Governor Brown Issues Memorial Day Proclamation

PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

On Memorial Day, we pay tribute to Americans who have suffered and died in war.

The custom of marking this day originated just after the Civil War. To help heal the wounds of war, Americans in all parts of the country began decorating the graves of the dead with flowers, a universal symbol of the renewal of life. As a small step in the lengthy task of reuniting a nation divided, we chose to honor all the dead, Union and Confederate, regardless of our own allegiances during that terrible struggle. After the First World War, we expanded our observance to honor all Americans who have fought and died in any of our nation’s wars. In 1971, the United States Congress declared Memorial Day to be a national holiday observed on the last Monday in May.

Today, I ask all Californians to pay tribute to our fallen military heroes. In their memory, I have ordered that flags be flown at half-staff on all state buildings and grounds throughout the state.


NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 30, 2011, as “Memorial Day.”

Goldsmith leaves it to Seiler to rule on Marquez

Matt Hall has the scoop at the SDUT.

In brief, Goldsmith concurs that no laws have been broken and clarifies that the final ruling about Marquez's residency for voter registration purposes can be determined by the Registrar of Voters or a court. After consulting with County Counsel, the City Attorney has asked the Registrar of Voters to rule.

The Latest Republican Temper Tantrum

The following is from the latest "Blue View" by SDCDP Chair Jess Durfee.

On every school playground there's a type of spoiled brat who wants a do-over as soon as he thinks he's losing. Or, even worse, who tries to change the rules in the middle of the game.

Consider the San Diego Republican Party and their clumsy, whiny attempts to influence the redistricting process in the City of San Diego. Of course, the outcome of this fight is far from trivial.

Struggling for relevance in a city that over the years has become more diverse and more Democratic, Republicans seem to think they can railroad the process by submitting their own set of maps and discrediting the Redistricting Commission itself.

In a PowerPoint presentation they made to the commission this month -- partisan right down to the elephant in their logo -- they offered a gerrymandered map of districts contorted to make a Republican majority on the City Council. This despite the fact that they're far outnumbered by Democrats, and close to falling behind independent voters in the city. By law, the commission can't even consider feedback from a political party.

Betraying their evident fear of greater racial diversity on the City Council, the Republicans warned commissioners that "race can't be your motive" in drawing districts, though the law actually requires the consideration of race to empower "communities of interest."

When that didn't seem to be working, the Party hired one of their own officers to spy on a commissioner for a week, leading to a trumped-up charge that he's not really a San Diegan. That commissioner, a Democrat with deep roots in the city, just happens to be the only Latino and the only gay person on the panel.

The commission and the community were unimpressed by their antics, so yesterday the Republican Party Chair, Tony Krvaric, sued the City of San Diego to dispute the whole process. He claims that the judges who picked the commissioners (both judges appointed by a Republican governor) were illegitimate. In other words, he wants a do-over.

More of the public's time and money will now be wasted in court. Still, I don't think the result will change. The Republican Party might not accept the diversity of our city in the 21st century, but that's their problem, not ours. The Redistricting Commissioners -- Democrats, Republicans, and independents -- have an important job to do for San Diego. It's time for them to get on with the people's work.

San Diego Redistricting Maps

As a public service, we are going to show some of the proposed maps that have been presented to the City's Redistricting Commission. Below are the current lines.



This is the Coast & Canyons which is an effort to keep District 1 together.



Next up is the Asian Pacific American Coalition map.



Followed by the San Diego Republican Party map.



And we close with the Community in Unity map.

These maps require magnification to tease out their finer points. We are posting these to give the readers a vague sense of where the lines have been proposed.

We were unable to find a copy of the SDCTA map but we did find, on the site of the firm that did their map, links to PDFs from Columbia Law School that proposes Congressional lines.

San Diego Rostra welcomes SD Politico back

We here at SD Politico tip our hat to San Diego Rostra and thank them for welcoming us back. We are still in the process of re-tooling and hope to be at full strength in a few weeks. Until then, we will contribute what local coverage, tips, and thoughts we can from the left side of the aisle.

See Jim Sills post about SD Politico at San Diego Rostra here.

Re-elect Sherri Lightner!

