VOSD: Downtown Is Starkest Contrast Between Filner, Fletcher

But another significant city issue showed the starkest contrast between the two: downtown redevelopment.

Filner wants to eliminate it. Fletcher's the one who recently extended its lifespan for two decades.

Read the article here.

SDNR: Fletcher endorsed by probation officers

The announcement came one day after the San Diego Police Officer's Association and the San Diego chapter of the Peace Officers Research Association of California showed their support for Fletcher's campaign.

Read the article here.

LGBT Weekly: Strange bedfellows: DeMaio, Hedgecock and Lysol Larry Stirling

That is what is so troubling about recent endorsements of mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio. DeMaio has rolled out the endorsements of Roger Hedgecock and Larry Stirling; both of these men have a homophobic past in which they have expressed animosity and shown hostility toward the LGBT community.

Read the article here.

SDUT: San Diego mayoral candidates talk stadium

Wednesday night's San Diego mayoral debate featured an exchange between Democratic Rep. Bob Filner and Republican Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher about the new Chargers stadium being backed by current Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Read the article here.

VOSD: Style in the Mayor's Race

At this point in San Diego's mayoral election, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher can't compete with their Republican counterpart Councilman Carl DeMaio on his knowledge of city issues.

Actually, let's be real. It's doubtful Dumanis and Fletcher ever will — or even try to.

Read the article here.

SDUT: Does a candidate's unwillingness to debate opponents influence your voting decision?

Check out the votes and results here.

Protest Rally Tomorrow for School Funding and to make Nathan Fletcher listen to his Constituents.

In the three years that Nathan Fletcher  has been representing constituents in the 75th AD, including members of the Poway Unified School District community, California public schools have undergone their worst financial crisis since the inception of the state constitution in 1849, and the constitutional establishment of California public schools.  Over $17 billion have been cut from public education and the per pupil loss in the Poway Unified is over $1,300.  Even before 2008, schools were struggling with constant underfunding. 

Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher has signed a pledge to vote against allowing his constituents the opportunity to vote on a revenue extension measure, on the June 2011 special election ballot, that would protect education from deeper budget cuts. 

Without this revenue extension measure, the Legislative Anaylst’s Office (LAO) reports that funding for schools would fall by at least $2 billion, or more than $335 per student.  The Governor has stated that the cuts to schools could be twice that amount, which would be devastating for our classrooms.

Currently the Poway Unified School District has Kindergarten classes of 28 students, middle school classes with more than 40 students and high school classes with more than 50 students.  We are in survival mode.  If voters are denied the opportunity to determine the fate of the tax extension measure we will be facing a $25 million budget shortfall in 2012-13 and a budget so dire the following year that it is beyond comprehension.

Protest rally tomorrow, Friday 21, from 8:20AM to 9:20AM on the street corner at Los Penasquitos Elementary School in Rancho Penasquitos (14125 Cuca St., San Diego, 92129)

SD Reader: Juan Vargas Gets $1000 of Roski Campaign Cash

Majestic Realty honcho Edward P. Roski, Jr., locked in a battle with AEG's Philip Anschutz for the chance to build an NFL stadium in Los Angeles, gave $1000 to help retire the campaign debt of state Sen. Juan Vargas, now seeking the congressional seat that fellow Democrat Bob Filner is giving up to run for mayor.

Read the article here.

SDUT: The empty chairs at mayoral debates

It is still more than seven months before the June 2012 primary election that will whittle the list of candidates for mayor of San Diego from the current crop of 15 down to the top two, and we are hesitant to rush things along too much. But it is nevertheless disappointing that two of the leading contenders have not yet joined in debates.

Read the editorial here. 

VOSD: What the Police Endorsement Says About the Mayor's Race

To be sure, it's not as if this move was entirely unexpected. Fletcher carried a bill at the union's behest through the state Legislature last year. Fletcher's signature achievement, a law that gave tougher penalties to sex offenders, had strong law enforcement backing.

Fletcher's political consultant, Tom Shepard, owns the lobbying company that represents the police union. Marvel said his lobbyist, Kimberly Hale Miller, recused herself from the union's endorsement discussions.

Read he article here.

