OB RAG vs Dumanis Campaign: Ragster Threatened and then Campaign Removes All Addresses of Residential Fundraisers After Rag Publishes Location of Ocean Beach Site

Cross-posted from OB Rag

There’s an unofficial and underground tussle going on right now between the OB Rag and the Bonnie Dumanis for Mayor Campaign. It is subtle and you have to look literally between the lines.

But it involves vague threats against Doug Porter, our OB Rag reporter, who published an article about Dumanis’ “secret” campaign with a comment referring to an Ocean Beach fundraiser for the District Attorney on Thursday, September 22nd.

First, Doug wrote his post about the lack of public appearances by Dumanis during this segment of the San Diego mayoral campaign, in fact calling her efforts a “non-campaign”. Dumanis is refusing to join the other candidates on the campaign trail, she cancelled her appearance at City College, she passed up the first mayor debate held on September 17th at Politifest, and is limiting the appearances she is making, as Doug points out:

Dumanis appears to be staking her political future on a campaign that seemingly involves meeting as few actual voters as possible. Unless they have cash.

And then Porter drops his other shoe with more criticism:

Her public appearances for the coming month include fundraisers, cocktail fundraisers and more fundraisers, including one this Thursday (September 22) in the 4500 block of Del Monte Avenue, overlooking Ocean Beach. The suggested minimum donation for all these events is a mere $150. No word on whether there will be drug testing at the OB event.

Porter had obtained his information from the Bonnie Dumanis for Mayor website, easily accessible by and to the public.

Doug then cites sources of opposition to the Dumanis for mayor train:

The Dumanis non-campaign is, in part, dictated by ongoing and very vocal opposition to her practices as District Attorney regarding medical marijuana co-ops (actively prosecuting) and domestic violence towards women (alleged indifference).  Opponents aligned with both causes have vowed to actively campaign against her Mayoral bid, ….

 And then a commenter at Doug’s post, who was not happy with how DA Dumanis has prosecuted recent domestic violence cases, wrote:

… Thanks for the info on Bonnie in OB on Thursday night. Maybe a few NOT DUMANIS friends can get together with our bullhorns, signs, and James Gang NOT DUMANIS T-shirts to have a little fun? God Bless the OB Rag!

 And Doug responded:

gosh, what a grand idea to welcome Bonnie to OB. here’s the link to the invitation. http://goo.gl/Q8rzd

Again, all Doug did, was copy the link from the “Event” page of the Dumanis for Mayor website.  The link went to the invite published below.

And then the proverbial – using the vernacular – “shit hit the fan.”

A couple of things happened: someone named “Ashley” left a comment to Doug’s post alleging that she was posting his home address, as a sort of seemingly retaliatory measure to get back at him for posting the location of Thursday’s fundraiser.  Well, first of all, it was an incorrect address for Doug – and we have to apologize to whomever’s address it really was – it has since been removed.

And then more. Thursday night’s fundraiser in Ocean Beach is being hosted by a number of people, including an OB resident Kelly Spoon.  We have found out that “Ashley” appears to be related to the Spoons.


Kelly Spoon – who apparently works for high-powered lawyer and Democrat Lynn Schenk – fired off an email to the OB Rag vaguely asserting that we had posted :

“information on your site that directly effects the safety of personal property and individuals. I request that you take it down immediately.”

In a reply email to Spoon, we asked what information she was referring to.  And she answered that we had listed the block number for the fundraiser, and that block only had 7 houses on it, implying that it would not be difficult to find.  (We checked – the block has at least 14 residences on it – many McMansions.)

Meanwhile, sometime during the evening of September 20th, while Doug was at an OB Rag meeting, Kelly Spoon left this threat on facebook:

Kelly Spoon

Mr. Porter, You have personal [sic] created a situation that could cause harm to my families property and/or physical person. Your style of journalism is completely unprofessional and I will talk to everyone I know about it.

Now, granted this is a vague threat against Doug. Yet it’s a threat by the executive assistant to a well-known Democrat (turn-coat?) about his supposed unprofessional style of journalism, and that she “will talk to everyone [she] know[s] about it.”  Presumably, this means her boss as well.  And Lynn Schenk, her boss, does know a lot of influential people. She was a member of Congress, worked for Gov. Davis, and staged an unsuccessful run for the state Attorney General.  So, the vague threat has some weight behind it.

Early this morning, a commenter – wanting to assure everyone that no “violence” at the fundraiser was being contemplated – left this:

Sorry to see Doug get embroiled in all this drama about addresses.  I would like to assure everyone that if a few ND [No on Dumanis] protesters do go over there, we promise to conduct ourselves with the utmost of care. We promise not to wave picket signs right in people’s faces, keep our yelling to a friendly level, & not call anyone there a “WHORE” unless Bill “Whore” Gore shows up. I am so looking forward to debuting my new James Gang NOT DUMANIS T-shirt at this event.

This is a residential area and I grew up on that hill right around the corner.  I am sorry to see that the neighborhood has changed so much in the wrong direction.  This address is a McMansion- an ugly house built out to the very edges of the property line but it does have a lovely, unobstructed view of the Pacific. If Bonnie does still show up, and the protesters remain on the public sidewalk, without creating too much of a noise disturbance – we are well within our rights to protest this evil, wicked woman supping in Ocean Beach with misguided hosts. The homeowners SHOULD be ashamed that they have the temerity to invite DIRTY DUMANIS into the good karma, bohemian enclave of Ocean Beach-home of DOUBTLESSLY many medical marijuana patients.

The OB Rag Legal Department responded to Kelly Spoon’s last email:

Nothing in Doug Porter’s post or in the subsequent comments was “private” information. The address, location and time of the Dumanis fundraiser is clearly accessible to and by the public on her website.  If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

  Spoon answered:

…  I am co-hosting the event and a friend of Ms. Dumanis. The event is not on the website of the campaign and if it was it was put there by mistake and has since been removed. This is a PRIVATE event my family has been a living in the community of Ocean Beach for over 20 years and has always been a strong community advocate. We shop local businesses we promote to our friends in San Diego how wonderful it is to live in Ocean Beach and to come visit. As  a community neighbor it would have been gracious of your reporter to contact us to see if blogging our address was okay with us. I would like the line in the article removed about the specific block if at all possible. Thank you for all your prompt responses. I am a reader of your Rag. So you can label me as an uppity woman.

While we appreciate Spoon’s backhanded endorsement of the Rag and of Ocean Beach, we still have to say that Porter originally obtained all his info off the Dumanis website – which at the time – was clearly accessible by anyone.

But we did go once more to the Dumanis website, and sure enough, ALL the addresses of the private residential fundraisers for Dumanis had been removed. A couple to be held at restaurants still had addresses.  The remaining information on the different “invites” clearly had the addresses lifted – as the blank space attested to this last minute “editing”.  The invite page to the OB fundraiser was missing in its entirety.

So, we are on the edge of a new segment of the Dumanis for Mayor Campaign, the stealth segment where now even information about her appearances at fundraisers is being limited, so the public doesn’t get to see her at all.

Question: Do the people, the voters, of a community have a right to know who is holding a fundraiser within their community for a politician – who is not well liked by many in that community – who is running for public office but who is at the same time avoiding the very public she purports to serve?

by Frank Gormlie

SDCDP: Democrats Endorse Filner For Mayor, Councilmembers for Reelection in San Diego

Members of the County Democratic Central Committee this week unanimously endorsed Congressman Bob Filner for Mayor of San Diego, formalizing the Party's support in what is sure be one of the city's most important and exciting campaigns in years.

During a candidate forum, Filner highlighted his vision of San Diego as a 21st-century leader in renewable energy, commerce, and good jobs.

The Party also endorsed three incumbent Democrats on the San Diego City Council who are running for reelection: Sherri Lightner in District 1, Todd Gloria in District 3, and Marti Emerald in the new District 9.