She filed yesterday:

http://www.sandiego.gov/city-clerk/elections/city/120605.shtml

Statement of California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton on Janice Hahn’s Victory in CD36 Primary

I want to congratulate Councilwoman Janice Hahn on her first place primary finish in the CD36 special election to replace Congresswoman Jane Harman.

All of the Democratic candidates ran spirited and passionate campaigns but the primary has ended and we urge all those who voted for Debra Bowen and Marcy Winograd to unite behind the Democratic nominee.

The voters of the thirty-sixth Congressional District will be well represented by a Democrat like Janice Hahn and we look forward to helping make her the 34th member of our California Democratic Congressional Delegation.

Peace and friendship,

John Burton,

Chair

California Democratic Party

Statement of the California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus on the Filibuster of Goodwin Liu's Nomination to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


LOS ANGELES - California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus Chair Clark Lee released the following statement on the Senate Republican filibuster of Goodwin Liu's nomination to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals:


"The Senate Republicans' filibuster of Goodwin Liu's nomination to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today is a blatant disregard for fairness, equality, and diversity. The Republicans' continued partisan attacks to mischaracterize Liu, a highly-regarded Asian American legal scholar with the highest possible rating by the American Bar Association, through the entire nomination process are pure partisan political ploys. Their scheme is not only a setback for Asian American civic participation and representation on the federal bench; it is an undermining of the American democratic process."

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The California Democratic Party Asian Pacific Islander Caucus (CDP API Caucus) is the officially chartered caucus of the California Democratic Party representing Democrats of Asian and Pacific Islander origin in the State of California. The CDP API Caucus works under the general direction of the California Democratic Party. The CDP API Caucus supports all CDP endorsed candidates and ballot measures. For more information, visit www.apicaucus.com.

Republicans Cry "Overuse of Race," Push Partisan Gerrymander for San Diego

SDCDP MEDIA ADVISORY: Thursday May 19, 2011

Struggling for relevance in a city that has become more diverse and more Democratic in the last decade, the local Republican Party is attempting to railroad San Diego’s redistricting process by offering a wildly partisan plan and discrediting the legally required consideration of race.

* UNLAWFUL PARTISANSHIP: By law, the city’s redistricting process must be strictly nonpartisan. Commissioners are forbidden from considering partisan input. Yet the Republican presentation – partisan right down to the elephant in their logo – offered a gerrymandered map of districts contorted to create a Republican majority on the City Council. For perspective, Democrats have a 12% voter registration advantage in the city, and 62% of San Diegans voted for Barack Obama in 2008.

* CLAIMING “OVERUSE OF RACE”: In a formal presentation to the city’s Redistricting Commission, Republicans told members that “race can’t be your motive” in drawing City Council district lines. Their clear goal is to undermine the Voting Rights Act and the City Charter, which require the recognition of “communities of interest,” including racial groups, in redistricting. In a city where the majority of residents are now non-white, their strategy reveals the Republicans’ fear of greater racial diversity on the City Council.

* PERSONAL ATTACKS: Failing so far to achieve their political goals in redistricting, the local Republican Party has methodically tried to discredit individuals associated with the Commission. They planted news stories essentially criticizing the Commission’s chief of staff for her youth, and they even went so far as to hire a right-wing operative to spy on and harass one of the commissioners who is Latino and openly gay.

“San Diego’s redistricting commissioners must listen to community members, follow the law, and stay above the partisan fray,” said Jess Durfee, Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party. “The Democratic Party is respecting those rules, but we will not sit by silently as the Republican Party tries to railroad the public process to achieve their partisan power grab.

“The Republican Party might not accept the diversity of our great city in the 21st century, but that’s their problem,” added Durfee. “The Redistricting Commission has an important job to do now for all of the people of San Diego, so I call on them to reject the Republican distractions and scare tactics -- and just get on with their work.”

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We're Re-tooling

We'll be back up soon.