SDUT: The GOP chairman’s Twitter trickery

Is that really the ethical standard that local Republicans would set for their chairman? All is fair in politics? Trickery is part of the chairman’s job if it can help the party win?

We think the bar should be higher.

Read the editorial here.

Coalition calls on Carl DeMaio and Bonnie Dumanis to participate in A Better San Diego Mayoral Forum

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

Coalition calls on Carl DeMaio and Bonnie Dumanis to participate in A Better San Diego Mayoral Forum

WHAT:          
San Diego Mayoral Forum Press Conference presented by A Better San Diego; www.abettersandiego.org 


EVENT:         
Press Conference to promote A Better San Diego Mayoral Forum being held on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011 at Balboa Theatre starting at 6:30 p.m. San Diego mayoral candidates Congressman Bob Filner and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher have agreed to participate in the Mayoral Forum, while Councilman Carl DeMaio and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis have declined invitations.

WHO:            
Norma Chavez-Peterson, Director/Lead Organizer for Justice Overcoming Boundaries, and other A Better San Diego coalition members will deliver a pre-forum address to call attention to Wednesday’s Mayoral Forum and call on candidates Carl DeMaio and Bonnie Dumanis to participate. Chavez-Peterson and coalition members will be available for interviews following the address.

WHEN:          
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011                     
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m

WHERE:       
Balboa Theatre (outside the main entrance)
868 4th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

HIGHLIGHTS:
- Meet San Diego Mayoral Forum moderators: Norma Chavez-Peterson (Justice Overcoming Boundaries) and Lorena Gonzalez (San Diego Labor Council)
- Preview the San Diego Mayoral Forum being held the following night at Balboa Theatre
- Question and answer session
- Public setting to ask why other major mayoral candidates are not participating

ADMISSION:
This event is FREE and open to the general public. Call for details. To reserve your seat for the San Diego Mayoral Forum, go to www.abettersandiego.org.

A Better San Diego
www.abettersandiego.org
# # #

Scott Peters is running for Congress

I am writing today to share some very exciting news with you -- I've decided to run to represent San Diego's 52nd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.  We've had enough of the gridlock and the blame game.  It's time to get something done.  It's time for a change.

Some of our Representatives, including the incumbent, Brian Bilbray, have worked in the Beltway for so long, they've forgotten they work for the people back home.  The unrelenting partisanship in Congress has put our economy at even greater risk at a time when families already face unemployment and uncertainty at levels most have never experienced.  We deserve better.  I am proud of my record in public service as an independent and reasonable voice working to achieve results, and I'll bring that approach to Washington to help end the gridlock which has hamstrung our current Congress.

The American people -- especially San Diegans -- don't care about party politics as much as they care about their jobs, their quality of life and their children's futures.  They are embarrassed and worried that our national Representatives can't put aside their personal politics and put the people they represent first.

I learned from my parents that each of us has a responsibility to do what we can to help others, to make a difference, and to stand up for what's right, even when it's not easy.  This country has given me so much -- a great public education, a beautiful community and tremendous freedom and opportunity. I want our kids and our grandkids to have the same.

As I've told my children, the only time you lose is when you don't try.  The time is right for San Diegans to have new representation in Washington.

The next thirteen months will be both a very exciting and trying time for my family and me.  It will not be easy.  But I am committed, and with your help, we will be successful.  We share and hold dear many of the same principles that make our region and our nation so great.  I hope I can count on your support.

Sincerely,

Twitter and San Diego's Republican Party

As noted below, Twitter suspended the accounts of the San Diego Republican Party for setting up dummy accounts on Twitter for Democratic officials, in blatant violation of Twitter's rules.  In particular, the chairman of the San Diego Republican Party, Tony Krvaric was banned from Twitter because he was setting up these dummy accounts himself.  Weirdest of all, when he was caught, Mr. Krvaric didn't deny that he was behind the dummy accounts.

I mention all of this because Wonkette is right - while this sort of thing goes on all the time, its usually an intern, or a "overactive volunteer" who pulls this kind of stuff, not the head of the Republican Party.  That's because when the dirty trick gets exposed, as it will always be exposed, an intern, or overactive volunteer doing the dirty work will get ignored by the media.  When the GOP chairman gets caught, the media pays attention.  Good job, Mr. Krvaric.

