San Diego Politico

California’s Constitution: Time for an Overhaul: Town Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000

You are invited to join us in San Diego to discuss California's drastic need for reform and Repair California's Constitutional Convention ballot measures.

California’s Constitution: Time for an Overhaul
Friday, November 13, 2009
8:30 a.m. Registration | 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Program
NTC Events Center (directions)
Truxton & Dewey Roads
San Diego, CA
Refreshments served
Cost: Free

Register here

Speakers will include:
-Jim Wunderman, President and CEO, Bay Area Council
-Bob Edgar, President of Common Cause
-Scott Peters, Former San Diego City Council President
-Matt Regan, Repair California
-John Grubb, Repair California

Topics will include:
-Delegate selection process -Limited scope -Balancing expertise with shared values -Lessons from other states -The initiative, referendum and recall -The alternatives -And more!

Brought to you by: Repair California, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters.

We hope to see you on the 13th!

Best,
Repair California

Statement from Chairman John Burton on Gavin Newsom’s Decision to Withdraw from the California Governor’s Race

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:07:00 +0000

I have known Gavin Newsom since before he was born and I have watched him become a fine man and a skilled political leader.

As San Francisco Mayor, Newsom has been a champion for marriage equality and innovative new environmental and health care efforts.

But Gavin does not define himself by politics alone. He is also a successful businessman, a loving husband and a proud new father.

Gavin would have been a strong candidate for governor had he won the Democratic Party’s nomination. And he will continue to be an energetic, effective mayor of San Francisco and a powerful voice in the California Democratic Party.

I continue to wish Gavin and his family every happiness. And I remain confident that California Democrats will have a strong nominee for governor in 2010.

News from Barbara Boxer

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:44:00 +0000

I am pleased to let you know of a major construction project that will create about 2,000 jobs in San Diego. A contract has been awarded for the construction of the new United States Courthouse in San Diego. This project will create a boost to the construction trades, which will, in turn, create even more jobs for the region.

Construction of the San Diego Courthouse is long overdue. It is one of the busiest courts in the nation, a situation compounded because of its proximity to the border. Along with Congresswoman Susan Davis, I worked to secure the final authorization to begin construction.

This funding could not come at a more critical time as it will create much-needed jobs and help boost San Diego’s economy. And the new courthouse will be a more secure facility that will help federal judges in San Diego keep pace with one of the nation’s heaviest caseloads.

This Courthouse will be built on Broadway between Union and State Streets in downtown San Diego.

Sincerely,

Barbara Boxer
United States Senator

Does Meg Whitman Have the Judgment to Be Governor?

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:15:00 +0000

From the CDP:

Planned to Campaign for Candidate Who Wrote Working Women Were "Detrimental to the Family" Will Whitman Renounce McDonnell's Antiquated Views?

Meg Whitman is already struggling to answer why she’s qualified to be California governor if she didn’t have the time or inclination to vote here for years.

Now another troubling question demands an answer: Does Whitman have the judgment to be governor?

Just days ago, Whitman was poised to raise funds and throw her support behind far-right candidate Bob McDonnell, who is running for governor in Virginia. As a 34-year-old graduate student, McDonnell wrote a thesis in which he espoused an ultra-conservative government agenda [http://www.bobmcdonnellblueprint.com/] targeting working women, contraception for married couples – even child care. McDonnell worked to put his plan into action once elected to the Virginia legislature.

Despite the fact that McDonnell’s views fall far outside the mainstream in California and the nation, Whitman agreed to raise money for this far-right candidate. After her fundraiser attracted attention, Whitman canceled her trip.

“Every day, Meg Whitman shows California voters that she is not ready for prime time,” said California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton. “Bob McDonnell advocates far-right positions that, if implemented, would hurt all women, including Meg Whitman. If Whitman supports someone like Bob McDonnell enough to raise money for him, voters deserve to know: Does Whitman support McDonnell’s antiquated ideas? Is she as out of touch as he is?

“As the election draws near, the people of California need to know who Meg Whitman is and where she really stands,” Burton said. “Will the real Meg Whitman please stand up?"