Endorsements in other municipal, county, and school board races on the June 2012 ballot will take place over the next several months. The California Democratic Party will weigh in on candidates for Congress and the State Legislature at its next convention, which will take place February 10-12 in San Diego.

POLITICO: Dianne Feinstein donates $5 million of own money to her campaign

Feinstein will transfer the money to her campaign by the end of September. Candidates and incumbents can spend an unlimited amount of personal funds on their own campaigns, although Feinstein is not expected now to commit any more of her own money beyond the initial $5 million, according to sources close to the campaign.

Feinstein and her campaign aides have not been able to access her Senate reelection campaign account since the Durkee scandal broke nearly three weeks ago. Whatever funds remain there are being held in the First California Bank, the bank that Durkee relied on for a number of the campaign accounts that she oversaw. Durkee alone was legally authorized to access many of those accounts.

Read the post here.

SDCDP Endorsements

Last night the San Diego County Democratic Party made the following endorsements:

San Diego City Mayor - Bob Filner

San Diego City Council District 1 - Sherri Lightener
San Diego City Council District 3 - Todd Gloria
San Diego City Council District 9 - Marti Emerald

Capitol Weekly: Republicans likely to abandon referendum on congressional maps

Republicans backing a voter referendum to overturn California’s new congressional maps are on the verge of dropping the effort, sources say.

One reason is a lack of enthusiasm among California’s GOP congressional delegation. One of the newest but most-prominent members of that delegation — Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield — reportedly led those arguing that it wasn’t worth fighting the new maps.

Read the article here.

San Diego’s Fox News

Cross posted from Two Cathedrals

On Wednesday, the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council called on KUSI to acknowledge their broadcast of the station-sponsored special report, “Pension Reform: The Fight to Get it on the Ballot,” as a campaign contribution. The Labor Council’s claim is based on the fact that the “special report” was explicitly produced for the purpose of advocating for qualification of a ballot measure. For anyone who watched the hour and a half long CPR commercial (and I did), it would be impossible to draw any other conclusion.

Regardless, last night, KUSI threw moon-sized softball questions to Mayor Sanders, San Diego City Councilmen Carl DeMaio and Kevin Faulconer, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, San Diego County Taxpayers Association chief Lani Lutar, and failed San Diego City Council candidate April Boling. KUSI also carried water for the Comprehensive Pension Reform campaign by pointing out the specific locations of signature-gathering sites.

That KUSI acts as a mouthpiece for the SDGOP and Republican politicians and candidates across the region is no earth-shattering conclusion. No pearls shall be clutched. Appearances by Republican elected officials on the morning and evening news are almost a daily occurrence. And then there’s John Coleman. The daily right-leaning bias would be nothing but funny if folks didn’t accidentally arrive at their evening broadcast, if only because it airs before TMZ on TV.

If the pension reform infomercial meets the legal definition of a campaign contribution is a matter better left to the lawyers, but KUSI’s role as the free advertising network and media attack dog for the Republican Party is as brazen as it is unethical.

Over the last year, we’ve seen KUSI pride itself on its hard-hitting investigations into the personal lives and relationships of appointed public servants and city employees who share nothing but similar space within the crosshairs of Tony Krvaric.

So with the aid of a private investigator named Google, we decided to find out a little bit more about KUSI. What you’re about to read may shock you, but likely not.

KUSI is owned and operated by Channel 51 of San Diego, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of McKinnon Broadcasting. McKinnon Broadcasting is owned by the McKinnon family, which is made up of Dan, Michael, Clinton, and Michael Jr. The McKinnon’s aren’t passive, disengaged owners of the station. Michael McKinnon currently serves as Station Manager.

The McKinnon family, including their spouses, has donated over $150,000 to Republican candidates and committees, over half of which into the pockets of San Diego congressmen and the SDGOP. Here is a breakdown of the most popular recipients of KUSI family money.

• 24 donations totaling $17,020 to disgraced, pay-for-play Republican former Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham.
• $18,650 to Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray, who makes regular visits to KUSI when he returns from Washington, DC.
• $21,000 in contribution to now-retired Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter ($26,000 if you count a $5,000 contribution to Hunter’s “Peace Through Strength” PAC) and an additional $11,450 to his son, current Congressman Duncan D. Hunter. Hunter Sr. was also a frequent guest on KUSI.
• $8300 has been contributed to the San Diego County Republican Central Committee under the tenure of Tony Krvaric.
• $52,500 in contributions to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
  (Source: www.OpenSecrets.org)

Clearly, supporting Republicans candidates and policies isn’t just an editorial priority of KUSI as a television station, it is a long-term financing project of its owners and its station manager. More accurately, the telethon was an example of KUSIs increasing level of comfort in blurring the lines between journalism and advocacy on behalf of its owner’s long-standing political agenda.

The station, more than ever, exists as part of a larger funding strategy to defeat Democrats and impose conservative ideology on San Diegans and that is the reason that Democratic politicians and left-leaning organizations are hesitant about appearing on KUSI.

The option presented to liberals is often to appear pre-taped and subject to editorialized bookends from the stations anchors, as was the option presented to Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez for the pension telethon. Gonzalez offered to do it live, but that would have ruined the KUSI’s pre-determined script. KUSI declined.

Here is case in point from last nights program.

Congressman Bob Filner appeared in a pre-recorded interview and fielded these questions:

“Obviously the unions are vehemently opposed to this ballot measure that Carl DeMaio is pushing, why not let the voters decided? Isn’t that the way Democracy works?”

“Why are they (the unions) so afraid of this (television) program? And why will they not come out and say why they’re afraid of the ballot measure itself?”

“The DeMaio plan… proposes to save $1.2 billion by 2040, will your plan do that?”

These were the only questions. The first two questions raised the issue of unions and even alleged that the Filner pension plan and Filner’s candidacy were union-sanctioned. The last question effectively grants a claim about potential savings made by DeMaio and the CPR campaign, even though that claim has been described as false and misleading. Immediately after the interview, the two anchors took shots at the Congressman’s pension plan before kicking it to DeMaio, then Lutar, then Boling, etc, for additional spin and counterpoints.

KUSI is a fix, a set-up, an argument where the only thing written is the conclusion. It’s a game that Democrats are not intended to win. It’s not journalism. The idea that the pension telethon was either an isolated incident or a mere overextension of an existing ideological preference at the station tragically shorts the McKinnon family’s long history of conservative political action and financial support. It’s time that we start calling KUSI what it is, San Diego’s Fox News.

- By Jason Everitt

KUSI Called Upon To Acknowledge Campaign Contribution to CPR Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Evan McLaughlin
Cell #: 619-850-2790

KUSI Called Upon To Acknowledge Campaign Contribution to CPR Campaign

Broadcast of Station-Sponsored Sign-A-Thon Must Include Disclaimer Like Other Campaign Commercials

SAN DIEGO – (Wednesday, September 14, 2011) – An attorney for the Just Say No, San Diego campaign demanded this morning that KUSI-TV acknowledge the 90-minute pension initiative “Sign-A-Thon” it plans to air on Thursday evening is a reportable campaign contribution to the ballot measure’s campaign committee, not news.

In a letter to the station’s general manager this morning, attorney Stephen Kauffman notified KUSI that its Sign-A-Thon triggers disclosure requirements because communications to the campaign indicate the program’s purpose is advocacy for the qualification of the ballot measure.  If the station fails to add a written disclosure during the show or fails to report a campaign contribution, formal complaints will be filed with the San Diego Ethics Commission and the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission.

“The monetary value of KUSI’s Sign-A-Thon is unknown to us, but 90 minutes of evening programming on the station is very significant,” said Evan McLaughlin, a spokesman with the Just Say No, San Diego campaign. “KUSI admits they’re providing major resources to aid the petition gathering efforts, so they need to come clean about being a financial supporter by disclosing that to their viewers and the voting public.”

