Former San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman Endorses Scott Peters for Congress

Former San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman Endorses Scott Peters for Congress 

Bowman, who led the City through the Cedar Fire in ‘03, says he’s 
“eternally grateful” for Scott’s efforts to support the Fire Dept.

San Diego, CA – In a video released by the campaign today, former City of San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman lent his strong support to Scott Peters for Congress. In the clip, Bowman says he and the firefighters at the time he led the department were “eternally grateful for (Scott’s) efforts” to support the fire department.

Bowman led the City of San Diego’s Fire Department through the great Cedar Fire that tore through northern parts of San Diego County in 2003 while Peters was a member of the City Council.  A staunch Republican, Bowman said he seldom gets involved in political campaigns, but that, in this case, he would make an exception to endorse Peters.

"I am not a very political person, but I believe in Scott, and trust his character, integrity, and ability to get things done," Bowman said. "I watched him navigate tough situations and meetings and he was always incredibly thoughtful and professional and acted with the best interests of the public he was elected to represent. I proudly endorse him."

“Scott’s record of accomplishment for San Diegans, and his ability to appeal to people from across the political spectrum are what make him the right candidate to beat Brian Bilbray,” said Peters Campaign Communications Director MaryAnne Pintar. “This is a great example of someone who knows him, trusts him, and is willing to get behind him based on his record of accomplishment for San Diego.”

The newly drawn 52nd Congressional District is a classic swing district - a third Republican, a third Democrat and a third other.  It supported candidate Obama by 12 percentage points in 2008, but also candidate Meg Whitman by eight points in 2010. It is impossible for any candidate to win this seat without broad-based support across party lines. Since he was the first Democrat elected to represent City Council District One, Peters has consistently drawn support from across the political spectrum. He is the only candidate in this race with meaningful support from progressives, moderates, labor, business and independent San Diegans who care more about results than pure party politics. 

For more information about Scott Peters for Congress, go to www.scottpeters.com.

‘Occupy OUR Arts’: A Celebration of the 99% Culture and Creative Arts is a FREE, Family Friendly, San Diego Community Event, happening at the San Diego Civic Center on June 9.

Women Occupy San Diego will host a family-friendly arts Celebration on the site of bitter clashes between San Diego police and Members of the Occupy Movement a few months ago
‘Occupy OUR Arts’ Family Celebration
10 am - 6 pm, Saturday, June 9
Civic Center Plaza, 3rd Avenue between ‘B’ and ‘C’ streets

The one-day event will share another side of the Occupy movement, the Art of We The People, with the larger San Diego community, focusing on creative arts and diverse culture and bringing together families from all walks of life, the 99%.

The celebration will feature two stages showcasing music, dance, acrobatics, street theater, comedy and spoken word performances. Displays by local visual artists will include sculpture, photography, painting, spray art and sidewalk chalk drawing. There will also be workshops, ‘Teach Ins’ and interactive art areas for attendees. Participants include artists from the Art of Pride, the Art Academy of San Diego, Ballet Folklorico, Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts, and many more.

Children can participate in crafts, music and dance, ecological projects, face painting, a special parade and a children’s peace area.

The event will follow a proclamation by the San Diego City Council supporting Free Speech and Freedom of Expression activities in the Civic Center Plaza. The organizers have obtained all necessary permits for the event.

Women Occupy San Diego (WomenOccupySanDiego.org) is an independent organization of San Diego County women dedicated to creating an equitable economic system and restoring government for and by the people rather than for corporations and the wealthy. Through nonviolent, inclusive action and outreach, we support the goals and values of Occupy Wall Street and the 99% movement.

To learn more about Occupy OUR Arts or sign up to participate, please contact Wendy Sue Biegeleisen wsueb@aol.com, Mark your calendar for June 9!

Ducheny accuses Vargas of Smear tactics

Former Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny's campaign for CD 51 reports that the campaign of her opponent, Sen. Juan Vargas, is "once again using 'heavy handed smear tactics,'" claiming that the Vargas campaign distributed "a slanderous and deceptive mailer." The Ducheny campaign says that the Spanish language newspaper La Prensa editorialized against Vargas in his 2010 Senate race against Mary Salas and quotes from its editorial, "Heavy handed smear tactics best describes the Vargas style of campaigning and he has plenty of money to spread his vitriol thanks to the insurance companies that are bank rolling his campaign." Ducheny says, "My opponent knows that I have more knowledge, experience and respect for this district and that his only chance to win the district is to buy it." Ducheny, a Democrat, served six years in the Assembly beginning in 1994 and eight years in the Senate beginning in 2002.

The San Diego Mayoral Race after the latest Survey USA poll

The San Diego Mayoral Race after the latest Survey USA poll:

DeMaio - 31%
Filner - 21%
Fletcher - 21%
Dumanis -13%

As rule, you should never put too much stock into auto response polls. The market for this type of stock is volatile and the futures are constantly shifting.

The Fletcher campaign was wallowing in third place until he renounced his Republican Party membership and declared himself Independent. There was a flurry of national, state and local press coverage and an uptick in his popularity. A significant portion of his new supporters came from the Democratic Party. There are many politically plugged-in Democrats who had met Nathan and were impressed by his bi-partisan talk and Kenndy-esque presence. With weak local party discipline these Democrats didn't have problems expressing their lack of enthusiasm for Filner whose campaign appeared to be M.I.A. and were going to vote for him out of obligation to voting for anything anti-Republican at City Hall.

After corralling this low hanging fruit with YouTube videos and buying ad time on television programming targeted at women, the Fletcher campaign began going after DeMaio. The bleeding of Democratic support away from Filner dried up and the DeMaio campaign began to freak out. DeMaio has been used to controlling the media narrative (very easy to do in San Diego which is a wonder why others don't do it as well) and to have Fletcher take it from him was fun to witness especially at City Council meetings. DeMaio's ground operation went into high gear to hold onto voters they had and bank as many VBMs as possible.

This poll reflects these actions with DeMaio holding a solid lead in the low 30s which is where he has always been. Sometimes he has been a bit lower or higher but never beyond a third of the electorate. We often discuss candidates having a bases of support but rarely their ceilings. DeMaio looks to be one of those cases where he is near or at his. There are San Diegans who want to believe that a term-limited City Councilman is a "businessman" who was powerless to prevent wasteful government spending after being in a position to do something about it for 8 years. And there are the majority of San Diegans who want no part of his snake oil. Unfortunately, the majority is divided for the June election and we must wait to see who DeMaio will lose to in the fall.

Fletcher may have gotten the support of the plugged-in Democrats and anti-Carl Republicans but there are not enough of them to create a base. The Decline-to-State portion of San Diego's electorate is being true to form and not jumping behind Fletcher. This is where the real fight is for who will become the next Mayor: Fletcher or Filner.

Once the hype around Fletcher died down most voters returned to their bases for the Primary. This is what Filner will need to pull this one out. His campaign has been a mystery to most Democrats with his absence on TV and uneven media performances. A note to the campaign; you may not like the press but when you don't have the resources to go on the air, the media is your only real vehicle for getting your message out. Being the only Democrat in the race gives Filner a solid base of votes that aren't going to any other candidate. It remains to be seen if this can translate citywide but neither Filner nor Fletcher appear to be near their ceilings of support.

