The Honorable Dede Alpert Endorses Scott Peters for Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: MaryAnne Pintar 

maryanne@scottpeters.com

 

The Honorable Dede Alpert Endorses Scott Peters for Congress

"More than ever, Washington needs thoughtful, compassionate leaders like Scott"

San Diego – The Scott Peters for Congress campaign announces another endorsement today from one of San Diego’s most popular elected leaders. Former State Senator Dede Alpert has endorsed Peters, calling him a “thoughtful and compassionate” leader.

“I’ve known and worked with Scott for several years, while he was on the City Council, and during his volunteer public service to our community and I very gladly endorse his candidacy for Congress,” Alpert said.

“He is thoughtful, compassionate and smart, and is one of the most skilled consensus builders I’ve ever worked with,” she said.  “His reasonable, determined style of leadership is sorely needed in Washington right now where the rancor has become so intense it is harming our country. I urge San Diegans in the new 52^nd District to support him and send a new style of leadership to Washington.”

Alpert had a long career as an elected representative in the San Diego region, beginning in 1983 when she was elected to the Solana Beach School Board. In 1991, she was elected to the California State Assembly, and in 1996, to the California State Senate.  During her 14 years of legislative service she was best known for championing laws that improved public education and protected victims of domestic abuse.

“When people ask me who I look to as a mentor or model for how elected officials should, I tell them I learned from Dede,” Peters said. “She is practical and sensible and was always willing to listen to all sides in order to forge compromise and make progress,” he said. “I am honored to have her endorsement.”

For more information about Scott Peters or his campaign to bring common sense back to Washington, go to www.scottpeters.com.

 

 

DirtyDeMaio.com Launched Anew to Provide Dirty Details About Extremist Mayoral Candidate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lucas O'Connor
Cell #: 703-864-4619
E-Mail: dirtydemaio@gmail.com

DirtyDeMaio.com Launched Anew to Provide Dirty
Details About Extremist Mayoral Candidate

Web and Social Media Campaign Will Serve As Information Center for San Diego’s Voters

SAN DIEGO – (Wednesday, January 11, 2012) -- As the 2012 election sprint heats up, Too Extreme for San Diego today is re-launching DirtyDeMaio.com, an information hub for voters and media to get the whole story on mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio.

A one-stop clearinghouse on DeMaio's history, extreme policy record, and campaign tactics, DirtyDeMaio.com will provide news, analysis, and background research to finally give voters the whole picture about Carl DeMaio in one place in order to make an informed decision.

“We believe voters deserve to really see Carl DeMaio's full record," said San Diego Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez. "We may not be able to force DeMaio to face the tough questions that will reveal what kind of mayor he'd really be, but we can at least give San Diegans the opportunity to make an informed decision.”

Most San Diegans haven't heard anything close to the full story on Carl DeMaio yet, which is why DirtyDeMaio.com is such an important tool for this campaign. DeMaio has spent his entire adult life in professional politics, adding up to nearly two decades inside the conservative machine in Washington DC and now in San Diego.

“For too long, DeMaio has successfully evaded tough scrutiny and largely written his own story for San Diegans.” Gonzalez continued. “But his history of extreme policies, stark hypocrisy, and reckless self-promotion is out of step with San Diego and will be put before voters.”

Too Extreme for San Diego is a campaign to oppose extremist candidate Carl DeMaio in the San Diego Mayor’s race in 2012. For more information, visit www.DirtyDeMaio.com or check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

SDUT: Suit seeks to block SD pension vote

Attorney Hud Collins is mounting a long-shot bid to be the next mayor of San Diego, but his biggest contribution to the coming election season may be a lawsuit he filed that, if successful, could prevent a proposed pension initiative from going before city voters.


Collins sued the city last month to prevent the City Council from putting the “Comprehensive Pension Reform” initiative — which would replace guaranteed pensions with 401(k)-style plans for most new city hires — on the June ballot. He is arguing the initiative isn’t an amendment to the city charter, as supporters have described it, but rather a sweeping charter revision.

Read the article here.

KPBS: Ex-City Councilman Finally Headed To Prison

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by former San Diego City Councilman Ralph Inzunza for a new hearing in the notorious case known as "Strippergate."

The decision means Inzunza’s appeals are over and his 21-month prison sentence must begin.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Supervisor Roberts named board chairman

Read the article here.

Labor Council Response to U-T San Diego Column on Chargers Stadium Search

For Immediate Release                                                                                                
Contact: Patrick Pierce
January 9, 2012  

Labor Council Response to U-T San Diego Column on Chargers Stadium Search

SAN DIEGO - San Diego Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez made the following statement today in response to Nick Canepa’s column in U-T San Diego:

“While the San Diego Labor Movement is generally supportive of both expanding the Convention Center and building a new Chargers Stadium, we feel there are a host of community benefits that need to be addressed before either move forward.

“Plans for both projects will require the use of taxpayer dollars and public land and, we believe, such substantial investment by the San Diego community must be met with an equally significant benefit for the community.

“To ensure the community a return on its investment, we believe there must be a written agreement requiring the use of local workers on those projects along with training opportunities in the construction trades for our city’s unemployed. We believe that there must be a discussion and commitment to raising the job quality of the tourism jobs that would be created as a result of either project to stop the race to the bottom seen in the service sector. And we are absolutely opposed to any change of operations or marketing of the Convention Center Corporation that would lead to the privatization of this public asset due to turning over control of the board to wealthy hoteliers.

“As of now, neither project addresses these concerns, but we look forward to working with any groups that are willing to encourage responsible economic growth.”

###

San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO represents more than 192,000 union workers in the region and advocates for an economy with more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all workers in the region - union and non-union.
www.unionyes.org      

SDUT: Canepa: Chargers to stay in '12, but new stadium still needed

“We will continue to work closely with the mayor on developing the East Village bus maintenance site in downtown San Diego,” said Mark Fabiani, the Chargers general counsel and point man on new stadium development. 

Read the article here.

Occupy San Diego Legal Team: Arrested Outlaw Occupella Singer Stephanie Jennings and other unlawfully arrested

Press Release for Conference on Monday, 1/9/2012 @ 3:30 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza.

Subject: 
Targeted and unlawful application of the law against peaceful protesters, and the expansion of the Occupiers' Federal TRO for an injunction to stop the the false, arbitrary and overly broad charges of "Illegal lodging & encroachment" by SDPD.

Lawyers for the Occupiers (Byran Pease, etc.) and unjustly arrested Occupiers Stephanie Jennings, Michael Garcia, Ray Lutz and John B. Kenney will be in attendance, as well as other eye-witnesses and singers of the notorious Outlaws Occupella SD Gang.

Occupy member and Occupella singer Stephanie Jennings is one of two women man-handled, bruised and arrested by SDPD officers for singing at Civic Center on Saturday night, where several hundred Occupiers were peacefully celebrating the three month anniversary of the Occupy Movement in Civic Center Plaza. Ms. Jennings, a self-employed mother and founder of the Women Occupiers Group, was charged an outrageous $10,000 for 243(B) PC, " battery committed against the person of a peace officer".  Ms. Jennings, and numerous eye-witnesses deny the charges. She will be filing an official complaint.

Ms. Jennings and Michael Garcia, arrested on Friday night for having a folding chair in the Plaza, just 1 hour before he was scheduled to speak at a Labor event celebrating the 100 year anniversary of San Diego police oppression and numerous killings against Emma Goldman and Free Speech and Workers' Rights History Month at the Centro Cultural Del Raza at Balboa Park, are just the latest in a long suffering string of arrests on specious charges targeted at the peaceful protesters in San Diego Civic Center.