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine’s Statement on the Midterm Election Results

Washington, DC– In response to today’s midterm election results, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine released the following statement:
 
“In November 2008, the American people voted for change – for a President that would stand up for the needs of middle-class families and a government that would work together to address America’s biggest challenges.  In the two years since then, Democrats have worked hard to rebuild America’s economy and renew the American Dream.  But tonight, voters sent a message that change has not happened fast enough.   The American people are rightly frustrated by the economy, and Democrats are ready to redouble our efforts to create jobs and accelerate growth.   With the two houses of Congress now divided between Democrats and Republicans, it is incumbent upon both parties to take responsibility for governing so we can move the nation forward. 
 
“In the face of stiff historical and economic headwinds, many of our candidates – with the help of committed volunteers and supporters across the country – outperformed expectations tonight.  Democrats will maintain control of the Senate and we are fighting hard in key governors’ races across the country.  I am extremely proud of our Party and the Democrats across the country who ran strong races based on records of fighting for the middle class, holding Wall Street accountable, ending the worst insurance industry abuses, and repairing the economic damage created by nearly a decade of failed economic policies. 
 
“While there are many races still undecided, we must turn our attention back to the business of the American people and in that, we hope that Republicans will join us in looking for common ground from which we can make the progress the American people expect and deserve.”
 
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Predictions

Unless there is a Republican surge or heavy rain tomorrow, here is where I think the chips will fall:


Overall - Turnout makes the difference
GET OUT AND VOTE! We win when we vote. If you don't vote, rest assured the Right will. No matter how much the other side bellyaches about government, they're not stupid. If nothing, they will vote. And so should you.


D6 - Wayne by a hair
This race should not be this close. Labor divided its resources between Prop D, Wayne and Hueso in D8. The local Dems have been a funnel for the Whitburn effort. With such "allies", the Wayne Camp has fought heroically against the unified resources of the local GOP and Lincoln Club as they thrust one of the worst candidates forward that this city has seen onto the public.

Had the party been less focused on Whitburn and if Labor had not let their guns go silent with their "Don't get Zapf'd" campaign, Wayne would take this in a walk. As it is, expect a long night where there shouldn't have been one.


D8 - Alvarez
The Alvarez campaign has been plugging away while the Hueso campaign seemed stuck in neutral. With the UT articles over the weekend about the improper transfer of funds between Ben and Felipe using Labor as the go between and Labor's hard headed approach with the SDCDP regarding Alvarez, Labor and Ben have tipped this election into Alvarez's favor. He has gained support from a wide swath of South Bay activists as a reaction to the Ben/Labor effort.

Felipe never seemed awake to the fact that he was running for office. And calling Alvarez a "youngster" on KPBS didn't help his cause. His entire candidacy seemed to be a vanity project. Much like Sudberry & DeMaio's attempt to elect an obviously unqualified candidate to office (Zapf), this Gonzales & Hueso (Ben) attempt to elevate Felipe just smells bad.

And it didn't have to be. It's a Dem v Dem race ferchristssake! Do we not have enough issues as progressives in this city without our "friends" making enemies when there was no rational need to make them? Until the powers that be stop thinking with their guts and start thinking with their heads the progressive agenda in this city will have to wait for yet another cycle.


S4 - Roberts
While we are discussing vanity projects. Whitburn had a window in which to make his case and Roberts did seem rattled. Yet, Whitburn never made the case (though there is a good on to be made) and, even with a full court press from SEIU and the local Dem leadership (at the expense of Gronke and Wayne), Team Whitburn never seemed to catch fire.

Within the progressive circles, there is still some resentment about the Gloria win over Whitburn in D3. But Gloria has proven himself while Whitburn doesn't appear to have learned much from his race against Todd. In D3, Gloria worked for it while Whitburn seemed to expect other to do it for him. We don't have a Lincoln Club to make such things happen on the Left. As such, Roberts easily wins re-election.

Let's hope that S.S. Titanic Whitburn doesn't take down Wayne in the process.


Prop D - Fails
Let me just say that this was the wrong time to propose such a Proposition and the Yes side needed more help than Shepard could provide. The entire "Yes" effort seemed custom made to foster the growth of politician DeMaio's ego. "Nuff said.


See y'all at the bar!

CDP voting guide

In Tuesday's election it is not enough just to vote for Jerry Brown, Barbara Boxer and Gavin Newsom.

