We know Bonnie was burning up the phone lines because of this. And where will Carl end up?
The story here.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Note to the Fletcher Campaign re: Lorem Ipsum
Check out this press release from the Fletcher campaign.
Here's the first paragraph:
In an unsurprising turn of events, Activate Direct showed very well in its demonstration with the League of CA Cities on Wednesday. One official was heard to say "we all knew it was coming. It's not surprising in the least when you think about it." Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce iaculis, risus mollis facilisis sodales, sapien risus vulputate odio, eu lobortis nisl erat ut nisi. Nunc sit amet arcu nec dui fringilla rutrum et at nisl. Cras vitae lectus vitae quam rutrum sodales vitae non diam. Ut ut nisi enim. Ut volutpat dolor non enim porta tristique. Curabitur a eleifend mi. Morbi sed nulla id dolor eleifend tincidunt. Nullam pulvinar, massa vel varius facilisis, lorem risus consequat massa, non posuere neque mi et justo. Vivamus lacus magna, facilisis vitae vulputate et, tincidunt quis nibh. Vivamus nec felis nibh, ut scelerisque dui.
Did you get all that? Here's what you need to know about "Lorem Ipsum." Not a big deal but just a note to watch your typesetting.
Here's the first paragraph:
In an unsurprising turn of events, Activate Direct showed very well in its demonstration with the League of CA Cities on Wednesday. One official was heard to say "we all knew it was coming. It's not surprising in the least when you think about it." Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce iaculis, risus mollis facilisis sodales, sapien risus vulputate odio, eu lobortis nisl erat ut nisi. Nunc sit amet arcu nec dui fringilla rutrum et at nisl. Cras vitae lectus vitae quam rutrum sodales vitae non diam. Ut ut nisi enim. Ut volutpat dolor non enim porta tristique. Curabitur a eleifend mi. Morbi sed nulla id dolor eleifend tincidunt. Nullam pulvinar, massa vel varius facilisis, lorem risus consequat massa, non posuere neque mi et justo. Vivamus lacus magna, facilisis vitae vulputate et, tincidunt quis nibh. Vivamus nec felis nibh, ut scelerisque dui.
Did you get all that? Here's what you need to know about "Lorem Ipsum." Not a big deal but just a note to watch your typesetting.
Campaigns For GOP Ballot Measures Lure Voters With Phony Petition To “Lower Gas Prices”
From the Labor Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Campaigns For GOP Ballot Measures Lure Voters
With Phony Petition To “Lower Gas Prices”
With Phony Petition To “Lower Gas Prices”
New Video Footage of Bait-and-Switch Illustrates Latest Deceit
by Pension and Government Contractor Campaigns
by Pension and Government Contractor Campaigns
SAN DIEGO – (Wednesday, July 6, 2011) – The “Just Say No, San Diego” Public Education Campaign released video today of Republican-controlled ballot measure campaigns using a phony petition to supposedly “lower gas prices” as a bait-and-switch in order to have voters sign ballot measures that eliminate a retirement safety net for city employees, abolish collective bargaining for construction workers and silence the voices of workers in politics.
A paid operative of the Republican ballot measure campaigns are seen luring voters to a booth with colorful posters stating “Lower Gas Prices” while representing that the ballot measure they are signing will put a question on the ballot that forces Congress to “drill here, drill now.” In fact, there is no such ballot measure registered for circulation at the Secretary of State’s office and no actual federal initiative-by-petition process.
A paid operative of the Republican ballot measure campaigns are seen luring voters to a booth with colorful posters stating “Lower Gas Prices” while representing that the ballot measure they are signing will put a question on the ballot that forces Congress to “drill here, drill now.” In fact, there is no such ballot measure registered for circulation at the Secretary of State’s office and no actual federal initiative-by-petition process.
After talking up the phony gas prices initiative, the signature gatherer asks the voter to sign the petition in order to put it on the ballot.
But, in fact, the paid signature gatherer flips the top page about gas prices over to have the voter sign a petition for one of the Republican ballot measures being circulated by government contractors, developers, corporate lobbyists and other far-right special interests.
“This is a very deceitful tactic, even by the low standards of the underground industry of paid signature gathering,” said Kyle Haverback, spokesman for the “Just Say No, San Diego” Public Education Campaign. “In the video, you can clearly see that the paid signature gatherer is preying on people’s desire to lower gasoline prices. It’s very cynical of these campaigns to employ a bait-and-switch where you tell the public they’re signing one thing when it’s really another.”
Watch the Video here!
Only when the paid signature gatherer is prompted in the video does she then describe that she is collecting signatures for other petitions besides the phony “gas prices” campaign. When describing those ballot measures, the paid signature gatherer makes several misleading and inaccurate statements about what the measures do.
The paid signature gatherer claims the pension ballot measure “better defines what they’re giving the employees” when the measure actually creates more uncertainty about the benefits city employees receive. When describing the government contracting ballot measure to stop collective bargaining agreements on public projects, the paid signature gatherer said the measure allows non-union firms the right to bid on city contracts, when in fact non-union firms already have the right, regardless of whether there’s a project labor agreement or not.
But, in fact, the paid signature gatherer flips the top page about gas prices over to have the voter sign a petition for one of the Republican ballot measures being circulated by government contractors, developers, corporate lobbyists and other far-right special interests.
“This is a very deceitful tactic, even by the low standards of the underground industry of paid signature gathering,” said Kyle Haverback, spokesman for the “Just Say No, San Diego” Public Education Campaign. “In the video, you can clearly see that the paid signature gatherer is preying on people’s desire to lower gasoline prices. It’s very cynical of these campaigns to employ a bait-and-switch where you tell the public they’re signing one thing when it’s really another.”
Watch the Video here!
Only when the paid signature gatherer is prompted in the video does she then describe that she is collecting signatures for other petitions besides the phony “gas prices” campaign. When describing those ballot measures, the paid signature gatherer makes several misleading and inaccurate statements about what the measures do.
The paid signature gatherer claims the pension ballot measure “better defines what they’re giving the employees” when the measure actually creates more uncertainty about the benefits city employees receive. When describing the government contracting ballot measure to stop collective bargaining agreements on public projects, the paid signature gatherer said the measure allows non-union firms the right to bid on city contracts, when in fact non-union firms already have the right, regardless of whether there’s a project labor agreement or not.
# # #
Friday, July 1, 2011
Two Cathedrals: Building a base is not a vice.
Lucas O'Conner nails it.
This boils down to the collision of principle vs pragmatism: Whether aspiring to the supposed ideal of post-partisan governance trumps the pragmatism of trying to actually enact beneficial policy. The trick is, the policy is the principle. It can be easy to lose sight of the actual point of politics, but ultimately the goal is to improve people’s lives. And the mechanism is policy. Everything else is the sausage-making. Aspire to as much righteousness as you want in the process of making that sausage, but at the end of the day all that matters is what gets made.
Here is the post.
This boils down to the collision of principle vs pragmatism: Whether aspiring to the supposed ideal of post-partisan governance trumps the pragmatism of trying to actually enact beneficial policy. The trick is, the policy is the principle. It can be easy to lose sight of the actual point of politics, but ultimately the goal is to improve people’s lives. And the mechanism is policy. Everything else is the sausage-making. Aspire to as much righteousness as you want in the process of making that sausage, but at the end of the day all that matters is what gets made.
Here is the post.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
SD CityBeat: Vargas raising cash for state Senate, but running for Congress
CityBeat has the story here.
GOP Ballot Measure Relies on Illegal Maneuvers, Resulting in Higher Costs, Phantom Savings and No Safety Net for Workers
Press Release from San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Mayor’s Proposition Depends on Breaking State Law In Order To Achieve Lion’s Share of Projected Savings
SAN DIEGO – (Thursday, June 30, 2011) – The Republican ballot measure to leave city workers without Social Security or any other retirement safety net includes a maneuver that Mayor Sanders claimed was illegal just a few months ago in order to achieve be
According to the ballot measure’s supporters, the section of the proposition requiring the city to freeze pensionable pay for 5 years accounts for up to 87 % (or $1.1 billion) of the savings heralded by supporters. It is against California state law to impose a pay freeze for that long without bargaining in good faith with employees first.