YouTube video of the incident shows SDPD officers arresting two women, and throwing one of them to the concrete Plaza floor. Many protesters can be heard chanting, “Shame on you,” at the SDPD officers man-handling the women.

Attorneys for the Occupiers will address the various legal aspects of the Federal case, and the expanded causes of action for the TRO/injunction.

See also YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMOutjoxqow&feature=youtube_gdata_player
[ Footage of Stephanie Jennings, picking up the action just after the initial assault and battery by the SDPD Sgt., is between 5 and 18 seconds on the left side of the screen. The bald cop, believed to be Sgt. Malano(?), later pushing the other woman, is the same one that assaulted Ms. Jennings.]

For more information contact John B. Kenney at OccupySD.jbk@gmail.com, or (619) 674-1858.

"Kicking Ass for the Middle Class" rally!

January 14, 2012 at 1:00pm
351 Broadway, San Diego 92101 (in front of Horton Plaza)

Come on down!

SDUT: Pension election rhetoric to ramp up

There’s also a possibility that the City Council’s Democratic majority, at the urging of mayoral candidate Bob Filner, could place a competing measure on the same ballot that would keep guaranteed pensions in place but include other changes to ease the financial strain on the city’s budget.

Read the article here.

SGGP: U.S. Representative arrives in Vietnam to support victims of Agent Orange

U.S. Representative Robert Earl Filner arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on January 4 on an eight day tour of Vietnam to monitor programs being conducted in various provinces for victims of Agent Orange. 

Read the article here.

SDUT: Mayoral candidates burnish distinct images

Each has a familiar face. Each has a compelling story to tell. Each has a solid base of ardent supporters to draw upon. Each is willing to give up a relatively safe political office to become the next mayor of San Diego. And, of course, each is expecting to win.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Political Notebook: Frye endorses Saldaña

Former Democratic Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, who is challenging Republican Rep. Brian Bilbray, has announced the endorsement of former San Diego City Councilwoman Donna Frye.

Read the article here.

Examiner.com: Dems Candidate Stands By Community Record Heading Into Election Year

San Diego City Council Candidate Mat Kostrinsky is carrying last year’s early momentum into 2012 by identifying his strong track record of community involvement as the key to him winning District 7. 
Kostrinsky lists rebuilding the Lake Murray playground and the new performing arts center at Patrick Henry High School as examples of what can be achieved when a strong local voice brings together the community to achieve real outcomes. 

“I am proud to have helped with coordinating a diverse group of friends and neighbors to restore a community asset that sat in disrepair for years.  Just as this playground will once again serve as a gathering place for neighbors, I look forward to helping City Hall once again serve as a place where real solutions are achieved for San Diego at-large.”

Kostrinsky was instrumental in helping raise more than $185,000 to rebuild this important social infrastructure at Lake Murray – which has local residents excited of what he might be able to deliver in Council.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

VOSD: How to Run the City Without Taking Sides

San Diego City Council President Tony Young said he knows the challenges he'll face in 2012.
For the first time in seven years, San Diego will have a mayoral election without an incumbent. 

The majority of City Council seats will be up for grabs, too. It's not, Young said, the best environment to make major decisions.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Stadium, new city hall to be discussed

In a New Year message released Wednesday, Young quoted John Lennon’s “Imagine” in challenging his colleagues to re-imagine how they govern and serve the city’s 1.3 million residents.

“We will be re-imagining how we address the budget, how we implement projects, how we form impactful partnerships with other entities and how we strengthen our local economy and improve our vibrant communities,” Young wrote.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Sen. Anderson edged out for GOP leader

State Senate Republicans elected a new leader Wednesday, but it wasn’t Joel Anderson of La Mesa.
Sen. 

Bob Huff of Diamond Bar, after wrapping up commitments from a majority of the GOP caucus earlier, will take over.

Read the article here.

100th Anniversary Free Speech Exhibit Debuts in San Diego

***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***

100th Anniversary Free Speech Exhibit Debuts in San Diego

WHAT:          
Community-wide Celebration to honor 100-Year Anniversary of San Diego’s Free Speech Fight. Local labor, community, and educational groups from around San Diego will gather to remember San Diego’s role in the American free speech movement that hit a fever pitch in January 1912 based on a San Diego City Council ordinance banning speech in public around 5th Avenue and E Street.

EVENT:         
Opening night activities include: photo display of the San Diego Free Speech Fight; a reading from FLASH (a book based on the San Diego Free Speech Fight) by author Jim Miller; live music by Gregory Page, The Proles, and the People’s Revolutionary Choir; and more. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. 

WHO:             
San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, ACLU – San Diego Chapter, San Diego City College Labor Studies Program, Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice, University of San Diego Department of Communications and History Graduate Program, National University Center for Cultural and Ethnic Studies, and Federation of Retired Union Members. All will be available to speak with media.

WHEN:          
Friday, January 6, 2012
                       
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

WHERE:        
Centro Cultural de la Raza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101


For additional information and a detailed event listing of the San Diego Free Speech Fight 100-Year Anniversary activities, please visit: www.aftguild.org/free_speech

# # #

SD CItyBeat: The U-T's connections to Carl DeMaio and the Lincoln Club

And to continue harping on The San Diego Union-Tribune—shit, done it again—U-T San Diego: Last month, the San Diego Daily Transcript reported that City Councilmember and mayor candidate Carl DeMaio has a history with the new owners of the city’s main daily newspaper, hotelier Doug Manchester and broadcaster John Lynch. In 2005, Manchester donated $100,000 to a DeMaio-run political committee, while Lynch’s radio station provided the committee with $38,400 in free air time.

Read the article here. 

Two Cathedrals: A leaderless movement can still be led

Read the original at Two Cathedrals

In its editorial last week, CityBeat tried to kickstart a conversation about the future of the Occupy movement, particularly in San Diego. The gist is that the physical occupation side of things has run out of steam and distracted from the original goals of raising awareness and building consensus around the economic and political disparities in San Diego, the country, the world. That’s probably right, although as much as the physical occupation was important because of its impact on others around it, it also worked because it was such a low, opt-in bar for potential activists to clear in order to participate. That’s what makes ‘graduation’ tricky.

The more difficult needle to thread is what comes next? CityBeat recommends joining the system to save the system from itself, a strategy that’s been around forever in equal parts co-option and Crashing the Gate, depending on who’s talking. Especially in San Diego, a more engaged citizenry with higher expectations is a desperately needed step, but it isn’t an end in itself to just make a list of other people who don’t do enough. Occupy has kicked the door open and created opportunity, now it’s everyone’s job to go through it.

Here’s the piece that so few seem to understand — or want to. Occupy was never about occupiers taking over the system. They aren’t aspiring to write new bills, or hold elected officials accountable, or be the next generation of reform politicians. They are think tank policy wonks. They aren’t journalists. They aren’t legislators. They already have vocations and already have lives. They’re protesting the disruption of those vocations and lives because policy, elected officials, watchdogs aren’t keeping up their end of the bargain. They aren’t looking for a new gig — they just want their original gig back. There are plenty of people who have run for office, who have started or joined community organizations, who have invested themselves in the stuff of making our communities stronger, who now must rise to the occasion.

It’s a tough concept to grasp across the spectrum. For every conservative seeking to discredit the objections of the 99%, there are Democrats dodging behind the ‘where’s their plan?’ tut-tut. Scott Peters is waiting to be led. Bob Filner wants to know where the itemized list of demands is and compares with nostalgia to his heroic time as a Freedom Rider. It’s still just four months since Occupy began; it was more than three years between the Freedom Riders departed and the Civil Rights Act was passed. The Voting Rights Act took another year — and after those four years activists were still getting beaten bloody on the road to Selma. They’re running to solve the same problems that Occupiers and their allies are are raising, so solve them. Leadership is earned by example.