The Sign-A-Thon is being promoted by KUSI and supporters of the pension ballot measure campaign as an effort to advertise in favor of having San Diego voters sign petitions to qualify the initiative for the June 2012 ballot. The proponents have until Oct. 14 to submit 94,346 valid signatures of City of San Diego voters in order to qualify the measure.

The Just Say No, San Diego campaign has been notified by KUSI that a response to the letter is forthcoming today. The letter is attached.

The “Just Say No, San Diego” campaign is a sponsored committee of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, 4305 University Ave. #340, San Diego, CA  92108. ID # 1338947.

###

New Mayoral Polling Out

Well, lookie who's got a poll out - Carl DeMaio's campaign just released the results from a poll done last week.  Now, weirdly, and a bit ham-handedly, the poll did not allow people to be undecided because, and I'm quoting here:  

An “undecided” option was not provided to respondents because of how the question was phrased.  If the election were held today respondents would not be able to check the “undecided” box.  The undecided option allows respondents to answer a question different than the one asked.

Yikes.

There are two problems with this poll: First, the fact that there are no "undecideds" in a poll this early in the election season is highly suspect.  What happened when the respondents asked the interviewer who the candidates were?  Again, at this early stage, even basic information given to the respondents could amount to push polling (where the interviewer asks questions or makes statements to get a specific result).

Second, the Republicans are way oversampled.  According to the most recent data I could collect, Democrats are 41% of the San Diego City electorate, here they are 37%.  Republicans are 29% of the electorate, but make up 35% of the sampling.  So, this poll is going to give a slight advantage to the Republicans.

That said, as polls go, this one tells us pretty much what is conventional wisdom - that DeMaio is way ahead of the pack at 39%, that Democrats are coalescing around Filner at 28%, and that Dumanis and Fletcher are further back at 19% and 10% respectively.  And remember, this poll slightly oversamples Republicans.  Now, given that everyone not named Nathan Fletcher have healthy name ID, I expect Fletcher's numbers to come up at the expense of Dumanis and DeMaio.  Filner is probably going to come up as well (at the expense of Dumanis, mostly), as more and more Democrats figure out who he is.

And so it begins....

Well just when you thought it couldn't get any crazier in the South Bay. It did. With Bob Filner running for Mayor that left his seat open. The moment after Bob finished his sentence declaring his run for Mayor, Juan Vargas said he was running for his seat. Which was as surprising as the Sun rising in the east. I mean Vargas has run for the seat a number of times and for a long created a bitter feud in the South Bay with Filner on one hand and Vargas on the other. This feud played out in every political contest in the South Bay for years.

Now with Filner out of the way it was now Vargas to inherit the seat that he has been coveting for time immemorial. But not so fast...

With Denise Ducheny now resigning her position and declaring her intention to run for that same seat has now thrown that easy slide into office into an actual campaign. Ducheny is no wall flower and has a lot of respect and contacts throughout the state and elsewhere and Vargas knows this which is why he preempted Ducheny's annoucement with a call to abolish the State Unemployment commission and take the time to attack her personally as well.

The crazy thing is this is only Day one and Vargas knows this will be a long hard slog on a campaign which could conceivably go until November.

NEWS RELEASE: DeMaio Campaign’s Use Of Pension Signers’ Information Equates To Identity Theft, Campaign Law Violations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Evan McLaughlin
Cell: (619) 850-2790


DeMaio Campaign’s Use Of Pension Signers’ Information Equates To Identity Theft, Campaign Law Violations

DeMaio Enters Signers’ Info Into Mayoral Campaign Database, But It Can Only Be Used For Qualification Of Measure

SAN DIEGO – (Tuesday, September 13, 2011) – The “Just Say No, San Diego” campaign has obtained documents from the Carl DeMaio for Mayor 2012 campaign illustrating the city councilman inappropriately stole voter identification information from a ballot measure petition, a violation of California campaign laws.

Voter lists used by petition gatherers who walk door-to-door show that initiative signers have been entered into the DeMaio mayoral campaign’s voter file database.

The voter sheets, which are clearly marked as being generated by the “Carl DeMaio for Mayor” campaign in the bottom left corner,  include a field next to voters’ names and addresses to indicate whether the voter had signed the petition.

Such information about the identity of petition signers cannot be used by the mayoral campaign or for any purpose except qualifying the petition, according to the State of California’s Elections Code.

“California law prohibits the use of signatures, names and addresses gathered on initiative petitions for any purpose other than to qualify the initiative measure for the ballot. This means that the petitions cannot be used to create or add to mailing lists or similar lists for any purpose, including fundraising or requests 'for support. Any such misuses constitutes a crime under California law.” Elections Code § 18650; Bilofsky v. Deukmejian (1981) 124 Cai.App.3d 825, 177 Cai.Rptr. 621; 63 Ops.Cai.Atty.Gen. 37 (1980).


The “Just Say No, San Diego” campaign plans to notify law enforcement of this violation immediately.

The “Just Say No, San Diego” campaign is a sponsored committee of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, 4305 University Ave. #340, San Diego, CA  92108. ID # 1338947.

###

SDUT: Ducheny to resign post with congressional run in the offing

Former Democratic Sen. Denise Ducheny said she plans to resign her post on the California Unemployment Appeals Board on Tuesday, further signaling a run in the congressional district being vacated by Rep. Bob Filner.

Read the article here.

CapitolAlert: California state senator takes swipe at former lawmakers

In a swipe at a potential rival for the 51st congressional district, Sen. Juan Vargas issued an oddly-timed press release Monday demanding that "termed out, drunk-driving legislators" step down from the California Unemployment Appeals Board.

Vargas, D-San Diego, went on to list six former lawmakers on the seven-member board, with the parenthetical note "Drunk-driving arrest" next to the names of former Sens. Roy Ashburn and Denise Moreno Ducheny.

Read he blog post here.

San Diego City Council District 9

The newly created San Diego City Council District 9 has, so far, attracted 4 candidates:

Georgette Gomez - From the Environmental Health Coalition
Araceli Martinez - Local attorney
Katherine Eaton - Local activist
Marti Emerald - City Councilmember for District 7

On the surface this race should be Emerald’s to lose. She is an incumbent, is slated to get the Democratic Party's endorsement, and will certainly get Labor's backing.

However, the dynamics of District 9 don't lend themselves to the traditional Labor campaign or the campaign Marti ran in '08. This is a wildly diverse district with many electoral wild cards that can twist turnout scenarios in cartoonish ways.

Resentment from some community members over Emerald moving into District 9 for an "easier" run is present. And there is stronger resentment from some members of the Latino community who feel that D9 was drawn to create more minority empowerment and not be a safe seat for an incumbent. Word on the street is that some heavy hitters in the community are actively seeking out other candidates and willing to significantly back them against Emerald. This isn't about being anti-Emerald but about whom can best represent the newly unified City Heights community.

This could explain Gomez candidacy coming from the left. A majority Latino district may need Latino representation.

Martinez and Eaton appear to be community based candidates that a district centered on City Heights desperately needs.

And Emerald has the experience.

We'll see whom else jumps in. Until then, this race is anybody's game.

NC Times: County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price to step down next year

Slater-Price, 67, represents communities from Solana Beach and Encinitas to Escondido and Rancho Bernardo. She is the District 3 representative on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and has been elected to five terms as supervisor.

She will have served for 20 years on the board at the end of next year.

Read the article here.

SF Gate: Breaking! John Burton, 78, to run for another term as CA Dem party chair

California Democratic party chair John Burton, 78, hasn't officially announced it yet -- but he has made the decision to run for another term to lead the party in 2013, the Chronicle has learned.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Ban on labor-friendly contracts targeted for ballot

The proposed initiative would ban the city from so-called project labor agreements, which grant unionscontracts. The initiative is similar to a 2010 county ballot measure that passed with more than 75 percent of the vote.  preference on

Read the article here.

