From Bonnie Dumanis (original is linked here)… Greetings! I want you to be among the first to know that I’ve made an important decision about our future. For some time, I’ve been talking with San Diegans about how my experience can be of value as the city continues its struggle back to financial health. As your District Attorney, I see …
The U.S. has Massive OIL Reserves and high gas prices? Nice…
I got this email earlier today, just after I drove my all electric Nissan Leaf past a bunch of gas stations advertising $4.00+ prices for a gallon of gasoline. As a side note, based on miles per Kwh and the price of electricity, I’m paying the energy equivalent of about 20 cents per gallon driving the Leaf… But back to the …
Le$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 …
SD Rostra’s own Marie Waldron named “Woman of the Year” in North County’s 74th District by Assemblyman Martin Garrick!
SD Rostra’s Marie Waldron has been named Assemblyman Martin Garrick’s “Woman of the Year” today, a prestigious Honor made annually by members of the California State Assembly. Marie is Deputy Mayor of Escondido, and won a landslide re-election victory in November. “I am very pleased to honor Marie as my Woman of the Year,” Garrick said today. “She has clearly …
Sky high gas doesn’t help GM’s Electric car sales
With fuel prices edging past the $4 per gallon mark in many states, one would think budget-conscious consumers would be making a beeline to GM’s new electric cars. They’re not. After the federal government publicly took over General Motors, many tree-hugging bureaucrats embraced the former gas-guzzling auto giant and designed the new environmentally friendly “Volt.” However, the inception of General …
Free Speech Working Both Ways
Originally published by The Washington Times March 3, 2011 — Landmark court decisions often leave a peculiar fragrance behind, spawning a plethora of mixed feelings. Such emotional roller coasters may understandably look like a contradiction, but the truth is, feelings and laws are often owned in unavoidable tension with each other. The latest Supreme Court case regarding Westboro Baptist serves …
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 …
GOP budget hawks look to lasso the cowboy poet’s festival
Cry me a river Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is calling the Republicans mean for wanting to cut the cowboy poetry festival in his home state of Nevada. “The mean-spirited bill, H.R. 1, eliminates National Public Broadcasting,” says Senate Leader Reid. “It (H.R.1) eliminates the National Endowment of the Humanities and National Endowment of the Arts.” Reid continued to …
2012 SD Mayoral Candidates: Where’s Your Base?
Here’s a fun question for discussion: what do you think will be the voter bases for the Republican candidates seeking the San Diego City Mayor’s Office in 2012? In 2000, Dick Murphy, a Del Cerro resident, built a GOTV machine in his nearby San Carlos/Navajo precincts and dominated the vote there on Primary Election Day. In 2005, Jerry Sanders built …
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 …
El Cajon to Consider Ballot Measure as Charter City
Chalk up the City of El Cajon as another local jurisdiction seriously considering a transition from general law to charter status. Tuesday’s El Cajon City Council agenda includes consideration of a draft proposed charter, as well as referring the language "to the Special Election to be held in June 2011." The four-page charter document follows an agenda report authored by …
Marty Block tops $10,000 in ‘Gifts’ …. #1 among S.D. County state legislators in 2010– Senator Mark Wyland took the fewest ($403)
Democratic Assemblyman Marty Block (D-78) is the undisputed 2010 County champion gift-taker among state legislators, per FPPC reports recently revealed. With a strong sense of Junket, Block led the way with $10,829 in 2010 alone, easily besting 2nd-place Martin Garrick (R-74) with $8,692. Taking the fewest gifts among local State legislators was Senator Mark Wyland (R-38th) at just $403. … Source: FPPC disclosure …
CA drops from world’s 5th to 10th largest economy in 10 years
California’s troubling decline vs. other nations by Richard Rider Frequently we hear the boast that California’s economy is bigger than most countries. And indeed, that is quite true. But there are two problems with this Golden State boosterism: 1. Too often the proclaimed rank of California vs. the other countries is outdated — and too high. 2. California’s rank has …
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, …
Round Up of News You Might Have Missed
Even if your attention wasn’t diverted by Charlie Sheen this week, there were a number of items you might have missed in this week’s news. California budget driven by court orders A little known fact in the debate over California’s $27 billion budget shortfall is the role the judiciary has played in adding to the problem. The U-T had a …
The Election File — Karolyn Dorsee joins Danon for Supervisor Team and — (2) Brian Jones ready for a 2nd State Assembly Term
Two notable end-of-the-week events to report today… Steve Danon adds the best-known fundraiser in town, Karolyn Dorsee, to his 3rd Supervisorial Dist. bid against incumbent Pam Slater-Price. Dorsee will oversee a Danon fundraiser later this month… Meanwhile, in East County, freshman Assemblyman Brian Jones filed a Candidate Intention Statement this week for 2012, signaling he will seek a 2nd two-year term. …
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 …
Taxpayer Association Analysis Backs DeMaio “Roadmap to Recovery”
Plan Aligns with over two-thirds of SDCTA Budget Reform Principles The San Diego County Taxpayers’ Association released a 27-page report evaluating Councilmember Carl DeMaio’s “Roadmap to Recovery.” The report found DeMaio’s proposal to be substantially in alignment with SDCTA’s 38 Budget Reform Principles. “We applaud the ideas of managed competition and outsourcing, as well as the details provided for streamlining …
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