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Walking, Talking, and Voting for the June 5 Primary | Progressive Activist Calendar June 1 -10, 2018

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Also-Facebook Thinks We’re Russian Trolls!-See Inside

Let’s talk about failing to make the effort to cast your ballot by June 5. Not voting means you approve of the status quo, even more so than people who actually vote for entrenched reactionary incumbents. Not voting means you’re dumb enough to think not participating is some kind of protest. It’s true many of the choices offered on the ballot are less than ideal. It’s true both political parties are run by people more concerned about money than principles.

It’s also true if everybody voted this country’s policies would be a lot closer to the values of (most of) its people. That’s why those with the most privilege are the least concerned about voter turnout. Some of our nation’s 1 percenters spend money to make it more difficult to actually vote. Others spend money to create the impression it’s a waste of time. Others have fouled the discourse so much that independent outlets are prevented from promoting their views.

If you marched in protest of Trump’s bs and don’t vote, you’ve more than canceled out any good karma you may have received.   [Read more…]

Documents Suggest Favoritism on San Diego County Property Tax Appeals by Assessor’s Office

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It pays to have friends in high places, especially when it comes time to appeal property tax assessments in San Diego County, according to documents released via the California Public Records Act and provided to the San Diego Free Press. These documents, along with a careful analysis of campaign finance records and personal financial disclosures, suggest favoritism has been a factor in reducing the tax burdens of those with connections to County Assessor Ernest Dronenburg. 

A major local corporation, along with a longtime campaign contributor’s family, were among the beneficiaries, thanks to a seeming lack of interest in challenging appeals by the agency responsible for such matters. Because there was no push-back by the County, the assessment appeals process was effectively manipulated, paving the way for significant reductions in property values for Qualcomm, the largest property taxpayer in San Diego County.   [Read more…]

Slate Mailers and Other Weapons of Mass Deception

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As the primary election season draws to a close, voters are being bombarded with slate mailers, a legally recognized way in California to fool some of the people some of the time. More than 80 such efforts are registered with the California Secretary of State. Further down in this column I’ll give a shout out to some of the other hinky happenings this year.

These mailings, which don’t come from political parties, unions, or business groups, typically start of listing a few well-known candidates running for high profile offices.  To the untrained eye, most appear to come from organizations with names suggesting a legitimate interest group or point of view. All contain the legally mandated disclosure explaining the sender is “not an official political party organization.”  Slate mailers sometimes call themselves voter guides and the only way a curious voter can tell the difference is by looking for the legally mandated disclosure.

These mass mailings are funded by selling ‘endorsements’ to various campaigns. Often times candidates buy in as a means of keeping their opponent from gaining exposure. It’s not unusual for the mix of candidates supported by a slate mailer to seem illogical, especially if you’re reasonably well-informed on politics. 
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Looking Back at Our Coverage of County Primary Contests – These Are the Races to Watch

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An Overview

The motto for San Diego County is “The noblest motive is the public good.” Questions to be answered in 2018 will decide if this is possible in the future.

I hold that the government of the County of San Diego is the single biggest factor standing in the way of solving many of the social problems facing the region. Voters have an opportunity to do something about it, starting in June.

Editor’s Note: Starting Line columnist Doug Porter is taking a few days off. Since he’s spent the last six months flogging the importance of the County of San Diego primaries (last day to vote is June 5), we’re reprinting some of his early observations. Updated parts of these stories are in red.    [Read more…]

Looking Back: D4 Supervisor Candidate Lori Saldaña – The Truth Will Set You Free

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Editor’s Note: Starting Line columnist Doug Porter is taking a few days off. Since he’s spent the last six months flogging the importance of the County of San Diego primaries (last day to vote is June 5), we’re reprinting some of his early observations. Updated parts of these stories are in red. 

Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña is running for termed-out Supervisor Ron Roberts seat, a Republican who managed to get re-elected despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans in the district 2 to 1.

She has a long progressive political pedigree and has maintained a high profile despite not currently holding office through her activism with groups advocating for the homeless, women’s rights, and environmental causes.   [Read more…]

Looking Back: Omar Passons, D4 Supervisor Candidate – Policy Wonk With a Heart of Gold

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Editor’s Note: Starting Line columnist Doug Porter is taking a few days off. Since he’s spent the last six months flogging the importance of the County of San Diego primaries (last day to vote is June 5), we’re reprinting some of his early observations. Updated parts of these stories are in red. 

