San Diego Rostra is our region’s leading political blog with several breaking news items to our credit and some swell awards, translating to an impressive growth in readership.
So it’s no surprise to this member of the blogpen to learn that Santa Claus himself is one of Rostra’s loyal followers. He’s asked to sit in as a guest blogger with his own Rostra “Naughty or Nice” contribution. Who am I to say no to the big guy in the red suit, especially if I want some swag for Christmas. So here it is – and remember, Santa wears a RED suit for a reason, boys and girls.
Naughty
- Former San Diego City Councilmember and incoming state legislator Ben Hueso for various shenanigans including illegally funneling money to his brother Felipe’s campaign to take over his council seat, and then putting some of his bro’s campaign folks on the council district payroll just before departing for Sacramento.
- Felipe Hueso for his part in all of the above, then capping off his year with a DUI arrest.
- The San Diego United School District board of directors for putting a parcel tax increase on the ballot based on a bogus $130,000 opinion poll, wasting funding resources that could have gone to our kids.
- San Diego City Councilmembers Todd Gloria, Marti Emerald, Donna Frye, Ben Hueso and Tony Young who voted in favor of restricting so-called “supercenter” stores like WalMart, claiming such stores hurt small businesses and neighborhoods. Yep, lowering prices on groceries and other commodities and providing jobs in neighborhoods during an economic turndown is a huge threat from which our citizens must be protected.
- The City Councils of Chula Vista, National City, and Oceanside for doing the bare minimum to comply with the Brown Act while trying to sneak votes past citizens on issues that cost them money such as crash taxes and approving new public labor union contracts.
- The San Diego Chamber of Commerce for turning on small business, many of whom are its own members, and supporting Yes on D
- The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for continuing to resist allowing law-abiding San Diegans from securing concealed weapons permits.
- Public employee labor union leaders who continue to stubbornly hold taxpayers hostage despite crushing economic realities, apparently preferring that there be no jobs left and no one providing services rather than accepting reduced salaries and pension benefits.
Nice
- T.J. Zane and the Lincoln Club for stepping up to speak loud and clear on behalf of the business community, going 16 for 16 in the issues and candidates it backed in 2010. Money talks and the rest of it walks!
- The members of the California Restaurant Association, New Car Dealers Association, Asian Business Association, Neighborhood Market Association, and other groups and individuals for stepping up to fund No on D against the big labor union money.
- San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, for quietly going about doing what he can to solve the pension reform dilemma through the tedious, unglamorous method of working through the courts.
- KOGO-AM Radio and program director Cliff Albert for giving us a brand new live and local issued oriented talk show hosted by LaDona Harvey, another redheaded Libertarian. Laura who?
- Richard Rider, for fighting the good fight for accountability to taxpayers for – well, we’ll just say many years. Never was he more effective than in the 2010 election cycle, appearing constantly in local media and writing for Rostra to educate voters.
- Carl DeMaio, for being the yapping watchdog nipping at the exposed heels of lackadaisical city staff, misbehaving elected officials, and others who would line their own pockets at taxpayer expense.
- Cathy Glaser, the unsung heroine of the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office, retiring after her many years of service with our thanks.
- Young Conservatives, gaining power and strength on our campuses every day and leverage social media tools to ensure that their voices are heard. They got swagger!
- John Hoy, the quietly effective mastermind of the Lorie Zapf for Council and No on Prop D campaigns. It’s a pleasure to see this guy working up close. A nod to John’s friends known as The General and the Librarian too.
- John Nienstedt of Competitive Edge Research for keeping his standards high and providing polling results rooted in reality.
- Our friends across the political aisle at San Diego City Beat for breaking plenty of their own news in 2010, relentlessly holding our public officials accountable, and collaborating with us at Rostra on projects like live election blogs, opening up politics to a broader range of voices.
- San Diego Rostra’s readers for staying involved, engaged, providing thought provoking feedback and making us the number one political blog in the San Diego region… some would argue the best blog period!