“They’re counting chicks that will never hatch under state law,” said Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego Labor Council’s Secretary-Treasurer. “This proposition leave workers without Social Security or any retirement safety net and assures the City will find itself back in expensive courtroom battles like in the Mike Aguirre days. Those are steep prices to pay for what appears to be minimal savings compared to the status quo.”
Other reasons why this ballot measure is BAD for San Diego:
BAD FOR THE LONG TERM: Additionally, it appears to be a better deal for the city to keep the employees in the pension system. In year 27 of the lower scenario, the costs of the 401-K begin to outpace the savings from reduced payments to the pension system. This begs the question of why the Republican campaign cut off the chart at year 27 instead of going further, because it is clear that this measure has the potential to end up costing more in the long run.
BAD FOR THE SHORT TERM: The supporters are admitting that the short-term costs outweigh the savings even if the measure is found to be legal. The San Diego City Employees Retirement System said that moving to a 401-K will cost the City $94 million over the first six years because money for new employees will not regularly be directed to the retirement system. That’s the last thing San Diego needs as police, fire and other city services have been cut during this recession.
BAD MATH: The ballot measure uses an apples-to-oranges comparison in assumptions, assuming that salaries are going to grow 4 percent annually in the current pension plan and only 2 percent annually in the proposed 401-K plan. This is a dishonest comparison.
TAKING CREDIT FOR WHAT’S ALREADY HAPPENED: The Republican campaign is taking credit for the pick-up savings, even though that has already been eliminated through collective bargaining between the City and its employees.
Mayor’s Proposition Depends on Breaking State Law In Order To Achieve Lion’s Share of Projected Savings
SAN DIEGO – (Thursday, June 30, 2011) – The Republican ballot measure to leave city workers without Social Security or any other retirement safety net includes a maneuver that Mayor Sanders claimed was illegal just a few months ago in order to achieve be
According to the ballot measure’s supporters, the section of the proposition requiring the city to freeze pensionable pay for 5 years accounts for up to 87 % (or $1.1 billion) of the savings heralded by supporters. It is against California state law to impose a pay freeze for that long without bargaining in good faith with employees first.
“They’re counting chicks that will never hatch under state law,” said Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego Labor Council’s Secretary-Treasurer. “This proposition leave workers without Social Security or any retirement safety net and assures the City will find itself back in expensive courtroom battles like in the Mike Aguirre days. Those are steep prices to pay for what appears to be minimal savings compared to the status quo.”
Other reasons why this ballot measure is BAD for San Diego:
BAD FOR THE LONG TERM: Additionally, it appears to be a better deal for the city to keep the employees in the pension system. In year 27 of the lower scenario, the costs of the 401-K begin to outpace the savings from reduced payments to the pension system. This begs the question of why the Republican campaign cut off the chart at year 27 instead of going further, because it is clear that this measure has the potential to end up costing more in the long run.
BAD FOR THE SHORT TERM: The supporters are admitting that the short-term costs outweigh the savings even if the measure is found to be legal. The San Diego City Employees Retirement System said that moving to a 401-K will cost the City $94 million over the first six years because money for new employees will not regularly be directed to the retirement system. That’s the last thing San Diego needs as police, fire and other city services have been cut during this recession.
BAD MATH: The ballot measure uses an apples-to-oranges comparison in assumptions, assuming that salaries are going to grow 4 percent annually in the current pension plan and only 2 percent annually in the proposed 401-K plan. This is a dishonest comparison.
TAKING CREDIT FOR WHAT’S ALREADY HAPPENED: The Republican campaign is taking credit for the pick-up savings, even though that has already been eliminated through collective bargaining between the City and its employees.
###
SDUT: Supervisors’ shameless self-preservation
If a UT editorial can see the problem, why can't the Board of Supervisors? Maybe they can but won't do anything until challenged.
We don’t see these decisions as driven by racism. Instead, they’re fueled by politicians’ desire for self-preservation. That distinction, however, hardly insulates the board from a Voting Rights Act challenge. Such a challenge now seems inevitable – and welcome.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
DeMaio signature gatherers lying!
I, for one, am shocked, shocked at such shenanigans. It is here on this YouTube clip.
SD CityBeat: Murder at the courthouse!
CityBeat rounds out their political hat trick this week reviewing Tony Kvaric's losing streak here.
SD CityBeat: Durfee's a thug
To be fair, Durfee’s Republican counterpart, Tony Krvaric, has the same policy: no support for Republicans who dare to endorse Democrats, whether or not the office is partisan. Durfee and Krvaric both are political hacks who’d fit in nicely as party operatives in some fascist foreign regime. They make things worse, not better. America should aspire to something loftier than these two knuckleheads.
CityBeat editorial here.
CityBeat editorial here.
SDUT: No Mayor Kehoe: State senator decides not to run
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
About Those Democratic Endorsements of Non-Democrats
As I said previously, Bonnie Dumanis (and to a lesser extent, Nathan Fletcher) is the establishment candidate for mayor. So its not at all surprising that members of the San Diego political establishment would give her money and support. Lynne Schenk and Murray Galinson fall into that establishment category, and even with Bonnie Dumanis being a Republican, they're going to support her.
Additionally, there is a bit going on behind the scenes. Specifically, it appears that Kehoe is staying out of the Mayor's race (for now), so the sole remaining Democrat is Bob Filner. The Congressman is a tireless campaigner, a brilliant mind, someone who cares deeply about his constituents, and is actually passionate about his job. If Filner becomes mayor, he's going to work his ass off. As a progressive, I'm pretty pumped at the idea of Filner, also a progressive, being mayor.
That said, Filner has a reputation of being prickly. Or, in less polite terms, Filner has a reputation of being an asshole, particularly by his enemies. One particular enemy is Juan Vargas, who ran against Filner in two epic bloodbaths (and one completely disappointing campaign) that left both men scarred for life.* Galinson and Schenk are current and former Vargas supporters, and so its not at all surprising that they are backing Dumanis.
I have no idea if Sessom comes from the Vargas camp or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was. As far as her line about Jess Durfee, I find it somewhat surprising that a mayor who has asked for and received the Democratic Party endorsement time and time again doesn't know who the Democratic Party Chair is. In this respect, Lucas over at Two Cathedrals is right.
Nonetheless, for the Democratic Party insiders who haven't been on the lines of the Filner-Vargas war, Bob Filner is their guy. Note that both Kehoe and Frye both slightly backed away from running for mayor when they heard Bob was in. They didn't do that out of fear, they did it out of respect. And not only will the Dem insiders back up Durfee's statement that the endorsement of non-Dems in this race will be punished, they'll cheer him all the way.
And this is a big, big problem for Dumanis. She's gay, she's pro-union, not fiscally conservative, and completely out of touch with the Republican Party. With the DeMaio in the race, Dumanis' only hope is gather enough support from Democrats and independents. But if Filner is in the race, and is strongly supported by Democrats, Dumanis is toast. She knows that, Bob knows that, and that's why the endorsement thing is a big issue.
*I'm not even remotely joking about this, and no I can't tell you how I know.
Additionally, there is a bit going on behind the scenes. Specifically, it appears that Kehoe is staying out of the Mayor's race (for now), so the sole remaining Democrat is Bob Filner. The Congressman is a tireless campaigner, a brilliant mind, someone who cares deeply about his constituents, and is actually passionate about his job. If Filner becomes mayor, he's going to work his ass off. As a progressive, I'm pretty pumped at the idea of Filner, also a progressive, being mayor.
That said, Filner has a reputation of being prickly. Or, in less polite terms, Filner has a reputation of being an asshole, particularly by his enemies. One particular enemy is Juan Vargas, who ran against Filner in two epic bloodbaths (and one completely disappointing campaign) that left both men scarred for life.* Galinson and Schenk are current and former Vargas supporters, and so its not at all surprising that they are backing Dumanis.
I have no idea if Sessom comes from the Vargas camp or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was. As far as her line about Jess Durfee, I find it somewhat surprising that a mayor who has asked for and received the Democratic Party endorsement time and time again doesn't know who the Democratic Party Chair is. In this respect, Lucas over at Two Cathedrals is right.