Omar Passons is a first-time Democratic candidate running for termed-out Supervisor Ron Roberts seat. The retiring Republican held that office since 1995, managing to get re-elected each time despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans in his district 2 to 1.

He’s a construction/land-use attorney lawyer and long-time North Park community activist running a campaign based more on ideas than partisanship.   [Read more…]

Looking Back: Nathan Fletcher, Candidate for D4 Supervisor – Build a Coalition for Change

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Editor’s Note: Starting Line columnist Doug Porter is taking a few days off. Since he’s spent the last six months flogging the importance of the County of San Diego primaries (last day to vote is June 5), we’re reprinting some of his early observations. Updated parts of these stories are in red. 

Democrat and former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher is running for termed-out Supervisor Ron Roberts seat in District 4. The outgoing Republican held that office since 1995, managing to get re-elected each time despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans his district 2 to 1.

Fletcher dropped out of politics a few years ago after a couple of angst-filled losses while taking flack for switching political parties. Most recently he was working for Qualcomm and teaching a class at UCSD. The urge to serve returned along with a long-term opportunity to end the GOP’s monopoly at the County level.   [Read more…]

A Voter App for San Diego Progressives Now Available

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A regular reader of this column has developed an app allowing voters to compare side by side recommendations of five organizations, make a choice, and generate a list to help in filling out the ballot.

The five groups included are San Diego Free Press (yay!), Democrats for Equality, the San Diego Democratic Party, Equality California, and Planned Parenthood. Further info on candidates and ballot measures, sans recommendations, is available via the SD Indivisible Voter Guide link on the left side of the page.   [Read more…]

The Use and Abuse of Police Authority in San Diego

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If you think this story is just about people with badges doing bad things, think again. There’s plenty of blame to go around, including people who might normally be excluded from ‘the usual suspects.’

We have great candidates challenging the current County Sheriff and District Attorney. Their campaigns reflect the growing public desire to make the ‘Justice’ part of the Criminal Justice System an equal partner.

The institutions charged with protecting people and administering justice are, all-too-often, ailing–infected with racism, plagued by cronyism, and paralyzed by self-interest. Sworn personnel are expected to be enforcers of perceived class privilege by those benefitting from such advantages.   [Read more…]

Images of Obama and Filner Invoked as Primary Campaigns Get Down and Dirty

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The intensity of political campaigning is rising as Californians have one week of mailing in ballots behind them.

Advertising aimed at creating uncertainty in those who don’t follow politics closely, along with messaging featuring deceptive claims is flooding airwaves and filling mailboxes.

The absentee vote tracker at PoliticalData.com, using information from the San Diego County Voter Registrar’s office, says roughly 10% of those receiving absentee ballots in the region had been returned as of Thursday, May 17.   [Read more…]

Santa Fe High Shooting Makes It 22 This Year [So Far] – Progressive Activist Calendar, May 18 – 31, 2018

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The latest victims of America’s gun madness are students at Santa Fe High School, about 30 miles outside of Houston, Texas. As I’m writing this, the death count is at ten, with more at local hospitals being treated for injuries. 

The shooter, who is in custody, was found with an AR-15 style rifle, a pistol, a shotgun, and pipe bombs.
 

Today’s outrage raises the count to twenty-two school shooting events in 2018. Ten of these have happened since the February massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Today’s outrage happened just one week after NRA President (and felon) Oliver North called the Parkland kids terrorists, and two weeks after Donald Trump and Mike Pence were shilling at the NRA convention and inciting violence.   [Read more…]

County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar, Escondido Mayor Sam Abed Join Trump’s Immigrant Hatefest

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“These Aren’t People. These Are Animals”

It must have been a proud day for County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar and Escondido Mayor Sam Abed, as they attended the White House California Sanctuary Cities Roundtable.

Freed of the necessity for fact-based discourse, they joined the President in dividing the country on the basis of race and nationality. The timing of the event was fortuitous, coming just one day after top House Republicans huddled at the White House, hoping to head off an attempt by party moderates to force consideration of four immigration bills.

To be clear, the leadership of the Republican Party and the President of the United States would rather denigrate human beings than give our elected representatives the opportunity to even consider immigration reforms supported by the vast majority of the American people.   [Read more…]

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