Which leaves Bonnie Dumanis of a-sitting-DA-illegally-posting-signs-all-over-the-city-and-on-state-property-because-there-aren't-enough-lawns-to-put-them-in fame. Mayor Sanders will be a special guest at a fund-raiser for her on Thursday, which is appropriate. The one thing that can be agreed upon by Fletcher, Filner, and DeMaio is that each of them will bring change to an ossified downtown establishment. Only Dumanis doesn't appear to want to alter the status quo.  Her position in the polls should be a reminder to the powers that be where they are in the estimation of most San Diegans. Remember 2004; Frye's plurality was more of a protest against the business-as-usual culture downtown than a pro-Donna movement.

I think the conclusions of DeMaio first and Filner-Fletcher walloping each other for second is accurate. Why Dumanis is still in remains a mystery but Fletcher could always offer to make her "Campaign Czarina" or get her appointed to something in Sacramento while he's still a legislator.

Remember, the futures market is unpredictable.

San Diego City Council to Pass Resolution Recognizing USWW Janitors; Janitors Begin Hunger Fast For Family Health Care

San Diego City Council to Pass Resolution Recognizing USWW Janitors;
Janitors Begin Hunger Fast For Family Health Care

San Diego, CA - On Tuesday, May 15, 2012, USWW Janitors will hold a press conference to announce the beginning of a 3-day hunger fast for health care most San Diego janitors are not provided with by their employers.  Following the press conference, the San Diego City Council will vote on a resolution recognizing the contributions, hard work and dedication janitors continue to make to keep San Diego America’s ‘Finest City’.  Tomorrow’s actions, which will conclude with a candlelight vigil at the Civic Center, are part of series of actions throughout the week over their ongoing fight for a dignified contract that includes a modest wage increase and health care for janitors and their families.

“I sacrifice time with my family in order to work enough hours to put food on the table. Even though I am there to see my children off to school in the morning, it is still not enough,” says Gloria Mejía, a janitor for 13 years currently working for ABM and one of the hunger fasters.  “What tenants need to realize is that us not having health care affects them too.  I work right next to them in their office space.  If there is an outbreak of some kind in my neighborhood, I am going be taking that to work with me. It could spread to them because I don’t have the health insurance to take care of myself and prevent it.”

As part of their statewide campaign for a new contract expiring in 2012, USWW janitors released a study that demonstrates that with a better health care system people in middle-class families could live four years longer.  Income inequality has taken center stage in the national discussion since the rise of the Occupy Movement. This third study in the “How Much is The 1% Holding Back Your Family?” series argues that the longer life expectancy of the extreme rich suggests that we can create a healthier California where everyone lives longer and more prosperous lives.

WHO:                 
Hundreds of Janitors from San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, including community and interfaith leaders.

WHAT:                  
Press Conference to announce hunger strike, City Council Resolution (with Councilman David Alvarez and Marti Emerald), & Candle light vigil.

WHERE:                 
Press Conference, 12:30PM, Civic Center Plaza; SD City Council Resolution
2:30PM, City Hall; Candle light vigil with Hunger Fasters
10PM, Civic Center.

For more information about SEIU United Service Workers West or the study, please contact Mark Gomez at (408) 835-2713.

CD 52 Checklist

The race on the Democratic side of the aisle for the new 52nd Congressional District has been a wild one within the local party.

No other race has yielded such clear division between the "activists" that have more volunteer time than money and the "establishment" that has more money than volunteer time. In a year in which the mayoral campaign was expected to dominate, we have an intra-party food fight over whether Scott or Lori will take on Brian for the fall.

Bilbray has a solid chance of being one of the top two candidates. His Republican opponents haven't put in much of an effort trying to challenge him in November. Thus, we are left with which Dem will take on the carpetbagger from the north.

This is fun to watch for no other reason that it has yielded a number of lessons for all candidates running at any level about what to do and not do. I'll get into this later. For now, let's looks at where we are:


Mail
Peters - 11 from the campaign and one from Labor
Saldaña - 4 from the campaign
Peters has been flooding mailboxes since last weekend. His mail pieces look very D.C. establishment and don't appear to be doing much other than helping his name ID as in "who keeps sending all of this mail?" Saldaña has dropped 3 pieces and a letter (points for being different). The letter may have cut through the clutter but there are a lot of other campaigns (Fletcher, DeMaio, Prop A) filling up these same mailboxes. Both campaigns dropped their first hits at the same time and this may be why the mail war is oddly cool; mutual cancellation.
Winner for now: Tilts toward Peters because of volume

TV
Peters -Yes
Saldaña - No
Having television ads to not having television ads gives Peters the advantage. The questions are was his ad buy large enough and will the DeMaio-Fletcher ad war drown Scott out?
Winner for now: Peters

Local media coverage
The local press is familiar with both candidates and seems to be treating them well with a few exceptions. As it stands, both appear to be getting passes because the mayoral race is the big-ticket item and CD 52 fits the narrative of a story that won’t be a story until the primary.
Winner for now: Neither


Field campaign
There was a rumor that Peters was assembling a paid field operation two weeks ago. If he has done so it may be a little late. The Saldaña campaign has deftly used their volunteers.  They have also been on the ground for months.  Even so, paid operations give volunteer efforts a real challenge.

Yard signs are not the best indicator of a campaign's strength but Saldaña signs can be seen across the 52nd, whereas Peters signs seem limited to La Jolla, parts of University City and Coronado.
Winner for now: Saldaña


Overall
Democrats don't usually show up in primaries so this may come down to who can turn out the vote. If the election were held today, the winner would win by 3-5% of the votes cast. Scott is leading on this checklist but Saldaña's ground game is solid and can win the day. Activists are energetic and can work wonders when directed in a positive fashion.

I don’t know who will win but I know that it will be fun to watch.

San Diego D7 - Results from Albondigas May Poll

San Diego Letter Carriers Food Drive Celebrates 20th Anniversary

 

San Diego Letter Carriers Food Drive Celebrates 20th Anniversary

 

Nation’s Largest Single-Day Food Drive Helps Stamp Out Hunger

WHAT:         
On Saturday, May 12, 2012, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council will again join forces with San Diego letter carriers and others to Stamp Out Hunger across America, providing assistance to the millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on their tables every day. Now in its 20th year, the Stamp Out Hunger effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2011, drive organizers across the country collected more than 70 million pounds of total food donations for the eighth-consecutive year.

To participate in the Stamp Out Hunger drive, San Diego residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12. Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

WHY:            
Despite the generosity of millions of Americans who have supported the letter carriers' food drive in previous years, the need for food assistance still exists for many families. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual study measuring food security in the United States, nearly 49 million Americans, including more than 16 million children, are struggling with hunger.

WHEN:            Saturday, May 12
                        All Day - along postal routes in San Diego              

                        Stamp Out Hunger! Food Drop Off
                        9850 Distribution Avenue, San Diego, CA 92121
                        5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

CONTACT:     Patrick Pierce
                        619-807-0850
                        ppierce@unionyes.org

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

SDLRLA Debate Details

Co-Moderators: Joanne Faryon, KPBS Evening Edition Host, and Elsa Sevilla, KPBS San Diego's Historic Places - Producer & Host

 Latino Issues
Mayoral Forum
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Shiley Theater
University of San Diego
6:30-7:30 p.m.

The City of San Diego is preparing to elect its next mayor. Please join the candidates in a discussion that affects our growing Latino population. Candidates will discuss a variety of issues, including: criminal justice, immigration, education, and labor in America’s finest city. 

Space is limited. RSVP by May 22 to: larazalawyers@gmail.com
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Rafael Castellanos at rcastellanos@smclawoffices.com.
For additional questions, contact Lizzette Herrera at lizzette.herrera@sandiego.edu.