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Sen. Christine Kehoe to Serve as Honorary Chair for New Leaders Council in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Colin Parent) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:30:00 +0000

California State Senator Christine Kehoe has agreed to serve as the Honorary Chair for recently-formed chapter of the New Leaders Council in San Diego.

The mission of the New Leaders Council (“NLC”) is to train and support the next generation of progressive political entrepreneurs - those who are leading industries, setting trends, and building institutions that support robust civic and political life in a global America.

NLC accomplishes this mission primarily through the NLC Institute; the nation's premiere political entrepreneurship training program that builds local teams of outstanding young professionals in twelve cities across the nation. NLC Fellows engage in an intensive ten days of training over a five-month period to learn cutting-edge entrepreneurship, leadership, and political management skills from over 150 industry-leading volunteer faculty. Upon graduation, Fellows are paired with career mentors, join a national alumni network, and agree to fundraise to support the next class of Fellows.

Senator Kehoe has been a long time promoter of leadership development in the San Diego area, including through her participation with the Aaron Price Fellows Program, which introduces high school students to San Diego’s governmental, cultural, business communities. She has also participated in workshops to encourage women to run for public office through the Women and the Law Conference as part of the Annual Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lecture series, and through “San Diego Political Bootcamp” with the Lawyers Club of San Diego.

The NLC formed a chapter in San Diego over the course of the last six months, recruiting an advisory board of San Diego leaders from the business, labor, non-profit, legal and public sectors. The NLC board will operate the NLC Institute, and recruit accomplished professionals to train the 2010 class of NLC Fellows.

NLC believes in recruiting emerging leaders from outside of the traditional power structures, engaging them on both local and national levels, and equipping them to be civic leaders - not only for elective office, but also in their communities and workplaces.

The result of NLC is a growing corps of diverse and highly-skilled new progressive leaders who rise to the top of their fields, working together across sectors and in their local cities to build, expand, and improve the progressive infrastructure necessary for strong democracy, social justice, and equal opportunity.

To apply to the NLC Fellowship program click here.

To nominate someone to become a Fellow for the NLC program, click here.

Labor Council Endorsements

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Labor Council endorses Howard Wayne in City Council race and Jim Duffy for Sheriff. Rep. Susan Davis, Sen. Barbara Boxer and Assembly Candidate Toni Atkins also endorsed

SAN DIEGO – (September 24, 2009) – The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council announced today its endorsements of San Diego City Council District 6 candidate Howard Wayne and Sheriff candidate Jim Duffy for the 2010 election.

Wayne, a Deputy Attorney General who specializes in consumer protection cases, has a strong track record on protecting workers, improving access to health care, and preserving the environment. As a former California state assemblyman, Wayne earned a 95 percent lifetime voting record with the California Labor Federation and authored first-in-the-nation laws that provided breast cancer treatment to uninsured women and bacterial testing of coastal waters.

“Perhaps no one in San Diego has been a stronger advocate for working families and public health issues than Howard Wayne,” said Lorena Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. “We’re hoping that his experience, leadership abilities and intelligence are put to use at a city government that very much needs them.”

Local union members also endorsed Duffy in the hotly contested race for San Diego County Sheriff. A former President of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County, Duffy understands the needs of the public servants who keep our county safe for all San Diegans.

“Jim Duffy has demonstrated a true commitment to public safety and the men and women who provide it here in San Diego County,” Gonzalez said. “It’s refreshing to vote for a candidate who truly understands the needs of the personnel whose charge it is to keep taxpayers safe.”

The Labor Council also announced the endorsements of the reelection campaigns for Senator Barbara Boxer of California and Rep. Susan Davis in the 53rd District Congressional race. Former San Diego City Councilwoman Toni Atkins was also endorsed in the election for the 76th Assembly District.

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO, includes 127 affiliated unions representing more than 189,000 workers in the region. Labor Council-endorsed candidates and initiative positions were victorious in all seven of the organization’s priority races in 2008. For more information, visit www.unionyes.org.

The Future of the Democratic Party in San Diego.

noreply@blogger.com (Colin Parent) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +0000

The primary challenge facing Democrats in San Diego is to present a credible alternative to conservative leadership.