VOSD: Council President Open to Competing Pension Plan

Young said he was open to the City Council putting a competing pension plan on the June 2012 ballot. Republican and business supporters of a plan to replace pensions with 401(k)s for most new city employees are nearing the final month of gathering signatures to get it on the ballot. But the City Council can place measures on the ballot, too. Democratic mayoral hopeful Bob Filner has said he'd like the council, which is majority Democratic, to do just that with his still-unfinished pension plan.

Read the article here.

VOSD: The Mayoral Portrait Project: Bob Filner

The best way for us to deal with the job crisis in this economy is to greatly enhance the port's capacity for commerce. If we become a maritime center in San Diego, we're talking about thousands of well-paying jobs — jobs that we lost when the defense industry left that we've never recovered. This is the center of my economic development policy.

Read the article here.

SDCityBeat: Pension reform: us vs. them

“Retiree-health reform was agreed to by the unions, and there are significant other examples of the unions and the city working together to address the real fiscal issues that we all recognize we face,” says Mike Zucchet, general manager of the Municipal Employees Association, the union that represents the city’s white-collar workers. “Obviously… the initiative backers weren’t looking for consensus or cooperation. So, rather than going to the bargaining table, they went the campaign route.”

Read the article here.

SDCityBeat: Pete Wilson sinks

But even longtime San Diegans who regard Wilson as a positive political force should be rolling their eyes at his latest crusade.

Not long after the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (wedrawthelines.ca.gov) approved new district boundaries for the state’s legislature and congressional delegation, Wilson endorsed a campaign to have them overturned through a voter referendum.

If Wilson wants to be viewed as a statesman in his old age, he’s made a bad move. If, on the other hand, he wants to be seen as a bottom-feeding Republican Party hack: Success!

Read the article here.

Block’s Disabled Veterans’ Spousal Benefit Legislation Signed by the Governor

SACRAMENTO—Governor Jerry Brown today signed AB 188, authored by Assemblymember Marty Block, D-San Diego. AB 188 will continue to make available a disabled veterans’ property tax exemption to the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, who had a 100% disability rating from the United States Department of Veterans Administration, upon entering a nursing home or other assisted living facility.

Read the press release here.

The Dumanis Campaign

Word on the street is that her campaign has reached out to former CRP and SDRCP Chair Ron Nehring to shore up her ebbing support on the Republican side of the aisle.

After her about face on the DeMaio Pension Measure and refusing to reveal how she voted on the sales-tax hike in 2010, her campaign appears to be suffering from policy paralysis. She will need any help she can obtain to remain credible with voters if this continues.

Shepard took advantage of Tierney's vacation to kneecap Dumanis with some downtown types and conservative Democratic voting blocs. With DeMaio claiming the right and Filner taking the left, Fletcher and Dumanis are left with the shrinking middle and Nathan has been working it while watching his flanks.

Dumanis has been firing campaign managers and not answering questions from the UT editorial board. Neither of which inspire confidence in the campaign.

This writer will be surprised if her campaign makes it past this year.

SDUT: New county political maps unveiled

 

The county’s two alternative maps, scheduled for consideration by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, would create a South Bay district where Latinos and African Americans constitute a majority of the voting-age population.

Read the article here.

LA Times: Goodwin Liu confirmed to California Supreme Court

"It has been a long journey for my family, and it has definitely ended with the most pleasant, enjoyable confirmation," Liu said, marveling that the state process took "a mere 36 days" whereas his federal nomination languished in the U.S. Senate for more than a year.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Dumanis: Vote on sales-tax hike is personal

Calling her vote personal, San Diego mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis continues her refusal to say whether she voted for or against a proposed sales tax hike last fall.

Read the article here.

VOSD: How Much Money Is Enough in the Mayor's Race?

Political consultant John Kern, the former chief of staff for Mayor Dick Murphy, also gave me an observation I've always kept handy, "You don't need more money than your rivals, you just need enough."

Think of race cars. You can have the fastest car in a race, but if you aren't able to drive well, you won't win.

Read the article here.

LA Times: State Democrats consider bill to ban initiatives from primaries

Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) confirmed Monday that his caucus may introduce a bill in the final days of this year's legislative session that would mandate initiatives only go before voters in November general elections, which typically have higher participation than primary contests.

Read the article here.

Capitol Alert: Referendum filed to overturn California congressional maps

A referendum has been filed to overturn the new congressional districts created by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, the attorney general's office reported today.

The effort joins one already under way to undo the maps the commission drew for state Senate districts.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Hueso moves to block anti-secrecy bill

“We can do as well, or better” in developing new standards, Hueso said during the committee debate. He said he wanted to solicit advice from others, such as the independent legislative analyst and state controller.

“I would support a more deliberative process,” Hueso said.

Read the article here.

SDUT: How mayor candidates managed campaign funds

The four major candidates for San Diego mayor made decidedly different choices with the money left over in campaign accounts established to help them get elected to their current political office. Technically, that money can’t be used to campaign for mayor unless the candidates transfer the money properly to comply with city campaign finance laws.

All four seem to be in compliance with the rules, but Fletcher’s spending for a possible 2012 re-election run for state Assembly caught the attention of one campaign finance expert.

Read the article here.

A New Community Movement Kicks off at “A Better San Diego” Economic Summit

MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact:
Evan McLaughlin / (619) 850-2790
Susan Duerksen / (619) 804-1950

Hundreds of Community Activists Will Gather to Discuss Solutions for Jobs, Financial Empowerment, Quality of Life

TODAY! Saturday, August 27, 2011
9 a.m.* to 2 p.m.
Horace Mann Middle School
4345 54th Street
San Diego, CA 92115
(*Registration begins at 8 a.m.)

A coalition of community, faith, environmental, immigrant rights, labor, LGBT and social justice groups will convene at the “A Better San Diego” Economic Summit this morning to kick off a regional community organizing effort to put the economic issues facing the people of our communities at the forefront of the debate over San Diego’s future.

The summit will include hundreds of activists, community leaders and other San Diego residents who are mobilizing to build a vision for our city that supports five main themes: Jobs, Prosperity, Quality of Life, Equality and Fairness.

Attendees will be discussing their ideas, learning about ongoing economic issue campaigns, and hearing from community leaders and experienced organizers about how to build the A Better San Diego movement.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ABetterSanDiego.org.

Participating Organizations
San Diego Labor Council & affiliated unions * Justice Overcoming Boundaries * Center on Policy Initiatives
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment * MoveOn Greater San Diego Council * Activist San Diego
San Diego LGBT Pride * Environmental Health Coalition * Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice * OB Rag
Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter * Employee Rights Center (Partial List: Visit www.abettersandiego.org for a full list)

###

Facebook: News from Councilmember Gloria: Redistricting

Friends,

As you may have heard, the City of San Diego’s Redistricting Commission approved boundaries for City Council Districts at its meeting last night. I hope this message helps clarify some of the questions you may have about the new districts.

A map of the new Council District Three is attached. Council District Three will no longer include the great communities of Kensington, Talmadge and City Heights. These communities will always mean a great deal to me and my family, and I am sorry to lose direct representation of them. I am excited, however, to continue to work with North Park, South Park, Golden Hill, University Heights, Normal Heights, Hillcrest and Balboa Park and to conquer the challenges that await me in Mission Hills, Bankers Hill, Park West, Old Town and Downtown, which are all new to Council District Three.

The map is now final, yet some mystery remains as to its effective date. Because Talmadge, Kensington and City Heights were moved to the new Council District Nine, the effective date of the new boundaries is of great interest to me. Some authorities believe that councilmembers begin representing the new districts this Fall. The City Attorney has opined that councilmembers begin representing the new districts in December 2012, following the next election cycle. I will keep you posted on what is ultimately decided on this issue. In the meantime, rest assured that my team and I will continue to work hard for you.