Rudy Reyes letter to the California Energy Commission regarding the Quail brush power plant in east county

To esolorio@energy.ca.gov, jennifer.jennings@energy.ca.gov

I would like to ask the CEC two major questions in regards to possible bribery by the applicant. First I suspect that this whole CEC appication might be a bribe to make work for the CEC,, as the CPUC is need to determine "NEED" before the project is supposed to go to CEC. Therefore this order of the appication is not correct and making $$$ for the CEC. Second is the applicant has not been doing public meetings at all the last two months of their "extension" instead the applicant has been spreading $$$ in the community "bribing" as many as will take their $$$. I wonder when is the breach considered illegal and ask the public adviser to advise. Santee Patch is exposing "bribes" Not to count the applicant has hired specialists to Lobby/bribe(lori) the community!

Rudy Reyes

SDLRLA Mayoral Forum

SDLRLA Mayoral Forum

SDLRLA is proud to host the only mayoral candidates forum dedicated to Latino issues.  SDLRLA, together with its partnering organizations, will ask the candidates about their views on immigration, education, labor, criminal justice, and other issues that uniquely affect San Diego’s Latino community, in a town hall style format.  Award winning journalist Joanne Faryon, host of KPBS’ Evening Edition, and Elsa Sevilla, producer and host of KPBS’ San Diego’s Historic Places, will co-moderate.  Over 600 will be in attendance, including representatives from the Latino legal, business, education, health, and non-profit sectors.  For more information or to submit potential questions to the candidates, email Rafael Castellanos at rcastellanos@smclawoffices.com.  Space is limited.  RSVP now to larazalawyers@gmail.com!

DAVE ROBERTS OUTLINES PLAN TO BOOST ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS

DAVE ROBERTS OUTLINES PLAN TO BOOST ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS

Calls on More Assistance for Start-up Businesses 

SAN DIEGO - We need more corporate headquarters and more start-up businesses to help boost the San Diego region's economy and create new jobs.

I'm calling for a two-pronged approach to business development; a review of the county's regulatory process specifically as it relates to start-up businesses to help entrepreneurs expand and grow their business, and; I would like the Board of Supervisors to consider public/private partnerships with all cities in the region and appropriate economic development corporations to put forward a concerted effort to attract corporate headquarters to San Diego County.  This will be my number one priority as County Supervisor.

We worked together to attract Legoland to Carlsbad and I believe we should at least sit down together to see how we can pool resources to bring corporate offices to San Diego County. I know we work in this regard now but I think we should pull together a region-wide plan.  I am the only candidate who has a proven track record as a regional leader and incoming President of the League of California Cities-San Diego Division, and have the experience of pulling diverse bipartisan stakeholders together to solve problems.

We may also find that we can do things to spur new start-up businesses.  Let's work to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that get in the way of businesses expanding and review the process specifically for start-ups to see how we can do better.  And we can do better!

A strong business base provides more than just jobs -- successful corporations commit to their hometowns.  They invest in civic affairs, they give to charities such as health and food programs, and they support community projects like the arts, youth sports and more. It is important to widen our corporate base and I have decades of experience doing just that.

San Diego County government can assist to the best of its ability in turning around our economy and help to create good-paying jobs that support middle class families and enable them to invest in their future.   I'm proposing a leadership role in this area.  It won't be easy but we can do it.   Local economic development corporations work on these things all the time. I just want to hone our collective efforts with leadership by the county. San Diego can offer so much more than good weather to attract corporations.

I have served as a corporate officer for a San Diego Fortune 500 company and started my own real estate management firm.   I also served as a councilmember, Deputy Mayor and Mayor over the past eight years and work closely with a number of local Chambers of Commerce.  Recently, I earned the coveted endorsement of the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce which facilitates and supports sustainable business practices that spur innovation, job creation, energy efficiency and an overall brighter economic future.  Together, we can make San Diego even better!

 ###

Saldaña applauds President Obama’s Stand on Marriage Equality

Saldaña applauds President Obama’s Stand on Marriage Equality

Vows to repeal DOMA

SAN DIEGO – Lori Saldaña, who co-authored California’s landmark Marriage Equality legislation, thanked President Obama for being the first American President to support marriage rights for LGBT Americans.

“Despite the setbacks for the LGBT community over the last few days, I believe this is a tipping point for marriage equality in the United States,” Saldaña said.

“For a sitting president to come forward after soul-searching and to acknowledge without reservation the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry is an important step forward.”

“I am very proud of Mr. Obama,” she said. “I believe his support will encourage more people to reconsider their position on the right of all Americans to marry.”

Saldaña signed onto Assemblyman Mark Leno’s Marriage Equality legislation immediately after being sworn in as a freshman assemblymember in 2004. The Gender Neutral Marriage Act was the first legislation of its kind to be passed by a state legislature. When Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, Saldaña co-authored the second version in 2007. She was the only straight legislator to vote for the bill in the five counties south of Los Angeles.

Saldaña, who is now a congressional candidate, said she will upon election partner with Senators Feinstein and Boxer to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that allows states to discriminate against married same-sex couples.

“I will work with my colleagues in congress to repeal federal statutes like DOMA that codify discrimination,” Saldaña said. “We pioneered marriage equality in California and I will continue this work in Washington.”

For her work on LGBT equality issues, Saldaña received a 100% rating from Equality California and has been endorsed by LGBT elected officials Tom Ammiano, Mark Leno, Sheila Kuehl and LGBT civil rights leaders Nicole Murray-Ramirez and Joseph Rocha.

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who signed the nation’s first civil union legislation into law, will be hosting a fundraiser for Saldaña later this month.

###

Peters speaks out of both side of his mouth regarding cuts to Social Security, Medicare

 

Peters speaks out of both side of his mouth regarding cuts to Social Security, Medicare

“How can you trust someone like that to protect what’s important?”

SAN DIEGO – After being soundly criticized for his televised statement supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare, Congressional candidate Scott Peters is attempting elaborate verbal gymnastics to wriggle free from his unpopular position.

A spokesperson for the Lori Saldaña, Joe Kocurek, said that Scott Peters has a pattern of changing what he says depending on who he’s talking to.

“The powerful thing about TV is that you can actually hear what Peters says,” he said.

“Scott Peters clearly said that he would be willing to cut Social Security and Medicare,” Kocurek said. “He doesn’t equivocate. But now that his pollsters are telling him that he’s losing and the public doesn’t agree with his position, he’s trying to weasel out of what he said.”

“It’s just like the living wage,” Kocurek said. “Peters joined with Republicans and voted against the living wage when he was on the City Council, but now he says he’s for it."

Kocurek noted that Peters, told a group earlier this year that he was ‘51 percent Democratic and 49 percent Republican’, and repudiated progressives in the same televised interview on KUSI where he said he supported cuts to vital social services.

“What Mr. Peters believes -or at least says he believes - is whatever is politically convenient.”

“How can you trust someone like that to protect what’s important?” Kocurek said.

###

Just when I thought I was Out, they pull me back in.

I was enjoying a nice sabbatical away from South Bay Politics. As a political geek living in the South Bay, it's very easy to lose sight of the simple pleasures in life because they is so much intrigue and turmoil. So much that it would make a great pulp political fiction novel. (I'm working on the draft so you can't have the idea!) Anyway so I was trying mightily to not get involved in the fights and let others comment on what's been going on with the Sweetwater Board, the City of Chula Vista races, the new 79th Assembly race, the San Diego Mayor's race, and the 51st Congressional. But with the latest stuff that has been flying around I felt compelled to post again and talk about the latest in South Bay politics. Hence the clip above... As we've seen in the past few days a lot has been happening so I'll start with the 51st Congressional District and maybe tomorrow on Chula Vista

As I stated in my last post so many months ago, anyone who has any knowledge of these two and the South Bay knows that this race was going to be big and these months have shown that to be the case. While Vargas has been fundraising at a good clip, got the State Party endorsement and California Labor Fed you would think he has this locked in and Ducheny should have gotten the hint and just let go.