San Diego is a newly Democratic community. For decades, conservatives have dominated local politics, and Democrats were left to fight over a limited number of districts to play only the loyal opposition. Now Democrats are the plurality of voters in the County, and are increasing their plurality of registered voters in the City. Despite these gains, Democrats have been unable to capture even one seat on the County Board of Supervisors, and it has been over 20 years since voters elected a Democratic mayor.

Numerical superiority alone has not been sufficient to overcome entrenched conservative dominance. Democrats need to present themselves as capable of leading San Diego, in order to leverage our advantages into real electoral wins.

For many years, most elected Democrats in San Diego followed one of two basic models. The first type of Democrat was a feisty contrarian, whose message is primarily a criticism of those in power. The alternative to that contrarian model are Democrats elected as vanilla, uncontroversial compromisers, who pledged to work with the conservative interests that already dominate San Diego.

Neither model presents a uniquely progressive or Democratic vision. The contrarian is a naysayer that critiques the status quo without presenting feasible alternatives. The compromiser more or less accepts the status quo, and pledges to work within its existing framework.

While the contrarian may object to conservative policies, they fail to articulate a persuasive Democratic alternative. The compromiser may support realistic policies, but their views are not meaningfully different from the policies advanced by conservative officeholders.

The future of the Democratic Party in San Diego requires candidates and office-holders to present uniquely Democratic ideas that are credible alternatives to the conservative status quo. We can’t just complain about conservative policies, or promise to compromise with the conservative office-holders. Neither strategy informs voters what a Democratic local government would actually do for them. We have to present a vision of what Democratic local governance would look like. And we have to ask voters to elect Democrats to carry out that vision.

In short, we have to lead.

If Democrats are unhappy about a Mayor’s charter review process, we can’t limit our response to complaining about it. Instead we have to present an alternative review system, and either use the legislative powers of the City Council, or a referendum to enact it. If proposed budgets call for cuts that are antithetical to progressive values, Democrats must show how those cuts can realistically be avoided. If the Democrats only complain about the initiatives of others, then we are not leading, but only reacting.

Democrats in San Diego need not moderate themselves in order to demonstrate a capacity for local leadership. While pragmatism is important, successful Democrats can and should fiercely advocate for the cause of workers, for project labor agreements and environmental concerns. Voters support Democrats on these issues.

In the current City Council, the person who best follows this modern Democratic approach is Todd Gloria. Gloria doesn’t just sit on the sidelines. He puts forward realistic policies that are useful alternatives to the conservative status quo. For example, Gloria has advocated for ending the subsidy renters are forced to pay when the city doesn’t charge homeowners for trash pickup. He placed more Community Relations Officers in his district, to efficiently leverage city resources and stop crimes before they start.

San Diego is fortunate to have someone like Gloria on the Council. But he’s only one person, and we need our other Democrats to follow his example. The Labor Council is taking some important steps by allowing candidates to take a “Labor 101” course on the practical and moral underpinnings policy that supports working people. San Diegans are setting up a local chapter of the New Leaders Council (www.newleaderscouncil.org), to build skills and relationships for young progressive political entrepreneurs.

Democrats need to articulate how their policy preferences will actually operate when applied. If we are going to ask voters to give us the reigns of government, we have to present and fight for a positive view of progressive local government.

Colin Parent is an attorney and the Political Director for the San Diego County Young Democrats.

[Cross-posted on NBC San Diego.]

Unity on the Governor’s race

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:11:00 +0000

This is from the CDP Chair John Burton:

Not long ago, I wrote you about next year’s governor’s race. The California Democratic Party’s Statewide Officers, Regional Directors and Caucus Chairs and I had concluded that our gubernatorial candidates should not seek the party’s pre-primary endorsement.

The Party sent letters to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Jerry Brown urging them to avoid dividing the Party – and draining Party resources – during the primary season.

Attorney General Brown and Mayor Newsom have since responded. Both of them have agreed in writing that they will not pursue the Party’s pre-primary endorsement so long as other Democratic gubernatorial candidates play by the same rules.

Of course, the Party will send the same letter to, and make the same request of, any other Democrats who may enter the gubernatorial primary field.