Nonetheless, for the Democratic Party insiders who haven't been on the lines of the Filner-Vargas war, Bob Filner is their guy. Note that both Kehoe and Frye both slightly backed away from running for mayor when they heard Bob was in. They didn't do that out of fear, they did it out of respect. And not only will the Dem insiders back up Durfee's statement that the endorsement of non-Dems in this race will be punished, they'll cheer him all the way.
And this is a big, big problem for Dumanis. She's gay, she's pro-union, not fiscally conservative, and completely out of touch with the Republican Party. With the DeMaio in the race, Dumanis' only hope is gather enough support from Democrats and independents. But if Filner is in the race, and is strongly supported by Democrats, Dumanis is toast. She knows that, Bob knows that, and that's why the endorsement thing is a big issue.
*I'm not even remotely joking about this, and no I can't tell you how I know.
NewsFlash: The election is 16 months away...
So with the election only 16 months away we already have a winner in the San Diego Mayor's race. Even though there have been no mailers, no commercials, no precient walks, no debates, no anything. The situation is so dire that only Donna can save us! 16 months is an eternity in politics. Especially in this City. I mean in December 2002, this guy was saying he owned city hall and that Dick Murphy and Michael Uberuaga had to go through him to get anything done in Council and what happened more than a year later? Please see link above.
This is going to be a hard long slog and we don't know what will happen and those saying who has a lock and who doesn't all have a short term memory. I mean look at Mark Penn and the national political establishment who 16 months before the election were already talking about who Hillary would put in her Cabinet. Last time I checked, this guy won.
VoSD: Dem Mayor to Dem Leader: Who Are You Again?
Lemon Grove Mayor Mary Sessom calls out SDCDP Chair Durfee. The Voice has the story here.
VoSD: Hell to Pay for Dems Who Endorse GOP
"I will do everything in my power to see that any Democratic elected official or candidate in the county who endorses a Republican for mayor will not receive the endorsement or support of the Democratic Party in the future," Durfee wrote in a letter to local Democratic elected officials.
The Voice of San Diego has the story here.
The Voice of San Diego has the story here.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Pension Mess: Former Mayor Says She's Not to Blame
The Voice of San Diego has the story about Susan Golding refusing to accept responsibility for decisions made under her watch.
Friday, June 24, 2011
SD GOP Fail!
Today, the Court agreed with the City Attorney and has dismissed the entire Republican complaint about the City Redistricting Commission. Without legal standing, you do not have a case.
I am curious as to how the SD GOP will explain their inept efforts at redistricting to their base.
I am curious as to how the SD GOP will explain their inept efforts at redistricting to their base.
Voice of San Diego: Big Name Dems Back Republican for Mayor, Again
And Schenk smacks Filner. The Voice has the story.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Gerrymander?
Have you taken a look at the proposed county maps yet? Below is the proposed new County Supervisorial Seat 3.
Maybe this would help.
And here's the original.
The proposed shape was too easy to resist.
Maybe this would help.
And here's the original.
The proposed shape was too easy to resist.
‘Unemployed’ Romney Raises Cash in SoCal, but Will He Visit His New Home in La Jolla?
SDCDP Press Release
June 23, 2011
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is sweeping through Southern California this week, raising funds at private events yesterday in Beverly Hills and today in Orange County. But there’s no word on whether he plans to stop by his 3,000-square-foot home in La Jolla, which he purchased last year for $12 million.
Romney also owns a cabin in New Hampshire and is registered to vote in a basement unit of his son’s home in Massachusetts, but he is presumed to have quietly made San Diego his main residence since 2010.
The former governor sparked controversy last week when he jokingly described himself as an “unemployed” job-seeker to a group of jobless Florida residents. The tone-deaf comment by the multimillionaire underscored his own record of failure on unemployment and the economy:
• During Romney’s tenure as governor, Massachusetts’ economic performance was among the worst in the country on all key labor market measures, ranking at or near the bottom.
• In Romney’s four years as governor, Massachusetts placed 47th out of 50 in jobs growth. At just 0.9%, his state’s growth lagged far behind other high-skill “knowledge economy” states
like New York (2.7%) and California (4.7%).
• Under Romney, manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts declined by twice the national average – the third-worst record in the country.
The Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Jess Durfee, blasted Romney for his unsubstantiated campaign rhetoric and his insensitivity to the plight of America’s middle class.
“Mitt Romney is the last person who should be lecturing the country about how to create jobs,” said Durfee. “The one time he was in charge of an economy, he failed miserably. Millions of jobs were lost, and people in his state suffered.
“Romney’s joke in Florida last week might have been funny to his fellow former corporate CEOs, but for those unemployed people it just added insult to injury. No matter how hard he tries not to seem out of touch, he clearly doesn’t understand or represent most Americans.
“I have a suggestion for Mitt Romney,” Durfee added. “He should take a long break from his comedy act and come home to La Jolla. I would be happy to personally register him to vote as a San Diegan – as long as the only job creation he attempts here involves him spending his own money.”
June 23, 2011
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is sweeping through Southern California this week, raising funds at private events yesterday in Beverly Hills and today in Orange County. But there’s no word on whether he plans to stop by his 3,000-square-foot home in La Jolla, which he purchased last year for $12 million.
Romney also owns a cabin in New Hampshire and is registered to vote in a basement unit of his son’s home in Massachusetts, but he is presumed to have quietly made San Diego his main residence since 2010.
The former governor sparked controversy last week when he jokingly described himself as an “unemployed” job-seeker to a group of jobless Florida residents. The tone-deaf comment by the multimillionaire underscored his own record of failure on unemployment and the economy:
• During Romney’s tenure as governor, Massachusetts’ economic performance was among the worst in the country on all key labor market measures, ranking at or near the bottom.
• In Romney’s four years as governor, Massachusetts placed 47th out of 50 in jobs growth. At just 0.9%, his state’s growth lagged far behind other high-skill “knowledge economy” states
like New York (2.7%) and California (4.7%).
• Under Romney, manufacturing jobs in Massachusetts declined by twice the national average – the third-worst record in the country.
The Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Jess Durfee, blasted Romney for his unsubstantiated campaign rhetoric and his insensitivity to the plight of America’s middle class.
“Mitt Romney is the last person who should be lecturing the country about how to create jobs,” said Durfee. “The one time he was in charge of an economy, he failed miserably. Millions of jobs were lost, and people in his state suffered.
“Romney’s joke in Florida last week might have been funny to his fellow former corporate CEOs, but for those unemployed people it just added insult to injury. No matter how hard he tries not to seem out of touch, he clearly doesn’t understand or represent most Americans.
“I have a suggestion for Mitt Romney,” Durfee added. “He should take a long break from his comedy act and come home to La Jolla. I would be happy to personally register him to vote as a San Diegan – as long as the only job creation he attempts here involves him spending his own money.”
# # #
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
The Legend of Dick Murphy
With the mayoral election coming up, I'd like to speak of the legend of Dick Murphy. Yes, the Dick Murphy who Time once called one of the worst mayors in the country (which he was, but it wasn't all of his fault). The same Dick Murphy who quit in 2005, seven months after his reelection. You see, Dick Murphy's election as Mayor in 2000 was a sight to behold. It was, quite simply, the most magnificent political move I have ever seen in San Diego politics. And knowing this story can help us out in understanding who are the players in the mayor's race and in San Diego in general.
San Diego, like any city there are multiple interests with significant power. We have the Downtown business establishment (made up of real estate, construction, banking, and tourism), which favors stability, is Downtown-centric (shocking, I know), and very behind closed-doors. There is also Labor, made up of the, well Labor Council, the environmental groups, anti-tax groups and hardcore Republican types, the Catfish Club (African-American leaders who meet every week to chat over fried catfish), and a few other groups here and there. By and large, the two biggest and most powerful groups are Downtown and Labor. Downtown has the money and resources, and Labor has the grassroots.
