San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

You are here: Home / Archives for Doug Porter

The Starting Line – ‘Let’s Not Be the Last Generation to Retire’; Seniors Push Back Against GOP Plans to Slash Medicare and Social Security

by

As the LA Times fronts today with an article detailing GOP lawmakers’ plans for dismantling Medicare, a senior citizens group supported by organized labor has began a national campaign to educate seniors on Medicare and Social Security issues. The Times article details how conservative critics of Medicare are readying a new push to dramatically scale it back should the GOP win control of the White House and Congress in November. GOP governors are leading the fight by blocking expansion of Medicaid to meet the goals of the Affordable Care Act.

Yesterday senior citizens groups around the country participated in events marking the 47th anniversary of the Medicare act. Billed as the ‘Let’s Not Be the Last Generation to Retire’ Campaign, the DC-based Alliance for Retired Americans will be sponsoring additional educational events at senior centers in coming months and organizing protests outside offices of lawmakers who have voted against the needs of local retirees.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – The San Diego Mayoral Contest Heats Up; Poll Shows Filner with 8 Point Lead

by

The 2012 mayoral contest here in San Diego is front and center in the news today. Polling results released yesterday show Rep. Bob Filner with an 8 point lead over City Councilman Carl DeMaio. According to San Diego Politico, the race currently stands at 40% – Filner, 32% – DeMaio and 29% – Undecided. These polling results (which are likely drawn from internal Democratic surveys) closely mirror party registration in San Diego. Other polls reportedly show Filner in the high 30s and DeMaio peaking in the low 30s.

Voice of San Diego has an article up this morning that leads by quoting former Filner opponent and modern day China-phobic economist Peter Navaro calling the Congressman “the Grand Canyon of assholes.” The VOSD piece focuses on the narrative that candidate Filner’s abrasive personality is a political liability; it does explore the roots of his willingness to be combative–his roots in the civil rights movement–but the overall thrust is not particularly complimentary.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Is Carl DeMaio Really Comparable To Harvey Milk?

by

Last weekends’ protest aimed at Mayoral candidate and City Councilman Carl DeMaio during the 38th annual Pride parade continues to reverberate throughout the community. Johnathan Hale, publisher of SDGLN.com – who also happens to be DeMaio’s significant other – posted an article entitled Letter to the Community: Real LGBT leaders don’t put politics above Pride that has provoked fierce debates across social media platforms. The commentary compared DeMaio to LGBT political icon Harvey Milk and accused labor unions of organizing and funding the “Turn Your Back on Carl DeMaio” campaign.

Activist Wendy Sue Biegeleisen took to Facebook to respond, saying, “Harvey Milk was Jewish, from NY and fought for the underdog. He was pro-union, labor, supported diversity, feminism and Equal Rights for all LGBTQQIA people. What about this description sounds like Carl Demaio?” Labor Council leader Lorena Gonzalez, joined the debate via Twitter from the east coast, denying that Labor had a role in the protest and challenging Hale to prove his charges. Kelly Davis over at City Beat chimed in by pointing out that DeMaio “gave LGBT community plenty to be pissed off about by courting support of Charles LiMandri” and posting a link to an article about that controversy the paper had run. SDGLN tweeted back, saying “when @SDCityBeat covers Pride a stellar as the UT did this year, THEN we’ll take your opinions on LGBT issues seriously.”   [Read more…]

The Starting Line — Drinking the Right Wing Kool-Aid in Mission Valley; UT-SD’s Quest to Demonize President Obama

by

How low will the UT-San Diego’s editorial board go in its quest to demonize President Obama?  Will they manufacture or twist history to portray him as the worst chief executive in history? You betcha!, as they did in an editorial profile (Presidential busts: The worst of all: Barack Obama...) this weekend. Will they cry “wolf” when one of contender Mitt Romney’s financial backers’ activities gets scrutinized by the federal government after years of investigations by state governments? Oh, yes!, they will.   [Read more…]

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

by

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…]

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

by

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…]

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

by

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

by

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…]

Starting Line – The Spirit of Stonewall – Along with Some Actual Protests – to Highlight San Diego LGBT Pride Weekend

by

In case you haven’t heard, this is LGBT Pride weekend in San Diego. It’s a really big deal. The biggest event will be the Pride parade, attracting a projected 250,000 spectators along its route, and lasting two hours. Starting off at the intersection of Normal & University (11am) it will proceed west on University to Sixth Avenue, turning south to Balboa Park. Literally hundred of groups will be participating in this year’s parade, and we’d like to bring your attention to two contingents in particular. Gay pride events around the country started out as acts of defiance and protests against discrimination, and this year’s event in San Diego has revived some of that original spirit, along with the social events and pageantry that are commonplace in modern day celebrations.