Stephen Lerner has been one of the sharpest leaders on this point, identifying the need and the opportunity before there even was an Occupy, emphasizing both the need for an effort shaped like Occupy eventually was and the need of innovative leadership to grow into the bigger issues that the effort has exposed. Now, “Lerner is neither in nor of Occupy Wall Street…Be that as it may, his name is very near the top of that lamentably short list of strategists of how to rebalance power in America so that the 99 percent have more of it.” But he’s helped make clear that economic justice shouldn’t be a difficult concept to champion; leadership should not have trouble rising to meet this occasion.

Everyone needs to maintain and build on this momentum, but it isn’t the time to demand that Occupiers lead everyone else (though they’re welcome to it, and let’s take leadership wherever we can get it). It’s time to demand that all the people who signed up to be our erstwhile leaders to snap out of their reverie and actually do the job. They can do it; they know how. We’ve seen a couple early steps towards challenging the inertia of concentrated money and political power. There’s popular support served up on a platter for anyone willing to earn it.

To their credit, CityBeat declares itself an ally in this effort. But at some point, it has to stop always being someone else’s job to go first. That’s how we found ourselves in this spot to begin with — waiting for someone else to take responsibility. The strength of the Occupy effort is in its work outside the system: Bank Transfer Day moved $4.5 billion into community credit unions. Occupy Our Homes is forcing the country to confront the never-ending foreclosure crisis in new ways.

The opportunity isn’t to turn the 99% into politicians. This moment is when we’ll find out whether any of our politicians are ready to be leaders for the 99% — and whether there’s still room for populism to work at all.

by Lucas O’Connor

Happy New Year!

See you all in 2012!

SDUT: Redevelopment not shutting down yet

Rep. Bob Filner, the lone major Democrat running for San Diego mayor, separated himself from his Republican opponents by saying redevelopment’s demise may be a good thing for the city.

“The fact that all these power brokers and the mayor are so upset means it must be the right thing to do,” Filner said. “The mayor called it a money grab by the governor and I say ‘No, we’re stopping a money grab from downtown special interests.’”

Read the article here.

VOSD: Manchester Eyeing North County Times

"Everyone is looking at it," Manchester said. "It could add to our collection and it could be beneficial. We're probably the logical buyers, but we haven't met with anyone on it."

Read the article here.

VOSD: Who Has the Power at City Hall?

David Alvarez, who was elected in November 2010, has been the only City Council member to vote consistently against the tourist lobby on both issues. Those votes are two in a series that has put Alvarez, a Democrat who represents San Diego's southernmost communities, in opposition to traditional big-time city interests. He's also stood against downtown redevelopment.

When he's explained his decisions from the dais, Alvarez has referenced his time growing up in poverty in the city's Barrio Logan neighborhood. Too long, he's said, the city has directed its energy toward areas that benefit the privileged at the expense of its neediest residents.

Read the article here.

HUffington Post: Customs And Border Commissioner Alan Bersin Resigns

Time's up for the head of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who announced Thursday he is stepping down at the end of the year when his recess appointment expires.

Read the article here.

Two Cathedrals: Roger Hedgecock peddling DeMaio hypocrisy

Original post here.

From his very own “Roger@CarlDemaio.com” email address today, disgraced former mayor Roger Hedgecock of all people sounded the alarm to Carl DeMaio supporters that “a leading architect of backroom deals for special interests” is planning to — can you believe it — discuss Carl DeMaio in public at some point!

The hyperbole would be a little more convincing if it weren’t so hypocritical. Carl DeMaio personally made millions off of government contractors seeking bigger profits and non-competitive government contracts of his own. And thanks to spending his professional life as a walking, talking special interest, he was able to personally drop more than $273,000 in seed money for his campaign over the summer. A quick spin through the same disclosure records finds more than $50,000 from more than 180 developers, government contractors, and lobbyists — some of whom have had business before the council that DeMaio voted on.

We could call the lobbyist part hypocritical also, since DeMaio was instructed by the City Attorney that he should register as a lobbyist because of his high volume of contact with the city council (before his election). But he refused to register, thus refusing disclosure.

And if you really wanted to read the whole disclosure report — or even just the first page (a challenge for DeMaio previously), you might notice that he just appointed his campaign treasurer to his new Task Force to begin pre-emptively implementing his pension reforms before the ballot measure is approved or DeMaio is elected mayor. No backroom deals though!

Hedgecock also frets about supposed plans “to skirt campaign finance laws.” That is, not break the rules but find beneficial loopholes. This strategy might sound familiar from how Carl DeMaio has run his entire campaign. He combined the mailing lists of his pension reform initiative and personal campaign. He used taxpayer dollars to fund the reports that now make up his campaign platform. He used taxpayer dollars again to hold a series of jobs forums, the results of which have so far only been announced at a private, pay-for-entrance campaign event.

And, of course, he’s told people at official government events not to email him with government business at his government email address (subject to public review), but rather his personal email address because, as he explained “No one sees it except me.” That email address is hosted by his campaign website, if you were wondering.

So in short, Hedgecock’s entire email amounts to petulant whining that the tactics that DeMaio has used for his nearly twenty years of professional politics might also be used by someone else. Hedgecock knows how absurd it is, and so does DeMaio. But they sure are hoping that nobody else notices.

by Lucas O’Connor (with clients including Too Extreme for San Diego)

SD News Source: New U-T owner has history of support for Carl DeMaio

What a shock.

Doug Manchester, the new owner of The San Diego Union-Tribune, is well-known for his wide range of political donations. But among the four candidates for San Diego mayor, he seems to have a favorite: City Councilman Carl DeMaio.

Manchester and John Lynch, the new chief executive officer of the Union-Tribune, donated almost half of the total funding for San Diego Citizens for Accountable Government, a public policy action committee DeMaio launched at the start of his San Diego political career. By the end of 2005, the committee had raised $328,500, including $110,000 of DeMaio's own money, $100,000 from Manchester and $38,400 in free airtime for commercials from Lynch's Mighty 1090 radio station, according to campaign disclosures.

Read the article here.

SD CityBeat: The Lincoln Club's unfunny Occupy Christmas spoof

A few weeks ago, CityBeat was passing through the Civic Center Plaza, checking out the dwindling Occupy San Diego crowd, when we spied Matt Donnellan, an aide to City Councilmember Lorie Zapf, coordinating some sort of stunt to ridicule the protesters. Donnellan (or “Fabio,” as the Occupiers call him) was directing a group of Republican college students dressed in elf costumes to march and wave anti-labor signs at a video camera.

Those clips ended up as part of a video skit at an “Occupy Christmas” banquet benefitting the Lincoln Club of San Diego County, a conservative, pro-business political organization.

Read the article here.

SF Gate: CA Dem chair John Burton lambastes story alleging party redistricting manipulation as “complete bull…t”

Chairman Burton calls it like it is.

“As the chair of the party, I know the party didn’t do this…the Democratic Party didn’t do sh..t,” he said. “As far as I was concerned, there was nothing you could goddamned do.”

Read the article here.

Labor Council and United Way’s Labor Participation Host Annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive for San Diego’s Unemployed and Underemployed

***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***MEDIA ALERT***
 
Labor Council and United Way’s Labor Participation Host Annual Holiday Food and Toy Drive for San Diego’s Unemployed and Underemployed

WHAT:          
Labor Council and United Way’s Labor Participation 2012 Holiday Food and Toy Distribution. The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council and the United Way’s Department of Labor Participation will serve food and toys to 500 families from Greater San Diego.