As you doubtless recall, the Party gave its pre-primary endorsement in the 2006 gubernatorial election and spent all its money to help our candidate win the primary. The day after the primary, Republicans began to attack the Democratic nominee, but our coffers were empty and we had no resources to respond in kind.

Next year, our nominee will almost certainly face off with a multimillionaire who is able to self-fund his or her campaign.

We must conserve our money and energy now for next year, when we will elect a Democratic governor. The California Democratic Party is delighted that Mayor Newsom and Attorney General Brown agree with this course of action.

Peace and friendship,

John

Statement of California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton on the Passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:48:00 +0000

The nation has suffered a great loss with the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was a giant in the history of the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Kennedy was a friend and ally for decades. We shared a passion for broadening health care coverage, protecting the rights of poor and middle-class Americans, expanding civil rights and so much more.

Ted Kennedy was perhaps the most accomplished senator of our time. He created the Family Medical Leave Act and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. He passed countless measures to expand health coverage and improve education. He raised the minimum wage, enabled 18-year-olds to vote and opposed the Vietnam and Iraq wars.

I consulted with Sen. Kennedy in 2003 when I passed SB 2, a bill that would have vastly expanded health care coverage in California were it not for a referendum.

On a personal level, Sen. Kennedy and I shared other common bonds: We were both known as “liberal lions.” And we were both the baby brothers of prominent men.

While Sen. Kennedy’s three older brothers died young in the service of their country, Ted was with us for 77 years. During that time, he worked tirelessly to improve all of our lives.

My prayers are with his wife, Vicki, his children, his sister, Jean, his niece, Maria, his nephew, Bobby, and whole family. Ted Kennedy will be deeply missed.

Read This

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:00:00 +0000

From today’s San Diego News Network:
State investigates alleged San Diego Republican corruption

Given the bang-up job Nehring is doing that the state level this is really no surprise. To see it covered in the press is.

Districts 2 and 6 get one each

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:51:00 +0000

The SDUT broke this yesterday:

Jim Morrison, 52, of Pacific Beach is joining three other people to challenge the incumbency of Kevin Faulconer for the District 2 seat. A property manager, Morrison is involved with the Pacific Beach planning committee, town council and parking committee. This would be his fourth time running for City Council.

Like all the challengers in the District 2 race, Morrison is a Democrat.

And

Meanwhile, the District 6 race has gained another late entrant, Ryan M. Huckabone.

Huckabone is a sales representative for an electrical supply warehouse. His resume also includes a stint as a Chinese linguist in the Army and participation on the Clairemont Town Council. This is his first foray into city politics. Huckabone is a Republican.

As of this writing, the entry of these two won’t change things significantly. Morrison will join Funicane and Towbridge slinging rocks at Faulconer. With three Democrats in a marginally Democratic district, their division of the vote will make it easier for Kevin.

In District 6, Huckabone’s arrival will make Zapf work for the Republican base support but not too hard. She seems to getting grudging support from the Republican establishment and, with similar levels (meaning low) of name ID in the district, that could give her the nod in June to take on the winner of the Dem party cage match between Wayne and Hadley.

Steve Hadley and Steve Francis

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 22:34:00 +0000

The SDUT last Wednesday reported, under the headline “GOP Steve endorses Democrat Steve”, that Steve Hadley, Donna Frye’s current Chief of Staff and candidate for her seat on the San Diego City Council, has been endorsed by Steve Francis, the Republican former mayoral candidate.

Some initial thoughts:

WTF is Hadley thinking?
I get the bipartisan angle but I don’t see Francis as a positive influence in passing progressive legislation. Francis isn’t exactly loved within GOP circles, except for his money, and would be helpful to Hadley were he running for a city-wide position. Because Francis’s experience is limited to running for mayor, I don’t know what help he could give, other than as a name to list and possible fundraiser, for Hadley.

WTF is Francis thinking?
Francis seems to have been laying low waiting for an opportunity like this. Hadley seems like a nice guy who can help rebuild Francis’s stature among those who have been burned by the partisanship of electeds by showing that even Democrats can work with him.

