San Diego County Democratic Party Votes to Endorse County Term Limits

This evening it is reported that the San Diego County Democratic Party voted to support placing term limits on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. It should send a shock wave about the determination the San Diego County Democratic Party has on challenging the status quo. You remember there are now more Democratic registered voters in the county, then Republicans.

Everyone at the meeting could agree one important thing, the Board of Supervisors are completely out of touch with the people they should be helping and do not represent the majority of the people of San Diego County.

Members talked about the supervisors $10 million a year slush fund (hmm, where did the previous community project fund lists go on the county website?) to reward their contributors, the large campaign war chests, the failed North County mental health outsourcing, need for campaign finance reforms, real redistricting reforms removing the Supervisors from directing the drawing of their personal fiefdoms and most importantly educating the voters about the real responsibility of the County Board of Supervisors - fire, social safety net and the topic missed, but still needed, was the badly needed revision of the outdated general plan for land use.

This evening the endorsement is already making the rounds on Facebook pages and status updates in the era of social networking. Interesting was the question about the Republican Party endorsing the term limits .

QUESTION:Does anyone know a term limit measure the San Diego County Republican Party or even the California Republican Party didn't support and were not asking about measures that would alter existing term limit lengths?

Friday - Quick Hits

Class act they are running over there at city hall. City finally releases e-mail from mayor's office containing swears in it. UT

Airport Board approves master plan from Lindbergh Field that includes the building of a 5-story parking garage. UT

Mayoral candidate in Oceanside has an inaccurate list of supporters on his website. UT

Panel endorse county plan to lease three firefighting plans. NCTimes

Monday - Quick Hits

County planning on leasing three planes for firefighting. UT

Mayoral candidate Steve Francis is spending very generously on television ads. UT

All candidates for City Attorney agree on the role and functions for the office. UT

Thousands showed up to Balboa Park yesterday to celebrate Earth Day. UT

Day laborers are finding a harder time getting hired. NCTimes

Friday - Quick Hits

Ex-aide to Mayor Sanders sues city over wrongful termination. UT

The nanny state has reached the ballpark now. Padres are selling overpriced 3.2 beer at Petco Park. UT

Stating the obvious, Baja Governor claims that water and energy projects will be the key to Baja's future development. UT

Sales tax legislation for San Diego County moves it way State Senate. UT

Fare increases and service cutbacks in the future for North County residents who use NCTD. UT

Crowd of 250 hear Cindy Sheehan speak at CSUSM last night. NCTimes

Friday - Quick Hits

City of San Diego credit rating improves from negative to positive. UT

District-3 candidate John Hartley arrested on indecent exposure charge. UT

City Attorney Mike Aguirre notifies SDG&E that they might violate their franchise agreement with city. UT

Camping fees for the Cleveland National Forest may rise. UT

Judge orders county to rewrite rules on county medical program for the poor. UT

City of Chula Vista to consider mandatory green building standards for new homes and business. UT

Largest hotel on West Coast proposed for East Village. UT

Novel concept, improving mass transit to airport. UT

Wednesday - Quick Hits

Pot selling pastor given pardon by president. UT

Art Madrid saga in La Mesa continues. City manager hires investigated to look into police action on the night of the incident. UT

County moves closer to new libraries in Fallbrook, Ramona, and Alpine. UT

County looking at creating a fire warden position. UT

Riverside county board of supervisors approve affordable housing plan. UT

County home prices in practical free-fall. NCTimes VOSD

Thursday - Quick Hits

Old Police headquarters on Market St. is headed for redevelopment as a commercial center. UT

Wow! The UT has discovered that gay people live in other neighborhoods besides Hillcrest. UT

Art Madrid saga continues. Independent investigator might be hired as early as next week. UT

Still more on Art Madrid. La Mesa Police release dispatches from night of incident. UT

County's top administrator to pen a column on the life and times of being a government bureaucrat. UT

Mini-dorm ordinance is headed back to city council for approval. UT

SANDAG panel asserts that Sunrise Powerlink contradicts San Diego County's long range energy goal. NCTimes

Thursday - Quick Hits

CSI in San Diego, county to break ground on new forensics building. UT

Councilman Hueso to give a state-of-the-district speech tonight. UT

San Diego School Board to seek community input on budget cuts. UT

Cities of San Diego and Chula Vista to consolidate fire and medical dispatch calls. UT

Long overdue effort to build shelter for migrant farmers in Carlsbad moves forward with $2 million dollar grant. UT

More expansion on the nanny state, Encinitas bans smoking on its beaches. UT
NCTimes

Wednesday - Quick Hits

Housing crisis continues, tax-delinquent properties up for auction by the county on Friday. UT

Fun times in the mayoral race, Steve Francis to begin airing television commercial starting today. UT VOSD

The soap opera that doesn't want to end. Aguirre believes politics played a role in the State Bar Association probe. UT

Makeover plan for the downtown Civic Center heads to public hearings. UT

Caltrans to meet today to review the possibility of an Otay East border crossing. UT