EVENT:         
Union members coming together to help San Diego families that have been affected by unemployment and underemployment this year by handing out turkeys, food bags, toys and bikes – all of which were donated by workers and their unions – to needy families.

WHO:             
500 San Diego families in need, including children of all ages; Union Volunteers; United Way Staff. All will be available to speak with media.

WHEN:         
Friday, December 23, 2011                       
8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

WHERE:        
Qualcomm Stadium, Parking Lot, San Diego, CA 92108

HIGHLIGHTS:         
· San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer/CEO Lorena Gonzalez will be available for interviews
· Opportunities for local, neighborhood news and personal interest profiles, including live-shots for morning newscasts
· Sharing positive, uplifting stories of families from San Diego who will now be able to provide a happy holiday season for their children
 
CONTACT:   
Patrick Pierce
619-807-0850 Cell
ppierce@unionyes.org

San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council
3737 Camino del Rio South, #403, San Diego, CA 92108
619-228-8101 Office
www.unionyes.org
# # #

SDUT: Latinos sue Escondido over elections

The lawsuit challenges the city’s at-large election system saying it violates the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 and the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 by discriminating against its majority Latino population. 

Read the article here.

VOSD: Mayor, City Attorney Respond to Bankruptcy Case

Both Mayor Jerry Sanders' office and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith responded to my post this morning on the revelation that retired police and firefighters from a small city in Rhode Island have agreed to reduce their pensions in bankruptcy. That's important because Sanders and Goldsmith have argued that pensions couldn't be reduced through Chapter 9 to combat the idea that San Diego should explore bankruptcy,

Read the article here.

OB Rag: Sit-In at San Diego Democratic Party HQ Being Planned for Monday, Dec. 19, to Protest Defense Bill

Upset over plans by President Obama to sign the National Defense Authorization Act, various members of local progressive groups had an emergency meeting Sunday morning and formed San Diegans to Save the Bill of Rights.  The group is holding a sit-in at the Democratic Party headquarters on Monday, December 19th.

Read the press release here.

VOSD: For Fletcher, Military and Political Identities Rooted in the Personal

More "news."

Read the article here.

SDUT: SD council balance hangs on one election

Businessman Ray Ellis has stepped down as board chairman of San Diego’s pension system, setting the stage for a City Council run against incumbent Sherri Lightner.


The race won’t get nearly the same publicity as the campaign for San Diego mayor, but the outcome in the city’s toniest district could decide which political party holds the majority on a new nine-member City Council.

Reade the article here.

SDUT: County move to cut red tape threatens planning groups

Four decades ago the county created community planning groups to increase citizen input in land-use decisions. Now, some say the locally elected and appointed officials are gumming up the works and want to eliminate or severely curtail their influence.

Read the article here.

VOSD: DeMaio Skipped Discussion He Now Wants

DeMaio, a committee member, might have known about the discussion had he been there. A video recording shows DeMaio chatting with colleague Lorie Zapf, and then packing up his laptop and walking out just as Alvarez was introducing the topic. You can see DeMaio in the upper left corner around the 1 hour, 13 minute mark of the tape. The discussion on the billing problems lasted 45 minutes.

Read the article here.

SD CityBeat: The race to replace Marti Emerald

Much has been made of the troika of Republican San Diego City Council candidates that mayoral hopeful Carl DeMaio has touted on the 2012 campaign trail as the team he needs to make comprehensive pension reform a reality.

The word “slate” has been bandied about quite a bit, apparently to the consternation of DeMaio’s political handlers at Revolvis Consulting, a firm that also happens to be running the campaigns of conservative candidates Ray Ellis in District 1, Mark Kersey in District 5 and Scott Sherman in District 7.

Read the article here.

SD CityBeat: Bilbray's debate proposal, Secretary of State fumbles and more Project White House

On the conservative blog SDRostra.com, political smear artist Jim Sills accused Saldaña of fearfully rejecting all broadcast debates with Bilbray. What Saldaña actually said—on Facebook—is that she’s fine with broadcasting the debates, but she “insists” that they take place in the community, with live audiences. We’ll issue Sills a crap for every $1,000 he’s been paid by the San Diego County Republican Party this year and failed to disclose in his blog posts. As of June, the tally was $3,000. We’d update the number but:

Read the article here.

SD Reader: The Convention Center Liars

Heywood Sanders, the ranking national expert on convention centers, discovered vast discrepancies in San Diego Convention Center numbers. Basically, what Sanders found was that in many cases when actual attendance declined from the forecast, the number of room nights cited in the report stayed the same. This means that the center has been systematically overstating hotel room nights, and therefore overstating hotel tax receipts, attendee spending, and the center’s impact on the overall San Diego economy.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Fletcher at bottom of CRA scorecard

The California Republican Assembly gave Fletcher a 56 percent grade for his votes on a number of bills addressing a range of issues, from taxes to gun control to business regulations.

Read the article here.

VOSD: Filner Ain't So Zany About the Chargers

Filner taps into something powerful with his stance: A desire for the city to have principles when it negotiates, to be able to show tangible returns on its investments that go beyond "Look, what part of being on national TV during the Super Bowl don't you like?" and "It'll create a vibrant downtown."

Read the article here.

VOSD: Labor Leaves Out Lightner

I asked Lorena Gonzalez, the Labor Council's head, about Lightner in the context of City Council's Democratic and Republican divide. She told me that partisanship isn't her problem. It's the Democratic Party's.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Hueso hurt building ship replica, but will be OK

San Diego Assemblyman Ben Hueso is home recuperating with a mouthful of stitches, chipped teeth and lots of pain after a freak accident Monday.

Read the article here.

KPBS: Group Pushes Reusable Bags Over Plastic In San Diego

She said Surfrider members will be handing out reusable bags Thursday afternoon at various markets in San Diego County. 

Read the article here.

VOSD: Forces of Right, Left Amass Against DeMaio

Now it's public.

A group that includes a prominent Republican business leader has hired investigators to detail mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio's background.

"I think there's a lot of questions about Carl's commitment to the city and his background," said Fred Maas, the developer of the large Black Mountain Ranch project in the city's northeast.

Read the article here.

VOSD: City Workers Re-Enter Political Fray with Filner Pick

 Only Filner opposes the DeMaio-Dumanis-Fletcher Pension Reform Package

"You could argue it's going to be used against me," Filner said of the MEA endorsement. "But look, I'm honored to be endorsed by them. I think our city employees do a great job. I think they've been subject to unjust attacks. I think if you work on their morale and their working conditions, you get better city services and a better quality of life."

Read the article here.

SDUT: San Diego council creates economic panel

Interesting that the UT doesn't acknowledge that Zapf and her husband also had a company, not Zapf alone.

The committee, the council’s sixth, will be chaired by Councilwoman Sherri Lightner with Councilwoman Lorie Zapf serving as vice chair. Council members Marti Emerald and Kevin Faulconer will also sit on the panel.

Read the article here.

SFGate: CA Dem chair John Burton (bleeping) kills on The Daily Show (VIDEO)

In case you missed it.

Read the article here.

San Diego 6 News: Local Labor Groups Call For Unemployment Insurance Extension

 "Instead of screaming for more handouts, they ought to be screaming to make it so they can get jobs," said T.J. Zane, president of the Lincoln Club, which was holding a fundraiser with local business leaders across the street from the vigil.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Flurry of endorsements in San Diego races

FYI.

Read the article here.

Labor Council endorses Scott Peters for U.S. Congress, Bob Filner for Mayor in San Diego

For Immediate Release                                                                                                 

Labor Council endorses Scott Peters for U.S. Congress, Bob Filner for Mayor in San Diego
Mathew Kostrinsky and Councilwoman Marti Emerald also get nod for San Diego City Council

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council tonight voted to endorse Scott Peters for California’s 52nd Congressional District. Peters, currently Chairman of the San Diego Port Authority, is running for the newly redistricted seat that encompasses portions of San Diego, La Jolla, Imperial Beach, Coronado, and Poway.