In 2000, both Downtown and Labor backed one guy - Supervisor Ron Roberts. Not only that, but Ron Roberts had San Diego's best political consultant at the time, Tom Shepard, who is hands down, the political consultant of the Downtown business establishment. Hell, even though Roberts was a Republican, he had pretty substantial backing from some well-heeled Democrats. Everyone knew that if Roberts didn't win outright in the primary, he would kill in the general. Sure enough, and in a primary that had over 10 candidates, Roberts took 29% of the primary votes, and Dick Murphy barely made it past the primary.
But Murphy's people had a plan. Not only was Murphy more conservative than Roberts on social issues, but he was also more liberal than Roberts on environmental issues. I'll wait as you get your head around that one. The thing is that Downtown and Labor are pretty much center-right and center-left. What Murphy did in both the primary and in the general election is he went hard right and hard left at the same time. I know, I know, its crazy. But it worked. As Roberts raised and spent more and more money, Murphy managed to form a coalition with the anti-tax groups, the hardcore Republican groups, and left-leaning environmental groups and won the whole damn thing. The strategy was breath-taking.
Of course, the whole thing blew up once we all found out that Susan Golding blew a whole the size of Texas through the San Diego Employees Pension fund. But that's a story for a different day. The key to remember is that each interest group has a substantial part to play in this election. So who is backing whom? Here is my guess:
Downtown Establishment: It looks like Downtown has not one, but two horses in the race as evidenced by Bonnie Dumanis getting the endorsements of Jerry Sanders and Kevin Falconer, and Nathan Fletcher getting Pete Wilson's backing. Not this is interesting because Downtown is doing this despite having DeMaio in the race. Hmm. . .looks like he doesn't have friends Downtown. Is Fletcher socially moderate enough for Downtown? I don't know.
Anti-Tax, partisan Republicans: San Diego has always had its fair share of anti-tax cranks, but it is interesting to see that the anti-tax/anti-corruption groups splitting up along partisan lines (actually, we can thank Donna Frye for that, but that's a different post). The anti-tax and partisan Republicans are backing DeMaio.
Democrats: Notice how I didn't mention the Democrats in 2000? Yeah, well, we're back baby. Democratic partisanship has shown itself to be a real power since Shelia Jackson beat the Teachers' preferred candidate in 2004, much to everyone's surprise. With Filner definitely in, and Kehoe maybe in, one of these two will get the Dems' endorsement. As much as Donna Frye is beloved by progressives, both Kehoe and Filner are loved even more. I don't see Donna getting the nod over Kehoe or Filner. Ever.
Environmentalists and Anti-Corruptionists: Ever since Donna Frye ran for office, there has been a split between the anti-corruption groups and the anti-tax groups which is kind of sad in a way. Both groups HATE Downtown, but in the end have radically different agendas. What is also true is that Donna Frye more or less cemented environmental groups with the anti-corruption groups, which is what lead to Mike Aguirre's election, IMHO. If Donna Frye doesn't jump in, then Filner will have their support.
Labor: Its either going to be Filner or Kehoe. Both have longstanding support from Labor, and both are great on labor issues.
San Diego, like any city there are multiple interests with significant power. We have the Downtown business establishment (made up of real estate, construction, banking, and tourism), which favors stability, is Downtown-centric (shocking, I know), and very behind closed-doors. There is also Labor, made up of the, well Labor Council, the environmental groups, anti-tax groups and hardcore Republican types, the Catfish Club (African-American leaders who meet every week to chat over fried catfish), and a few other groups here and there. By and large, the two biggest and most powerful groups are Downtown and Labor. Downtown has the money and resources, and Labor has the grassroots.
In 2000, both Downtown and Labor backed one guy - Supervisor Ron Roberts. Not only that, but Ron Roberts had San Diego's best political consultant at the time, Tom Shepard, who is hands down, the political consultant of the Downtown business establishment. Hell, even though Roberts was a Republican, he had pretty substantial backing from some well-heeled Democrats. Everyone knew that if Roberts didn't win outright in the primary, he would kill in the general. Sure enough, and in a primary that had over 10 candidates, Roberts took 29% of the primary votes, and Dick Murphy barely made it past the primary.
But Murphy's people had a plan. Not only was Murphy more conservative than Roberts on social issues, but he was also more liberal than Roberts on environmental issues. I'll wait as you get your head around that one. The thing is that Downtown and Labor are pretty much center-right and center-left. What Murphy did in both the primary and in the general election is he went hard right and hard left at the same time. I know, I know, its crazy. But it worked. As Roberts raised and spent more and more money, Murphy managed to form a coalition with the anti-tax groups, the hardcore Republican groups, and left-leaning environmental groups and won the whole damn thing. The strategy was breath-taking.
Of course, the whole thing blew up once we all found out that Susan Golding blew a whole the size of Texas through the San Diego Employees Pension fund. But that's a story for a different day. The key to remember is that each interest group has a substantial part to play in this election. So who is backing whom? Here is my guess:
Downtown Establishment: It looks like Downtown has not one, but two horses in the race as evidenced by Bonnie Dumanis getting the endorsements of Jerry Sanders and Kevin Falconer, and Nathan Fletcher getting Pete Wilson's backing. Not this is interesting because Downtown is doing this despite having DeMaio in the race. Hmm. . .looks like he doesn't have friends Downtown. Is Fletcher socially moderate enough for Downtown? I don't know.
Anti-Tax, partisan Republicans: San Diego has always had its fair share of anti-tax cranks, but it is interesting to see that the anti-tax/anti-corruption groups splitting up along partisan lines (actually, we can thank Donna Frye for that, but that's a different post). The anti-tax and partisan Republicans are backing DeMaio.
Democrats: Notice how I didn't mention the Democrats in 2000? Yeah, well, we're back baby. Democratic partisanship has shown itself to be a real power since Shelia Jackson beat the Teachers' preferred candidate in 2004, much to everyone's surprise. With Filner definitely in, and Kehoe maybe in, one of these two will get the Dems' endorsement. As much as Donna Frye is beloved by progressives, both Kehoe and Filner are loved even more. I don't see Donna getting the nod over Kehoe or Filner. Ever.
Environmentalists and Anti-Corruptionists: Ever since Donna Frye ran for office, there has been a split between the anti-corruption groups and the anti-tax groups which is kind of sad in a way. Both groups HATE Downtown, but in the end have radically different agendas. What is also true is that Donna Frye more or less cemented environmental groups with the anti-corruption groups, which is what lead to Mike Aguirre's election, IMHO. If Donna Frye doesn't jump in, then Filner will have their support.
Labor: Its either going to be Filner or Kehoe. Both have longstanding support from Labor, and both are great on labor issues.
About DeMaio's 1,400 supporters in 14 days.
As of June 5, DeMaio's website listed 1,047 supporters. Now he claims to have collected 1,400 supporters in 14 days. Let's do the math that Carl cannot or can but would rather hide semantically:
1,400 supporters as of 6/21 - 1,047 supporters as of June 5 = 353 supporters in the last 14 days.
353 supporters in 14 days isn't bad but nowhere near what he is claiming.
This isn't the first time Carl has fudged numbers and certainly won't be the last. Too bad the Taxpayer Watchdog can't watch his math.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
The Changing Face of San Diego Politics
One of the things that drives me absolutely nuts about San Diego is that because so many people move here from places decidedly colder, there is little institutional memory about San Diego. The news media is particularly bad about this. As a result, they either rely on old assumptions, and then become shocked when something obvious happens.
Politically speaking, it is worth noting what San Diego once was, and what it has become. When I was growing up in the 1980's, the City of San Diego was a socially moderate, but fiscally conservative city. Pete Wilson wasn't just the former mayor, but he was also the model for all future Republican mayors, up to and including Jerry Sanders. Each mayoral candidate went before the brilliantly titled "San Diego Democratic Club" - an LGBT organization - for its endorsement, and ended up softening their stances on abortion and LGBT rights as a result (at least a little bit). But that said, San Diego was a solid vote for the GOP in any state-wide or national race.
But sometime during Clinton's Presidency, things turned around in San Diego - it became more and more Democratic and more liberal. By the time I finished college, and moved back home, Democratic registration in the City of San Diego dwarfed GOP registration. In fact, the San Diego County Democratic Party changed the message in its pamphlets from trying to convince people to become Democrats to trying to convince local Democrats to become more active.* And now we find out that even in the County of San Diego - long a bastion of conservatism - Democrats now outnumber Republicans. Holy crap!
