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‘Occupy San Diego’ Facebook Page Occupied by Troll

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If you’re one of the 2,233 people who’ve followed the ‘Occupy San Diego’ Facebook page over the years, you might want to reconsider your relationship.

Based on what I can tell from comments posted at the site over the past 24 hours, the site is now run by somebody who’s out to mock and troll people of the progressive persuasion.

On Monday a post attributed to a follower of the bizarre conspiracy called QAnon disparaging Dr. Christine Blasey Ford appeared. Based on the comments this person or persons posting as OSD, i.e, “Liberal tears, haha,” it is clear the site no longer represents any aspect of the movement against Wall Street that inspired it.   [Read more…]

UPDATED: Maienschein Loses Equality Endorsement – Democrats See Gains in 2018 San Diego Assembly Races

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Democrats controlled three of the seven Assembly seats in the county going into 2018, and that’s about to change. The voter registration advantage Republicans have traditionally held in two suburban North County districts has dissipated.

Assemblyman Rocky Chavez opted not to run for re-election and fell short in an attempt to grab a spot on the fall ballot race for Rep. Darrell Issa’s seat. His 76th district ended up putting two Democrats on the November ballot, a result that would have been unthinkable just a few years back.

Over in the 77th Assembly District, Democrats have taken the lead in voter registration, and party leaders now see newcomer Sunday Gover’s campaign as one of their best opportunities in the state.     [Read more…]

Willie Nelson – Vote ‘Em Out (Texas – Rally for Beto) | More Video Worth Watching

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At an Austin rally for Texas Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke that Rolling Stone reported drew nearly 60,000, Willie Nelson unveiled a new song aimed at encouraging his fans to exercise their civic duty and to vote. And not only to vote, but to “Vote ’Em Out”!   [Read more…]

Democrats Challenge Republican Incumbents for Two of San Diego’s State Senate Seats

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San Diego County is represented in Sacramento by four Senators, three of whom face re-election this year.

The 40th District, including the southern part of the county and all of Imperial County, is represented by State Senator Ben Hueso. The incumbent Democrat’s general election contest is a repeat of the June 2018 primary, where Hueso won more than 60% of the vote.

Of more interest from a competitive standpoint are the 36th & 38th Districts where two Republican incumbents –Pat Bates and Joel Anderson–face vigorous opposition from Democratic candidates. A victory for either challenger would help negate the possibility of the GOP playing a strictly obstructionist role in the legislature.     [Read more…]

Why Electing Tony Thurmond as Superintendent of Public Instruction is the Most Important Race in California

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Here in California, we have seen that the Bloombergs, Waltons, Broads, and other self-proclaimed rich saviors of the world have not been satisfied just to meddle in the classroom through various forms of philanthrocapitalism, they have sought to impose their will by trying to buy elections.  Just last June an all-star crew of billionaires lost in their effort to turn California’s gubernatorial election into a proxy war over corporate education reform when Antonio Villaraigosa’s anti-union crusade for Governor fell flat with voters despite his donors’ considerable largesse.  

Unfortunately, while their millions were vanquished in that round, the bottomless wallet crowd still have one more key position that they are intent on purchasing this fall: the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  During the primary, I wrote two columns exposing the big money behind Marshall Tuck, which included not just the mega-rich corporate education crew, but also prominent Trump donors and other nefarious rightwing characters.  

Well, those folks are still funding Tuck and most knowledgeable political observers expect a race where Tuck’s money advantage over Assemblyman Tony Thurmond will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million to $3 million.  Thus, despite the support of the California Democratic Party, educators, labor, and a litany of community groups, it is essential that the grassroots mobilize to support Thurmond and spread the word about his candidacy in order to overcome this brazen attempt to buy the election.     [Read more…]

A Tale of Two Properties – Carlsbad at a Crossroads

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By Socrates Kanetakis

Carlsbad finds itself amidst a commercial rebirth; from the Barrio to Bressi, the sight of new mini-towns, condominiums, clothing stores and eateries is hard to miss. Aside from what these developments mean for traffic, sales taxes and for the daily “wow they are building everywhere” exclamations, they mostly affect two commodities: Land and energy.