“Scott Peters is a problem solver who knows how to create good, middle-class jobs--a skill that is sorely needed in Washington, D.C.,” said Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. “He has demonstrated a history of bringing people together and getting things done for San Diegans.”

The Labor Council also voted to endorse U.S Congressman Bob Filner for Mayor of San Diego.
“Congressman Filner is hands-down, the best choice for hardworking folks in San Diego – both union and non-union,” said Gonzalez. “He’ll put an end to the ideological war on workers that has come from extreme right-wing politicians, and focus on putting our city back to work.”

To receive an endorsement from the Labor Council, a candidate must receive two-thirds approval from Labor Council unions and delegates.

In addition to Peters and Filner, the Labor Council endorsed 2012 San Diego City Council Candidates Mathew Kostrinsky (7th District) and Marti Emerald (9th District).

###

San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council
The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO includes 133 affiliated labor groups in the region with a membership of more than 192,000 working families.  Founded in 1891, the Labor Council advocates for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all of San Diego’s workers – union and non-union.

www.unionyes.org      

SDUT: Labor council endorses Peters for Congress

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to endorse Democrat Scott Peters for the 52nd Congressional District.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Fletcher pushes “innovative city” jobs plan

Fletcher, a Republican, gave The San Diego Union-Tribune an advance copy of his speech in which he outlines his goal of creating at least 75,000 new jobs in the San Diego region during his first four-year term. In addition, he expects to increase by one-third the number of patents, venture capital spending and exports in the region by 2020.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Latinos say Escondido elections unfair

”Half of Escondido is Latino,” Demetrio Gomez, a 40-year Escondido resident said during the council meeting’s public comment period. “But in 123 years, Escondido has elected only one obviously Latino candidate to the City Council. There are no representatives from our large Latino neighborhoods, and this council is elected by — and caters to — wealthier non-Latinos.”

Read the article here.

KPBS: Payroll Deduction Measure Qualifies for Ballot

The proposal would ban both corporations and labor unions from collecting political funds through “payroll deduction”

Read the article here.

Organized Labor and Local Clergy Call on Congress to Pass Unemployment Insurance Extension Now

 

Organized Labor and Local Clergy Call on Congress to Pass Unemployment Insurance Extension Now
Thursday, December 8, 2011

5:00 p.m.
Civic Center, 1200 3rd Avenue and B Street, San Diego, CA 92101

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council will call on Congress to extend unemployment insurance (UI), set to expire for more than two million Americans, including 305,400 Californians, on Dec. 31. 

Local union members will join with the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice of San Diego County (ICWJ), Occupy San Diego and other community supporters, for a press conference and public vigil followed by a silent march to the federal building downtown to emphasize the need to reauthorize UI benefits and create jobs for those who desperately need them in Greater San Diego.
California’s still-fragile economy will take another brutal hit unless Congress acts now to help.

Special guests including: Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer/CEO, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council; Rabbi Laurie Coskey, Executive Director, ICWJ; and Michael LaDouce, Unemployed Member, Ironworkers Local 229.

###
www.unionyes.org

SD CityBeat: Peters underestimates Occupy and how to run for president

Peters expressed sympathy for the protesters, but he was dismissive of the idea of a demonstration at the port. Peters said he’d checked and he was fairly certain there would be no protest. Boy, was he wrong. After Occupy San Diego organizers sent out a press release confirming they will participate in the “West Coast Port Shutdown” on Monday, Dec. 12, we went back to our recording. We’d asked him how the Port of San Diego, which has its own police force, would respond to an occupation.

Peters: I think that people have the right to assemble peacefully. If they’re really talking about getting in the way of trucks getting in and out… we’ll probably have to ask them to move.

Read the article here.

SD CityBeat: District Attorney settles public-records lawsuit

“Not only is she district attorney, she’s running for mayor, so I think it’s important for the people of the city of San Diego to know how she handles complaints against officials,” Shapiro tells CityBeat.

In his email to Dumanis, Shapiro asked to see all complaints against government officials received by her office since 2003. He had filed a similar request with Dumanis’ predecessor, District Attorney Paul Pfingst, in 2001. While Pfingst did not provide the complaints themselves, he did provide written summaries—24 in all—as required by the CPRA. Shapiro was expecting the same treatment from Dumanis.

Instead, Dumanis denied Shapiro’s entire request. He revised his request, and she rejected the revision. He revised it a second time. The DA rejected it again. In May, Shapiro sued Dumanis in Superior Court for an alleged violation of CPRA.

Read the article here.

SD CityBeat: Jan Goldsmith is sure that he’s not biased on pension initiative

The basis for Gloria’s concern was Goldsmith’s participation in a press conference this past April announcing the campaign to collect enough signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. CityBeat was there that day and asked Goldsmith why, in light of his campaign pledge in 2008 to steer clear of policy matters as city attorney (distinguishing himself from then-incumbent Mike Aguirre), he was violating that vow by actively supporting a major policy overhaul. He told us he was supporting the initiative as a private citizen, not as city attorney. When he saw Gloria questioning his professional honor, Goldsmith hurried across the Civic Center Concourse to defend himself. From the council’s dais, he said he knows how to separate his personal opinions from his legal analysis.

Read the article here.

SD Reader: County Supervisors Discuss Limiting Role of Community Planning Groups

County Supervisors received recommendations to streamline the land-use permitting process from the Red Tape Reduction Task Force on Wednesday. The task force spent months drafting the recommendations after interviews with county employees, and poring over county documents.

Among the recommendations, one received the most attention. That recommendation focused on community planning groups. The task force found that community planning groups often delay projects and hold too much power and influence over projects. To solve that issue, the task force recommended that the board limit the scope of their responsibilities, and limit the number of years volunteers can serve. 

Members of the public criticized the recommendation. 

Read the article here.

SDUT: San Diego mayoral forum on jobs closed to the press

The three high-profile Republicans running for San Diego mayor participated in a Tuesday morning forum focused on job growth before a well-heeled crowd of political insiders and business leaders.

That’s about all that can be said about the sold-out event because its sponsor, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., barred local media from covering the forum, which was held at The University Club in downtown San Diego.

Read the article here.

SDUT: County won’t take on SDG&E over higher solar rates

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday refused to oppose a contentious proposal from San Diego Gas & Electric that would result in substantially higher rates for solar users.

The 3-2 vote runs counter to recent actions by a growing slate of local government entities, including cities, public school districts and water authorities that generate their own solar power.

Read the article here.

After 9 more arrested, Occupy San Diego seeks apology, resignation of SDPD Chief

OCCUPY SAN DIEGO
For Immediate Release: December 6, 2011

Contact:
info@occupysd.org
Kali Katt 1-619-916-1304
Rick Halsey 760-822-0029

After 9 more arrested, Occupy San Diego seeks apology, resignation of SDPD Chief

By Kali Katt
http://www.examiner.com/city-buzz-in-san-diego/after-9-more-arrested-occupy-san-diego-seeks-apology-resignation-of-sdpd-chief#ixzz1fmbf45tt

San Diego -- Occupy San Diego will march Tuesday Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. from Freedom Plaza (formerly known as Civic Center) to the San Diego Police Headquarters on Broadway Ave and 14th  St. in protest of the continued police brutality, misconduct and unlawful arrests at the OSD protests. In the fourth raid since Oct. 7, 30 San Diego Police Department officers arrested nine protestors around 2 a.m. the morning of Monday Dec 5, charging most of them with Cal. Pen. Code S148 resisting, delaying or obstructing an officer, Cal. Pen. Code S647 illegal lodging, and the infamous San Diego Mun. Code S54.0110 unauthorized encroachments.

