Saturday, July 26, 2008

Rep. Davis left off labor list

From Capitol Alert
Posted by Shane Goldmacher on July 24, 2008 10:08 AM

On Wednesday, Captiol Alert published the list of endorsements for the California Labor Federation, which backed Democrats -- and only Democrats -- across the state.

But one incumbent congresswoman was left off the list.

The San Diego Union Tribune noticed that area congresswoman Susan Davis was missing. The paper reports:

Bryan Blum, political director of the statewide labor group, said it followed the recommendation of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council that it withhold an endorsement from the four-term San Diego Democrat because of an inconsistent voting record on trade issues.

"It does go back to her voting the wrong way on some trade issues," Blum said. "The folks in San Diego had some issues because they felt she made a commitment to vote one way and she voted the other."

Friday, July 25, 2008

And if you act now, we'll give you an another Shamwow set for free!

Nope, not talking about Shamwow. I'm talking about today's headline in the U-T about putting the paper up for sale. I'm not a big fan of the U-T. I mean on any given day the front page of the U-T is essentially stories pulled by either the New York Times News Service or AP. If I wanted a cut and paste newspaper I can make myself one without the U-T's help. I can't remember the last time I actually bought a U-T and when I do get a copy from somewhere I mostly check what are today's deals at Fry's. (Oooh! a 4GB USB flashdrive for $12! The Deer Hunter DVD is only $5.99!) Another thing I hate about the U-T is how it avoids any bad news about San Diego that make news on major nationwide newspapers.

A great example was an expose by the New York Times and Frontline about corrupt ICE agents getting rich helping smugglers transport drugs and other contraband into the US. The biggest case was here in San Diego. It was a front page story on the New York Times and that night was the focus of a Frontline documentary. All this attention but not a peep from the U-T. And don't get me started on the Editorial page.

Should this paper be sold, would it really be a "...sad day for San Diego." like Mayor Sanders states? I don't think so. If anything it might help San Diego to have a premier newspaper befitting it's status as second largest city in the most populous state in the union. After all, let's be honest it seems that all the biggest stories in the last few years have been broken by Voice of San Diego or someone else other than the U-T. Hopefully new owners can build a newspaper that will serve all San Diegans; not just a select few. But then again, the sale may just speed up the decline.

Sigh.

Your thoughts?

P.S. Is it me or does Mayor Sanders look like Shemp?

"Energy Crossroads" Screening with Debbie Cook

Peak Oil Film & Discussion
Think Gas at $4.50 is Expensive?
Tuesday, July 29th

FEATURING: Award-winning film Energy Crossroads (2007)

SPECIAL GUEST: Debbie Cook
Huntington Beach Mayor and Candidate for Congress

Film begins at 7:00pm
Discussion follows at 8:00pm
Joyce Beers Community Center
3900 Vermont St. (in Hillcrest Trader Joe's shopping center)

RSVP to: Progress@ProgressiveSD.org
Suggested Donation: $10-20 (but no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

Think gas at $4.50 is expensive? Most oil industry geologists and analysts predict that within a few years, world oil production will reach a peak and then begin an irreversible decline, as huge decades-old oil fields are depleted. This is likely to significantly increase the price of everything produced from or transported using oil, including gasoline, plastic, chemicals, and food. Join Progressive San Diego and Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook for a movie and discussion about peak oil, its impacts on our sprawling region, and what San Diego can do to mitigate its effects.

Debbie Cook, Mayor of Huntington Beach, California is an attorney and environmental activist and is currently running for U.S. Congress in California's 46th district. She serves on the boards of directors of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO-USA) and the Post Carbon Institute, and has spoken internationally about what local governments can do in response to the imminent peak in world oil production.

For more information visit:
Progressive San Diego
Debbie Cook for Congress

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Labor Votes to Oppose Developer’s Initiative of 10th Avenue

The membership of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, last night unanimously voted to oppose a ballot initiative that would destroy maritime industry at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal.

The campaign to defeat the measure will be one of the Labor Council’s top priorities in this fall’s elections, according to Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez.

“These are some of the last good, blue-collar, middle-class jobs left in our region,” said Gonzalez. “The 120,000 working families of the Labor Council are outraged that a private developer is pushing a misleading plan that is destructive to the region’s working waterfront.”

San Diego Bay’s working waterfront provides the region with 42,000 jobs and adds an economic impact of $7.6 billion annually to the region.

The initiative, which will be placed on the Nov. 4 ballots of residents in San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach and Coronado, would change the Port’s master plan to allow for the redevelopment of the 10th Avenue Terminal for private use.