Yet that hasn't been the case.

In fact, within the last few weeks with the Channel 10 poll and missteps by Vargas, like this, this and this. It has shown that this is not a cake walk and Juan's biggest hurdle is himself. Why do I say that?

Well, Juan has never been the favorite of Left-Center Democrats. Whether it was running against Bob Filner for Congress two times or voting against traditionally Democratic issues like health care reform, reproductive choice or consumer protection in the banking and insurance companies. He has either voted against or abstained against bills when he was in the Assembly and again in the Senate.

Of course when he was trying to court Democratic Party activists from late 2011 to early 2012, he was trying portray himself as a true blue Democrat that would fight for Democratic values but once he got what he wanted... The old Paco came back, true to his pro-business, anti-choice and pro-corporate banks soul.

Now the other thing has been his high name ID and very early in the campaign he was touting that he had the highest name ID and was trouncing Ducheny. Which is true, considering that he was just in a campaign in 2010 against Mary Salas but that name ID is a double-edged sword. Why? Because according to the SurveyUSA poll showed that almost half of the people who have heard of him don't like him.

The other thing is that people forget that Juan only beat Mary Salas in 2010 by only 22 votes. Considering that Mary did not exactly run a text book campaign and missed a lot of opportunities to really fight back against Juan shows that even with all breaks he got from his opponent he still only barely won.

So is Ducheny any better?

To start, Denise hasn't been the best on progressive issues either like gun control, helmet laws and labor issues. Also the fact that her fundraising has slowed down would have any armchair pundit be wary of her chances.

That being said, she does have a shot at beating Juan.

When talking about issues like choice, health care reform and consumer protection Denise has been consistently progressive. Also Denise has a reputation of being straight shooter when talking about issues and bills and is open to listening to all sides.

But her real strength is that any type of negative attack that Juan give would boomerang back to him and his negatives. For example if he attacks her from the left about gun control, she would respond about his wavering on health care reform. If he attacks her on the right on choice, she could respond about his attacks on personal liberty. Also Juan can't run as an outsider pushing reform because he's in Sacramento right now and last time I checked the approval ratings for the legislature ain't that great.

As for the rest?

Well miracles can happen...

CEPA Net Candidate Meet & Greet

FletchersFriends.com: The Story of a Rising Republican

FletchersFriends.com: The Story of a Rising Republican

Fletcher Deployed Last-Minute Appeal From Karl Rove in Failed Bid for Endorsement

Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher’s history of relationships with some of the most powerful and conservative figures in his former political party are now documented at www.fletchersfriends.com, a website launched this week by the San Diego County Democratic Party.

Taken together, the information on the site shows an unusually high level of access for a junior state legislator, from connections in George W. Bush’s administration to personal campaign visits by Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove to support his Assembly and mayoral bids.

The site makes public for the first time an email message signed by Karl Rove and sent by Fletcher’s campaign to San Diego County Republican Central Committee members the morning of March 10 – the day the committee considered an endorsement in San Diego’s mayoral race.

Bush’s former top strategist wrote, in urging a vote for Fletcher: “One of the best ways to know how an elected official will behave in the future is to see how they have behaved in the past.” Those words now have an ironic resonance in light of Fletcher’s failure to get the endorsement, his defection from the Republican Party days later, and his sudden repudiation of his own partisan history.

“Two months ago, Nathan Fletcher represented his campaign with a testimonial from one of the most divisive, extremist figures in the country,” said San Diego County Democratic Chair Jess Durfee. “When the Republican endorsement turned out to be a dead end, he pivoted in record time to paint himself as a centrist.

“Mr. Fletcher has another month and a million dollars to tell voters all about his independence. But I’m still waiting for the TV ad where he takes back his vote against cleaner energy standards and vows to return the campaign money he got from Big Oil. I’d still like to know why he accepted $100,000 from the insurance industry, then voted to let them charge women higher rates and deny them maternity care.

“Here is a candidate with a distinctly immoderate track record prior to March 10 of this year,” Durfee continued. “As someone who ran ‘Duke’ Cunningham’s congressional office, signed Grover Norquist’s loyalty oath, and recently went on the campaign trail trying defeat Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer, Nathan Fletcher still has a lot to answer for among San Diego voters.”

###

Trailing, Peters Goes Negative

Trailing, Peters Goes Negative

Called out for sticking voters with $600,000 “Enron by the Sea” legal tab

SAN DIEGO – Voters across the 52nd Congressional District opened their mailboxes today to find Scott Peters trying to smear fellow Democrat Lori Saldaña.

Saldaña spokesperson, Joe Kocurek, called today’s development a last-ditch effort from a trailing candidate to confuse voters as they begin casting their ballots.

“Peters is dragging this race into the mud,” Kocurek said. “The fact is, Lori didn’t spend a dime of taxpayer money, so Peters' latest attack just doesn't make sense. And it's especially troubling coming from a multi-millionaire who used $600,000 of taxpayer money to defend himself from a federal investigation.”

While on San Diego City Council, Peters spent $600,000 on legal counsel when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigated him for voting to deliberately underfund the City of San Diego’s pension system and concealing that fact from investors.

The scandal--which led the New York Times to call San Diego "Enron by the Sea"-- left a $1.4 billion deficit in the pension system and the city’s finances in disarray for nearly a decade.

Investigators found that the city under Peters violated securities fraud statutes.

“With that kind of wealth, you’d think that he’d at least have the decency to pay for his own defense rather than leaving taxpayers with the tab,” Kocurek said.

###

Debate in San Diego City Council District 9

The Honorable Lucy Killea and County Supervisor Leon Williams (ret.) Endorse Dave Roberts for Third District County Supervisor

The Honorable Lucy Killea and County Supervisor Leon Williams (ret.) Endorse Dave Roberts for Third District County Supervisor

 "Both former State Senator Killea and Supervisor Williams (ret.) represent the strong bipartisan coalition I bring to the job!" - Dave Roberts

San Diego, CA - Dave Roberts announced today that former State Senator Lucy Killea and Supervisor Leon Williams (ret.) endorse his candidacy for Third District County Supervisor.  Killea and Williams join the growing list of over 100 Democrats, Republicans and Independents supporting Roberts.

"When I launched my campaign for County Supervisor on January 10, 2012, I promised to work in an inclusive fashion for all parts of the Third District and the County to improve our region's quality of life," said Roberts. "Having the strong support of visionary bipartisan leaders like former State Senator Lucy Killea and Supervisor Leon Williams (ret.), both who are respected across the political spectrum in San Diego County, continues to demonstrate that I have the right experience, leadership and vision to serve as the next Supervisor."

Roberts is also endorsed by Supervisor Pam Slater-Price who is retiring and crossed party lines to support Roberts' run for her open seat.

"Dave Roberts shares many of the same inclusive goals which I championed during my three terms on the County Board of Supervisors," said Williams.  "I know that Dave Roberts will work tirelessly on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to support core county services and never forget that he reports to the taxpayers. I am so pleased to add my name as one of his supporters."

Supervisor Leon Williams (ret.) has accomplished a number of firsts in his life.  He was the first African-American to serve on the San Diego City Council and County Board of Supervisors. He retired from the County Board of Supervisors in January 1995 and since that time was the last Democrat elected to that Board.  Former State Senator Lucy Killea served in the California State Senate from 1989 to 1996.  She is well-known for supporting women's rights and was inducted to the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.