The protestors arrested were not sleeping or camping when the officers poured in, but were watching a DVD of Michael Moore’s “Capitalism- A Love Story”. No warning was giving to disperse before officers began grabbing people and arresting them. A member of OSD’s media team who began filming the unlawful arrests was arrested.  This adds to the over 100 arrests OSD protestors have been subjected to since the first arrest on Oct 14, one week after occupying Freedom Plaza.

Since the arrests OSD has discovered that a transgender female protestor has been placed in the Central jail with the general male population, and a female protestor is being detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  There have also been false quotes in the media yesterday by SDPD spokesman Gary Hassen that protestors were setting up tents and this is why the raid occurred.  Documented video (at 01:09:00) shows the protestors calmly awake, without tents, and watching a movie when the officers came in.

It has been become routine for SDPD to enforce municipal codes at whim, without prior talks or mediation, and often resorting first-hand to violent tactics, to prevent, deter, and intimidate protestors and all San Diego citizens within this city from exercising their first amendment rights.

During the first raid on Oct. 14  SDPD was aggressive with protestors and sprayed hazardous chemical agents upon  numerous people simply for having tents. A member of OSD’s media team documenting the second police raid on Oct 28 was arrested for Penal Code 408 unlawful assembly for standing in the middle of the street and Municipal Code 59.5.0401 excessive noise for using a megaphone. The 51 protestors arrested during the second police raid on Oct. 28 were subject to police brutality and inhumane conditions at the jail with even the San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept. admitting the protestors were forced to urinate and defecate in the buses while being transferred to jail.

In the following weeks they began heavily enforcing Cal. Pen. Code S647 illegal lodging, which means very aggressively arresting people for allegedly sleeping, or just laying down in a sleeping bag, - even a homeless man in a wheelchair on Thanksgiving morning. During the Nov. 16 raid they arrested another media team member while he was documenting action for San Diego Mun. Code S83.0203 pedestrian standing on the sidewalk. Then they yet another member of the media team was arrested, this time for registering voters, on private property under a citizen’s arrest from the owner of the Civic Center  - CB Richard Ellis. They continue to arrest protestors for simple things such as allegedly tearing police caution tape and calling it vandalism.

Not only is OSD calling for the resignation of Chief Police Landsdowne by petition for the way he has mishandled the Occupy San Diego protests, but a young female protestor Julie,  who does graphic design for the OSD media team, has now declared a hunger strike until Chief Lansdowne apologizes to OSD for the continued intimidation, harassment, and suppression.  She joins a group of citizen's willing to forgo sustenance until action by our elected officials is taken toward more fair treatment of civil liberties.

After a summer of troubling reports of SDPD officers being involved in a variety of criminal activities ranging from assaulting minors, stalking, driving while intoxicated, and sexual abuse, we are now faced with another series of offenses done to citizens by the officers of the SDPD.  OSD is hoping Chief Landsdowne will help make the situation right by apologizing for this misconduct as he did earlier in the year for SDPD’s misconduct.

###

The Zombie Cults and SD Unified

From Two Cathedrals:

With the state budget poised to dramatically under-deliver and trigger large budget cuts for schools across the state, local media has spent a couple months wading into the looming financial crisis at San Diego Unified for a while now. And while the immediacy of the local challenges makes it crucial to cover well, it isn’t like this is a crisis in a vacuum.

Any discussion of the budgetary straitjacket in Sacramento that’s made this budget crisis inevitable has been strikingly absent, aside from the perfunctory ‘state’s broken’ before getting into mitigating the effects. For years, California’s 2/3 majority requirement for any new taxes has been an effective moratorium on any new taxes. In the state where Governor Ronald Reagan once raised taxes to balance the budget, the Jarvis/Norquist no-tax dead-enders have been able to ensure that there will always be a Republican minority in Sacramento large enough to block any new revenue. In boom times, the state can get by in that system. But as we’ve seen in the last few years, when times are tough and the only option allowed is budget cuts into oblivion, things turn ugly in a hurry.

Republican Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is leaving his seat to run for mayor of San Diego. In Sacramento, he was more open to non-partisan, pragmatic problem solving than many of his colleagues have been in years. He also just finished up an education town hall series with City Council President Tony Young. One might expect a few questions asking why Sacramento is taking millions out of our classrooms in the name of continuing the no-new-revenue gridlock, why Fletcher’s colleagues are forcing it to happen? Since the same cabal has plenty of pull in San Diego as well, might have been interesting to learn more about how he expects to break through gridlock here that nobody, including him, can seem to break through in Sacramento. One expecting such topics would have been sorely disappointed. Let’s hope he has a good answer though — we need one. If he doesn’t, let’s hope someone does.

How about other local legislators who’ve been a part of systemic obstruction in Sacramento? Martin Garrick was Assembly Minority Leader for the bruising 2010 budget battle, and is presumably eying a senate run. What’s his plan to keep our classrooms functional? Brian Maienschein is running for Assembly and recently signed the no-tax pledge, but who’s talking about what exactly his plan is to stem the de-funding of our schools that necessarily results? Plenty of other local incumbents and aspirants have bought into this system, what’s their response to parents whose children just aren’t going to get the education they could? This should be be more than yet another austerity vs workers false premise — it should be a flash point for accountability of those who make careers from these never-ending cuts.

The Governor has been clear from the get-go that the whole plan is to force accountability; force irresponsible legislators and their constituents to face the reality they’ve created — no more gimmicks. It’s shock doctrine; the desperate financial straits (that we’ve really been building for a generation or more) and a resulting conversation about priorities is the point… not that you’d know it from the conversation in San Diego so far.

Maybe it’s a function of how beaten down we’ve collectively become, but we aren’t getting an accountability discussion that touches the root. Instead, we get conversations that ignore the clear-cutting of the forest to argue over the proper way to cut down a couple trees near us. Sure we want to keep the trees, and sure the people driving the bulldozers supposedly work for us, but oh well. Let’s cut our trees down now since we’ll have to cut them down eventually. Natch.

Now, maybe this is just considered a foregone conclusion. Sacramento is hopelessly gridlocked, has been since before most of us remember, and the seats are all too safe to contest the elections. So a pox on everyone’s houses and argue over the best ways to mitigate the disaster locally. That, of course, is exactly what the cuts-only zombie cultists are relying on though. The longer they can prevent government from working, the more compelling their argument becomes that the government can’t work. And once that dysfunction passes into conventional wisdom, the paupers begin clawing over the scraps, and the system is changed. Until we can go around again and drop another level into Hell.

Quietly rolling over and accepting the notion that revenue is evil is infectious. The no-tax-no-services dead-enders will always exist. But their legitimacy comes because we aren’t serious about having the conversation in the first place. One of the two major parties has incorporated repeatedly kneecapping education funding as the single most important plank of its platform, and instead of calling it out, we’re talking about how to best take the hit over and over again.

You want schools to work, start with those responsible for breaking them in the first place. Maybe parents will even decide that education isn’t worth it. But as long as we’re locked into the same old reactive debates over how to treat the victims, we’ll never solve the crime.

by Lucas O’Connor

Open Letter to the People of California

From Jerry Brown.org

When I became Governor again -- 28 years after my last term ended in 1983 -- California was facing a $26.6 billion budget deficit. It was the result of years of failing to match spending with tax revenues as budget gimmicks instead of honest budgeting became the norm.

In January, I proposed a budget that combined deep cuts with a temporary extension of some existing taxes. It was a balanced approach that would have finally closed our budget gap.