This shouldn't be all that surprising though, because all the while, the local Democratic Party has gotten stronger and stronger. The biggest test of strength came in 1999. The Party Chair, Art Casteneras, insisted that the aforementioned San Diego Democratic Club stop endorsing Republicans, even in non-partisan elections. This was a huge, huge deal at the time because the San Diego Democratic Club isn't just an Democratic club that serves the LGBT community, but it was (and probably still is) the biggest, most active and most influential Democratic club in the City. Most Democratic activists thought Art was nuts. But, you know, he was right. With that move, the Democrats in San Diego stopped playing nice with the Republicans. (Or most of them)
After Art came Bob Jellison, then Kennan Kaeder, and now Jess Durfee, all of whom have built up the Party in one way or another. Of course, Jess has done the heaviest lifting. Now, not only is San Diego more Democratic in registration, but also has the kind of organizational support necessary to actually do something. In 1999, there was a real concern that if the San Diego Democratic Club left the Party, there would effectively be no Democratic Party in San Diego. That's not the case today.
Voting patterns have begun to follow suit. More and more Democrats have been elected to office, with 5 of the 8 City Council members being Democrats (and Howard Wayne should have been the sixth). Two of our four Representatives are Democrats. The list goes on and on. Organizing has something to do with the changes, but demographics plays a bit part. As coastal residents, we're more concerned about the environment because it can kill us more directly (surfers, for instance, suffer directly from ocean pollution). San Diego is also becoming more Hispanic** and more Asian. As these trends continue, the hold the GOP once had on San Diego lessens more and more.
And that is the changing face of San Diego politics - the demographics have changed, and the Democrats have gotten their act together. Little wonder the GOP has thrown a hissy fit over redistricting - all the trends are going against them.
*The author may or may not have had something to do with this decision.
** Compared to the rest of California, San Diego has a shockingly low number of Hispanics/Latinos. Seriously, San Diego is around 30% Hispanic, the rest of the state is 37%. This seems bizarre given our proximity to Mexico until you realize that until the immigration and drug wars made border-crossing a bitch, a fair number of people were binational, and would work in the U.S. and live in TJ, getting the best of both worlds. Now that border crossing IS a bitch, more than a few people who hold both American and Mexican citizenship have bit the bullet and moved to San Diego. That's not the entire reason why the Hispanic population in San Diego has increased, but I think it plays a part.
Politically speaking, it is worth noting what San Diego once was, and what it has become. When I was growing up in the 1980's, the City of San Diego was a socially moderate, but fiscally conservative city. Pete Wilson wasn't just the former mayor, but he was also the model for all future Republican mayors, up to and including Jerry Sanders. Each mayoral candidate went before the brilliantly titled "San Diego Democratic Club" - an LGBT organization - for its endorsement, and ended up softening their stances on abortion and LGBT rights as a result (at least a little bit). But that said, San Diego was a solid vote for the GOP in any state-wide or national race.
But sometime during Clinton's Presidency, things turned around in San Diego - it became more and more Democratic and more liberal. By the time I finished college, and moved back home, Democratic registration in the City of San Diego dwarfed GOP registration. In fact, the San Diego County Democratic Party changed the message in its pamphlets from trying to convince people to become Democrats to trying to convince local Democrats to become more active.* And now we find out that even in the County of San Diego - long a bastion of conservatism - Democrats now outnumber Republicans. Holy crap!
This shouldn't be all that surprising though, because all the while, the local Democratic Party has gotten stronger and stronger. The biggest test of strength came in 1999. The Party Chair, Art Casteneras, insisted that the aforementioned San Diego Democratic Club stop endorsing Republicans, even in non-partisan elections. This was a huge, huge deal at the time because the San Diego Democratic Club isn't just an Democratic club that serves the LGBT community, but it was (and probably still is) the biggest, most active and most influential Democratic club in the City. Most Democratic activists thought Art was nuts. But, you know, he was right. With that move, the Democrats in San Diego stopped playing nice with the Republicans. (Or most of them)
After Art came Bob Jellison, then Kennan Kaeder, and now Jess Durfee, all of whom have built up the Party in one way or another. Of course, Jess has done the heaviest lifting. Now, not only is San Diego more Democratic in registration, but also has the kind of organizational support necessary to actually do something. In 1999, there was a real concern that if the San Diego Democratic Club left the Party, there would effectively be no Democratic Party in San Diego. That's not the case today.
Voting patterns have begun to follow suit. More and more Democrats have been elected to office, with 5 of the 8 City Council members being Democrats (and Howard Wayne should have been the sixth). Two of our four Representatives are Democrats. The list goes on and on. Organizing has something to do with the changes, but demographics plays a bit part. As coastal residents, we're more concerned about the environment because it can kill us more directly (surfers, for instance, suffer directly from ocean pollution). San Diego is also becoming more Hispanic** and more Asian. As these trends continue, the hold the GOP once had on San Diego lessens more and more.
And that is the changing face of San Diego politics - the demographics have changed, and the Democrats have gotten their act together. Little wonder the GOP has thrown a hissy fit over redistricting - all the trends are going against them.
*The author may or may not have had something to do with this decision.
** Compared to the rest of California, San Diego has a shockingly low number of Hispanics/Latinos. Seriously, San Diego is around 30% Hispanic, the rest of the state is 37%. This seems bizarre given our proximity to Mexico until you realize that until the immigration and drug wars made border-crossing a bitch, a fair number of people were binational, and would work in the U.S. and live in TJ, getting the best of both worlds. Now that border crossing IS a bitch, more than a few people who hold both American and Mexican citizenship have bit the bullet and moved to San Diego. That's not the entire reason why the Hispanic population in San Diego has increased, but I think it plays a part.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Defeatist Democrats
Please Join
Mayor Jerry Sanders
For a Kick-off Event
To support
Bonnie Dumanis
San Diego County District Attorney
And her San Diego Mayoral campaign
Tuesday, June 28th
5:30-7:30p.m.
Suggested Contribution ~ $150 minimum
Host Level ~ $500
Endorsers &
Host Committee
Hon. Lynn Schenk
Sheriff Bill Gore
Supervisor Ron Roberts
Councilmember Kevin Faulconer
Mayor Cheryl Cox,
Chula Vista
Councilmember Dave
Roberts, Solana Beach
Hon. Bill Kolender
Hon. Greg Smith
Hon. Barbara Warden
Hon. Casey Gwinn
Mary Ball
Gerald Blank &
Mary Barranger
Vincent Bartolotta
Eve Benton
Laurie Black
Catherine Blair
Lynn Bruser
David Casey, Jr.
Morris Casuto
Jerry Coleman
Judy Copeland
Patrick Daniels
Kevin Tilden &
Philip Diamond, M.D.
Laura Jo Galinson &
Jane Fantel
Edward L. Fike
Murray & Elaine
Galinson
Beth Gwinn
Lynne Heidel
Ric Horda
Bertrand Hug
William Johnson
Donna Jones
Kitty Juniper
Samuel & Suzanne
Kahn
Linda Katz
Richard A. Katz
Cheryl Kendrick
Mitchell & Lynn
Lathrop
Richard Ledford
Jerrilyn Malana
Marla Marshall
Robert A. McNeely
Anthony Napoli
Bob Nelson
Barry & Denise Nussbaum
Scott Paine
Lorne Polger
Conrad Prebys
Larry & Cathy
Richman
Lynne Robbins
Joseph Roiha
Heather Rosing
Frederick Schenk
Bobbie Spoon
Kelly Spoon
Gael Strack
John & Sally Thornton
Chris Van Gorder
Lisa Sanders &
Meaghan Yaple
Mike Zarbo
I received this e-mail today for the Bonnie Dumanis fundraiser next week and couldn't help but notice a lot of high profile Democrats on her host committee. Now if this was 1981, I would understand because San Diego was very different back then and being a Dem in San Diego was like being Vegan in Omaha or a Republican in San Francisco. So I could understand that "go along, get along" mentality.
