Supposedly objective journalists are being encouraged by the Pacific Media Workers Guild to protest against Wisconsin Republicans for acting against “fundamental labor and human rights,” a.k.a. collective bargaining rights by public employee unions. PMWG outlets include the San Francisco Chronicle; Contra Costa Times; San Jose Mercury News; Valley Times; Oakland Tribune; Sacramento Bee; Fresno Bee; Modesto Bee; Monterey County Herald …
You’re Not Worthy (Of Darren Pudgil)
UPDATE: The inevitable apology. “In my attempt to defend someone I greatly admire – a former police chief who knows something about courage – I said something I shouldn’t have. I’ve called Vince and apologized. We all feel strongly about making our city better, and we will continue to work together.” __________ Darren Pudgil (pictured), the ever-helpful spokesman for San …
Le$ar, Atkin$ And Homele$$ne$$
Contrary to what I originally thought, San Diego CityBeat wasn’t the only local publication writing about the cozy homelessness study contract between the CCDC and former board member Jennifer LeSar. A pseudonymous blogger at San Diego Reader has also examined the questionable deal for a $464,750 study on how to end downtown homelessness in 5 years. My apologies to the …
PolitiFact Right About Rachel Maddow
Funny thing about fact-checking: When you really delve into an issue, it’s always possible to be surprised. I was prepared to blast the fact-checking site PolitiFact yet again for a false claim, this time about Rachel Maddow. But PolitiFact is correct, and Maddow wrong. So is the Web site Stinky Journalism (love the name!) which came to Maddow’s defense. PolitiFact …
VOSD: $300 Million More In San Diego Slush Fund
The ever-resourceful San Diego City Council quietly raised its redevelopment slush fund from $4.1 billion to $4.4 billion. Thanks to a Voice of San Diego article by Keegan Kyle, we know how the underhanded trick was accomplished. While the City Council fast-tracked its approval of the plan, the $300 million cushion was not part of the public discussion. It wasn’t …
UPDATED — Corporate Welfare Watchdog At SD CityBeat
(UPDATE at end of article) How would you end homelessness in downtown San Diego, in five years? According to the Centre City Development Corporation, you pay the agency of former CCDC board member Jennifer LeSar $464,750 for 15 month’s work on a plan. San Diego CityBeat has the story, and a followup. According to CityBeat, LeSar’s hourly rate is $225, …
So a Socialist, A Fascist and a Reporter walked into a bar…
. . . And had a great time! That was the general sentiment of those I talked to at the Red Fox in San Diego Thursday night for the meetup between denizens of SD Rostra, SD CityBeat and Two Cathedrals, plus their friends. I think more than 50 attended. Politicos and other notables spotted there included Chris Crotty, Barry Jantz, …
San Diego’s Attempt To Stop Kessler Lawsuit Fails
The San Diego Reader’s Don Bauder tells us about the city leadership’s latest failure against Scott Kessler. Bauder writes: “Kessler believes his firing was related to the closeness of the mayor to Little Italy powerhouse Marco Li Mandri, who in turn is close to felon Joe Mannino. The FBI and a police investigator did a study indicating that Li Mandri …
Fact-checks Flawed: Labor Council’s Lorena Gonzalez
Inaccuracies in fact-checks make their usefulness questionable, said Lorena Gonzalez, secretary-treasurer and CEO for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Click the photo of Gonzalez below to see video of her explaining her problems with fact-checks. The video is less than 4 minutes; I selected the segment to highlight this one issue. There is a lot more …
Issa Fires Bardella — UPDATED
UPDATE: Here’s a story on the firing from a local perspective, by my North County Times colleague Mark Walker. Walker writes: When Issa, considered Congress’ watchdog through his leadership of the oversight committee, learned from Politico that Bardella was sharing e-mails that reporters expected were private, there was no choice but to fire him, according to Jack Pitney, a former …
UPDATED — Issa Probing Bardella, Says Politico
(UPDATE at end of this post) If true, Politico’s story is obviously bad news for fellow Rostrafarian Kurt Bardella. Here’s the first three grafs: Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the powerful Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has launched an inquiry into whether spokesman Kurt Bardella improperly shared e-mails from other reporters with a New York Times reporter writing …
Riverside County ‘Potato Baron’ Indicted For Campaign Fund Laundering
I didn’t call him a “potato baron,” hence the quotes in the headline. I never knew such a thing existed. Purveyors of spuds don’t usually spark associations with barony. The descriptor of James Larry Minor is taken from a press release by California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who allegedly unearthed ill deeds blighting the fertile soil of Riverside County. Hence …
Rostra Should Not Require Real Identities
This is a reply to Richard Rider’s post, urging SD Rostra to consider requiring commenters to use their real names. Some people have legitimate reasons not to use their real names, and have worthwhile information. We lose if they don’t comment. I suggest Rostra, if it does anything, simply require pseudonymous commenters to choose one nym and stick with it. …
‘You’ve Been Hosed!’
Those three words got Carl DeMaio appreciative laughs toward the end of the crusading San Diego councilman’s talk before the Grantville Action Group the evening of Thursday, Feb. 3. For the context, go to 8:00 in the new YouTube video clip below, which I uploaded Saturday afternoon. Earlier, DeMaio talked about the harmful effects that would ensue if State Sen. …
Carl DeMaio Presents San Diego’s Roadmap To Recovery
San Diego City Councilman and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio presented the “Roadmap to Recovery” fiscal recovery package for San Diego Feb 3, at a meeting of the Grantville Action Group. Since I live in Grantville, I stopped by to hear his pitch. I also recorded video of his talk and questions and answers with the audience of about 30. I …
Juan Vargas Sponsoring State Anti-Wal-Mart Law
One day after the San Diego City Council repealed its ordinance to block Wal-Mart supercenters, State Sen. Juan Vargas has taken up the cause. Vargas announced he is introducing his own bill to make opening Wal-Mart supercenters more difficult, pleasing his labor union backers who oppose Wal-Mart. The bill requires an economic impact analysis of the effect of such supercenters …
Labor Council Condemns Repeal of Anti-Wal-Mart Ordinance – UPDATED
UPDATE: Here’s Wal-Mart’s statement on the repeal of the union-backed ordinance that would have impeded them from opening super centers in San Diego:: Statement from Walmart on the San Diego City Council’s Decision To Repeal the Big Box Ordinance SAN DIEGO, Calif., February 1, 2011 – Walmart today issued the following statement from Maggie Sans, Walmart vice president of public …
Of Staplers And Leases And The San Diego County GOP
Dave Maass, the Favoritist Liberal™ of conservatives and Libertarians, points out a SD CityBeat story by John R. Lamb about a big-name alleged bad tenant: The Republican Party of San Diego County. The county GOP, according to Lamb, ditched its digs on Oberlin Drive at the end of December, with six months to go on its lease: “You wouldn’t believe …
Great Reading (And Listening) With SD CityBeat
Dave Maass has a nice trifecta in the current issue of SD CityBeat — profiles of three local San Diego Tea Party activists. It’s well worth reading. Maass also appeared on Mike Slater’s new show on KFMB 760 radio . (MP3 podcast) Maass discussed the Filner/Popaditch intimidation issue, uncivil rhetoric, and the Mt. Soledad cross issue, both with great perspective …
Can Journalism Be Saved? Should It?
Gayle Falkenthal, a multimodal media maven for many moons, made some pertinent remarks to my column about John Culea at last week’s media panel. I’m going to give you the comment in full and then elaborate. (I’m bolding especially important points) Take it away, Gayle! “As a veteran (!) former broadcaster who also spent time representing elected officials and public …
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