WTF?
Remember when Donna embraced Carl’s reform effort? Then remember, during the vote for the new council president, how Carl praised Donna before burying her with his vote? I see a similar dynamic at work here. Carl used Donna’s credibility to crack open a post-partisan niche for himself, which is difficult when he is a very partisan warrior. I see the same thing playing itself out in the 6th with Hadley and Francis. Hadley needs recognition and Francis need rehabilitation.

In both cases, the post-partisan image looks great. In both cases, the Democrat has more to lose while the Republican has more to gain. It didn’t work for Donna and I don’t think it will work for Hadley.

Kittle is Out

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:22:00 +0000

The bow-tied defender of a rampant free market and the San Diego status quo has been laid off from the SDUT.

From Today’s Voice:
Bob Kittle, the editorial page editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune, has been laid off, according to newsroom sources. So has Bernie Jones, the editor of the newspaper's opinion page.

Kittle has been one of the newspaper's most prominent voices and its public face: A conservative and staunch supporter of San Diego business community.

His predictable editorial slant and contorted defenses of business-as-usual will be missed.

Statement from California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton on Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:45:00 +0000

With the passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver today, America has lost a champion for people with developmental disabilities.

The founder of the Special Olympics, Shriver’s work and passion laid the foundation for the greater disability rights movement.

Inspired by love for her sister, Rosemary, Shriver helped eradicate the stigma of developmental disabilities and foster breakthrough in research and education.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s spirit and humanity live on through her loved ones.

My heart goes out to her children, including California First Lady Maria Shriver and Santa Monica City Councilman Bobby Shriver, her siblings, including Sen. Ted Kennedy, and the entire family. Eunice Kennedy Shriver will be deeply missed.

‘Steinberg v. Schwarzenegger’ Constitutional Lawsuit to be Filed Next Week

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:05:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2009

‘Steinberg v. Schwarzenegger’ Constitutional Lawsuit to be Filed Next Week

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) today announced that he will file a lawsuit against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger early next week that contends the Governor violated his constitutional authority in making line item vetoes to portions of the Legislature’s budget revision bill in July.

The suit will be called: “Steinberg v. Schwarzenegger.”

“We elected a governor, not an emperor,” Steinberg said. “In making these line item vetoes the Governor forced punishing cuts on children, the disabled and patients that he couldn’t win fairly at the bargaining table. And in doing so, he overstepped his constitutional authority.”

On Wednesday, the non-partisan 93-year-old Legislative Counsel Bureau issued an opinion that made clear that the Governor had no right to unilaterally undo the budget agreement, causing further harm to people and violating his constitutional authority and the checks and balances contained in our constitution.

In its opinion, the Legislative Counsel Bureau said that a Governor can only line item veto “appropriations,” and what the Legislature sent him on July 24th were not “appropriations” – they were revised reductions in existing, previously enacted appropriations that we made in February.

See the opinion here:

http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/focus/budget2009/LegCounselVetoes.pdf

Steinberg said he will use his campaign funds to pay for the lawsuit, which will be filed in San Francisco Superior Court. While the lawsuit will address the Governor’s constitutional authority, the breadth of the suit will be determined by Steinberg’s attorneys and other plaintiffs may be added.

I am running for Chula Vista City Council

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:13:00 +0000

PERAZA FOR CITY COUNCIL

For Immediate Release
August 6, 2009

HUMBERTO PERAZA DECLARES CANDIDACY FOR CHULA VISTA CITY COUNCIL

Humberto Peraza announced today that he has formed a campaign committee to run for Chula Vista City Council.

“As a young father, I want to do everything possible to make Chula Vista a better place for our families,” said Peraza. “As a member of the City Council, I will focus on delivering basic services, such as police, fire and parks, while we balance the budget. In these tough times, I will make job creation and revitalizing our local economy a
top priority.”

Humberto Peraza enters the City Council race with the support of Congressman Bob Filner, who has represented Chula Vista in the Congress since 1992.

Peraza served as District Chief of Staff for Filner for four and a half years, helping local communities secure federal funding for transportation and other community projects.

Currently serving as Senior Policy Advisor to San Diego Council President Ben Hueso, Peraza was appointed by Chula Vista Mayor Steve Padilla to the Chula Vista Charter Review Commission and was elected as Chair of the Commission. He also is a member of the board of the League of Conservation Voters.