But it's 2011 and San Diego is a Democratic city. Thanks to demographics and outstanding outreach efforts from the Republican party like this and this. Oh and this, this and this and well I could go all day on that. However, even Republicans understand this shift which is why they are fighting City redistricting tooth and nail.
Yet these people think that if the Downtown establishment supports someone they are a surefire winner and maybe they can get some scraps after the victory buffet. And who cares that there are two very well qualified Democratic candidates like Bob Filner and Christine Kehoe. And who cares that Christine Kehoe and Bob FIlner were ardent supporters of LGBT rights when it wasn't cool and was dangerous. It's all about a backing a winner.
This kind of self defeating attitude is why the Republicans win. I don't care how many times John Kern keeps telling people that Bonnie's really a Democrat. In the end she is a Republican and so are you, John. So unless she re-registers it's a load of crap.
And for those of you who are buying this crap and then when you bitch about why Bonnie voted against you if she becomes Mayor. Why don't you look in the mirror and thank yourself for screwing up the City even more.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
San Diego Mayoral Candidate Forum
I find it intriguing the two lines of banter about the San Diego Mayor's race with some of the below candidates that have filed an intent to run statement:
There is the other conversation on the various candidates and their management as a mayor; a strong mayor, characteristics related to previous mayors, a coalition maker, partisanship, understand the complexity of the issues, relationship to council members, downtown establishment and labor.
I think we have an opportunity this far out before the Primary Election to allow the voters of the City of San Diego the opportunity to meet these real half dozen candidates, hear why they are running, what they intend to do in office and ask people for their vote through a type of multi-district townhall debate program.
First, there are currently 13 people that have filed intent to run, but only four that have opened a candidate account. While it would be grand to have every candidate that files speak at the forum it should be for the legitimate candidates. There should be a criteria for those who are invited and if they wish to attend each one can meet what I would outline as the required criteria:
Here is how I would outline the forums:
- Sharam Adhami
- Hud Collins
- Loch David Crane, M.E.D.
- Carl DeMaio
- Bonnie Dumanis
- Bob Filner
- Nathan Fletcher
- Steven Greenwald
- Robert Girly Girly Harter
- Christine T. Kehoe
- Toby J. Lewandoski
- Rocky Neptun
- Tobiah Lee Pettus
There is the other conversation on the various candidates and their management as a mayor; a strong mayor, characteristics related to previous mayors, a coalition maker, partisanship, understand the complexity of the issues, relationship to council members, downtown establishment and labor.
I think we have an opportunity this far out before the Primary Election to allow the voters of the City of San Diego the opportunity to meet these real half dozen candidates, hear why they are running, what they intend to do in office and ask people for their vote through a type of multi-district townhall debate program.
First, there are currently 13 people that have filed intent to run, but only four that have opened a candidate account. While it would be grand to have every candidate that files speak at the forum it should be for the legitimate candidates. There should be a criteria for those who are invited and if they wish to attend each one can meet what I would outline as the required criteria:
- They need to open a candidate committee;
- They need to hire at least one staff member to run their campaign on a full-time basis;
- They need to hire a treasurer to manage their candidate committee; and
- They need to actually commit to run a real campaign (i.e. send out mailers, host phone banks, host fundraisers or self-fund a reasonable sum, etc...)
Here is how I would outline the forums:
- There should be two forums hosted in each of the current eight city council districts with one in each district each following week starting the first of the year, then a second in each district after the completion of the first cycle of debates are completed.
- The forums should be no longer then two hours or some voters will leave, some will not be able to absorb the entire debate and it is hard for the working person to dedicate more then two hours to anything political, unless they are political wonks.
- Each candidate should get a two minute opening and a two minute closing.
- The debates should allow for real-time translation at minimum for Spanish and possibly a second or third language.
- The forums should be funded by the lcoal Republican and Democratic parties, who would just solicit donations from their respective donors anyway. We don't have to have taxpayers cover the cost of these forums.
- There should be a three person panel to ask questions, which should be someone selected by the Republican Party chair, someone selected from the Democratic Party chair and a third which both party chairs can hopefully deem as neutral. Panels are always charged with being partisan, so lets skip the theatrics of choosing only reporters, academia, or non-profits and allow there to be some meaty questions.
- The forums should hold candidates to 1-minute responses.
- Candidates should each be allowed a certain number of times they can ask one specific candidate a follow-up question.
- The audience should be polled at the end of each question on whether they think the candidates answered the question and not whether they liked the candidates answers.
- At the end of the forum there is a spin zone for reporters from print, on-line and social media representatives to ask questions of either the candidates, their campaign representatives, party designee, and allow the fringe candidates to have a representative to complain how they were not allowed to debate.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
No 3rd Round of Public Comment
Word on the street is that the State Redistricting Commission will not have a 3rd round of public comment. Monday night's meeting here in San Diego will be the last opportunity for public testimony before the commission locally.
Democrats Again Outnumber Republicans Countywide; Party Invests in Voter Reg.
From the SDCDP:
As of this month, Democrats have regained the lead in San Diego County's voter registration, erasing a 5,000-voter advantage the Republicans held as recently as September.
Last year Meg Whitman dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into voter registration during her failed gubernatorial bid, boosting the Republican rolls with fraudulent and financially incentivized registrations. But the county's "blue" tilt since then suggests that the underlying political and demographic trends favor Democrats.
Registration numbers for the two parties have hovered within a razor-thin margin of each other countywide since the 2008 elections. With an eye toward greater potential in the 2012 presidential election year, the County Democratic Party is currently developing an expanded voter registration program in its updated strategic plan.
More immediately, volunteers are needed to register Democrats at events this summer, including the Juneteenth festival (June 18), naturalization ceremonies in San Diego (June 22) and Chula Vista (June 24), and LGBT Pride (July 16-17). To sign up for a shift, email sdvoter@gmail.com.
As of this month, Democrats have regained the lead in San Diego County's voter registration, erasing a 5,000-voter advantage the Republicans held as recently as September.
Last year Meg Whitman dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into voter registration during her failed gubernatorial bid, boosting the Republican rolls with fraudulent and financially incentivized registrations. But the county's "blue" tilt since then suggests that the underlying political and demographic trends favor Democrats.
Registration numbers for the two parties have hovered within a razor-thin margin of each other countywide since the 2008 elections. With an eye toward greater potential in the 2012 presidential election year, the County Democratic Party is currently developing an expanded voter registration program in its updated strategic plan.
More immediately, volunteers are needed to register Democrats at events this summer, including the Juneteenth festival (June 18), naturalization ceremonies in San Diego (June 22) and Chula Vista (June 24), and LGBT Pride (July 16-17). To sign up for a shift, email sdvoter@gmail.com.
ATKINS APPLAUDS ON-TIME BALANCED STATE BUDGET AS KEY STEP TOWARD GETTING STATE’S FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER
The state budget adopted today by the California State Legislature represents an important step forward in achieving stability and fiscal prudence in state spending, while it also promotes California’s economic recovery, according to Assemblymember Toni Atkins. The balanced, on-time budget that was approved today is critical both to how credit rating agencies view our state’s finances and to restoring the consumer confidence California will need to continue its economic recovery.
“By adopting the first on-time budget since 1986, we have acted early, responsibly, and made the difficult cuts needed to balance this year’s budget, without the additional revenues many believe were needed,” says Atkins. “This aggressive plan shows how serious we are about putting California back on the right path.”
“Let me be clear, this budget does include deep and difficult cuts that span the breadth of state government and which are in addition to cuts to the core of the state’s health and social services safety net that were made in March.” $2.85 billion in payments to public schools will be deferred and the public universities will take additional major cuts to their budgets.
But the budget adopted today also eliminates 60% of the state’s structural deficit, provides for a $600 million reserve for emergencies, and protects investments in programs that promote job creation and reduce unemployment. The budget includes reforms to enterprise zone and redevelopment programs which generate funds for job creation, education, and the elimination of blight. It restores $200 million for child care programs, ensuring that Californians can continue to work while knowing their children are safe and cared for. In addition, the budget restored critical job training funds that will enable people to get back to work as soon as possible.
“By adopting the first on-time budget since 1986, we have acted early, responsibly, and made the difficult cuts needed to balance this year’s budget, without the additional revenues many believe were needed,” says Atkins. “This aggressive plan shows how serious we are about putting California back on the right path.”