For more information about Dave's campaign for the Board of Supervisors, visit his web site at www.DaveRobertsForSupervisor.com.

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Peters Outlines Elements of a Sustainable Energy Policy

Peters Outlines Elements of a Sustainable Energy Policy

“Congress Must End Subsidies and Tax Breaks for Profitable Oil Companies” ~ Scott Peters  

San Diego, CA – Scott Peters, candidate for new the 52nd Congressional District, today outlined the elements of a long-term sustainable energy policy which he will make a top priority when he is elected to Congress. Peters is the Democratic frontrunner in the race to succeed entrenched Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray who has taken nearly $200,000 in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry.

“Earlier this year, House Republicans, with Brian Bilbray in lock step, proposed a highway bill that basically funds more highways and guts funds for alternative transportation. When gas prices are skyrocketing this makes absolutely no sense,” said Peters. “And it doesn’t get us any closer to a practical and sustainable national energy policy that reduces our nation’s dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil.”

Peters said the House Republican plan especially hurts seniors and others on a fixed income. “When gas prices are high, more people, particularly seniors, students, and others on fixed incomes, turn to public transportation for a reliable, affordable way to get to health appointments, school and work,” he said. “This is just another way Brian Bilbray has put large oil companies first, and our seniors and working families last,” said Peters.

“When I get to Congress, I will make development of a sustainable energy policy a top priority,” he added. 

Peters said that as a nation, we must work toward a long-term energy policy that: 1) creates new American jobs; 2) emphasizes greater energy independence; 3) invests in the development of alternative fuels; 4) promotes clean energy technology like wind and solar; 5) ensures greater national security; and 6) provides automakers with incentives for producing fuel-efficient vehicles.

He also suggested that planners do a better job of building housing and employment centers nearer to one another to reduce commutes, and to make communities more pedestrian- and bicycle- friendly, as was done in the community of Bird Rock when he was the San Diego City Council. Bird Rock has been held out as a case study by federal transportation authorities, and has won awards from public works associations, engineers, and the Urban Lands Institute.

The House Transportation bill proposed by Republicans, and supported by Bilbray, would end funds for bike lanes, sidewalks, and the critically important “Safe Routes to School” program which helps neighborhoods pay for infrastructure improvements that keep kids from getting hurt or killed while walking and bicycling to and from school every day.

Peters has become an expert and nationally recognized advocate for better bike lanes, trails and sidewalks as the co-founder of a national organization called the Walkable and Liveable Communities Institute that helps city planners find ways to incorporate into neighborhoods more ways for people to get around without their cars. He said that, this, too, should be a part of the nation’s plan to achieve greater energy independence.

Peters also said that there are some steps Congress could be taking now to stop price-gouging at the pump, such as holding Wall Street commodities traders and speculators more accountable. Many experts agree that speculation in energy markets drives up the price of oil, which raises the price of gas for consumers. Last year, House Democrats tried to increase funding for the agency in charge of policing price manipulation in oil markets. But Republicans, Bilbray included, voted to slash these funds by almost half.

“We’ve also got to stop subsidizing oil companies,” said Peters.

Last year, the five largest oil companies posted record profits of $137 billion. That’s a 75% increase over 2010. Yet, House Republicans, Bilbray included, continue to support enormous tax breaks, deregulation, and subsidies for them, while taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from them.

“Brian Bilbray alone has taken almost $190,000 from the oil and gas industry,” he said. “Are the votes and the contributions connected?  The voters are smart and they’ll decide for themselves.”
For more information, go to www.scottpeters.com.

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SDCDP Official Voter Guide

OFFICIAL VOTER GUIDE

Early voting in the Primary Election has begun! If you vote by mail, please help all of the Democratic Party's endorsed candidates by filling out your ballot completely and mailing it in as soon as possible.
 
Our endorsements are listed below. You can also view and print our official Democratic Voter Guide online at www.sddemocrats.org/endorsements.

Please forward this link to your family, friends, and associates via email, Facebook, and any other means you have to promote the Party's recommendations. As an informed Democrat, you are a vital source of information for other voters in your personal network.

You can confirm your voter registration status here and register (or reregister) to vote here. For more information, please call Democratic Headquarters at (858) 277-3367 or email info@sddemocrats.org.

Thank you for being a Democratic voter in this important election!


Federal
President: Barack Obama
U.S. Senate: Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Congress, District 49: Jerry Tetalman
U.S. Congress, District 50: Vote for a Democrat
U.S. Congress, District 51: Juan Vargas
U.S. Congress, District 52: Vote for a Democrat
U.S. Congress, District 53: Susan Davis

State Legislature
Senate, District 39: Marty Block
Assembly, District 71: Vote for a Democrat
Assembly, District 75: Vote for a Democrat
Assembly, District 77: R.J. Hernandez
Assembly, District 78: Toni Atkins
Assembly, District 79: Vote for a Democrat
Assembly, District 80: Ben Hueso

Judicial
Superior Court, Office 24: Terrie Roberts
Superior Court, Office 25: George Schaefer
Superior Court, Office 34: No Endorsement

Education
Board of Education, Dist. 1: Gregg Robinson
Board of Education, Dist. 2: Lyn Neylon
Board of Education, Dist. 4: Mark Anderson
S.D. Community College Board, Dist. B: Bernie Rhinerson
S.D. Unified Schools, Dist. A: John Lee Evans
S.D. Unified Schools, Dist. D: Richard Barrera
S.D. Unified Schools, Dist. E: Marne Foster

County/City
Board of Supervisors, Dist.1: Brant Will
Board of Supervisors, Dist.2: Rudy Reyes
Board of Supervisors, Dist.3: Dave Roberts
Chula Vista City Council, Seat #3: Pamela Bensoussan
Chula Vista City Council, Seat #4: Mary Salas
Mayor of San Diego: Bob Filner
San Diego City Council, Dist. 1: Sherri Lightner
San Diego City Council, Dist. 3: Todd Gloria
San Diego City Council, Dist. 7: Mat Kostrinsky
San Diego City Council, Dist. 9: Marti Emerald

Propositions
Prop. 28: YES
Prop. 29: YES
Prop. A: NO
Prop. B: NO
Prop. C: NO
Prop. D: NO
Prop. E: NO
Prop. F: NO
Prop. G: Yes
Prop. H: Yes

COMMUNITY HOSTS MAYORAL FORUM TO SHED LIGHT ON ITS CONCERNS

COMMUNITY HOSTS MAYORAL FORUM TO SHED LIGHT ON ITS CONCERNS

Mira Mesa — The Mira Mesa Town Council will host a mayoral forum on Wednesday, May 9 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mira Mesa High School to highlight issues unique to Mira Mesa.

“As a safe, middle class community, Mira Mesa is often forgotten when it comes to city services, infrastructure and investments,” said Ted Brengel, president of the Mira Mesa Town Council. “Our hope for the forum is that the candidates will be cognizant of the needs of Mira Mesa residents.”

Mira Mesa is home to close to 80,000 people, making it the largest community in San Diego, yet there are only three major bus routes servicing the area, no hospitals and no community center. Many high-tech and biotech companies, such as Qualcomm, Gen-Probe and Abgent, have their headquarters in Mira Mesa, making it the heart of the San Diego tech industry.

“The problem is that the western half of Mira Mesa, where many tech companies are located, is often mistakenly referred to as ‘Sorrento Valley’ or ‘Sorrento Mesa’ denying Mira Mesa the recognition it deserves,” Brengel said.

