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Dumanis Gets Dumped by Deputy Sheriffs Association | Progressive Activist Calendar August 11 – 20, 2018

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San Diego’s Deputy Sheriffs Association has rescinded an earlier endorsement of former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, the Republican candidate in the race for Fourth District Supervisor.

Former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, the Democratic candidate, now holds the title of ‘law enforcement’s choice,’ according to a press release landing in my inbox this morning. 

Miss Cleo’s fortune-telling hotline has been strangely silent for me since she died two years ago, but I can say for sure the people who normally support Republicans are acting like they’ve seen the future. This endorsement, my friends, is kind of a big deal. I know the election isn’t over until the ballots are counted, but this switcheroo was a jaw-dropper.   [Read more…]

UPDATED: No Deal! Says Council. Comic Con is Gone and Other Colossal City of San Diego Schemes Gone Wrong

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Pow! Doink! Yikes! FacePalm!

The latest grand plan for saving San Diego from the shame of not having a big enough Convention Center flopped on Wednesday.

Yes! For a Better San Diego, the coalition seeking an increase in a hotel tax, failed to get enough signatures for its ‘citizen’s initiative’ to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.

San Diego City Clerk Elizabeth Maland reported a random count by the county Registrar of Voters triggered the requirement for a full verification of all signatures. Such a count would take up to 30 days to complete, causing the proposed measure to miss Friday’s deadline for placing anything on the ballot.   [Read more…]

August Elections: Organized Labor Wins Big in Missouri | Women Win Big Everywhere

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There were primary elections in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington on Tuesday. And a special election in Ohio for a traditionally Republican House seat.

It was a big night for labor and an even bigger night for women running for office.

While I wouldn’t bet the farm on the long-term significance of elections held mid-summer, on balance it was a good night for those of us rooting for Democrats come November. Team Blue had a lot of wins and a few close losses. What encourages me is the hard work of the campaigns and the resulting voter turnout.   [Read more…]

GOP Ghouls Ready to Go After Green Card Holders, Legal Immigrants Looking for Citizenship

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According to NBC News, the Trump administration is in the late stages of developing policies aimed at keeping as many as 20 million legal immigrants from gaining green cards or applying for citizenship.

Using the same rationale employed during the 1930s to block Jewish refugees from settling in the U.S., persons deemed as potential, past, or current “public charges,” will be deemed ineligible for permanent residency. The slight of hand needed to make this happen involves labeling virtually all government programs as ‘welfare.’

The NBC report profiles a 55-year-old Haitian man who has been in the country since 1989, works eighty hours a week at two jobs, and is a homeowner. Because he required government assistance to care for his US-born daughter’s severe disabilities, his quest for citizenship–already in trouble due to another policy reversal–is likely to end in failure.      [Read more…]

San Diego’s Deplorables: Jerry Sanders & Carl DeMaio Want to Sell ‘Son of B’ to Voters

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Not all deplorables are running for office. Today’s politicos covered in this column are not on the ballot this fall, but their influence has shaped local politics over the past decade. They’re really excited about an upcoming opportunity to sell the public on a rehashed version of what they call pension reform.

Faced with the prospect of burning, looting, and potholes, San Diego voters overwhelming approved Proposition B in 2012. This flavor of ‘pension reform’ was sold as the only possible solution to the city’s budget crisis. It was ‘vote for this, or your city will fail.’

The measure switched all new city hires, except police, from pensions to 401(k)-style individual investment plans. It hasn’t been a financial solution for the city’s money problems as much as it has changed the employee-employer relationship.   [Read more…]

Persistence Pays Off! The NRA’s Money Troubles | Progressive Activist Calendar August 3 – 13, 2018

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Once again, an ongoing protest has changed the political landscape. Court documents filed by the National Rifle Association reveal an increasingly desperate financial situation for one of the most powerful political institutions in the U.S.

Pressure from New York State regulators in the wake of the Parkland, Florida massacre — including a letter asking financial institutions to heed “the voices of the passionate, courageous, and articulate young people who have experienced this recent horror first hand” — has led the National Rifle Association to plead in court that it will “be unable to exist… or pursue its advocacy mission.” They say the organization may be forced to shut down NRA TV or its print publications.