“Let me be clear, this budget does include deep and difficult cuts that span the breadth of state government and which are in addition to cuts to the core of the state’s health and social services safety net that were made in March.” $2.85 billion in payments to public schools will be deferred and the public universities will take additional major cuts to their budgets.
But the budget adopted today also eliminates 60% of the state’s structural deficit, provides for a $600 million reserve for emergencies, and protects investments in programs that promote job creation and reduce unemployment. The budget includes reforms to enterprise zone and redevelopment programs which generate funds for job creation, education, and the elimination of blight. It restores $200 million for child care programs, ensuring that Californians can continue to work while knowing their children are safe and cared for. In addition, the budget restored critical job training funds that will enable people to get back to work as soon as possible.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Let the Games Begin!
Since the imposition of term limits, San Diego politics has been essentially a carousel - a politician starts out on one level, then slowly climbs his or her way up the ladder. Take Christine Kehoe, for example. She started as a San Diego City Councilwoman, almost beat Bilbray in 1996, then onto State Assembly, then State Senate. Each time, she's done an admirable job, and rewarded with voters. But she's also been able to take advantage of open seats as politicians above her got termed out. And following Chris is Toni Adkins, an admirable politician in her own right.
The one place where the carousel hit a wall was U.S. Congress. Unlike political offices for the State of California or the City of San Diego, federal office does not have term limits. As a result, Congressmen locally have held onto their jobs in Congress with both hands. All you need to do is look at Juan Vargas' scars from his campaigns against Bob Filner to understand this principle.
The other interesting factor is that until recently, the position of Mayor of San Diego was considered a crappy job. Seriously, outside of the usual suspects (Ron Roberts, Jim Bell, Steve Francis, etc.), few politicians would even conceive of running. And that's not a huge surprise, because the office of Mayor WAS a crappy job. The Mayor would set the Council agenda and act as the 9th vote on the council. While he/she would get credit and/or blame for the City's successes/woes, he/she couldn't do anything about it. As a result, San Diego never seemed to have good races for mayor, and also not surprisingly, the last four mayors - Roger Hedgecock, Maureen O'Connor, Susan Golding, and Dick Murphy - have not held public office after their terms ended. As a result, the carousel ends without many San Diegan politicians have a chance to move up in the world.
But two things have changed. First, the Mayor of San Diego is now the chief executive of San Diego City Government. The Mayor gets to do stuff, and not just look the part of the big cheese, but be the big cheese. The kind of big cheese that gets talked about for state-wide office, like mayor of San Francisco or mayor of LA. As a result, ten thousand people* are running for Mayor. Not only are they running for Mayor, but they're leaving their other jobs to run for Mayor. Second, redistricting has come to the Congressional districts, and these new districts with new lines and borders change everything. Darrel Issa, for instance, has to move back into the district he's represented for the past ten years.
So what does this all mean? The carousel has ended folks. For the next year or so, everything will be in play to a degree. Democratic districts will probably remain Democratic, and vice versa, but who holds these seats will be a crapshoot as more and more seats open up. Once epic contests, such as Filner v. Vargas I, II and III, are ending peaceably as Filner vacates his Congressional seat to run for Mayor. Or not. I don't know, you don't know, no one knows. That is going to make things interesting for the next few years because the rules have changed.
*All numbers are approximate.
The one place where the carousel hit a wall was U.S. Congress. Unlike political offices for the State of California or the City of San Diego, federal office does not have term limits. As a result, Congressmen locally have held onto their jobs in Congress with both hands. All you need to do is look at Juan Vargas' scars from his campaigns against Bob Filner to understand this principle.
The other interesting factor is that until recently, the position of Mayor of San Diego was considered a crappy job. Seriously, outside of the usual suspects (Ron Roberts, Jim Bell, Steve Francis, etc.), few politicians would even conceive of running. And that's not a huge surprise, because the office of Mayor WAS a crappy job. The Mayor would set the Council agenda and act as the 9th vote on the council. While he/she would get credit and/or blame for the City's successes/woes, he/she couldn't do anything about it. As a result, San Diego never seemed to have good races for mayor, and also not surprisingly, the last four mayors - Roger Hedgecock, Maureen O'Connor, Susan Golding, and Dick Murphy - have not held public office after their terms ended. As a result, the carousel ends without many San Diegan politicians have a chance to move up in the world.
But two things have changed. First, the Mayor of San Diego is now the chief executive of San Diego City Government. The Mayor gets to do stuff, and not just look the part of the big cheese, but be the big cheese. The kind of big cheese that gets talked about for state-wide office, like mayor of San Francisco or mayor of LA. As a result, ten thousand people* are running for Mayor. Not only are they running for Mayor, but they're leaving their other jobs to run for Mayor. Second, redistricting has come to the Congressional districts, and these new districts with new lines and borders change everything. Darrel Issa, for instance, has to move back into the district he's represented for the past ten years.
So what does this all mean? The carousel has ended folks. For the next year or so, everything will be in play to a degree. Democratic districts will probably remain Democratic, and vice versa, but who holds these seats will be a crapshoot as more and more seats open up. Once epic contests, such as Filner v. Vargas I, II and III, are ending peaceably as Filner vacates his Congressional seat to run for Mayor. Or not. I don't know, you don't know, no one knows. That is going to make things interesting for the next few years because the rules have changed.
*All numbers are approximate.
Run Women Run Names Francine Busby to Executive Director Position
Former Congressional Candidate and Cardiff school board member Francine Busby has been named executive director of Run Women Run, announced Michelle Burton, president of the organization. Run Women Run, started in 2008, is a non-partisan political action committee that inspires, recruits, trains and mentors pro-choice San Diego women who are seeking elected or appointed office.
“We are excited that Francine has agreed to lead our organization as we approach an important election year,” said Burton. “National numbers indicate that women are still a minority in most state Legislatures, in Congress and as mayors of major cities.”
Busby, a long time advocate and mentor for girls and women, has served as an adjunct professor of Woman's Studies at California State University, San Marcos and as an elected member of the Cardiff School Board where she guided the district through a tumultuous transition involving critical personnel issues, multi-million dollar budgets, union negotiations and decisions that affected hundreds of families.
“While women are certainly not monolithic, women legislators are more likely than their male counter parts to support policies and laws related to the education, protection of reproductive rights and other issues impacting women and children,” said Busby.
Busby has mentored women in offices from school board and city council to state Assembly and Congress. She has also worked closely with Emily's List, the California List, California Women Lead, the National Organization for Women, National Women’s Political Caucus, Emerge, Planned Parenthood and other organizations that support women in leadership and elected office.
While raising her family, Busby served on governing boards of numerous community organizations including serving as the founding president of the Casa Teresa Central Guild in Orange County, as president of the Cardiff Education Foundation and as a Girl Scout troop leader.
Busby grew up in an Italian American family of small business owners in the Los Angeles area. She graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in humanities. She has been married to David Busby, a computer software engineer for 32 years, and they have two adult children. They have lived in Cardiff-by the Sea for 23 years.
“We are excited that Francine has agreed to lead our organization as we approach an important election year,” said Burton. “National numbers indicate that women are still a minority in most state Legislatures, in Congress and as mayors of major cities.”
Busby, a long time advocate and mentor for girls and women, has served as an adjunct professor of Woman's Studies at California State University, San Marcos and as an elected member of the Cardiff School Board where she guided the district through a tumultuous transition involving critical personnel issues, multi-million dollar budgets, union negotiations and decisions that affected hundreds of families.
“While women are certainly not monolithic, women legislators are more likely than their male counter parts to support policies and laws related to the education, protection of reproductive rights and other issues impacting women and children,” said Busby.
Busby has mentored women in offices from school board and city council to state Assembly and Congress. She has also worked closely with Emily's List, the California List, California Women Lead, the National Organization for Women, National Women’s Political Caucus, Emerge, Planned Parenthood and other organizations that support women in leadership and elected office.
While raising her family, Busby served on governing boards of numerous community organizations including serving as the founding president of the Casa Teresa Central Guild in Orange County, as president of the Cardiff Education Foundation and as a Girl Scout troop leader.