The mayoral forum is also cosponsored by the Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC). Roughly 38 percent of the population in Mira Mesa is of Asian descent and APAC hopes that this forum will give the candidates an opportunity to address the concerns of Asian/Pacific Islanders, who are often underrepresented in city government.

Both Nathan Fletcher and Bob Filner have confirmed their attendance. Carl deMaio is trying to rearrange his schedule to be at the forum. Bonnie Dumanis has declined the invitation to attend the Mira Mesa Mayoral Forum.

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When IEs Misfire

There is a nice mail piece that arrived in mailboxes this weekend throughout southwestern San Diego promoting Dr. Shirley Weber. She is a candidate for the 79^th Assembly District and the well-designed letter-sized mailer is a good introduction to her.

Which would be great if the recipients actually lived in the 79^th AD.

The mailer, paid for by the AFSCME CA People Independent Expenditure Committee, seems to have been sent to residents of the CURRENT 79^th AD and not the NEW 79^th AD.

Democratic voters living in the current 79^th AD, represented by Ben Hueso, may be confused as to when Huseo drew a challenger and why Dr. Weber won’t be on their ballot when they vote for him in the NEW 80^th.

What is even more important is that the AFSCME CA People Independent Expenditure Committee choked on the weekend before absentee ballots are mailed. By sending a mass mailer to the wrong universe, which has very little overlap with what should have been the target universe, they wasted resources and threw away an opportunity to lock down VBM voters.

In a multi-candidate election like the 79^th, any opportunity to break away from the pack matters. The other campaigns in the 79^th should be counting their lucky stars that this attempt failed, allowing them to fight on a leveler field than those that the IEs would permit.

The Weber campaign had nothing to do with this but the money lost in this misfire could have been better spent by the campaign itself.

I can understand how this happened (multiple data bases, the mail house, the vendor, etc.) but it doesn’t excuse the fact that someone at some level didn't review everything required for the mailing. All campaigns take note: DETAILS MATTER.

U-T Editoral Board Endorse In San Diego City Races

In a complete surprise to everyone the UT's Editorial Republican Board followed suit with the San Diego County Republican Party in endorsing in all the city races.  Well, where the San Diego County Republican Party did not provide them guidance of an endorsement, then they were forced to endorse the Democrat.

• Mayor: Carl DeMaio best protects the Republican brand and they think can best beat Representative Bob Filner
• District 1: Ray Ellis "has the best shot at toppling the incumbent"
• District 3: Todd Gloria drew no Republican challengers
• District 5: Mark Kersey is the "single candidate [that] stepped forward in this district"
• District 7: Scott Sherman "recruited to the race by April Boling"
• District 9: Marti Emerald drew no Republican challengers

Read the editors sound reasoning here for Mayor and here for city council.

Lets look back to see how well the Union Tribune's Editorial Republican Board did in their 2008 endorsements for these same cycle (except of course it would not have included the additional of  District 9):

San Diego City Council (only a 33% win ratio)

• Lost - Philip Thalheimer, District 1 (Democratic Opponent)
• Won - Todd Gloria, District 3 (Democratic Opponent)
• Lost - April Boling, District 7 (Democratic Opponent)

Again, these endorsements matched the San Diego County Republican Party where there was a Republican in the city race.

HERNANDEZ GAINS FILNER’S SUPPORT FOR 77TH DISTRICT

SAN DIEGO – May 4, 2012 - State Assembly Candidate Ruben (RJ) Hernandez is gaining momentum with backing from well known Democratic Congressman and San Diego Mayoral Candidate Bob Filner.

Filner was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1992 after teaching at San Diego State University and serving City Council. Hernandez admires Filner’s dedication to the nation’s armed services as the Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

“It is an honor that one of the people I look up to the most stands with us as we fight to turn district 77 turns blue,” says Hernandez. “I look forward to working with Congressman Filner when he is elected Mayor to create jobs, improve fire safety and make San Diego a world-class city again.”

Increasingly Hispanic and moderate, District 77 is at the core of key population shifts, voting for Democratic presidential candidate Barak Obama in 2008.  The businessman is showing he can compete with rivals for North County, as a representative with plans for creating and retaining new high-paying jobs and education reform that reduces pink slips and expands students’ skills.

Hernandez is pleased to have Congressman Filner headline a Cinco De Mayo event this Saturday, May 5th from 5-7 PM in Sabre Springs. For more information, call Lori Kern-Greenberg (619) 838-6766.

Find out more about District 77 and RJ Hernandez at http://www.rjhernandez.org.

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Single-Payer Healthcare Champion Endorses Saldaña for Congress

Single-Payer Healthcare Champion Endorses Saldaña for Congress

“So long as Republicans continue hold fast to policies that are destroying America's middle class, we need to send a powerful Progressive voice like Lori’s to Washington."

SANTA MONICA – Former State Senator Sheila Kuehl, a champion for single-payer healthcare coverage in California, has endorsed Lori Saldaña’s run for Congress.

Kuehl and Saldaña were colleagues in the Legislature during California’s vigorous healthcare debate in 2006-2007, a debate pre-dating federal battle by several years. Both lawmakers saw the need to revise the healthcare system allow access to the largest number of uninsured Californians through a public option.

“Lori was an early and vocal supporter of my "Medicare For All” single-payer healthcare legislation, Kuehl said.

Medicare For All is considered a model for any efforts to provide a public option at the federal level. Saldaña is also endorsed Mark Leno who has continued Kuehl's efforts on single -payer in California.

“I've endorsed Lori Saldana because in the state legislature she amassed an impressive record of important accomplishments, including legislation on energy efficiency, consumer protection and sensible gun control measures,” Kuehl said.

“So long as Republicans continue hold fast to policies that are destroying America's middle class, we need to send a powerful Progressive voice like Lori’s to Washington.”

Kuehl’s support adds to Saldaña’s growing list of endorsements by leading elected officials that includes Congresswoman and Former Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, State Treasurer John Chiang, State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, State Senator Mark Leno. Saldaña other endorsements include former City Councilmember Donna Fry, the American Federation of Teachers and the Point Loma, Black Mountain, and La Jolla Democratic clubs.

Saldaña said she was honored by Kuehl’s endorsement.

“Sheila Kuehl is one of California’s most important Progressive leaders,” she said. “Her support means a great deal to me.”

Kuehl, who was the first openly-gay person elected to the Legislature, noted that Saldaña had been active in Sacramento and in her district as an advocate for the rights of LGBT Californians.
“Lori was one of the Legislature’s most reliable allies for equality,” she said.

Saldaña is running in the newly-drawn 52nd Congressional District that includes La Jolla, Poway, Clairemont, Pacific Beach, Point Loma and Coronado.

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Stephanie Cutter: Get the facts on Mitt Romney, Big Oil, and the Koch Brothers

From OFA:

Why I am Running for Third District County Supervisor by Dave Roberts

I am a candidate for San Diego County Supervisor because I am concerned that San Diego County is headed in the wrong direction and we need to change course in order to protect the hard working taxpayers of the County.

It's time for a positive, bipartisan problem solver to be elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. I don't care who gets the credit - I just want the problems solved.  That's what it will take to improve our region.

It is also time to stop the "business as usual" and political deal making and get to work.

Specifically, if elected the Third District County Supervisor, I will make certain our county government does the following:

·         Works to protect and enhance the quality of life of all county residents
·         Fosters an economic environment that spurs job growth
·         Demands fiscal responsibility, spending less than we have
·         Insists upon full disclosure, transparency, public accountability
·         Stops the six-figure county pensions with a cap; and,
·         Delivers the best, most efficient services to the public

These are promises I will make and the commitments I will keep.