It is worth noting that the final map is the result of a lengthy public process and developed and approved by an all-volunteer Redistricting Commission made up of seven private citizens. I would like to thank them for their service to our City. To learn more about the Commission, please visit www.sandiego.gov/redistricting.

Whether you are in the old or the new Council District Three, I depend on your input and feedback on issues impacting you and your neighborhood. Please stay in touch with me by phone, email, Facebook or Twitter and let me know how I may best serve you.

Phone: 619-236-6633
Email: ToddGloria@sandiego.gov
Web: www.sandiego.gov/cd3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toddgloria?ref=ts
Twitter: @ToddGloria

Thank you for the opportunity to serve,
TODD

CalBuzz: The Sad Spectacle of Pete Wilson Taking a Dive

What a sorry disappointment, seeing Pete Wilson behaving like a low-rent political hack at an age when he ought to be a senior statesman.

Read the article here. 

Capitol Alert: Drive to repeal Senate maps gets boost from four GOP senators

Republican state Sens. Tony Strickland, Mimi Walters, Joel Anderson and Doug LaMalfa are among the first contributors to a signature-gathering campaign aimed at repealing the state's newly drawn Senate districts.

Read the article here.

Mission times Courier: Councilmember Emerald to Run in Newly Created District 9

In a prepared release, Emerald said “My staff and I have been representing many of the neighborhoods in this new district since I assumed office and we have a great relationship with them”, said Emerald responding to the newly approved district map. “I look forward to continuing our partnership with these communities and the other neighborhoods in our new district”.

Read the article here.

KSWB: New City Council district map approved

After months of public hearings and controversies, the city of San Diego's Redistricting Commission Thursday approved a new map for City Council districts.

The final product from the commission represents a radical change from the current boundaries because a ninth district was squeezed in -- the result of San Diego's change in its form of governance several years ago.

Read the article here.

SDUT: San Diego mayoral candidates decline to debate

Looking forward to a lively debate between the four major candidates for San Diego mayor? Be prepared for a long wait.

Two of the declared candidates -- City Councilman Carl DeMaio and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis -- say they have no plans to participate in debates anytime soon.

Read the article here.

VOSD: Dumanis' Indecision 2012

Yet it's Dumanis' campaign that has been the most indecisive since the race's official start almost three months ago. Last month she fired her campaign manager just as the campaign was beginning. Thursday, she flipped her position and now supports a Republican-led pension reform initiative.

Read the article here.

KPBS: Gov. Jerry Brown Rolls Out Jobs Plan

California Governor Jerry Brown is rolling out a new jobs plan that includes changes to corporate taxes as well as expanded tax breaks for business. But its chances for passage in the legislature are slim.

Read the article here.

A New Community Movement Kicks off at “A Better San Diego” Economic Summit

MEDIA ADVISORY

Hundreds of Community Activists Will Gather to Discuss Solutions for Jobs, Financial Empowerment, Quality of Life

Saturday, August 27, 2011
9 a.m.* to 2 p.m.
Horace Mann Middle School
4345 54th Street
San Diego, CA 92115
(*Registration begins at 8 a.m.)

A coalition of community, faith, environmental, immigrant rights, labor, LGBT and social justice groups will convene at the “A Better San Diego” Economic Summit on Saturday to kick off a regional community organizing effort to put the economic issues facing the people of our communities in the forefront of the debate over San Diego’s future.

The summit will include hundreds of activists, community leaders and other San Diego residents who are mobilizing to build a vision for our city that supports five main themes: Jobs, Prosperity, Quality of Life, Equality and Fairness.

Attendees will be discussing their ideas, learning about ongoing economic issue campaigns, and hearing from community leaders and experienced organizers about how to build the A Better San Diego movement.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ABetterSanDiego.org.

Participating Organizations

San Diego Labor Council & affiliated unions * Justice Overcoming Boundaries * Center on Policy Initiatives
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment * MoveOn Greater San Diego Council * Activist San Diego
San Diego LGBT Pride * Environmental Health Coalition * Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice * OB Rag
Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter * Employee Rights Center (Partial List: Visit www.abettersandiego.org for a full list)

Capitol Weekly: State Democratic Party targets mail vote to boost L.A. turnout

Local Democrats should take note:

In response, Democrats are putting together a get-out-the-vote effort targeting mail-in voters on an unprecedented scale, according to party officials, that seeks to boost vote-by-mail turnout by at least 10 percent for the 2012 elections. The margin not only could prove decisive in statewide elections, it also could decide races in new, high competitive legislative and congressional districts.

Read the article here.

LA Times: Former Gov. Pete Wilson joins effort to upset redistricting plan

Wilson and other GOP leaders have sent out a fundraising appeal to help finance a referendum drive that would give the state’s voters a chance to repeal the maps drawn by a Citizens Redistricting Commission. The GOP leaders say in a five-page memo to several thousand potential donors that the new districts could help give Democrats a two-thirds majority in the Senate.

"Democrats are perilously close to gaining the ability to raise our taxes and expanded our already bloated government -- unless we take immediate action," said the mailer from Wilson, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro and Senate Republican Leader Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga.

Read the story here.

SF Gate: State GOP reverses course: Fred Karger, openly gay 2012 candidate, invited to speak at Sept. state convention

The state GOP "Big Tent" has lifted a flap. 

After initially giving Fred Karger what he called "the cold shoulder'' in his attempts to speak at the upcoming California GOP state convention, the party has now apparently decided to welcome the only openly gay GOP candidate in the 2012 presidential race.

Read the story here.

Thanks Bonnie!

This latest twist in the Dumais for Mayor saga of her flip flopping on the 401(k) initiative shows that when you're about 10 months out she's already reached the ceiling of her campaign. She can't money, she can't get support so why not change the campaign direction and now go to the right and see if that frees up something. However, she's boxed herself in because now she can't go after any more Democrats for money or votes at this point and she has ceded that to Bob. She's also ceded Public Safety as well to Bob if they look around and say "Hey, once they do that, wouldn't they go after me?" which is very possible. As the three Republicans try to fight it out amongst themselves, each being a fading copy of the other. This leaves Bob as the true alternative to all three and has now made clear who would be the real candidate for changing City Hall. So thanks Bonnie! You have just made life a lot easier...

SDUT: Dumanis comes out for 401(k) measure

Chris Crotty, a Democratic political consultant who is not involved in the mayor’s race, said Dumanis is smart to make her position switch now while the election remains 10 months away. He questioned whether she made a mistake by coming out too early against the ballot measure.

“The excuse is pretty flimsy,” Crotty said of the annuity explanation. “She’s not going to escape being called a flip-flopper and the candidates will remind the voters every opportunity that they get, no matter what her explanation is. ... She’s hoping to get it out of the way now and it’s not that much of an issue.”

Read the story here.

SF Gate: Gay candidate can't get seat at GOP convention

Fred Karger, the only Californian - and the only gay candidate - in the 2012 Republican presidential field, says he knows plenty about closed doors. But shut out by his own party - and in his own state? 


Even as Republican leaders say they're eagerly wooing all candidates to the state GOP convention Sept. 16-18 in Los Angeles, Karger says his request to attend and address the party activists has apparently been refused.

Read the story here.

Media Advisory: After Strike Vote, Grocery Workers and Supporters Rally Downtown Before Final Negotiations

From the Labor Council:

More than 200 People Expected To Call On Supermarkets For Affordable Medical Coverage For 10,000 Grocery Employees

WHO:    
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135, San Diego Labor Council, faith and community leaders and other supporters.