The Peraza campaign is off to a quick start with a strong leadership team, including Paola Avila of AB Consulting and Development, Rose Kapolczynski of Progressive Strategy Partners and Kelli Maruccia of KM Strategies.

The primary will be held in June 2010 and the runoff, if necessary, will be held in November 2010. Humberto Peraza is running for Chula Vista City Council Seat 2, currently held by Councilmember John McCann. McCann is unable to run for reelection due to term limits.

Peraza attended public schools in San Diego and graduated from San Diego State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Peraza, 35, lives with his wife Lisa and sons Ben, 5, and Dylan, 2, in East Chula Vista.

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Rep. Bob Filner (CA-51) draws a line in the sand

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:31:00 +0000

Quick Hits

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:13:00 +0000

I leave town for a bit and all the good stuff happens. I’m citing articles that have been piling up in my inbox:

Candidates Fundraising Prowess (SDUT 8/3/09)
Kevin leads all with $72K. No surprise here. Wayne is in 2nd with $26,542 minus 5K he lent himself which puts him at 21K. Very good in this economic climate. Alvarez in 3rd with $16K is very good and a surprise. Labor has been dissing his chances yet he comes out stronger than anyone else in the 8th district. This should raise eyebrows.

DeMaio and Privitization (Voice of SD, 8/3/09)
Carl, in his latest act of performance “art”, ranted about the city’s lack of progress implementing privatization. I call it “art” because, were he serious, he would call the Mayor out for not doing anything and would name names let alone try to do something as a member of the same government that is supposed to implement privatization rather than take up time on the City Government channel.

Bejerano’s Fundraising Prowess (SDUT 8/6/09)
Because there are nothing but Republicans playing to their base for Sheriff, Bejarano can easily slide in through appealing to the other half of the electorate that isn’t beholden to the right. His commanding fundraising lead so far looks to put him in a grand position to make this a real race.

CA Assembly’s Profile in Courage This Week (LA Times, 8/6/09)
28 members of the Assembly voted to OK offshore oil drilling. That record has been expunged. Good thing to know that our tax dollars are paying for elected who would rather cover their ass than defend them. I never thought I'd say this, but when the CDP has the balls to go on record for issues we believe in and the Assembly, where in name we have a majority, won't, the old order is ready for a fall.

Saldaña is in!

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:46:00 +0000

According to the San Diego News Network, Lori Saldaña is in the race for the seat currently held by Ron Roberts (#4) on the County Board of Supervisors.

So how does this change things? A lot.

Saldaña
Has good name recognition and already represents most of the 4th District through her current position in the state assembly. She hasn’t had a real race since her first but she’s proven that she can do what needs to be done to win. If she hires Remer, who almost tanked her first run, this race goes from a slam dunk to competitive. His record last time out wasn’t encouraging, but hopefully Saldaña can overcome his shortcoming and pull this one out.

Frye
Unlike Donna who I think is done. Frye can’t raise money, can‘t assemble a real campaign team, and can’t help out her CoS Steve Hadley in his run for her seat if she is distracted by her own race. Sure there are die-hard Donna supporters who would believe her if she said the moon was made of cheese, but they are too few and unorganized in general to pull off a race against someone like Lori.

Jackson
And the same goes for Sheila. She has an even smaller base to work from and, without a solid from Labor, will have an even harder time of it. IMHO, she should stay at the Board of Education because the 3-2 voting block that passed the PLAs is too fragile to allow freelancing.

Conclusion
Will go to a runoff after June with Saldaña and the Republican who challenges Roberts. This guy has made many enemies over the years and isn’t loved by his side.

Let the Seals Stay

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:05:00 +0000

This La Jolla thing has been batty from the start, so let me make the point that it hurts San Diego more to get rid of the seals than to let them have the Children’s Pool.

There are valid health reasons for getting rid of them but the truth is that the seals can make better use of this beach than we can. They birth and we swim. They seek shelter and we abandon the place at nightfall.

The climate is changing and so must we. As such, we should address other issues (deficits, crumbling infrastructure, etc. ) and leave the seals be.