Being a county supervisor isn't about catchy one-liners and 'sound bites' you often hear. It is about working to provide the best service possible to the public just as county government is supposed to do.

It is about saving taxpayer dollars, balancing the county budget and setting aside a reserve for a rainy day.

This means cutting red tape and streamlining services.

It means getting the pension system under control and capping pensions because six-figure retirements are not affordable.

I support a ban on gifts to supervisors from individuals or organizations that receive county funding. This should have happened years ago and when I am elected it will happen.

We need an ethics hotline so the public and employees can turn in the bad apples who take advantage of the system and skirt the law.

My priorities are simple and straight-forward: preserve our environment; greatly improve county fire protection; fully fund our Sheriff and District Attorney; expand our parks; and, improve our libraries.

I will fight for policies that invest in infrastructure and create jobs.

I am running for this office because I am concerned about the direction of county government and the effects those policies coming out of downtown might have on the citizens of the Third District. I would be honored to have your vote.

Like you, I want to see government at all levels operate with more accountability. I want our elected officials to work together. I am tired of the political posturing and bickering that keeps government from getting things done.

I have worked most of my career cutting waste and improving efficiency. As a successful businessman I helped to build a Fortune 500 company. I understand what it takes to create jobs in high-tech, biotech and the renewable-energy sectors. As Deputy Mayor of the City of Solana Beach, I've worked to balance the budget every year, saving taxpayers money without eliminating vital services.

For more information, please visit my campaign website at www.DaveRobertsforSupervisor.com.

Statement from Speaker John Pérez: We Need Scott Peters in D.C.

Statement from Speaker John Pérez: We Need Scott Peters in D.C.

San Diego, CA -- In a statement regarding the race for the 52nd Congressional District, California Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) had this to say:

“As Speaker of the Assembly, I know how important coalitions are to getting things done. Scott Peters knows how to build consensus to create real progress. That's why he would be successful in Congress—Scott Peters doesn't throw bombs, he finds solutions. We need more of that in Washington.”

Pérez served with Lori Saldaña in the California State Assembly in 2009 and 2010; he presided over her as Speaker in 2010. Pérez appointed Scott Peters as an alternate to the California Coastal Commission in 2011.

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Scott Peters for Congress Campaign Hits the Airwaves This Weekend!

Scott Peters for Congress Campaign Hits the Airwaves This Weekend!

San Diego, CA – In the next two days, the Scott Peters for Congress campaign will begin telling the voters directly about Scott’s record of fighting for the middle class, solving problems, creating jobs and getting things done via broadcast television.  The Peters campaign began an aggressive direct-mail campaign last week, and this weekend it will become the first in the race for the 52nd Congressional District to air television commercials. The campaign has had an aggressive grassroots voter contact effort underway for the past several months.

The professionally produced 30-second ad highlights Scott’s background, growing up the son of a minister and civil rights advocate, tells of Scott’s record to protect and create thousands of good jobs for San Diegans.

“The middle class is taking it on the chin, and Washington is not helping,” says Peters in the spot. “It’s time to rebuild our middle class.”

Click here to view the ad which will air on several local television stations within the next two days.

For more information about Scott Peters for Congress, go to www.scottpeters.com.

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MoveOn.org Political Action Endorses Lori Saldaña for Congress

MoveOn.org Political Action Endorses Lori Saldaña for Congress

Citing Saldaña’s record of standing up for the 99%, MoveOn members commit to aggressive effort online and on the ground to propel her to victory

In a year when Americans are looking to elect leaders who will work to rebuild the middle class, MoveOn’s members in California’s 52nd congressional district voted overwhelmingly to endorse Lori Saldaña for her years of community organizing and her proven track record in the California State Assembly. When asked why they were picking Saldaña, MoveOn’s members consistently cited her integrity, her grassroots support, and her credentials as the only true progressive in the race.

MoveOn has more than 23,000 members in the 52nd congressional district, and of those who participated in the endorsement vote, an overwhelming 71% voted to endorse Saldaña.

MoveOn member Mary Lou L. in San Diego supports Saldaña because she's "a strong advocate for equality, immigrants rights, and women." Kimberley B. says, "Lori is grassroots all the way, with door to door campaigning and support from all the Democratic clubs in San Diego County.  She was a state legislator for 6 years and has always been about standing up for the people, no matter what's at stake."

On the other hand, many MoveOn members wrote of their concerns about Saldaña’s primary opponent, Scott Peters. Kayla W., from San Diego, ruled out Peters because he "has openly stated that he supports cutting vital social programs such as Social Security and Medicare."

Saldaña said of the endorsement, “I am grateful to have the support of MoveOn's tens of thousands of members throughout San Diego who have expressed their faith in my progressive, grassroots campaign. This campaign is about more than an election in November. It's about people working together to take back government for the middle class and supporting those who aspire to join the middle class. MoveOn's endorsement will be a tremendous help in getting me to Washington and I look forward to working with MoveOn's members in the months ahead.”

As part of their support for the Saldaña campaign, MoveOn’s thousands of members in the district will help provide the grassroots support—including volunteer boots on the ground – that she will need to win.

MoveOn.org Political Action is a political action committee powered by more than 7 million Americans from every state and every congressional district. Since its founding in 1998, MoveOn has raisedmore than $29 million in small-donor contributions and MoveOn members have volunteered tens of millions of hours for progressive candidates. MoveOn members believe in the power of grassroots action to make our country a more progressive place and elect candidates who will fight to put the American Dream back within reach for all Americans.

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National Organization for Women Endorses Lori Saldaña for Congress

National Organization for Women Endorses Lori Saldaña for Congress

NOW President calls Saldaña ‘fiercely principled’

WASHINGTON D.C.  - The nation’s largest women’s advocacy organization, The National Organization for Women (NOW) has announced their endorsement of Lori Saldaña‘s run for Congress.

NOW President Terry O’Neill pointed to Saldaña’s unwavering record on women’s issues.

“In the California Legislature, Lori Saldana has been a champion for policies that advanced the issues NOW cares about, including economic justice, reproductive rights, and addressing the epidemic of violence against women,” O' Neill said.

“She is also fiercely principled in her stands,” she said. “We endorsed Lori because we know she will stand for women in Congress."

Saldaña is the Democratic frontrunner to unseat extremist Republican Brian Bilbray in California’s 52nd Congressional District.

NOW adds to the growing list of women’s organizations supporting Saldaña for Congress, including Emily’s List, Run Women Run, and the San Diego Democratic Women’s Club. The national NOW endorsement was made with the support of the local and state chapters.

Saldaña said she was thrilled by NOW’s endorsement.

"I am honored to have NOW's support, especially at such a crucial time for women,” Saldaña said “I look forward to working to elect more women for national office who will push back against the extremist anti-woman agenda in Washington.”

Throughout her tenure in the Legislature, Saldaña was recognized as a champion of women’s issues by organizations NARAL Pro-Choice California (100%), Planned Parenthood (100%) and California NOW (100%).

Saldaña was part of an historic leadership team in the California Assembly that included Karen Bass as the first African-American Speaker in the nation’s history, Saldaña as the Speaker pro Tem, and Assemblymember Noreen Evans as the Assembly Budget Chair.

Saldaña also served as the Chair of the bipartisan Legislative Women’s Caucus where she worked on issues related to the trauma faced by women female service members serving in combat situations.