WHEN:
TODAY! Wednesday, August 24, 2011, 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Ralphs (near Horton Plaza)101 G Street, San Diego, CA  92101

WHAT:                
More than 62,000 grocery workers in Southern California – including 10,000  in San Diego County – voted overwhelmingly to strike against Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs over the weekend after the employers proposed changing workers' health insurance plan to be less affordable and result in less medical coverage for many working San Diegans. This demonstration will include hundreds of grocery workers and their supporters just days before the United Food and Commercial Workers (which represents the employees) and the supermarkets meet with a federal mediator in final negotiations in hopes of averting a walk-out.

####

SDUT: Two council hopefuls to seek Emerald’s seat

There will be two new contenders for Marti Emerald’s City Council seat by Tuesday evening.

Insurance broker Scott Sherman has thrown his hat in the ring, and Mat Kostrinsky, a former aide to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said he will officially have his exploratory committee filed with the City Clerk today.

Read the story here.

What in the Sam Hell. . .

To those of you out there who are more closely intertwined with politics than I am these days, I have one question - what in the sam hell is Bonnie Dumanis doing?  It looks like Dumanis and DeMaio are both skipping the mayoral debates between now and Oct. 17. 

Now traditionally, the old view in politics is that the only activities a candidate should do during a campaign is talking to voters and talking to donors.  Any time spent talking to people who won't vote for you, or give you money is wasted time.  But that mindset is usually for later stages of the campaign.  Right now, voters aren't really going to make up their minds, so the only thing to do is focus on endorsements, donor credibility and pumping up name ID.  Debates help all three.

That is, unless you already have all three.  For Carl DeMaio, who has strong name ID, a loyal base of contributors and more than enough endorsements, showing up to a debate would be a bad idea.  What if Filner humiliates DeMaio?  What if DeMaio says or does the wrong thing?  In politics, and particularly for front-runners (and DeMaio is the de facto frontrunner at this point), no publicity is better than bad publicity.  There is no upside for DeMaio.

But Dumanis is riding in an entirely different kind of boat.  She has not raised the $300-500k that DeMaio and Fletcher have; her name ID is good, but not great; and, her centrist position is seriously damaged by having Fletcher and Filner in the race (who hit her from the right and the left).  In other words, Dumanis is a "frontrunner" who has a diminishing base, lacks funds, and little name ID.  Having the opportunity to spar with Fletcher and Filner, who are the cause of her woes, seems like a no-brainer.

So, with that said, I have three theories:

1) Dumanis deathly afraid of debates: This is the least likely, as Dumanis isn't just an attorney, but she's a litigator.  We litigators debate everything, and will debate anywhere.  You know where I've had the most debates in my career as a litigator?  In my office, with my co-workers.  Dumanis maybe the DA, but she's a litigator at heart.

2) Dumanis thinks her position is stronger than it is: Ah, self-delusion, the true mother's milk of politics.  It is possible that Dumanis and her political team think that Dumanis is in a DeMaio-like position?  The short answer is yes.  But Dumanis' people are too smart to think this way.  Unless you've been running for mayor for the past four years (DeMaio), they have to know that any polling at this point is very, very soft, and vote and money erosion is likely.

3) Dumanis is thinking of dropping out: There have been reports that Dumanis is thinking of dropping out.  While I don't think this is likely, it is possible that Dumanis now realizes that this is going to be a much tougher race than she previously thought, and is planning on dropping out.  If that's the case, then it makes sense to not debate because why through good money after bad?  Or, she could be laying low to see how the numbers shake out in the next fundraising cycle. 

With all that said, I don't have my ears to the ground, so I have no idea what is going to happen.

 

Word on the Street: Young for Fletcher?

Rumor has it that the Fletcher campaign has cut a deal with Tony Young: deliver your voters for Nathan and in return Nathan's people will make it easier for Tony's transition to Sacramento or the County Board of Supervisors.

This is not as out there as it appears. Republicans have had a wire into the 4th City Council district for some time now delivering the votes that elected Horton to the Assembly and Roberts to the Board of Supervisors.

With term limits looming Tony needs somewhere to go. He has cast himself as the "reliable middle" of the debates at City Hall ensuring that he will not propose or initiate but will discuss and mediate. This keeps him out of anything controversial and makes him approachable to Republicans.  Access to Republican donors and a D behind his name make him an attractive candidate for higher office.

SDUT: Filner: 401(k) proposal is "unfair"

Filner said his forthcoming plan to solve the city’s pension woes will include several changes that won’t place all the sacrifice on public employees and won’t lead to increased taxes for residents. 

Read the story here.

LA Times: Voting districts finalized and face immediate challenges

A referendum drive to overturn the state Senate lines is being led by state Sen. Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel) and Orange County businesswoman Julie Vandermost through a committee called Fairness and Accountability in Redistricting, according to Republican consultant Dave Gilliard. They may also launch a referendum on the congressional boundaries, according to Gilliard.

Read the story here.

LGBT Weekly: Did Carl DeMaio not acknowledge his gay relationship?

All the other LGBT candidates and office holders have acknowledged and proudly listed the names of their partners in past Union-Tribune interviews. Those proudly acknowledging their partners are Toni Atkins, Chris Kehoe, Todd Gloria and Kevin Beiser.  Why didn’t Carl DeMaio?

Read the commentary here.

Word on the Street: Movement afoot to get Dumanis to drop out

Rumor has it that Fletcher's people are pressuring Kvaric to do what he can to get Bonnie to drop out. With Bonnie's consultant, Jennifer Tierney, out of the country until the end of the month, now would the time for such forces to act.

Should Dumanis drop out of the Mayoral race, Nathan would have a clean shot at the moderate Republicans and easily claim the center with the electorate by painting Filner and DeMaio as darlings of the political fringes.

SDUT: Saldaña to run for Congress

It's official. Read the story here.

SDNR: Congressman Bob Filner: 'People have to be involved in the issues that affect them'

Read the interview here.

SDUT: MoveOn protests at congressional offices

“It's time we stand up to the very rich and large corporations, take our country back from them, re-establish our democracy -- all the while demanding jobs for our country, and not more cut-backs to the safety net,” Frank Gormlie, local council coordinator for MoveOn.org, said in an email.

Read the story here.

VOSD: New District Will Not Be Disenfranchised, City Attorney Says

Young's opinion has been reversed. Read the story here.

KPBS: Southern California Grocery Workers Plan Another Strike Vote

"Some of the things that they proposed, if they were willing to put the money up for those proposals, would definitely be a step in the right direction," said Kasparian. "And we'd certainly be interested in that. But again the money has to go with the proposals."

Read the story here.

SD CityBeat: County approves retroactive funding for Christian camp improvements

David Blair-Loy, legal director for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties, says the county’s decision to approve the funding violates the separation of church and state as articulated in the California Constitution.

Read the story here.

Lorena Gonzalez's home was attacked last night

Petty acts of vandalism against political targets screams cowardice about the perpetrators. Such acts, unfortunately, are not uncommon as they should be they too often succeed in silencing their target.

This is not the case today. The attack on the Gonzalez household was wrong on so many levels. Attempting to intimidate an entire family for political reasons should be condemned by anyone who believes in honest debate in a civilized society.

And this incident will not silence her voice. It will only make it stronger.

The atmosphere surrounding Lorena has heated up considerably thanks to SD Republican Party Secretary (and private investigator) Derrick Roach attempting to post her IRS information on SD Rostra and blogging that she is living a life of luxury at the expense of the workers she represents.

It is a weak and utterly invalid argument. What is not in dispute is this cycle of personal intimidation that the SD Republican Party has engaged in attempting to destroy the political debate towards anything constructive. The stalking of Carlos Marquez and attacks on Midori Wong were vile and pointless in that the goal of restarting redistricting never happened and the public tide turned against the SD Republican Party especially at City Hall.

If the SD Republican Party Central Committee ever got their heads straight, they would do something about their “leadership” which fosters an environment of hatred and makes such events like last night possible.

The attack on the Gonzalez home last night was wrong wrong wrong and such acts should never, ever, be tolerated.