It's important to reject the TV smears paid for by the tobacco companies, the oil companies, big mortgage banks and right wing billionaires by electing:

-- Kamala Harris as Attorney General. She will fight crime, polluters and mortgage fraud.

-- Dave Jones for Insurance Commissioner, he'll protect consumers from increases in insurance rates.

-- And Tom Torlakson as Superintendant of Public Instruction. He is supported by parents, educators and school superintendents.

Additionally you must vote on the important ballot propositions:

-- Prop 20: NO - Just another power grab by a Republican billionaire.

-- Prop 21: YES - Protects state parks.

-- Prop 22: NO - Would cut schools and public safety by billions of dollars.

-- Prop 23: NO - Protect green jobs and say no to Texas oil companies.

-- Prop 24: YES - Increase funding for schools by ending corporate tax handouts.

-- Prop 25: YES - Protects 2/3 vote on taxes and punishes legislators for late budgets.

-- Prop 26: NO - Vote no, don't let polluters off the hook.

-- Prop 27: YES - Eliminates state bureaucracy and repeals Schwarzenegger's Republican reapportionment scheme.

Four Days Away

Top of the Ticket
With Brown and Boxer pulling away from Meg and Carly, volunteers should look at helping on local races because they are hot!

D6
The Voice explains what a Zapf win would mean for the future of San Diego. This the the most important local race, the one that had been a bare knuckle bruiser and the only race that any progressive within City limits with half a mind should be volunteering for. Call (619) 761-6951or go to the Wayne Campaign website to keep Zapf away from the City Council.

D8
The only exception to this is if you reside in Ben Hueso's City Council District. The UT has a great story about Ben giving Felipe $25,000 through an IE run by the Central Labor Council. D8 has been chronically used by their council members as a stepping stone for higher office. Help Alvarez and put a stop to the dynastic attempts at succession.

S4
We advocate for an all out effort for Wayne because without an Obama-like wave we don't see Whitburn making it. Even with a full court press by some local Dem leaders, SEIU, and the Dem Unity campaign, Whitburn has run a lackluster campaign. As we enter the final days, resources must be used where they can have the largest impact and that looks like Wayne.

California Democratic Party Features President Obama in Mailer Opposing Prop. 23, an Initiative That Would Eliminate Thousands of Clean Energy Jobs

SACRAMENTO – The California Democratic Party today announced a new mail piece, arriving in voters’ mailboxes as early as today, featuring President Barack Obama’s opposition to Proposition 23.  This dangerous initiative on California’s November ballot, sponsored by polluting out-of-state oil companies, would eliminate clean energy standards and thousands of green jobs created by California’s landmark greenhouse gas law.

In fact, because of our new greenhouse gas law, California’s clean-tech industry is thriving: More money is being invested in California alternative energy start-ups than anywhere else in the world, and green technology is creating 10 times more new jobs than any other sector.

But Prop. 23 would reverse that economic progress and turn back the clock on clean air protections. It would jeopardize the 12,000 clean energy businesses, 500,000 clean energy jobs and more than $10 billion in private investments that have been created.

President Obama understands that California and our nation can be the worldwide leader in green-tech industries, and opposes Prop. 23 because it would ship clean energy jobs overseas.  The same Texas oil companies behind Prop. 23 are trying to stop federal climate change legislation, as well.

Prop. 23 is also opposed by respected California organizations including the American Lung Association in California, California Professional Firefighters, AARP, California Nurses Association, the California Democratic Party, National Venture Capital Association, the California Solar Energy Industries Association, California Wind Energy Association, Small Business California, Attorney General Jerry Brown, Senator Barbara Boxer and many others.

A pdf of the Prop. 23 mailer can be found here:
http://www.cadem.org/admin/miscdocs/files/Prop23ObamaMailer.pdf

# # #

KPBS

Listen to Howard Wayne answer questions while Lorie Zapf ducks from the issues.

Wayne-Zapf

And listen to Felipe Hueso charge David Alvarez with being a "youngster."

Hueso-Alavarez

Brown coming to San Diego

Call the SDCDP at (858)277-DEMS(3367) for more information.

