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Archives for July 2012

The Starting Line — A DeMaio Tripleheader: Mayoral Candidate Snubs Cops, Flip Flops on Issues and Abets Suppression of Critical City Auditor Report

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San Diego’s mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio makes no bones about his antagonism towards city workers. Promotional materials for campaign fundraisers boast that he will refuse any and all campaign donations from any city employee. When the candidate was booed during the recent LGBT pride day parade – activists take issue with his political and financial relationships with wealthy social conservatives –, DeMaio told the UT-San Diego that unions were behind the critical crowds. But his deliberate snub of a City Council proclamation acknowledging the centennial anniversary of the San Diego Police Officers Association (SDPOA) yesterday left local observers agape. The mayoral hopeful used an interview with KUSI-TV as the excuse to duck out of the ceremony. His appearances on the local broadcast outlet are so frequent that wags say he may as well have his own dressing room at the station. DeMaio tweeted that the KUSI interview allowed him to “discuss my commitment to open government and full transparency”.

DeMaio takes a page from the Romney campaign… The Voice of San Diego published a report yesterday detailing five issues that candidate DeMaio has flip-flopped positions on, now that the primary season is over. Those subjects include: the Jacobs/Sanders Balboa Park remake (for it, against it, then for it again), funding for the arts (cut $6 million, now doubling support), Social Security benefits for city workers (no, now yes), road repairs (ballot initiative, now a budget matter), and downtown “insiders” (demonized during primary season, aggressive courtship now).   [Read more…]

A Blast From The Past! City Heights Community Garden 1991-1996

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The City Heights Farmer’s Market recently celebrated its fourth anniversary. This market offers fresh fruits, vegetables and good food that speaks to the varying tastes of our diverse community. Here in City Heights we are also growing our own food in community gardens. Do you remember when First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Crawford New Roots Community Garden in 2010?

Community gardens offer something different than gardening in your own back yard or shopping for fresh produce at a farmer’s market. Community gardens are where the power of nature meet the power of people. Community gardens grow relationships, they grow community as much as vegetables and fruit.   [Read more…]

52nd Congressional District among the most competitive, most likely to turn from red to blue

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Peters campaign insists that they will be able to compete financially head to head.

As the race for the California 52nd District Congressional race begins to heat up between Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray and Democratic challenger Scott Peters, one of the more interesting and telling aspects of the race will be determining which candidate will have access to the most resources. It is widely assumed that Bilbray will have a sizeable funding advantage, as Republicans stereotypically do. After all, Scott Walker was able to outspend his Democratic challenger Tom Barrett in the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election by a margin of eight to one.

However, in an interview, a representative from the Scott Peters campaign insists that in this race the Democrat will be competitive. Definitions of “competitive” may vary depending on perspective, but the campaign remains confident that they will be able to raise nearly as much money as the Bilbray campaign.   [Read more…]

Activists call NRC Ruling on San Onofre “Dangerous Coverup”

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The announcement on July 19th by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stating that Southern California Edison (SCE) – the owner of the San Onofre Nuclear Power station – had complied will all regulations is yet another dangerous case of regulators looking the other way coupled with gutted unsafe regulations, according to local anti-nuke activist groups. The groups include Residents Organized for a Safe Environment (ROSE), Citizens’ Oversight, and the Peace Resource Center of San Diego.

Listen to the activists:

Carol Jahnkow of the Peace Resource Center of San Diego:

”It’s a very sad commentary when regulatory agencies will allow transgressions to occur and will not speak out about them, to avoid scrutiny themselves.”   [Read more…]

Restaurant Review – Old Town’s “LA PIÑATA” – Tasty Food & a Treasure Chest for Kids

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Last night I had a fun evening with my daughter and her two grandchildren. Yes, they are my great grandchildren, and it is always a joy to be with them. My great-granddaughter is 3, going on 15; my great-grandson just turned two.

When asked if they wanted to go to dinner with me, they were excited and asked if we could go to the “Treasure Chest” restaurant. (Can you imagine that at their ages they already have a favorite place to go?) My daughter agreed, because she has the best motivator for making sure that the kids behave themselves.  La Piñata has a “treasure chest” filled with all kinds of goodies for the “good boys and girls.” My daughter and granddaughter have set the rules for the family:  IF they eat their meal AND if they behave, stay in their chairs; speak with “restaurant voices” at the end of lunch/dinner, etc. they can pick one gift each from the treasure chest. It works like a charm.  And they are consistent with the rules.  (For example, last night my great-grandson did not eat all his dinner. He did not get to choose something from the treasure chest. His sister did everything she was supposed to do and she did get a trinket from the chest. He was not unhappy about not getting anything. Even at two he knows the rules.)   [Read more…]

The Animal Cracker Conspiracy: Puppet Slams Popping Up in San Diego

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By Jim Bliesner
Ian Gunn and Bridget Rountree are masters of “creative collaboration”. Their Animal Cracker Conspiracy is part of the Puppet Slam Network which states, “Underground puppet shows are popping up everywhere. They feature contemporary short form puppet and object theatre for adult audiences, open late at night in small venues, night clubs and art spaces, Puppet Slams exist at the nexus of vaudeville, burlesque and performance art through the intersection of experimental theatre, art, music and dance as a viable alternative to the culturally homogenous digital mass media”.