SDUT: Redevelopment money bypassing capitol

So all that money’s going to Sacramento then, right?

Well, no.

The state isn’t actually “taking money” from local officials.

Read the story here.

VOSD: Confusion Grows Over 9th District Representation

Esterbrooks said Young's office has spoken with Kwiatkowski to understand the spirit and intent of the City Charter. But she said Young would go forward with the plan he outlined Thursday, based on a literal interpretation of the charter's language.

Read the story here.

VOSD: Fletcher Accepts $ Into 'Closed' Account

Bob Stern, president of the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies watchdog group, said Fletcher's spending should concern the city's Ethics Commission, which enforces campaign finances rules.

"If I were at the Ethics Commission, I would be raising some questions," Stern said.

Read the story here.

SDUT: Mayor not out to shut down medical marijuana shops

Read the story here.

DeMaio’s Real Jobs Plan? You Can Find It In The City’s Print Shop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Evan McLaughlin, 619-850-2790

DeMaio’s Real Jobs Plan? You Can Find It In The City’s Print Shop

SAN DIEGO – Councilmember and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio held a press conference to announce a plan he insists will create jobs at some point.

Yet the only jobs DeMaio has supported in his time seeking the media spotlight have been at the city’s print shop, where he’s used city-funded resources to increase his name identification in a never-ending campaign for higher officer. It has been a consistent theme of DeMaio’s tenure on the Council.

The Union-Tribune has addressed DeMaio’s regular use of taxpayer funding to feed his appetite for public attention.  The paper published an article entitled “Spending on Mailers Cost City Large Sum.”  The article states that DeMaio “sent 45 times as many taxpayer-funded invitations last year as all the city’s other elected officials combined, according to records obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune under the California Public Records Act.

In a Union-Tribune editorial, “Officials’ Clumsy Actions,” the U-T noted that DeMaio spent $32,000 in public money for the mailers, which prominently featured Carl DeMaio.  The mailers included headlines such as “Carl DeMaio wants to keep your home and family safe,” and “Carl DeMaio fixing the city’s financial crisis.”

Kyle Haverback, spokesman for the Carl DeMaio’s Too Extreme for San Diego campaign, said, “It is disappointing but not surprising that Carl DeMaio poses as a taxpayer watchdog but has used more public resources that any other city official, all to further his personal political ambitions.”

DeMaio’s Never-Ending Taxpayer-Funded Campaign

DeMaio spent $32,000 in taxpayer-funded mailers during his first year in office

In February 2010, the Union-Tribune reported that Carl DeMaio spent $32,000 on taxpayer-funded mailers during his first year in office.  DeMaio’s mailers were sent to constituents, inviting them to town-hall meetings.

“As Union-Tribune reporter Craig Gustafson revealed, DeMaio spent that sum in his first year in office on sending mailers to his constituents’ homes inviting them to town hall meetings he held on pressing issues facing the city.”

The Union-Tribune continued, “His name was prominently featured on the mailings in headlines such as ‘Carl DeMaio wants to keep your home and family safe’ and ‘Carl DeMaio fixing the city’s financial crisis.’”

(San Diego Union-Tribune, “Officials’ Clumsy Actions,” February 2, 2010)

DeMaio Sent 45 Times as Many Mailers as All Other Elected Officials Combined; Amount of Mailers Surpassed Regulatory Threshold that Restricted Mailer Content

“He sent 45 times as many taxpayer-funded invitations last year as all the city’s other elected officials combined, according to records obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune under the California Public Records Act. The newspaper requested information on any mailing paid for by taxpayers that was sent to 200 or more people – the threshold under state law that triggers content restrictions for mailers, such as limiting mailers to one mention of a politician’s name.”
 
(San Diego Union Tribune, “Spending on Mailers Cost City Large Sum,” January 31, 2010)

 Money on Mailers Could Have Paid A Fire Recruit’s Annual Salary

“Frank De Clercq, head of the city’s firefighters union, said the money DeMaio spent could have paid the $31,000 annual salary for a fire recruit.”

(San Diego Union Tribune, “Spending on Mailers Cost City Large Sum,” January 31, 2010)


The “Carl DeMaio’s Too Extreme For San Diego” campaign is a project of the San Diego Labor Council, AFL-CIO, which represents more than 192,000 union workers in the region while advocating for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all local workers, union and non-union. To learn more, visit www.unionyes.org.

###

VOSD: County Supervisor Didn't Work for Civil Rights Leader

Read the story here.

FPPC Complaint Filed Against Pension Campaign For “Bait And Switch” Petition Tactics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FPPC Complaint Filed Against Pension Campaign For “Bait And Switch” Petition Tactics

Dishonest Use of Gas Prices and Gay Marriage As Advertisement Should Spur An Investigation

SAN DIEGO – (August 3, 2011) – The Fair Political Practices Commission was notified of potentially fraudulent activity by the Comprehensive Pension Reform for San Diego campaign committee this afternoon, including the video documentation of paid-signature gatherers using a phony petition to supposedly “lower gas prices” as a bait-and-switch that resulted in voters signing petitions for ballot measures that eliminate a retirement safety net for city employees.

Similarly, video was taken at the San Diego Pride festival, a major LGBT event in San Diego’s Balboa Park, where signature gatherers for the pension initiative pitched festivalgoers to sign petitions to make gay marriage legal when in fact no such petition has been cleared for circulation by the Secretary of State.

“Even after the gas price petition switcheroo was brought to the public’s attention nearly one month ago, the pension campaign has continued to employ that dirty trick and others,” said Evan McLaughlin, treasurer of the Just Say No, San Diego committee. “Apparently a public shaming was not enough. It’s now time we turn to the authorities.”

More details on the use of gay marriage and gas prices by the pension campaign is included in the attached letter, which was sent to the FPPC earlier today.

For more information or for an interview, please contact Evan McLaughlin at 619-850-2790.

###

Big Business Campaigns’ Ramped Up Efforts Underscore Petition Drive Struggles

From the Labor Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Big Business Campaigns’ Ramped Up Efforts Underscore Petition Drive Struggles

More Expensive Signature Bounties, Robo-Calls, Deceptive Tactics Show Petition Drives Are Struggling To Make Progress

SAN DIEGO – The ballot measure campaigns sponsored by big business have increased their per-signature bounty to $5 on a supposed “slam dunk” pension initiative, five times higher than when the campaign started.

This finding and other recent news illustrate a growing sense of desperation from the campaigns.

-    Petition gatherers have been caught baiting shoppers to sign their petitions under the false pretense that signing will help “lower gas prices.”  No such initiative is on file with the Secretary of State.

-   At the San Diego Pride parade and festival last month, petition gatherers for the corporate campaigns asked passersby to sign petitions to make gay marriage legal in California. No such petition is on file with the Secretary of State.

-   In addition to the five-fold increase in the bounty for the pension ballot measure, petitions for the ban on project labor agreements have doubled to $1.50 per signature.

-   Petition gatherers have made misstatements about exempting firefighters (false), whether city employees receive Social Security (false),  whether non-union workers are banned from working on city projects (yet again, false), and other important considerations about these ballot measures.

-   Republican Councilmembers and their surrogates have held publicity stunts like “drive-thru” signature gatherings at Wal-Mart and placed robo-calls to voters asking them to sign the petition.

-  Media accounts show these City of San Diego ballot measure campaigns have been asking patrons from other cities like La Mesa to sign their petitions in order to drive up their signature count.

The Just Say No campaign has been compiling video and audio footage of examples of where the petition drives have employed the aforementioned desperation tactics.

For more information, or for an interview, please contact Evan McLaughlin at 619-850-2790.

###

KPBS: County Supervisors Explore Creation Of Minority District

Read the story here.

VOSD: What Mayoral Candidates Say about Balboa Park Makeover

Read the story here.