The plan would allow for private building on a deck constructed on top of the terminal, and would reduce the region’s ability ensure both business growth and port security.

“This isn’t under-utilized land in desperate need of redevelopment,” said Gonzalez. “It is a valuable part of our economy. From the banana you eat for breakfast to the cement used to make the sidewalk below you, there is a good chance that every day you use a product that came through the 10th Avenue Terminal.”

Anti-Union Measure’s Defeat in Chula Vista is Final

The Chula Vista city clerk has officially notified supporters of an anti-union ballot measure that they have failed to submit enough signatures to qualify their initiative for the November ballot. The action makes the failure of the measure final.

The measure was aimed at stopping Project Labor Agreements on publicly funded projects. Interim City Clerk Donna Norris reported that 7,092 signatures were submitted in the permitted time window, well short of the 9,062 needed to qualify. Had election officials performed signature verification, the actual number of valid signatures submitted would have been far lower.

Earlier, proponents had lost a legal appeal to allow additional signatures to be submitted, because they had violated a state Elections Code provision requiring notice of a petition drive to be published in a local paper, and an affidavit of publication filed with elections officials within 10 days. The proponents of this measure filed their affidavit more than two months late, in violation of the law. The city clerk then properly rejected the petitions.

San Diego City Elections Ballot Order

The results from the random drawing held today:

City Attorney
Mike Aguirre
Jan Goldsmith

District 1

Sherri Lightner
Phil Thalheimer

District 3
Stephen Witburn
Todd Gloria

District 7

April Boling
Marti Emerald

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Free ‘Duke’ Cunningham? Will President Bush Overlook the Minor Transgressions of an Otherwise Loyal Conservative-- Again

From today’s California Progress Report

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

It seems that former San Diego Republican Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham, now serving his sentence for corruption in a minimum security federal facility, has petitioned President Bush for clemency.

And what Republican is more deserving?

Elected on his war hero record, “Duke” became an icon of the Republican right.
Following the entrepreneurial spirit that guided his party, Duke parlayed his position in the government and his GOP credentials to a point where he could influence the award of tax-paid contracts. A friend got the contracts. “Duke” got, among other things, a mansion.

Isn’t that Republican teamwork? The American way?

Of course, it was against the law. But “Duke” was bigger than a few silly rules. Besides, the good he did in conservative causes deserved a more fitting reward than a simple Congressional salary. He made money for others, it was only right they give some to him.

Now, stripped of office and of his ill-gotten gains, he only asks that he no longer be treated like a common criminal.

After all, is he worse than Karl Rove?

Maybe the President should consider blanket pardons for all Republicans in public office during his two terms as President? After all, to err is human…

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/07/cavala_free_duk.html

Booze Ban Ballot?

According to today’s Voice of San Diego, Peters and Faulconer are proposing to put the beach alcohol ban on the November ballot.

The amusing part of this is Faulconer:

"People have had a chance to come down to the beach and see the results," Faulconer said of the one-year trial ban that is set to expire in November. "Now it is time to allow the voters to have the final word on this."

This from a guy who was booed at Pacific Beach Town Council meetings for not taking a stand the issue in the first place.

Besides, I thought the voters already had a say in 2002.

Responsible drinking is about as elusive as responsible adulthood so I can see the point. I just wish Kevin had grown a pair earlier in the debate when it would have mattered instead of punting to the taxpayers.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

The Other Propositions as of Today

Field Poll results, prepared exclusively for Capitol Alert, on California voters' views of several ballot measures on the Nov. 4 ballot.


Voters favor expanding high speed rail, improving the treatment of farm animals, notifying parents of teens seeking an abortion, expanding California's use of renewable energy and changing the state's redistricting process.

That's according to a new Field Poll that surveyed voters on five measures on the November ballot.

All five were ahead, though two (the abortion and redistricting measures) fell short of the 50 percent mark - which political strategists usually consider a poor omen for a measure's chances.

Proposition 1 (High speed rail)
Yes: 56 percent
No: 30
Undecided: 14

Proposition 2 (Treatment of farm animals)
Yes: 63 percent
No: 24
Undecided: 13

Proposition 4 (Abortion notification for minors)

Yes: 48 percent
No: 39
Undecided: 13

Proposition 7 (Renewable energy)
Yes: 63 percent
No: 24
Undecided: 13

Proposition 11 (Redistricting)
Yes: 42 percent
No: 30
Undecided: 28

Of note:
On four of the five initiatives measured – Props. 1, 2, 7 and 11 – less than one voter in four claims to have any prior awareness of the measure. The one exception is Prop. 4, having to do with parental notification of teen abortion, although even here less than half (45%) report any awareness.