As a friend of mine noted, in Monterey and Carmel there are million dollar homes on the beach next to Sea Lions who spend about 3-4 months a year having sex and birthing. No one there would dream of calling for their removal. You swim and surf at your own risk but that risk is implicit in doing so there.

And seals are quieter and cuter than Sea Lions.

I’m not anyone of influence but I don’t think San Diego wants to be known as the place where seals are not welcome and happy happens. That leads to bad jokes on late night TV. What San Diegans should do is bust out the seal merchandise and set up shop.

San Juan Capistrano has swallows. We can have seals.

Say NO to New Offshore Drilling

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:08:00 +0000

From the CDP:

As you may have heard, legislative leaders and the governor have reached a tentative budget deal that the Senate and Assembly could vote on as soon as tomorrow.

One part of the package is a Republican-written bill that would allow offshore drilling in state-controlled waters off California’s coast for the first time since the devastating 1969 oil spill off the Santa Barbara coast. This proposal is an affront to all Californians and we must urge lawmakers to vote it down.

* This sweetheart deal for one oil company was negotiated behind closed doors, without any legislative hearings to allow public comment.

* It strips the State Lands Commission – which has approved or rejected oil leases for the past 150 years – of this power and gives it to a commission controlled by the governor’s administration. This commission would have unlimited authority to rewrite the lease to benefit the oil company.

* The offshore drilling plan does not solve either this year’s budget problems or systemic problems. That’s because its promises of future revenue are not actually written into law.

This Republican offshore drilling scheme endangers California’s environment. It would further pad the pockets of oil executives. And it does virtually nothing to solve the state’s current or future budget problems.

Ironically, the same Republican legislators who support this sweetheart deal are the ones who refused to vote for our Democratic leaders’ proposal for an oil-severance tax like the one levied in every other oil-producing state.

Please call your local lawmaker and urge him or her to say NO to new offshore drilling. Say NO to jeopardizing our coastline for minimal budget help this year or in the future.

Please call them today to protect California’s coastline. Tell them to vote against allowing new offshore oil drilling.

This scheme reminds us again why it’s so important to have a majority-vote budget in California so Republicans cannot hijack the budget process to make bad policy changes that are extraneous to the state budget.

Peace and friendship,
John

Kehoe issues statement on judge's order to disperse La Jolla seals

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:20:00 +0000

From a press release dated today:

SAN DIEGO – SAN DIEGO – Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) issued the following statement today after Superior Court Judge Yuri Hofmann ordered the City of San Diego to begin dispersing the seals from The Children's Pool beach in La Jolla within 72 hours:

“I appreciate the urgency of this matter and have asked Governor Schwarzenegger to immediately sign my legislation, SB 428, which would give the City discretion on whether the seals stay. Judge Hofman’s order appears to be a hasty move, given that my legislation needs only the Governor’s signature to resolve this 16-year problem. The City has already spent over $1 million in legal fees, and the Judge should take into account the Legislature’s strong bipartisan effort to spare the City from spending an additional $700,000 to immediately remove the seals.”

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County Employees Call for Term Limits

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +0000

From an SEIU Press Release:

San Diego- San Diego County employees today held a press conference at the County Administration Center to call for term limits for the San Diego County Supervisors. Margaret Johnson, a long-term County employee, filed an initiative with the San Diego Registrar of Voters to limit the Supervisor’s terms. The initiative would amend the San Diego County Charter to limit a Supervisor’s time in office to two four-year terms.

“The same politicians have run San Diego County for years, but they have failed to address the pressing issues facing our County,” Johnson said. “These career politicians have become so entrenched with special projects that they are routinely re-elected, even though they’ve lost touch with the needs of all the people of San Diego County . In fact, no incumbent Supervisor in San Diego County has lost a re-election bid in over a decade.”

Service Employees International Union Local 221, the union that represents San Diego County employees, was at the press conference to support the term limit initiative.

“We need new leaders with new ideas to improve the quality of life in San Diego County - leaders who are not focused on their own issues and benefits,” Service Employees International Union Local 221 President Sharon-Frances Moore said.

Once the initiative has been processed by the County, petition gatherers have 180 days to get 77,537 valid signatures in order to get the initiative on the June 2010 ballot.