SDUT: For San Diego's delegation, a tough decision on debt deal

Read the story here.

SDUT: Fletcher to chair jobs panel

Read the story here.

SF Gate: Gov. Jerry Brown vetoes bill banning some paid signature gathering

From SF Gate:

Supporters of the measure slammed the veto.

"This is a setback for reform in California," said Justine Sarver, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center. "The measure would have eliminated a powerful incentive for fraud while protecting Californians' ability to participate fully in direct democracy."

Maybe they shouldn't be surprised -- the governor may have given a hint at his position last week when he mused, in response to a question, that the bill could make initiatives such as the one he is planning on taxes, more expensive.

Read the story here.

KPBS: County Supervisors Set To Vote On Redistricting

Read the story here.

VOSD: Dumanis' Haul: $150K, Filner's Is $100K

Read the story here.

SJ Mercury: Vote-by-mail service under threat in budget cuts

VBM now at the mercy of the counties. Read the story here.

Martin Garrick Pleads No Contest verse Guilty

Assemblyman Martin Garrick on Friday, July 29th pleaded "No Contest" plea Friday on a drunken driving charge verse guilty on driving over the speed limit, running red lights, not pulling over when ordered by a police officer and having a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent, almost twice the level limit.

Martin will perform 48 hours of community service, paying fines and assessments of $2,416 and lose his driver's license for four months. However, he will not have an ignition interlock device, as he supported in the 2009-2010 legislative session with AB 9 or attend a 9-month Drinker Driver Treatment Program, which he supported in the 2007-2008 legislative session with AB 1487.

Interestingly, he pleaded no contest verse guilty on the charges. On the website DUIAttorney.com it explains why people plea no contest, then taking full responsibility for their crime. They still need to answer yes when asked if they have been convicted of a crime, but they really aren't taking full responsibility for their crime in court.

Many times there is the quoting in supporting term limits is legislators need to go back to the public to live under the laws they pass. I would be interested in what conservatives think of Garrick's plea of no contest verse guilty, the sentencing and if he should seek higher office in the future?

City Attorney's Race

Lost in the shuffle of the mayoral race in San Diego is the race for city attorney. One question that needs to be asked; is there going to be a prominent Democrat to challenge current city attorney Jan Goldsmith?

Assuming that the current city attorney gets re-elected, which is looking more like a done deal everyday. Then the next question that needs to be asked: who becomes the next city attorney if Bonnie Dumanis gets elected as mayor and the county board of supervisors appoints Goldsmith to be her replacement?

I know open ended "what if" questions are just what they are. But in a city where Democrats hold a 10-point registration advantage I cannot see why there isn't at least one prominent Democrat willing to run for city attorney? If for any other reason to position themselves for when the office opens up next. Be that in 2013 or 2016.

Potential Heavyweight Battle for Congress Brews in South Bay.

Rumor has is that former State Sen. Denise Ducheny is considering running for Filner's open Congressional seat. This would create a match up with current State Sen. Juan Vargas who has already announced that he's running for the Congressional seat.

Garrick's History on DUI Legislation

Our own region's Assembly Member Martin Garrick (R-74th) was arrested this past June 15th for a DUI, which was driving a taxpayer covered state car with a blood alcohol of 0.15 percent, which is almost double the legal limit blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent. He ran several red lights, didn't respond to police officers to pull over and was driving above the speed limit. Reports have come out that Garrick might have received special treatment as an Assembly Member according to KCRATV and questioned about why he was not charged with reckless driving.

Garrick has apologized for his actions, which was the right thing to do and some don't do, we do not yet know his fines and sentencing, but looking over some of his past legislation votes it should give us an idea of what he would do as a judge on his case.

• In 2007-2008 session he sponsored legislation AB 1385 increasing the penalties for riding a motorized scooter with fines and even 6 months of jail time.
• In 2007-2008 session he sponsored legislation AB 1882, which would seek to notify ICE of an undocumented immigrant. He wrote in his analysis about an incident of an undocumented immigrant driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.016, double the legal level. He reference the danger of those caught with DUI and repeating themselves.
• In 2011-2012 session on June 6th (9-days before he was arrested for a DUI) he opposed AB 520, which would allow possible lesser sentencing for DUI with non-aggravated factors. Garrick didn't support lesser imprisonment sentencing for DUI cases.
• In 2009-2010 session he supported AB 91 a three-county pilot program that requires a person convicted of a DUI installing an ignition interlock device and depending on the person's income they paid for the device. While San Diego is not a test pilot county, but Sacramento is a test pilot county.
• In 2007-2008 session he supported AB 1487 lowing the blood alcohol level of 0.20 percent to 0.015 percent requirement to attend a 9-month Drinker Driver Treatment Program.
  

Garrick was looking at a 2014 run for State Senator Mark Wyland's seat. Please leave a comment if you think he should do it now?

Pension Campaign’s Signature Gatherer Assaults Truth Squad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pension Campaign’s Signature Gatherer Assaults Truth Squad Republican Campaign Operative Caught on Tape, Police Report Filed
 
SAN DIEGO – (July 19, 2011) – In the latest dirty tactic employed by the Republican ballot measure campaigns, a paid signature gatherer threatened and ultimately inflicted physical harm on a member of the “Just Say No, San Diego” Truth Squad yesterday outside a Best Buy electronics store on Mission Center Road in Mission Valley.

Video of the attack was captured after a Truth Squad member witnessed the Republican signature gatherer threatening to hit his female partner. After making the threat, the signature gatherer tried flee, saw that his likeness was being recorded, lost his temper, and hit the Truth Squad member who was recording his threats. Though the punch was intended for the educator’s face, it landed on his cell phone.

The assailant fled the scene after the incident. No one was seriously hurt, although the act of violence was reported to the San Diego Police Department.

“It’s shameful of the Republican campaign to verbally intimidate and ultimately resort to violence against members of the public,” said Kyle Haverback, spokesman for Just Say No, San Diego, a committee created to correct deception in the ballot measure process. “One reason why America is so great is that we all understand violence has no place in our political system. Just because the Republican campaign can’t win a debate on the issues doesn’t give it the right to raise its fist and retaliate.”

Haverback continued, “This is part of a larger trend. There are numerous reports of signature gatherers physically threatening educators. These signature gatherers are so afraid of open conversation that they resort to physical intimidation and battery, and then run away.”

The Just Say No, San Diego campaign calls on the Republican campaign proposing the measure to turn over information about the assailant to the Police.

“To the politicians that have boasted about making themselves indistinguishable from this campaign, it’s your responsibility to bring this matter to justice,” Haverback said.

View the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMqH6FlBCwc

The “Just Say No, San Diego” campaign is a project of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, which strives for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all of San Diego’s workers, union and non-union. To learn more, visit www.unionyes.org.

Thanks Bobby!

If you don't recognize the gentleman above let me introduce him to you. This is Bobby Glaser and he is owner and president of the La Jolla Group. The specialize in gathering signatures to place things on the ballot. Way back in the 1980's and early 1990's it was a political consulting firm but after a series of setbacks and embarrassments it kind of became a de-facto firm that specialized in local ballot initiatives.

Recently Mr. Glaser was in charge of the signature gathering for the San Diego for Great Schools Initiative an attempt to "reform" the school board and the Unified school system. However they failed to get enough signatures to make it on the ballot.

Also Mr. Glaser was in charge of gather signatures for Carl DeMaio's "Competition" initiative . Which DeMaio, with great flourish delivered to the city clerk last year. Yet less than a month later the clerk verified that Carl didn't have enough signatures and after threatening to pay for a recount quickly backed down.

I wonder if he's in charge of gathering signatures for the 401 k initiative?

SDUT: Fletcher backs city 401(k) ballot proposal

Fletcher joins DeMaio and Sanders. Story here.

VOSD: Filner Shifts Cash to Mayoral Campaign

The Voice has the story here.