D6 and D8

D6: Then
In June, the Lincoln Club stuffed boxes in District 6 with over-sized mail attacks against Wayne and puff pieces promoting Zapf. The local GOP gave Zapf 20K and were able to insert voting guides into Republican ballot statements. Wayne and Hadley were fighting within the Democratic party for support and Tran had won the sign war.

When it was over, Zapf was heading into the runoff with 2nd place Wayne.

D6: Now
The local Dems gave Wayne 17K, both Hadley and Tran have endorsed Wayne and the mailers against Zapf all have a sting. The Lincoln Club is repeating their mail strategy but the Wayne campaign has the edge. The "Don't Get Zapf'd" tag line (Thanks, CityBeat) has a life of its own thanks to the IE mailings about Zapf's record of defaults, hateful remarks, and poor fiscal management.

Honestly, the UT's lukewarm endorsement of Zapf tells you that their decision had more to do with their simplisitc "labor v. business" theme that the UT loves rather than critically looking at the candidates. That would require thought.

Zapf's history of ducking out of debates and her performance at Clairemont using cue cards have confirmed suspicions that she's a lightweight who needs talking points from another politician (Carl DeMaio) in order to speak about anything substantive.

Right now, Wayne is winning the sign war and has been using the new media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) very well to get their messages out. In fact, on the Wayne website is a release about LAPA endorsing Wayne after endorsing Zapf in the primary. The SDRA also backed away from their Zapf endorsment. We hope these signs point to a Wayne victory in November because the last thing San Diego needs is to get Zapf'd.


D8: Then
In a district that relies on getting voters to the polls, Alvarez and Hueso barely survived to fight another day.

D8: Now
And now they are ready to rumble. Alvarez and Huseo both dropped mean attack mailers on each other this weekend. With the local Dems supporting Alvarez and Labor supporting Hueso, this looks like a wicked match-up. But labor is not unified behind Hueso, such as the Firefighters who are supporting Alvarez, and the Dems are dividing their time between Whitburn and Wayne.

Expect Ben to help out his brother by sharing staff and resources like he did in the primary. As the KUSI post below shows, Felipe seems like a nice enough guy but is miscast as a candidate.

Alvarez can vote on issues facing his district because of he is not conflict-of-interested out and has the community credibility. He is currently winning the sign war but remains to be seen if this campaign can survive a full on labor onslaught.

Really, this shouldn't be happening. Whomever wins is going to be a better vote for labor than the GOP alternative. And heaven knows that Wayne could use the help. But for reasons that seem more emotional than rational, we have a Dem vs. Dem death match.

District 8 Debate on KUSI

Last week, the two Democrats vying for San Diego's District 8 City Council seat discussed their candidacies on KUSI.

David Alvarez immediately got Filipe Hueso on the defensive. Watch for yourself.

D6: Clairemont Debate Review - Easy Wayne Win

After passing through a mass of Wayne signs, volunteers and sitting through a Ron Robert's hosted info session about Cal Fire, the debate for District 6 was held before a filled (about 150 people) cafeteria at Clairemont High.

In a tightly run debate voters had a clear sense of their choices. Zapf continued her pattern of not answering the questions and using the opportunity to attack labor. Wayne began hitting back landing solid rhetorical blows on Zapf for her lack of a record and the hypocrisy between her statements and her actions.

What was very telling was the use of cue cards by the Zapf campaign. A member of the Zapf camp was in a corner with a few pieces of cardboard that had notes in large type on them. When questions about city finances would come up, he would switch these notes out and Zapf would look to his corner before responding.

This is pathetic. It's not like we need more evidence of Zapf's vacuous campaign. But this is just sad. At this stage in the calendar, any candidate worthy of being elected should be able to speak on the issues without a net. Zapf has ducked debates and appears to be in hiding unless she can be scripted.

Really, without DeMaio's talking points and Sudberry's money, would there even be a Lorie Zapf candidacy? With her constituency of two and her weak showing last night, the last thing District 6 needs is a puppet at City Hall.

Wayne won last night in a big way. He was smarter, convincing, and called Zapf out on her BS when she tried to let it fly

And kudos to Janet Miller of the Clairemont Community News for moderating this debate and keeping things on schedule. This was one of the only debates that ever let out on time.