Busby grew up in an Italian American family of small business owners in the Los Angeles area. She graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in humanities. She has been married to David Busby, a computer software engineer for 32 years, and they have two adult children. They have lived in Cardiff-by the Sea for 23 years.
Word on the Street: Saldana for Congress
Rumor - This has been swirling for over a month but now has picked up steam. A number of electeds have been talking about this possibility and it seems to validate the conventional wisdom that Bilbray's days in Congress may be numbered.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Bilbray draws another challenger.
This morning, local Democrats were introduced to Bob Nascenzi for Congress via e-mail. The link to his site is here. This appears to be his first foray into politics and we would love to know more about him.
His intention is to run against Brian Bilbray. Maybe moving to Clairemont was not the best for the current Congressman, who seems to be drawing challengers at a steady pace.
His intention is to run against Brian Bilbray. Maybe moving to Clairemont was not the best for the current Congressman, who seems to be drawing challengers at a steady pace.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Word on the Street: Kehoe is out for Mayor and in for Congress
This is a rumor-Kehoe explored a Congressional run in 2000 but went for Assembly and cleared the field for Susan Davis. Now, Chris can replicate Susan's success at beating Brian Bilbray for Congress.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Redistricting, campaigns and the South Bay
So now that the draft maps are up and the announcements of Bob Filner running for Mayor and Juan Vargas running for Bob's seat frees up the 40th State Senate seat because let's be honest Paco(Juan) has a lock on this seat. So now the speculation is who would take over this seat in the special election to replace him in the State Senate.So far I think the following would be either obvious or interesting depending on your point of view.
The first thought would be Assemblyman Ben Hueso because the 79th would be entirely in the now 39th Senate district and he's a known commodity and would have access to Sac money. Also that has
been the trend in the South Bay that the Assemblymember becomes the Senator. Only Mary was unable to continue thistrend when she lost to Paco by less than 30 votes.
So I guess that's the obvious choice but I noticed something interesting on this Senate seat. This seat would include Clairemont which would mean that Lori Saldana, who has declared her intention to run for the 39th and technically this would be the 39th now. She's a former Assemblymember and has been die hard Juan Vargas supporter when he ran against Bob Filner back in `06 and Juan was the only person of clout to support Lori's first campaign, raising money and hooking her up with Larry Remer. Anybody who know politics in San Diego knows about Larry and that guy doesn't play politics for fun and games. She's Latina and past president of the Sierra Club which would fit this district. But she's not popular in Sac and with the local party establishment and her fundraising base is not as strong as others. So if she throws her hat who does
Paco endorse?
The other thing that occurred to me is what if Ben doesn't run. I mean it's possible but unlikely. So in that event who would run is Ben is out and Lori is in? That got me looking at the map and I saw that PB is in
this district so maybe just maybe Lorena Gonzalez runs for that seat. I mean her pedigree would be compelling as she went to Georgetown, UCLA and Stanford. She's been an environmental activist and was Chief of Staff to Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante so she still has loads of Sac money and contacts. Also as Secretary-Treasurer of San Diego-Imperial Labor Council she would be a lock for that endorsement and with Bob running for mayor the Republicans would be split on who they would want to defeat more which gives her a shot and she's Latina and she is way more palatable to the Senate Leadership so why not?
Now let's talk about the 79th. If Ben runs this leaves this seat open if he wins so who would run for that? Well there's Pamela Bensoussan. She's a sitting Councilmember of the second largest city in the County and a big part of it is in the new 79th. However she isn't Latina, which could be problematic and her fundraising base seems limited to Chula Vista which is a bigger problem. Also she might have tough reelection fight if a big name Republican comes in. Of course there is an open seat but depending on who runs for that would determine if a credible Republican decides to run against Pamela or an op
en seat.
Another possibility is Raquel Marquez-Madsen, she's a staffer to Ben and is President of the San Ysidro School Board. But she's not known outside San Ysidro and it's not know how much money she could raise on her own without an endorsement of Ben. While she been seen at Democratic Party events it is curious whether she would be able to break out unless she starts raising some serious money and Ben starts talking to the powers that be in Sac.
Now an interesting candidate for this seat would be someone who has worked in the area for almost 10 years who is well versed in this issues that impact all of South Bay and especially in the areas covered by the 79th. So why not Humberto Peraza? He's young, smart and Latino, served as Bob Filner's District Director and before that was a Field Rep for Barbara Boxer and reciently served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Ben Hueso. He's been active in Chula Vista for years he also has strong connections to National City and San Diego due his work with Bob and supporting Mona Rios in National City. With Bob's endorsement, especially if he's elected mayor and Ben's endorsement he could get some serious money and he would play ball with the Speaker's
office. Sure he lost his first campaign by a few hundred votes but didn't FDR, JFK, and Barack Obama lose at least one election or nomination? He would be an extremely attractive candidate and of the Caliber that Sac likes.
Finally there's Pearl Quinones, she ran against Ben and lost but she still serves on the Sweetwater Union High School District and is strong in National City. But National City is only a fraction of the
79th and she had problems in South San Diego and in the areas not served by Sweetwater. That and whether she can convince Sac that she can play ball and is able to diversify her support and hold on to Bob Filner's support if Humberto doesn't run gives her a shot.
Well kids this has been fun. Let me know your thoughts, click on the comments section and have your say.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
SacBee: Maps analyze party registration for draft Senate, Assembly lines
The SacBee has the visual breakdown. Click here.
Friday, June 10, 2011
From SanDiegoRedistricting.net: Memo to Lani Lutar of San Diego County Taxpayers Association
"4. Memo to Lani Lutar of San Diego County Taxpayers Association: Put down your phone. Slink quietly away from redistricting. Your Republican Party good cop/bad cop plan has been revealed, your consultant/spokesman has abandoned you, your partisan agenda has been documented before the commission, and there is far more information flowing around town about your months-long redistricting collaboration with DeMaio, Krvaric, and the Lincoln Club than you realize. Your renewed efforts to establish yourself as a middle ground player are amusing, but embarrassing. " - SanDiegoRedistricting.net
A note about these maps
These were downloaded early this morning and, as of this writing, were removed from the state website. These should be considered pending until the website posts the maps.
FIrst Draft maps are up!
Click here to view the proposed maps and the return of the coastal districts.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
SDUT: State Sen. Vargas plans run to replace Filner in Congress
Not a surprise but it does begin the falling-dominoes sequence in South Bay. Check it here.
Filner: "Let me be clear, this is not an announcement of some "exploratory" committee."
He also said that San Diego has not had a strong mayor since Pete Wilson. Let the games begin.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Filner to announce tomorrow.
His former District CoS and current CoS have Tweeted this. We'll see on Wednesday.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Voice of San Diego 401(k) article worth reading
To quote the SDUT:
DeMaio has joined with Faulconer and Sanders on a proposed initiative that would appear on the same June 2012 ballot and calls for replacing guaranteed pensions with 401ks for all new city hires except for police officers.
DeMaio has joined with Faulconer and Sanders on a proposed initiative that would appear on the same June 2012 ballot and calls for replacing guaranteed pensions with 401ks for all new city hires except for police officers.
DeMaio said the initiative will be the thrust of his campaign.
“People are going to see it as indistinguishable (from my campaign),” he said. “The pension crisis is the most pressing financial problem we face and I’m not waiting to be mayor to fix that problem. I’m doing it right now.”
And from the Voice of San Diego:
"The colossal problem for the city is trying to pay off that $2.1 billion pension liability," Hovey said. "The 401(k) plan doesn't address that."
For now, backers are insisting 401(k)s will save money, but aren't saying much else. They still have a year to make their case. When they do, they might not have to prove how much 401(k)s save, but whether they save anything at all.
This would not be the first time politician DeMaio has been less than factual. However, to base his campaign for Mayor on a false premise shows how little respect he has for the voters.
It should be mentioned that DeMaio constantly runs initiatives with his campaigns. It almost seems as if he could not win an election without them.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
SDUT: Fletcher running for Mayor
This looks like a back door way of stepping on DeMaio's announcement later today.
Click here for the article.
Click here for the article.
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