Now comes the next fun question: which Republican officeholders and candidates will condemn and/or repudiate Mr. Krvaric's actions first?  My money is on Bonnie Dumanis, who's not only a law and order type, but she's also trying to shore up her centrist cred.  By the way, each time one of these GOP candidates/officeholders condemn or fail to condemn Mr. Krvaric's actions will draw a headline.  Again, if an intern, or "overactive volunteer" set up the dummy accounts, Mr. Krvaric could distance himself from the whole affair, and the story would die.

So, Mr. Krvaric, the Democrats you impersonated on Twitter may not have been savvy enough to setup Twitter accounts for themselves, but you were stupid enough to do the dirty work yourself.  Well done, sir.

Wonkette: Twitter Overlords Order San Diego GOP Chairman To Get a Life

Bored dingbat San Diego County GOP chairman Tony Krvaric got kicked off Twitter after he registered a half dozen fake accounts to the names of his Democratic opponents, because he is a vindictive weirdo who isn’t smart enough to blame this kind of banal malarkey on some intern. Instead he’s wearing it around like a Boy Scout badge of honor on his new Twitter account, and he wants us all to know that he is a heroic numbskull, because he has taught the Democrats an Important Lesson, about the ’puters. Why hasn’t someone thanked him?


Oh, it’s probably true that the San Diego County Democrats if they were smarter would have put some 14-year-old staffer who knows how to “work the buttons” in charge of this project, but seeing as how it’s not technically illegal (yet) to refuse to spend precious minutes of this one life on earth registering eighteen different Twitter accounts to variants of your name, Krvaric is acting like a very superior weiner.

Read the article here.

SDCDP: Republican Twitter Accounts Suspended

MEDIA ADVISORY: October 12, 2011

Republican Twitter Accounts Suspended
San Diego GOP Linked to Attempt to Impersonate Democrats

Days after a formal complaint from the San Diego County Democratic Party, Twitter has suspended several accounts impersonating San Diego Democrats, along with the official page of the County Republican Party (@sdrepublicans) and that of its chair, Tony Krvaric (@TonyKrvaric).

On October 6, the general counsel for the County Democratic Party contacted Twitter to protest four accounts that purported to represent candidates for the San Diego City Council -- @SherriLightner, @ToddPhilips, @MatKostrinsky, and @MartiEmerald -- in addition to one impersonating the County Democratic Party, @sddemocrats, and its chair, @JessDurfee.

The Democrats' letter cited Twitter’s policy on this practice, which defines impersonation as “pretending to be another person or entity in order to deceive.” The policy continues: “Impersonation is a violation of the Twitter Rules and may result in permanent account suspension.”

Though Krvaric’s and the Republican Party’s accounts were not mentioned in the Democratic complaint, both were suspended today along with the fraudulent accounts -- indicating that Twitter has pinpointed the Republicans in impersonating Democrats and trying to trick their followers.

“I applaud Twitter for acting quickly to shut the deceptive profiles down,” said Democratic Party Chair Jess Durfee. “Childish and unethical conduct online is nothing new, but I am disappointed to see that my Republican counterpart and his party may have been behind it. The idea of Tony Krvaric posting as @JessDurfee is just creepy.

“From hiring a spy to shadow a Redistricting Commissioner to pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into failed signature-gathering efforts, this has been a busy year for San Diego Republicans,” Durfee added. “Now apparently they can add Internet fraud to the list. In the meantime, Democrats have out-registered them countywide, and we’re looking forward to out-campaigning them in 2012.”

Campaigns and organizations across the political spectrum have increased their presence on Twitter in recent years, using the social networking tool to communicate with supporters, raise funds, and promote stories in the news media. The authentic Twitter handles for the impersonated Democrats in San Diego include @Kostrinsky, @MartiEmeraldD7, @SanDiegoDems, and @ChairJessDurfee.

#  #  #

SDUT: Twitter accounts of county GOP, chairman yanked

Krvaric said he did send a few tweets as Jess Durfee, who he said joined “after I mocked him forever.”

“It wasn’t about him,” said Krvaric, now registered as @Krvaric. “It was really just goofing off."