Marching under the banner of ‘Join the Struggle, Not the Wars’, the San Diego coalition for Peace and Justice will join the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality(SAME) and Canvass For A Cause(CFAC) at this year’s LGBT Pride Parade. Joining them will be the San Diego Green Party, UniteHere Local 30, the Peace Resource Center, the International Socialist Organization, and others . They are marching as an open contingent (#113) this year, and are inviting like minded folks and organizations to march with them. More info on Facebook.

While politicians of all stripes are part of the annual Pride Parade, Mayoral candidate/City Councilman Carl DeMaio’s participation (#81) has sparked plans for a protest and counter-protest.   [Read more…]

Zoot Suit at the San Diego Rep: The Pachucos Are More Relevant Than Ever

by

Set in the barrios of Los Angeles, Zoot Suit takes us back to the early 1940’s and dramatizes a portion of American history in which anti-Mexican prejudice affected the courts, the press, and the attitudes of the general public. Although the show was first performed in Los Angeles more than three decades ago, (It went on to be the only Chicano theater piece ever to go to Broadway), the current version staged at the San Diego Repertory Theatre demonstrates its enduring power as a window into history with relevant lessons for today’s cultural and political realities.

The SD Rep version skillfully combines a compelling history lesson, authentic-feeling slices from the lives of the characters, along with eye-popping song and dance numbers that move the show smoothly through what might otherwise be a pedantic political polemic. Integrated into the cast with equity actors are students from San Diego’s own School of the Creative and Performing Arts(SCPA). A live orchestra composed entirely of SCPA students plays throughout the show, giving the musical numbers an added punch.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line— It Just Might be Raining on Carl DeMaio’s Parade Come Saturday

by

A group of activists have announced plans to protest City Councilman and mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio’s plans to march (entry #81) in Saturday’s Gay Pride parade. A Facebook page entitled “Turn Your Back on Carl DeMaio” has attracted nearly 300  commitments to join in the event as of 6 am today.  The announcement says:

Carl DeMaio has turned his back on the LGBT community; it’s our turn to Turn Our Backs on him. This Saturday as Carl’s contingent passes by, Turn Your Back to him. Let’s give photographers, videographers, and the media something to talk about: The fact that we won’t support someone who won’t support us!

Large Poster Sign graphics and flyers are currently being made. Final renditions will be put up for a vote for favorite(s) to be printed. If you would like to donate to get these materials printed and ready for the Pride Parade this Saturday or have Slogan Ideas, contact Jase at activistj@gmail.com. We love community support! Thank You!

  [Read more…]

The Starting Line: Mayor Predicts Doom and Gloom for San Diego Unless Rich People Get a Tax Break

by

July 18, 2012 – Local news media are falling all over themselves to report impending doom for San Diego’s economy should the automatic 10%, across-the-board budget reductions in the military budget mandated by the “sequestration” process that Congress created as a solution to the budget standoff last summer. Mayor Jerry Sanders was in Washington Tuesday to plead our city’s case. Never mind that the Office of Management and Budget has not yet released guidance about how the automatic cuts would be implemented or that it’s widely assumed that President Obama will exercise a legal option to exempt military personnel funding from the cuts.

The UT-SD’s contribution to the manufactured hysteria was the proposed headline in an early morning version (I’m sure it’s fixed now) of an online story (warning: paywall ahead!) about the potential reductions that read:

AEROSPACE XX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX

XXXXXXX XXXX CUTS WOULD HIT S.D., STATE HARD

Report forecasts effects of federal spending reductions

 
more inside…   [Read more…]

©2010-2017 SanDiegoFreePress.org

Code is Poetry