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

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

Read the article here.

SDUT: Ban on labor-friendly contracts targeted for ballot

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

Read the article here.

VOSD: Council President Open to Competing Pension Plan

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

Read the article here.

VOSD: The Mayoral Portrait Project: Bob Filner

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

Read the article here.

SDCityBeat: Pension reform: us vs. them

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

Read the article here.

SDCityBeat: Pete Wilson sinks

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

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

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

Read the article here.

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

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

Read the press release here.

The Dumanis Campaign

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

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

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

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

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

SDUT: New county political maps unveiled

 

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

Read the article here.

LA Times: Goodwin Liu confirmed to California Supreme Court

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

Read the article here.

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

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

Read the article here.

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

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

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

Read the article here.

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

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

Read the article here.

Capitol Alert: Referendum filed to overturn California congressional maps

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

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

Read the article here.

SDUT: Hueso moves to block anti-secrecy bill

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

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

Read the article here.

SDUT: How mayor candidates managed campaign funds

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

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

Read the article here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

Facebook: News from Councilmember Gloria: Redistricting

Friends,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you for the opportunity to serve,
TODD

CalBuzz: The Sad Spectacle of Pete Wilson Taking a Dive

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

Read the article here. 

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

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

Read the article here.