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Stop another bad GOP appointment

noreply@blogger.com (Franklin) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:37:00 +0000

From the San Diego County Democratic Party:

On Tuesday, July 14, the San Diego City Council will be voting on the Mayor's appointment of John Davies to the San Diego Airport Authority. Currently, the Airport Authority has 8 Republicans and only 1 Democrat.

We need our Democratic Council members to stand up to the mayor and so no.

Who is John Davies?

JOHN DAVIES is a friend of Pete Wilson
John Davies has been a Planning Commissioner, head of CCDC, Regent of the University of California, and Appointments Secretary to then-Gov.
Wilson. He has a long and impressive resume thanks to his friendship with Pete Wilson, but did you know... ?

JOHN DAVIES recently served as Mayor Sanders' enforcer as Chairman of the City Charter Review Commission which advocated for expanding and making permanent the strong mayor form of government. In that role he fought hard to keep the cities power base in the hands of the downtown business establishment.

JOHN DAVIES is NOT a FRIEND to People of Color or Women While on the University of California Board of Regents, John Davies was one of Ward Connerly's most consistent and vocal allies in attacking affirmative action and opportunity for women and minorities at the University of California.

He voted in favor of SP-1 and SP-2 (the UC precursor to Proposition 209), and endorsed Prop 209 (which served to eliminate affirmative action in California).

He was also the only UC Regent to join Ward Connerly in voting AGAINST "Comprehensive Review Admissions" which allows UC to look beyond mere grades and test scores in evaluating students for admissions, despite evidence that UC professional schools were rapidly losing the ability to recruit minority students.

He was a vocal proponent for Proposition 54, pushing to eliminate the ability of the government to even collect racial information - thereby making it impossible to show racial disparity in contracting, health access or educational gains.

JOHN DAVIES is NOT a FRIEND to the LGBT Community While on the UC Board of Regents, John Davies voted AGAINST domestic partner benefits for UC employees.

JOHN DAVIES is NOT a FRIEND to Labor
While serving as Chair of the Board of Children's Hospital, John Davies helped fight the efforts of hospital janitors and medical aids to unionize, spent hospital resources to help delay a first contract, and ultimately engaged a decertification campaign against the workers.

He is AGAINST Project Labor Agreements and Neutrality in Union Organizing

Would John Davies be your Friend on the Airport Authority?

Please contact each council member with a simple message: VOTE NO ON THE APPOINTMENT OF JOHN DAVIES TO THE SAN DIEGO AIRPORT AUTHORITY!

Photo of District 1 Councilmember Sherri Lightner District 1
Councilmember Sherri Lightner
E-mail: sherrilightner@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 2 Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer District 2
Council President Pro Tem Kevin Faulconer
E-mail: kevinfaulconer@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 3 Councilmember Todd Gloria District 3
Councilmember Todd Gloria
E-mail: toddgloria@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 4 Councilmember Tony Young District 4
Councilmember Tony Young
E-mail: anthonyyoung@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 5 Councilmember Carl DeMaio District 5
Councilmember Carl DeMaio
E-mail: carldemaio@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 6 Councilmember Donna Frye District 6
Councilmember Donna Frye
E-mail: donnafrye@sandiego.gov

Photo of District 7 Councilmember Marti Emerald District 7
Councilmember Marti Emerald
E-mail: martiemerald@sandiego.gov

City Council District 8 District 8
Council President Ben Hueso
E-mail: benhueso@sandiego.gov

News Flash! DeMaio plans to be in his own district!

noreply@blogger.com (Socrates in Love) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Shocking I know, but bear with me.

After hosting a small business roundtable in the 3rd (!), Carl has decided to do something in his district other than vote from there.

From a flyer I was sent:

Join Councilmember DeMaio as he reports to his constituents on the “State of District 5” and updates the entire city on efforts to reform city government. The program will provide San Diegans with a compelling road map for making government work again in our communities.

July 21st - 7:00 p.m.
Thurgood Marshall Middle School
9700 Avenue of Nations
San Diego, CA 92131
Space is limited, RSVP is suggested
Phone (619) 236-6655
A small reception will be held at the conclusion of the program
www.CleanUpCityHall.com

This is a public service announcement for the residents of District 5 who wonder where the hell their elected representative went.