tired of the bickering at City Hall. San Diego’s working families deserve a Mayor who is committed to moving things forward in cooperation with our City’s employees. Jerry Sanders is failing with every passing hour.

“The public has had enough of the excuses, half-truths and rhetoric of Jerry Sanders and Mike Aguirre. Now is as good of a time as ever for them to start working toward solutions instead of their next excuse.”

Thursday - Quick Hits

Blackwater permits cannot be appealed claims a city official. UT

City to use state bond funds to repair roads. UT

Campaign over height limit initiative in Chula Vista is becoming heated. UT

Port leases land from Navy so hotel project can move forward. UT

Despite city council opposition growth initiative in San Marcos qualifies for November ballot. UT


FDR Dem Club Announces Endorsements

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Democratic Club has announced the following endorsements:

California State Senate
39th District - Christine Kehoe

California State Assembly
76th District - Lori Saldaña
78th District – Marty Block
80th District – Greg Pettis

San Diego City Attorney
Scott Peters

San Diego City Council – District 1
Sherri Lightner

San Diego City Council – District 3
Todd Gloria
Stephen Whitburn

San Diego City Council – District 5
George George

San Diego City Council – District 7
Marti Emerald

San Diego Community College District
Area B - Bill Schwandt
Area D - Dwayne Crenshaw

San Diego County Board of Education
District 2 - Jose Preciado
District 4 - Mark Anderson

San Diego School Board
Richard Barrera
John Lee Evans
Shelia Jackson

City of San Diego Propositions
A – Yes
B – Yes
C – Yes

State Ballot Measures
Proposition 98 - NO
Proposition 99 – YES

The FDR Club was founded on the principles of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Economic Bill of Rights” from his 1944 State of the Union Address.

These principles include:

• The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;
• The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
• The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
• The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
• The right of every family to a decent home;
• The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
• The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
• The right to a good education.

This Week's CityBeat Cover

As an homage to the Weekly World News, CityBeat's cover this week is a classic. There's no bat boy or alien endorsements, but there should be given the unreal nature of our local elections.

I especially like the "Hartley and Environment" bit at the bottom.

Check it out. It's a hoot.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Wednesday - Quick Hits

It is all about leadership on the school board. Article illustrates that schools don't necessarily have to cut layoff teachers in response to budget cuts. UT


Campaign for re-election twisting in the wind, as Mayor Sanders decides to place city workers pension reform on November ballot. UT


Why don't the Padres pay for it? Council approves money to build a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Drive from parking garage to Petco Park. UT


Carlsbad city council took a position to oppose new power plant to be located west of I-5. UT NCTimes

City of Vista drops neighborhoods from its massive expansion of its redevelopment zone. NCTimes

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Tuesday - Quick Hits

At a PUC hearing in Borrego Springs last night hundreds showed up to protest the Sunrise Powerlink. UT

Council and mayor cannot agree on labor contract, so it is headed to the voters. UT

Court ruling is forcing County Medical Services to cover a larger share of the uninsure. UT

MTS and bus driver union reach an agreement on a five-year contract. UT

County board to consider the merger of two East County fire districts. UT

Monday, May 12, 2008

Carl DeMaio Not Playing Nice with Others!


According to the UT, Carl DeMaio and some of his campaign flunkies didn't like the idea that D-5 candidate George George has a 4ft by 8ft on his property. This video illustrates, how first some of the classy DeMaio campaign workers tried to place some signs next to George's. When that apparently didn't try to take the sign down. Is George's candidacy really that big of a threat to DeMaio?

Monday - Quick Hits

New and improved Steve Francis cites his passion for his success. UT

City selects oak trees to replace eucalyptus trees as part of Balboa Park's reforestation plan. UT

In its typical fashion, UT carries water for pro-city charter position up in Carlsbad. UT

City of Oceanside to hear presentation from developer regarding the largest deployments in the city's history. NCTimes

The Republican Justice League?

I ask after a neighbor supplied me with their voter guide sent out by the local GOP.

It talks about some “Reform Team”, made up of Jerry Sanders, Carl DeMaio, Jan Goldsmith, and April Boling, that needs to be sent to City Hall in order to thwart the interests of “special interest union bosses” that “have created a financial crisis with gold-plated pension benefits.”

I realize that a steady diet of FOX and wanting to believe that Bush was the right choice in 2004 lends itself to cognitive dissonance but I can’t think of any reality-based rational for labeling these four a “reform team.”

SANDERS
Oh please. Reform? We’ve had four years and all I’ve seen a poll-driven popularity seeker. People in his own party should remind him that “fees” can be interpreted as “taxes” and, like Golding before him, he’s not making any real changes lest he be responsible for a dip in his popularity numbers. Changes need to happen and the last four years seem to show a pattern of avoiding any meaningful reform beyond the cosmetic.

DEMAIO
Neo-libertarianism is not reform. DeMaio’s style of reform would have farmed out our police to Blackwater. That was an extreme example but a guy who started out feeding from the government trough has no right to bash it. Wanting to make a living again from the government while selling it off is not governing. I guess it is reform for those who liked Newt and Reagan.

GOLDSMITH
Yes, he is not Mike so that is reform of a sort. I just don’t see Jan doing much other that being another Casey Gwinn. His tenure in the State Assembly has become forgettable and I’m still not sure what a guy like him is doing in a race like this. His plans read more like a PowerPoint slide than a guide to action. If the GOP wanted a warm body to run, they could have done better.

BOLING
Out of many issues, I’ll choose one: Mayor Murphy’s Blue Ribbon Commission. If your idea of reform is downplay the severity of the problems in which you were tasked to address because they might be really bad, then you’re better off in the fantasyland of your mind. For a CPA to take part in this deception is beyond the pale. She’s been on just about every Republican campaign as an accountant so she has plenty of chits to call in. You have an idea of how reform minded she’ll be.

I just don’t see this GOP Justice League hanging out socially let alone reforming the city in a positive fashion.