The lesson here about persistence should be taken to heart. Congressman Darrell Issa gave up after weekly protests outside his offices. The future of politics in National City will be changed for the better, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the folks standing up for Earl McNeil. And elected Trumpistas everywhere are looking over their shoulders, fearing a Blue Wave made possible by thousands of organizing efforts.

There are less than 100 days until the General Election. Now–not later–is the time to stand up and be counted. Candidates and causes need your time, your energy, and your support. There are many opportunities to join the fray in this week’s Progressive Calendar.   [Read more…]

Truth and Justice in San Diego Takes Second Place in Quest for Police Oversight

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Two recent episodes give proof to my belief that the Police Department is the most powerful government agency in San Diego with the least amount of taxpayer oversight.

This is nothing new. America’s Finest City has gone through decades of scandal and corruption being followed by hollow promises of reform. The point I’m making today is that things still haven’t changed, despite two changes of leadership, lawsuits, and political posturing.

What makes these political games more serious than say, the machinations around Civic San Diego, are the practical implications and applications for those with less privilege (and more melatonin) as they live their lives.   [Read more…]

Proposition 6: Carl DeMaio’s Endless Initiatives Strategy, Part One

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The first phase of former Carl DeMaio’s plan to save the Golden State’s Grand Old Party (and himself) will appear on the November 2018 ballot as Proposition 6, the “Voter Approval for Future Gas and Vehicle Taxes and 2017 Tax Repeal Initiative.”

If approved by voters in November, the measure would amend California’s Constitution to require any gas and car tax added after January 1, 2017 be approved by voters and would repeal SB 1, the gas tax and vehicle fee hike signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2017 after it gained a two-thirds majority in both legislative houses.

Regardless of whether this year’s measure succeeds or fails, there’s another one waiting in the wings for the 2020 election. DeMaio told the Sacremento Bee he’s calling phase two the “Robin Hood initiative — stealing our money back.”   [Read more…]

Why Does It Feel Like We’re Losing If There’s So Much Winning?

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Is your head spinning yet? Mine is. As a certified news junkie™ I had a hard time digesting today’s headlines. 

It’s a good day to remember that the only real way out of the mess we currently find ourselves in includes voting on November 6th.

Let’s start with Law and Order, White House Edition…
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San Diego’s Deplorables: National City Councilman Jerry Cano

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National City Councilmember Jerry Cano isn’t up for re-election until 2020. His seat on the city’s governing board should be on the November ballot, regardless.

An elected official who actually cared about doing a good job would have stepped down by now. That’s not going to happen in National City.

Last week we learned Cano’s allegation about Councilwoman Mona Rios engaging in inappropriate conduct turned out to be spurious, according to an independent investigator hired by the city attorney. The councilman ultimately rescinded the complaint after refusing to cooperate with the inquiry.   [Read more…]

Rep. Duncan Hunter’s Looking Mighty Nervous | Progressive Activist Calendar July 27 – August 6, 2018

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Congresscritter Duncan Hunter certainly looks and acts like a man in legal trouble. An ongoing Justice Department investigation into questionable campaign spending practices has been threatening to derail the East County Republican for over a year.

On Thursday, Rep. Hunter took to the floor to denounce the Justice Department, starting off with “…imagine living in a country where the federal government decides whether you’re jailed or set free based on your politics.”

He went on to support the now-dead bill to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, saying the DOJ is“corrupt, answers to no one and uses the law to corrupt countless others…” Maybe he was just in a hurry to join the gang for cocktails. Maybe not. It’s weird how all these Republicans are up in arms over the actions of an agency when they control all three branches of government.     [Read more…]

Immigrant Family Reunification Falls Way Short

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It’s been nine weeks since U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw gave the government a deadline for reuniting the more than 2,500 children who were taken from parents apprehended while crossing the border.

This isn’t over. What passes for compliance in the eyes of the court and the chattering class on cable news doesn’t match reality for hundreds of parents and children.

As the deadline came and went dozens of children and their parents engaged in non-violent civil disobedience at the U.S. Capitol proclaiming I AM A CHILD. They sang lullabies and drew pictures of their families to remind elected leaders that all children are human beings who belong with their families.

  [Read more…]

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