Tuesday - Quick Hits

Bridge between PETCO and Convention Center to get a second look. UT

SDSU receives $1.25 million to fight heart disease. UT

Santa Ysabel casino has fallen behind in its payments to the county for sheriff and fire protection. UT

Poway Unified toughens policy regarding hate and harassment of students. UT NCTimes

Coachella Valley trailer park that is home to migrant workers is placed under trusteeship by federal judge. UT

Debra Bowen 1 : County of San Diego 0

This afternoon a Superior Court judge tentatively ruled on behalf of Secretary of State Debra Bowen rejecting the lawsuit brought by the County of San Diego. The county brought suit against the Secretary of State, claiming that the office didn't have the authority to require a 10% hand count of ballot in elections were the winner wins by 1/2 percent or less. The judge in expected to announce the final ruling early next week.[Link]

Friday - Quick Hits

City supports state's position regarding medical marijuana, files amicus brief. UT

Shipyard failed to properly monitor atmospheric conditions aboard ship that led to explosion. UT

Encinitas $20 million new library is scheduled to open in February. UT

With start of new rail service in North County, focus is now on safety. UT

Gov Schwarzenegger's communications director and assistant chief of staff is leaving administration and is being replace by someone who worked for wingnut organization "Freedom Watch." UT

Escondido to undergo building boom in 2008. NCTimes

Vista considering expanding patchwork redevelopment area from 19% of city to 37% of the city. NCTimes

Tuesday - Quick Hits

On going real estate crisis, county posts bigger drop in median price of homes than during the 1990s real estate downturn. UT

National City says, need to worry about affordable housing to deleveloper, after a three year old letter is unearthed. UT

Mexican president offers temporary help to Mexicans citizens deported from U.S. UT

County ROV still needs 4200 poll workers for February 5th elections. UT

State appeals court upholds ruling keeping day-labor hirings private. UT NCTimes

Standing room only in Carlsbad last night to hear proposal to replace Encina Power Plant. UT NCTimes

In its ongoing attempt to plan for failure, the county's 2020 plan is now delayed until 2010. NCTimes

Wednesday - Quick Hits

Plan to buy 50 more fire engines moves forward. UT

Barona Valley Casino granted limited liquor license by the ABC. UT

UCSD Preuss Charter School has grading irregularities according to audit. UT VOSD

Poway Unified School District hate behavior plan doesn't go far enough to its critics. UT

How about a telethon? City to raise private funds for second firefighting copter. UT

SEC slaps the wrist of City's former private auditor. UT VOSD

City of Vista votes to double the size of its downtown redevelopment area. UT

Monday - Quick Hits

Wingnuts get your tinfoil hats ready. County to start fluoridation today. UT

Chula Vista expected to cut $15.9 million from budget, and will layoff 27 in the process. UT

Construction begins on Palomar-Pomerado hospital near $1 billion expansion. NCTimes

In an editorial, La Prensa reminds us that the Reverse 911 system work well if you spoke English. LaPrensa

Rental vacancies on the rise throughout the county. UT

As reputation grows, number of applicants to SDSU increases. Too bad they can't get recruit better football players. UT

Tuesday - Quick Hits

Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to San Diego County program that sends peace officers to homes of poor who apply for public assistance. I guess the poor don't have Fourth Admendment rights. UT

Another one to leave, Kyo Yamashiro who overseas charter schools for San Diego Unified will be stepping down. VOSD

Senator Dianne Feinstein will be bring her subcommittee roadshow here to town this morning, to hear about last month's wildfires. It will take place at 9:30 a.m. in the council chambers, located on the 12th floor of 202 C St. in downtown San Diego. VOSD UT

SANDAG updates its regional traffic plan. Their solution more toll roads!! UT

Once again proving the anti-immigrant nativists wrong, UCLA study finds that immigrants are 50% less likely compared to native born Latinos to use hospital emergency rooms. LATimes

Wednesday - Quick Hits

City Council approves an emergency plan to demolish three Mt. Soledad homes in order to repair the road. UT

Should have built it right in the first place. FAA notified Sunroad that their building in no longer a flight hazzard. UT

Credit crunch, caused by housing meltdown may hinder the sale of the La Valencia Hotel. UT

City Council affirms Alcohol Beach Ban. Set to take a effect by December 20. UT

Get your legal briefs ready. City to seek third waiver for Pt. Loma treatment plant. UT

From the area of the ridiculous. Court says county doesn't have to pay for hospital costs of detainees that have been arrested but not booked or arrained. NCTimes

San Diego a dream place to live but....

In yesterday's UT, business reporter Dean Calbreath had must read column regarding the cost of housing here in San Diego county. What Calbreath stated was that while San Diego county may be a dream place to live, there just don't exists the kind of dream jobs that are bringing people to San Diego. The affordability of housing here in the county is forcing people to move away. In fact, the lack of good quality paying jobs combined with the skyrocketing housing prices earlier in the decade has already lead to a net loss of over 130,000 people from the county over the last six years.[Link] This fact alone should be troubling to local electeds. For if this trend was to increase and continue it could have dire consequences for the area. If you don't believe me, try sometime visiting Michigan or Ohio.