Durfee said he was not surprised to learn Krvaric was behind the stunt.

"He doesn’t seem to spend his time doing the things that help build a party; rather he spends his time playing little games," Durfee said. "While they are doing all that crap, we’re out there registering voters. I guess I approach my position a little more seriously and am doing things that I should be doing."

Read the article here.

Mayoral Debate Next Wednesday

MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Evan McLaughlin, 619-850-2790 cell

San Diego Mayor's Debate Presented by A Better San Diego Community Coalition

Community Coalition To Test Next Mayor of San Diego On Economic Issues Facing City's Neighborhoods

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
6:30 p.m.

Balboa Theatre
868 Fourth Avenue (@ Horton Plaza)

The A Better San Diego coalition is comprised of community, faith, labor, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, environmental and social justice organizations who have been working to build an economic vision for our city that focuses on jobs, quality of life, equality, prosperity and fairness for more San Diegans.

This mayoral forum will be focused on presenting candidates in next year's mayor's race with the challenges facing our communities and seeking answers about the candidates' approach to confronting them.

The 90-minute forum will consist of a community panel, a media panel and questions from the audience. All members of the public are invited to attend.

All major candidates have been invited. Congressman Bob Filner and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher have confirmed their attendance.

For more information or to submit a suggested question for the candidates, visit www.abettersandiego.com.

###

Congressional District 51

Image courtesy of MAD Magazine

Politics in the South Bay has been a seesaw of revenge and recriminations. Families and political alliances have shifted and rotated depending on electoral winners and losers. Often sharing staff and resources, players in this field can never be permanently counted out.


Vargas
State Senator Vargas has always wanted to be in Congress. So much so that he went to Republican donors to make it happen in a past run against Filner. But Filner has been the wall keeping Vargas from his dream. For years, politics in South Bay was aligned along the Filner -Vargas divide with Vargas gaining an upper hand on the local level and Filner always keeping the Congressional seat.

With Filner running for San Diego Mayor, Vargas has gone all out to claim the new 51st CD as his own. He has hired away Mary Salas's campaign manager, Filner's former Imperial Valley consultant, and is on track to hire Hueso staff to send the message that this train is unstoppable. Word on the street is that he has begun "pressuring" local elected officials in South Bay to come on board or get crushed. Vargas has already solicited big Democratic donors in San Diego and is working overtime to heal the rift with the insurance lobby and curry favor with the Native American gaming tribes.

In his race against Salas, Vargas won through his ability to buy the talent on the ground and work with Hueso in the west and Perez in the east to pick up the slack. It is rumored that Vargas expects to open the 2012 year with 6 million in the bank. He knows that the best way to become a real player is to arrive in D.C. with the most cash to spread around to other races.


Ducheny
But he cannot be as generous with the money as he could be with a non-token primary opponent. Enter Former State Senator Denise Ducheny. If there was anyone left, who was not Mary Salas, in South Bay to take him on, Ducheny is the one. She is a scrapper who is unafraid of fighting and does not appear to care about playing nice.

This makes her a great foil against Vargas but she comes in as the underdog. She does not have the name recognition from having run only last year nor does she have the cozy business relationships to the degree Vargas has to make campaigning easy.

What she does have are angry Salas supporters, latent Imperial Valley support from her terms in the State Senate, and an altogether different donor base that Vargas. Her campaign has not taken advantage of some Vargas staff issues in the Imperial Valley, which has raised some eyebrows, but it is still early.


Conclusion
Too early to tell. If the election were held today, Vargas would win for no other reason than he has a campaign team which is campaigning. He is courting Labor and tacking left. Ducheny does not have the deer-in-the-headlights reaction to Vargas's money that Salas had last cycle. She's been talking to Alvarez supporters about staffing and has been quietly building a war chest. She is known as a strategist and may just be taking her time. We will see.

SDUT: Supervisors embrace independent redistricting panel

Supervisor Bill Horn took issue with “wanting to fix something that’s not broken.” He noted that supervisors were directly accountable to voters — unlike the proposed independent commission.

“It seems like we are reacting to a very vocal minority that came in here at the last moment after what I thought was a very fair process,” Horn said.

Read the article here.