I asked the legislature to enact this plan and to allow you, the people of California, to vote on it.  I believed that you had the right to weigh in on this important choice: should we decently fund our schools or lower our taxes?  I don’t know how you would have voted, but we will never know.  The Republicans refused to provide the four votes needed to put this measure on the ballot.

Forced to act alone, Democrats went ahead and enacted massive cuts and the first honest on-time budget in a decade. But without the tax extensions, it was simply not possible to eliminate the state’s structural deficit.

The good news is that our financial condition is much better than a year ago. We cut the ongoing budget deficit by more than half, reduced the state’s workforce by about 5500 positions and cut unnecessary expenses like cell phones and state cars. We actually cut state expenses by over $10 billion.  Spending is now at levels not seen since the seventies.  Our state’s credit rating has moved from “negative” to “stable,” laying the foundation for job creation and a stronger economic recovery.
Unfortunately, the deep cuts we made came at a huge cost. Schools have been hurt and state funding for our universities has been reduced by 25%.  Support for the elderly and the disabled has fallen to where it was in 1983.  Our courts suffered debilitating reductions.

The stark truth is that without new tax revenues, we will have no other choice but to make deeper and more damaging cuts to schools, universities, public safety and our courts.

That is why I am filing today an initiative with the Attorney General’s office that would generate nearly $7 billion in dedicated funding to protect education and public safety. I am going directly to the voters because I don’t want to get bogged down in partisan gridlock as happened this year. The stakes are too high.

My proposal is straightforward and fair.  It proposes a temporary tax increase on the wealthy, a modest and temporary increase in the sales tax, and guarantees that the new revenues be spent only on education.  Here are the details:

• Millionaires and high-income earners will pay up to 2% higher income taxes for five years. No family making less than $500,000 a year will see their income taxes rise. In fact, fewer than 2% of California taxpayers will be affected by this increase.   
• There will be a temporary ½ cent increase in the sales tax.  Even with this temporary increase, sales taxes will still be lower than what they were less than six months ago.
• This initiative dedicates funding only to education and public safety--not on other programs that we simply cannot afford. 

This initiative will not solve all of our fiscal problems. But it will stop further cuts to education and public safety.  

I ask you to join with me to get our state back on track. 

SDUT: Pension measure headed to June ballot, for now

The City Council on Monday moved to place on the ballot a proposal that would fundamentally overhaul the city’s public employee pension system, a month after proponents collected the requisite number of signatures to qualify the measure.


The 5-3 vote essentially clears the way for the Comprehensive Pension Reform initiative to go before voters in the June 5 primary election. It came amid heavy jostling from opponents who pushed for placing it on the November ballot, citing higher turnout among voters and the potential to save the city money.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Young elected to another year as SD council president

“This is a privilege to me,” Young said. “And I do want to make sure that we continue as a council to become an entity that the public really respects. We want to make sure we give confidence to them: To let them know that we are doing these things on their behalf, we’re working on their behalf.”

Read the article here.

SDUT: Romney hosts fundraiser in San Diego

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney hosted a fundraising lunch Monday at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego.

Romney, who plans to expand his beachside home in La Jolla, has been in and out of town for private fundraisers as he works to hold off Newt Gingrich’s surge in several national polls and early voting states such as Iowa and South Carolina.

Read the article here.

Occupy San Diego to Establish Picket Blockade at Port

OCCUPY SAN DIEGO
_________________________________

For Immediate Release: December 5, 2011

Contact:

info@occupysd.org

Kali Katt 1-619-916-1304
Rick Halsey 760-822-0029

Occupy San Diego to Establish Picket Blockade at Port

Local citizens to support coordinated effort along the entire West Coast in solidarity with other Occupations

Monday, December 5, 2011 – In response to coordinated attacks across the nation on the Occupy movement by the 1% on Monday, December 12 Occupy San Diego will stand in solidarity with other West Coast occupations in a West Coast Port Blockade to disrupt the economic apparatus of the 1% using a peaceful, nonviolent picket line.  OSD is asking participants meet at Chicano Park at 6am with supplies to be prepared to stay the day and late into the evening, at least.   

The West Coast Port Blockade was called upon by Occupy Oakland and is in solidarity with the Longshoremen in Longview, WA in their struggle against the multinational corporation EGT, and with the struggle of port truckers in Los Angeles against Goldman Sachs.  The 1% has disrupted the lives of longshoremen, port truckers and all other workers, just as the 1% has also coordinated nationwide police attacks turning US cities into battlegrounds in an effort to disrupt the Occupy Movement. Occupy San Francisco, Occupy Los Angeles, Occupy Portland, Occupy Tacoma, Occupy Seattle and Occupy Vancouver have all joined in responding to the West Coast call of action by Occupy Oakland.

Participating occupations are asked to encourage that during the port shutdowns the local arbitrator rules in favor of longshoremen not crossing community picket lines in order to avoid recriminations against them. Should there be any retaliation against any workers as a result of their honoring pickets or supporting our port actions, or in the event of police repression of any of the mobilizations, additional solidarity actions will be prepared and shutdown actions may be extended to multiple days.

On Nov. 2, 2011 30,000 protestors shut down the Port of Oakland after Occupy Oakland called for a Day of Action in solidarity with Longview longshoremen. On Nov. 19 Longview workers Local 21 president Dan Coffman said, “You cannot believe what you did for the inspiration of my union members who’ve been on the picket line for 6 months.”  Then on Dec 2, 2011 International Longshore and Warehouse Union office clerical workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach walked off the job and formed a picket line shutting down the port and calling off 18 month contract negotiations.

###

About EGT and Goldman Sachs

EGT is a multinational grain exporter consortium. Bunge Ltd is the largest partner in EGT who reported 2.5 billion dollars in profit last year alone, has direct ties to Wall Street, and has caused economic despair in countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and now the United States. EGT has been rupturing ILWU jurisdiction in Longview, Washington and bringing in scab labor.

Goldman Sachs owns a large part of the SSA port terminals and is guilty of facilitating the exploitation of non-union and short-run, port truck drivers who have struggled for dignified and humane conditions in the workplace for several years now. These independent truck drivers are primarily immigrant workers who are pitted against each other and receive low wages and unreliable hours while Goldman Sachs, the shipping companies and their underlings, reap record profits.

EGT and Goldman Sachs are the 1%. The Occupy Movement is committed to shutting down the 1% and is using its collective political power in order to confront the 1% with mass mobilizations that shut down sites of profit.

Through it’s exploitation of both human and natural resources, Wall Street has sent our local communities and families a message that people and the planet are less important than profit. Join with Occupy San Diego for a day of action at the San Diego Port to tell Wall Street to put people first!

SDUT: Lawmaker’s background plays into UC pepper spray hearing

Block will chair the Dec. 14 Assembly Higher Education Committee hearing into the incident captured on a video that has gone viral and set off a firestorm of debate nationally.

Read the article here.

SDNR: Supporters of pension reform initiative warn of delay or manipulation of measure

Supporters of the Comprehensive Pension Reform (CPR) Initiative held a press conference Friday ahead of the City Council’s vote on the initiative Monday, asking San Diegans to contact their council members and urge them to put the initiative on the June 2012 ballot without “manipulating” it. 

Read the article here.

SDUT: Popaditch announces congressional bid

Running against Susan Davis.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Mayoral candidate served in Iraq, Africa

This is news?

Read the article here.

SDUT: For Rep. Bilbray, no sign of shift to center

If there was any doubt whether Rep. Brian Bilbray would stick to his guns on immigration and economic policies heading into a tough election year, the six-term congressman answered that this week.

In an appearance before local tea party activists, Bilbray, R-San Diego, burnished his conservative credentials, including votes against the stimulus package and the bank bailout.

