San Diego Mayor Bob Filner showing signs of dementia?

The Libertarian Lass, Gayle FalkenthalThe Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal 8 Comments

Disclaimer: The author is not a medical professional and does not represent herself as a medical expert, merely an observer asking a question worth considering in light of recent events. Increasingly disturbing accounts from women reporting sexual harassment by San Diego Mayor Bob Filner have left observers scratching their heads for a possible explanation.  It seems inconceivable for an elected …

As the Albondigas Turn: May’s Meatball Mayoral Poll

The Libertarian Lass, Gayle FalkenthalThe Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal 3 Comments

In the previous edition of the already legendary Albondigas San Diego Meatball Poll (and who are we to argue with this assertion), Councilmember Carl DeMaio, Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, and Congressman Bob Filner were the top three picks in February for the San Diego Mayor’s race. Back when this poll took place, Charlie Sheen was still on “Two and a Half …

The Opponent Bonnie Dumanis Fears Most – And It’s Not Who You Think

The Libertarian Lass, Gayle FalkenthalThe Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal 43 Comments

San Diego political insiders have been all a-Twitter today (literally) with the filing of candidacy papers for the City of San Diego Mayoral Race by District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. Ongoing speculation including a bet between Rostra blogger Barry Jantz and San Diego County Taxpayers Association senior director Chris Cate on whether Dumanis would actually enter the race ran rampant and …

Dumanis is In

Thor's AssistantRostra Administrator (Thor's Assistant) 7 Comments

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 …

EXCLUSIVE: Meatball Poll Results on San Diego Mayor’s Race

The Libertarian Lass, Gayle FalkenthalThe Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal 14 Comments

There are plenty of polls: straw polls, tracking polls, horse race polls, push polls, exit polls. Not to be left out, San Diego Rostra debuts its exclusive Meatball Poll. This decidedly unscientific poll is conducted among attendees at the National Albondigas Political Society, San Diego Edition. This swell group of political swells gathers for meatball soup (hence the name) and …

Lead, don’t follow

Greg LarkinGreg Larkin Leave a Comment

The San Diego City Council yesterday adopted a resolution in opposition to Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to get rid of local redevelopment agencies. A real shocker of a news story there, that San Diego, or any city would be opposed to such a move by the State.  The only surprise is that Councilmember Sherri Lightner opposed the resolution, apparently needing …

San Diego Mayor’s Race Part 3

CriticusCriticus 13 Comments

Normally I feel somewhat obligated to fact check posts by “mouth of the local gop” Mr. Murphy. So I did some calling around about the San Diego Mayor’s race. Turns out Murphy is correct: it sounds like Dumanis and Filner are in the race. To Filner first: if he runs, and he is the only Democrat, he is pretty much …

Update on 2012 San Diego Mayor’s Race

Mr. MurphyMr. Murphy 20 Comments

Looks like DA Bonnie Dumanis and Congressman Bob Filner are both exploring entering the San Diego Mayor’s race.  How does this play? With the DA in there are at least two “establishment” candidates in the race, Dumanis and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. Presumably Fletcher will be able to access Republican donor monies from his term in Sacramento and his and his …

What About Bob?

The Libertarian Lass, Gayle FalkenthalThe Libertarian Lass, Gayle Falkenthal Leave a Comment

At lunch with a well-connected San Diegan this week, I heard a fascinating rumor about the Mayor’s race in the City of San Diego. It was the notion that a sizable majority of San Diego’s Jewish community does not want Congressman Bob Filner to run for Mayor, because it would lose “the highest ranking Jewish member of Congress and a …

San Diego Mayor’s Race Part 2

CriticusCriticus 7 Comments

It looks like the establishment candidate for Mayor will be Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. Gossip downtown says that Fletcher has secured the support of Mayor Jerry Sanders, and that he is talking to the Mayor’s political consultant, Tom Shepard. It’s also circulating that Fletcher and DA Bonnie Dumanis have an understanding that if he runs (which looks certain) she will not, …

San Diego City Mayor’s Race Part 1

CriticusCriticus 7 Comments

Anyone who watches as much tv as I do was bound to see ads this election season for Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. There were a good number of them, and on broadcast. Fletcher is in a safe Republican seat so I couldn’t figure out what he was doing. Then it hit me a few days ago: Fletcher can’t use the money …

Frye’s Folly

SunshineSunshine 15 Comments

The Prop D numbers: Definite No on Prop D: 52.6% Definite Yes on Prop D: 18.3% Undecided on Prop D: 29.1% 362 Likely Voters +/- 4.1% Looks like a 2012 Mayoral run for DF is even more of an uphill battle now…

Coalition Letter to Mayor Sanders, Re: Sales Tax Ballot Proposal

Thor's AssistantRostra Administrator (Thor's Assistant) 3 Comments

REFORM BEFORE REVENUE COALITION Asian Business Association of San Diego Republican Party of San Diego County Building Industry Association – San Diego San Diego County Apartment Association California Restaurant Association San Diego County Taxpayers Association Neighborhood Market Association San Diego Tax Fighters Lincoln Club of San Diego County July 29, 2010 Honorable Mayor Jerry Sanders Honorable City Councilmembers City of …

City of San Diego moves headlong toward “something”

Thor's AssistantRostra Administrator (Thor's Assistant) Leave a Comment

Voice reporter Liam Dillon is literally camped out at SD City Hall.  From Voice of SD… City Sets Emergency Financial Meeting; Frye and Mayor to Present Joint Proposal? The San Diego City Council will meet Friday morning at 10 a.m. to discuss City Councilwoman Donna Frye’s proposed ballot measure linking a sales tax increase to a series of cost-cutting reforms. …

ZOMBIE SALES TAX RETURNS YET AGAIN

Richard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax FightersRichard Rider, Chairman, San Diego Tax Fighters 10 Comments

SALES TAX IS NOT DEAD YET! We enjoyed some brief success yesterday (Monday, 26 July, 2010) when Donna Frye threw a monkey wrench into the San Diego City Council majority’s plan to put a sales tax on the ballot. As you probably all know by now, she joined with Carl DeMaio and Kevin Faulconer to torpedo a sales tax increase …

Delicious Stagecraft By Donna Frye… and the Mayor

CriticusCriticus 2 Comments

It’s not just that Donna Frye voted against putting the sales tax on the ballot, its how she did it. She warned the majority of Democrats days ago that she wouldn’t vote to put a tax increase on the a ballot without cuts at the same time. Yet again, labor and her fellow Democrats rolled their eyes and ignored her. …

DeMaio Thanks Grassroots for Helping Defeat City Sales Tax Hike

Carl DeMaioCarl DeMaio 1 Comment

YOU did it!  We received countless emails and calls at the City Council today against the sales tax increase.  I want to thank my colleagues Donna Frye and Kevin Faulconer for voting against the sales tax proposal today — and standing firm for real pension reform.  If you have a moment, please shoot both Kevin and Donna an email thanking them …

Explosions, Sex, and Politics!

SunshineSunshine Leave a Comment

Did that headline make you read this? Good, because this is boring yet so exciting! Unless you don’t neurotically check your twitter, don’t get breaking political news email pushed to your blackberry, or don’t regularly troll the City Clerk’s office (see: you’re normal), you are just now finding out that Carl DeMaio’s Fair and Open Contracting Ballot Measure, henceforth known …