VOSD: DeMaio Skipped Discussion He Now Wants

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

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SD CityBeat: The race to replace Marti Emerald

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

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

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

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

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SD Reader: The Convention Center Liars

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

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SDUT: Fletcher at bottom of CRA scorecard

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

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VOSD: Filner Ain't So Zany About the Chargers

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

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VOSD: Labor Leaves Out Lightner

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

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

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

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KPBS: Group Pushes Reusable Bags Over Plastic In San Diego

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

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VOSD: Forces of Right, Left Amass Against DeMaio

Now it's public.

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

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

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

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

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

Read the article here.

SDUT: San Diego council creates economic panel

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

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

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

In case you missed it.

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

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

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SDUT: Flurry of endorsements in San Diego races

FYI.

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

For Immediate Release                                                                                                 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

www.unionyes.org      

SDUT: Labor council endorses Peters for Congress

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

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SDUT: Fletcher pushes “innovative city” jobs plan

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

Read the article here.

SDUT: Latinos say Escondido elections unfair

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

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KPBS: Payroll Deduction Measure Qualifies for Ballot

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

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