Wow, quite a conglomeration of expectations and styles to live up to, but the Animal Cracker Conspiracy pulled it off at their “Adult Puppet Cabaret” happening at  3rdSpace, Friday, July 20th. KaPOW!. The 3rdSpace is a membership only creative incubator at 4610 Park Blvd. provides space for a variety of performance events on their elevated small stage theatre.   [Read more…]

California’s ‘Special Exemptions’ Act: The Biggest Threat You Haven’t Heard Of

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By Dante Atkins / Daily Kos

November 2012 will be a cataclysmic showdown between the forces of democracy and the forces of unlimited wealth. If we lose this, the plutocrats will be in charge and will be able to write their own rules to further the interests of Wall Street and the one percent. If we lose this fight, anti-democratic legislation will continue to sweep across the nation, overwhelming the grassroots support and small-dollar contributions of those who dare to fight against overwhelming odds.

And I’m not talking about the reelection campaign of Barack Obama. No, this battle to the death between moneyed interests and working people will play out in California in the form of Proposition 32. This measure, proponents say, would ban both corporate and union contributions for most political purposes and make citizens reign supreme. But progressives here have taken to calling it the “special exemptions act.”   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – California Republicans to Push Voter ID Measure in Quest to Completely Marginalize Party

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Just shoot me, please… On the heels of a New York Times article describing the California Republican Party as “caught in a cycle of relentless decline, and appears in danger of shrinking to the rank of a minor party”, the State GOP has announced plans for sponsorship of a Voter Identification initiative for the next election cycle. To kick off that effort the party has invited conservative columnist John Fund, co-author of the forthcoming book “Who’s Counting? How Fraudsters and Bureaucrats Put Your Vote at Risk.” to its August convention in Burbank.

The move to enact a Voter ID law is sure to alienate minority voters, who are poised to become a majority of the electorate in California in the near future. Attorney General  Eric Holder characterized Voter ID laws as a new poll tax at the recent NAACP convention. Two new reports — released by the Brennan Center of Justice at the NYU School of Law and the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication, respectively – have further undermined the GOP’s discredited claims that voter ID laws do not have a discriminatory impact on persons of color and are not intended to be discriminatory on the basis of race.   [Read more…]

Anaheim Police Assault Mexican-American Community After Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Man

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Cops Fire Bean Bags, Rubber Bullets, and Pepper Balls and Unleash Dog on Crowd that Included Children

The City of Anaheim, California – home to Disneyland – is in the national spotlight right now for a vicious police assault Saturday on a Mexican-American community.

It all started Saturday, July 21, when Anaheim police approached three men in an alley. The men reportedly fled, but one – Manual Diaz – a 25 year old man – who police said was a known gang member – was chased to the front of an apartment complex where he was shot and killed by police. One eyewitness told the media that he witnessed Diaz being shot in the back or buttocks area, that he fell to the ground, and then was shot again in the head. The Anaheim police chief later said that Diaz was unarmed.   [Read more…]

Women Too: An HIV Allegory

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by Kit-Bacon Gressitt

My daughter is dying.

“Oh, oh, I’m so sorry!” You are stunned. You clutch your heart.

Of course you are sorry, but my daughter is dying.

“How terribly sad for you,” and you fall silent, uncertain what to say.

But it’s more than sad. My daughter is dying a slow and frightening death.

“Oh, dear,” you comfort, “that is so tragic.” And you thank your god it’s not your child.

But it’s worse than tragic, even worse than that. My daughter is so young, so beautiful, and she is slowly dying before my eyes.

“Oh, there is nothing more painful than a parent losing a child,” you repeat from somewhere. But you don’t really understand.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – San Diego’s LGBT Parade Called ‘Historic’; DeMaio Draws Boos

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Gay Pride Weekend Recap… The historic significance of San Diego’s 38th annual LGBT Parade of Saturday garnered press from around the country over the past couple of days as military personal received official permission to participate in the procession.

Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio’s participation in LGBT events over the weekend drew a decidedly mixed response. Some spectators participated in an Facebook organized protest and turned their backs as the controversial candidate passed by; polite applause was mixed with boos throughout the parade route. This video gives a good sense of the reception he received.   [Read more…]

I Love the Smell of Baseball in the Morning – Protesting the Padres TV Blackout

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Matthew Hall, reporter turned columnist for UT-San Diego, had an idea that tapped into a deep well of frustration for baseball fans in San Diego. In a July 14th column Hall called upon Padres fans to step up to the plate and do something about a situation that is as unfair as it is indicative of the avarice surrounding virtually all things having to do with professional sports in this day and age. Half the population of our fair city can’t watch Padres baseball on TV, due to a dispute between Fox Sports San Diego and a couple of local cable providers. Needless to say, since the Padres are pulling down a cool $800 million for the broadcast rights, fans feel like they ought to be able to watch games from home.

So the deal was that fans were going to meet up outside the Padres Petco Park at10amon a Sunday morning in the middle of July to make a little noise, maybe make those corporate suits notice that their little game was a big deal for a lot of little people. I wasn’t sure just how much response Hall was going to get. There’s a wide chasm between ranting and raving from the safety of one’s Facebook page, and actually showing up to physically do something.   [Read more…]

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