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Who is Scott Sherman? (Part II)

The Republican Party's central committee might be sorry to hear, but Scott Sherman was not the first choice by C. April Boling, but after calling and meeting with other of her tax clients from her expansive rolodex she got to Scott. 

Scott needs some major help.  It seems he doesn't know about anything his own community, let alone the city.  Don't tell the residents you didn't know there was such a thing as the Allied Gardens Community Council.  So, instead of looking for a winning team, they go back in time to 4-years ago to use the same failed team of 2008; Duane Dichiara, John Pilch and Clinton Soffer.

The 2008 Dream Team does have a top tier fundraiser, but it seems Scott was not so great at raising money and his rolodex not so good too.  New fundraiser please.  Every other Republican raised over $100,000, they promised he would be in the six digits at filing time, but sadly Scott raised $55,000 with most spent on his consultants.  Good thing the Republican Party had an endorsement interview with only Scott and didn't invite the other Republican in the race, Rik Haupfeld.  Scott will need the party to help him, because he can't get the money himself.

Scott's public or private appearances don't go over very well.  He has to be educated at one meeting what is tax increment and the names of committees at the city council.  He doesn't understand the issues, can't talk clearly to a crowd of people and doesn't connect with the audience of people who are not partisan activists.  Scott even flopped trying to talk about how he is a community involved person too.  It turns out he hasn't done anything in his own community when asked about it.  Wait, he was a single father raising a daughter.  Heart goes out right?  It should. It is very hard to be a single parent and raising a child is not easy, even for a two parent household.  Give the guy a break.  Oh no, it turns out Scott has been remarried for 6 years and his child is in their mid 20's living out of the community.  Okay, Plan B, he says he taught martial arts to kids at the YMCA in Mission Valley, bingo it is in the NEW district.  We have a fall back community activity plan.  Bring in the talking points and no matter the question, really, never talk about anything but the pension ballot, managed competition, $2.2 billion unfunded benefit, running the city like a business and being a small business owner.  Oh, don't forget Scott is against taxes (or not) and favors something called zero budgeting.

Saldaña endorses Filner for Mayor

Saldaña endorses Filner for Mayor

SAN DIEGO -  Former State Assembly Pro Tem Lori Saldaña announced her support today for Bob Filner for Mayor of San Diego, the only Democratic candidate in the Mayor’s race.

"After 20 years of Republican misrule at City  Hall, it's time for a change," Saldaña said. "Bob Filner offers the best chance for a break from the past."

"Bob and I have our differences, but this is not about personalities. It’s about what's best for the people of San Diego. Bob is a much better choice than any of the other candidates. Bob has a far better record on behalf of working people and protecting the environment; and he’s not bought and paid for by the downtown establishment that has run San Diego for a generation."

Saldaña is the Democratic frontrunner in the race for the newly drawn 52nd Congressional  District.

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Peters, Filner Urge Initiatives to Boost Port Business

Peters, Filner Urge Initiatives to Boost Port Business

 Peters Reiterates Call for Nat'l System of Ports as Part of 'Invest in America' Strategy

San Diego, CA – Unified Port of San Diego Commissioner Scott Peters and United States Congressman and Mayoral candidate Bob Filner held a press conference this morning to discuss initiatives designed to expand traffic at port and grow our local economy.

“Congress could invest in a plan that puts us on the path to a national system of ports, securing a more prosperous future for San Diego and our country,” stated Peters. “Right now, Congress could be looking for ways to link our ports and increase the efficiency of our infrastructure, streamline our supply chain, and make it more attractive for companies to invest in manufacturing and processing in our country. Increasing these investments will be my priority when I get to Congress.”

Peters first announced his initiative to link the nation’s ports to improve commerce as part of an Invest in America strategy he unveiled last month.

“As a member of the Board of Port Commissioners, I learned that one of the biggest challenges ports across America face is the lack of connections to highway and rail systems,” continued Peters. “America has stopped making those investments and it is hurting our ability to export American goods to international markets. We could put people to work right now and stimulate our economy by investing more to rebuild our roads, our bridges, our broadband, our power grid, and other public facilities. China is spending 9% of their Gross Domestic Product on infrastructure investment. Europe is investing 5%. And here in the richest country in the world, we are only investing 2.5%, and Congress is trying to cut that. That’s no way to increase our competitiveness in a global economy.”

Peters, who also served on the San Diego City Council, also discussed his support for smarter innovations designed to use our ports and border crossings more effectively and efficiently. “The Port of San Diego is a critical economic engine for our region; it supports more than 40,000 jobs and generates more than $3 billion in economic impact to our region,” said Peters.

“While we’ve been able to retain jobs here at the Port, we could be doing more. We need a more efficient method of transporting goods to market and raw materials to processing and manufacturing sites,” he said. “That’s something Congress could be working on right now to get our economy moving in the right direction.”

Peters was joined by Congressman Filner, who also supports expansion of the Port. Filner urged local officials to embrace a “clean good” movement.

For more information, go to www.scottpeters.com.

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DAVE ROBERTS SUPPORTS ARTS AND CULTURE TO BOLSTER SAN DIEGO REGION'S ECONOMY

DAVE ROBERTS SUPPORTS ARTS AND CULTURE TO BOLSTER SAN DIEGO REGION'S ECONOMY

San Diego - Third District Supervisor candidate Dave Roberts announced today that he will continue to strongly support arts and culture organizations in San Diego County and believes they are essential to the region's economic recovery and long-term vitality.

"Arts and culture are truly a hidden economic engine and one that I will strongly support on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors," said Roberts.  "Our world class symphony, opera, museums and theatres have become an important part of our region's economy and I want to continue the incredible momentum that has been created in the last decade."

Roberts cited a study conducted by the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau that found "cultural tourists" have a significantly higher median household income than other San Diego overnight visitors and they tend to stay longer (3.8 days vs. 1.8 days) and spend more money ($561 vs. $235 per trip) than other visitors.  Almost 60 percent of these visitors use hotel accommodations, an economic stimulus that contributes more to the region's tax base.

"It will take leadership and experience to ensure that San Diego County maintains its AAA bond rating and financial footing," said Roberts.  "Thinking outside-the-box and supporting organizations that enhance San Diego's quality of life are an essential component of a sound economic plan for our region. I will continue my strong leadership in this area as I have in my home community of Solana Beach."

Roberts added that the San Diego region is home to 4,631 arts-related businesses both for profit and non-profit.  These businesses employ over 22,500 people ranking us 9th overall in the country in arts related jobs.  In fact, many CEOs looking to relocate their corporate headquarters prioritize cities with vibrant cultural and arts attractions, noted Roberts.

Dave Roberts is endorsed by a large group of bipartisan leaders, including retiring Third District Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, who crossed party lines to support Roberts' campaign.  Roberts helped build a Fortune 500 company in San Diego, is a two-term councilmember and Deputy Mayor of the City of Solana Beach.  For more information, visit his web site at www.DaveRobertsforSupervisor.com.

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Howard Dean to Host Fundraiser for Saldaña

Howard Dean to Host Fundraiser for Saldaña

SAN DIEGO – Presidential candidate and Former head of the Democratic National Committee, Governor Howard Dean, will be in San Diego in May to host fundraiser for Lori Saldaña.

Saldaña, who is running for the 52nd Congressional District, was named one of the “Dean Dozen” during her successful 2004 campaign for the California Assembly.

The Dean Dozen were a group of twelve progressive Democratic candidates endorsed by Dean’s group, “Democracy for America” that included Barack Obama in his successful bid for the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois.

Saldaña is the Democratic frontrunner is to unseat Republican Brian Bilbray in the newly-drawn 52nd District.

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