Read the article here.

SDUT: La Mesa councilman seeks assembly seat

Dave Allan, who announced in August that he would not run for a fourth term on the La Mesa City Council, is staying in politics.


The 56-year-old Allan, a retired San Miguel Consolidated Fire District firefighter, announced Tuesday he intends to run for the 79th Assembly District seat.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Lawmaker warns about special interests, goes on junket

Assemblyman Brian Jones sent out mailers last week calling on the state to “Stop special interest money to protect the democratic process” — even as he mingled at a resort in Hawaii on a trip paid by special interests.


The mailer from Jones, a Santee Republican, was delivered to 97,023 households in his district and cost taxpayers $19,373 in postage. In it, Jones promotes legislation he is carrying that would limit payroll deductions and contributions by unions and corporations that are then used for political purposes.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Penn State scandal triggers Vargas bill

“If it happened in California, it might not be a crime,” Vargas said of the alleged reporting failures of several of those involved in the Penn State case.

Read the article here.

OCCU-PIE San Diego--Everyone deserves a fair share of the pie!!

PRESS ADVISORY

FROM: Rev. David Miller and Faith Leaders for Peace

EVENT: OCCU-PIE San Diego--Everyone deserves a fair share of the pie!!
                 Monday November 21, 2011
                 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
                 Civic Center Plaza

SUBJECT: On the Monday before Thanksgiving, multi-faith leaders from San Diego County will hold a short service of peace, nonviolence, gratitude, thanks and sharing. As a community of Occupy supporters and friends we are all invited to bring pies of all sorts, (chicken, turkey, tofu, pumpkin, peach, apple) to share together in thanks and gratitude for those holding the space at our local Occupation and to give thanks for all those lifting up the issues of fairness, compassion and equality being shared by this movement. Mostly, it is a day of gratitude for what we already have, including each other. Please bring the whole pie, perhaps equally pre-cut, to this multi-faith event. Paper plates, napkins, and forks will be provided. 

Recently there have been accounts of people not being allowed in with food to feed the Occupiers protesting at Civic Center. We were told by the police sergeant in charge of permits that we don't need a permit because as clergy and people of faith, it was within our first amendment rights to come and speak, even with pies. If they do not let us in, we will find a nice corner nearby. Please join us for discussion and interviews with protesters and multi-faith leaders while enjoying Occu-pies donated by the public!

CONTACT: Rev. David Miller (619) 876-7456

SDUT: Republicans seek majority on San Diego council

The party has already established a slate for the June primary — small-business owners Ray Ellis, Mark Kersey and Scott Sherman — that leaders say is needed as badly as a pension initiative appearing on the same ballot and a Republican successor to current Mayor Jerry Sanders. The party plans to urge voters to support all three elements in order to fix San Diego’s financial crisis.

Read the article here.

If so, then why were you not at Regulatory Relief Day?

Last night the City of San Diego held its first Regulatory Relief Day in a very long time. Businesses and residents came out to talk about how the city could improve their processes to help business. Business organizations have been overrunning everyone's in-boxes to turnout. It was billed as a major step for the City of San Diego to stimulate business, create new jobs, improve government and allow our economic base in the region to grow.

The economy has been front page issue from the national level all the way down to the local level. The political parties have been on all the stations on why their party is the party that is serious about turning around our government.

When it was time to show it is important here in San Diego, where the rubber hits the road, it is a little ironic Tony Krvaric, chair of the San Diego County Republican Party, and supposed business advocate instead of showing up to Regulatory Relief Day at San Diego City Hall to offer his supposed good ideas to turn around the city is instead hosting a political party money making stunt across town, asking people to pay to vote in a straw poll. Where were all his big ideas he has waited so long for a council to docket a meeting of this type for him to speak on improving City of San Diego? Serious business advocates showed up at the hearing.

So, the next time Krvaric tweets, Facebook status updates, blogs or talks to a reporter about how he really is so concerned about the state of our economy, businesses and the problems with government regulations, then your first question to him should be: If so, then why were you not at Regulatory Relief Day?

VOSD: Roads Officially Worse Under Sanders, Report Says

A full quarter of city streets now are in poor condition, up from 18 percent four years ago. The number of streets rated in good condition decreased from 37 percent to 35 percent during the same time. Both figures contributed to the overall deterioration of the city's 2,800 mile street network.

Read the article here.

Twitter: Imperial County Dem Chair endorses Vargas for Congress

Pleased to announce Jim Horn, Chairman of the Imperial County Democratic Central Committee, has endorsed Sen. Juan Vargas for U.S. Congress.

Tweet here.

The Hill: Two Calif. Dems get EMILY's List support in House races

EMILY's List, a political action committee that supports Democratic women who favor abortion rights, has added Denise Moreno Ducheny and Gloria Negrete McLeod to its list, the first step toward an eventual full endorsement.

Ducheny and McLeod are both California state senators running to represent California in the U.S. House. 

Read the article here.

VOSD: Second Thoughts on the Pension Reform Initiative: Social Security

And that is the real question. Do the voters really want to play chicken with the IRS?

Read the article here.

Calling Politician Carl DeMaio out, Pt. 1

Guest post by Martha Sullivan

If SD City Councilmember Carl DeMaio is so worried about homeless people disrupting business for the Coffee Cart & Hot Dog stands at the City Concourse, then why did he put out this release last year stating that a temporary homeless shelter should be set up AT the Civic Center (!!!) so that City Leaders "would not forget" that we need to do something to provide a solution for the homeless in San Diego. (I think we would AGREE with DeMaio about the urgency of providing a solution for homelessness, but why the sudden change of heart now that some homeless people are occupying the City Concource for POLITICAL reasons?)

SDUT: Filner calls for infrastructure funding

“It is a core part of our federal responsibility to invest in our transportation infrastructure and lay the foundation for job creation and continued economic competitiveness,” Filner said in a prepared statement. 

Read the article here.

Lincoln Club Invite

See the invite here.

SDUT: SD pension initiative qualifies for June ballot

A proposal that represents the most dramatic change ever to San Diego’s public employee pension system has qualified for the ballot after election officials deemed supporters collected enough signatures to put it before city voters next June.

The initiative -- crafted in April by Mayor Jerry Sanders and City Council members Carl DeMaio and Kevin Faulconer -- would end guaranteed pensions for all new city hires except police officers. They would receive a 401(k)-style plan instead.

Read the article here.

VOSD: Manchester Looking at Buying the Union-Tribune

"There's lots of people interested in that asset," Manchester said. "There has not been anything completed. We're looking at it. It's a very complicated transaction if it were ever to come to fruition."

Read the article here.

SDUT: Conservative scorecard flunks Fletcher

San Diego Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is being docked by Capitol Resource Family Impact, a socially conservative voice in Sacramento.

Fletcher, a Republican and candidate for mayor of San Diego, scored 20 percent on the organization’s 2011 legislative scorecard released Monday.

Read the article here.

SD Reader: Maienschein Paid $106,270 As Homeless Commissioner

As it turns out, Maienschein hasn't done all that badly in the money department.

According to the San Diego United Way's most recent IRS return, filed in January of this year and covering the period betweeen July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010, United Way paid the former councilman $101,099 in salary, plus $5,171 in estimated "other compensation," for a total of $106,270.

Read the article here.

VOSD: Dumanis Debuts With Schools

Bonnie Dumanis made a debut of sorts Thursday night. The Republican district attorney appeared at a candidate forum with other major mayoral hopefuls for the first time. Dumanis didn't have the polish of Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher or comfort of Congressman Bob Filner, the two other candidates who spoke. Both of them have been debating for the last two months.

Read the article here.