Along the narrow stretch of the I5—between Canon and Tamarack—lie two examples of those commodities; the Encina power plant on one side and the vacant south shore of Agua Hedionda on the other. Although these parcels differ in terms of utility, they both face a similar future. One is being decommissioned and the other faces imminent “commission” of some—yet—undecided sort.

Seeing how the city will need both land and energy to accommodate its rising population and blooming commercial establishments, these two properties can and will need to be effectively utilized very soon; It’s all a matter of “how”?      [Read more…]

The Fearless Revolutionaries Who Made Voting Possible | Video Worth Watching

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From the Brave New Films YouTube page:

Do these badass revolutionaries a solid, and register to vote! They shed blood, sweat and tears so that we can shake some trees and vote to make a change. What are you waiting for? For more on how to register, go to www. nationalvoterregistrationday.org, and don’t forget to vote on Nov. 6!

For San Diego County voter registration info (where you can verify your registration status) visit San Diego County Registrar of Voters.   [Read more…]

California 2018 Propositions 10-12 | Are They Really About Rent Control, Lunch Breaks and Cage-Free Eggs?

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In the conclusion to this series on statewide propositions, we’ll look at two measures that aren’t what they seem to be and one that is what it seems to be, even though opponents claim otherwise.

Prop 10 asks voters to repeal the law prohibiting communities from regulating what landlords can charge residential tenants. Prop 11 asks voters to legalize a questionable labor policy. And Prop 12 ups the ante on the treatment of animals raised for human consumption.

On Monday, I looked at Propositions 1 through 4, and yesterday it was 5 through 8. If you’re wondering about Prop 9–aka the billionaire scheme to split California into three parts–you won’t find it.

 The “Three States Initiative” was removed from the ballot by California Supreme Court” because significant questions have been raised regarding the proposition’s validity and because we conclude that the potential harm in permitting the measure to remain on the ballot outweighs the potential harm in delaying the proposition to a future election.”

 Alas, venture capitalist and cryptocurrency investor Tim Draper has declared he’ll no longer be interested in this form of political tinkering by 2020.   [Read more…]

Mark Bartlett, Chula Vista City Council D1 | Candidate Profiles for the November 2018 Ballot

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Chula Vista is the second most populous city in San Diego County. With nearly 300,000 people, we are projected to grow immensely in the next coming decades. Chula Vista is also a city that is booming. Our city is coming back with a strong resurgence after a sluggish decade wherein budgetary decisions made by the previous administration had a direct impact leading to the downward trend.

New development and construction are cropping up across the city, and community leaders, as well as elected officials, know our city has a bright future. The Bayfront Project, Millenia Project, the potential four-year public university, and the flourishing of our Third Avenue Downtown center are just some of the city’s major growth activities.

We have quite a lot for which to be thankful; however, I would not be running for office if I saw everything as idyllic and perfect. Chula Vista, for all its strengths, has significant pitfalls that elected officials must address. We have a lack of public resources in our northeast corner of the city.

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California 2018 Propositions 5 thru 8: Taxes, Tantrums, Time Changes, and Catheter Cash

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Grannies, potholes, sunshine, and healthcare. We sure do get to vote on a lot of interesting things in California.

Prop 5 changes the way property taxes are calculated for certain classes of (mostly wealthy) people. Prop 6 amounts to a Republican temper tantrum. Prop 7 wants to settle some timely questions. And Prop 8 is a more-complicated-than-it-seems battle of the Titans.

Yesterday I looked at Propositions 1 through 4, and on Thursday I’ll finish off the state ballot props, examining 10 thru 12. Some of the details/wording in this article is borrowed from a ’first look’ column I posted in late August; I’ve had the opportunity to do some more study and am sharing my findings.   [Read more…]

California’s 2018 Ballot Propositions | An Overview of Props 1 thru 4

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Today I’m writing about the first four of California’s 2018 Ballot Propositions for the general election.

What the first four ballot offerings have in common are requests to use taxpayer money for things proponents would like us to believe are for the common good.

Prop 1 would authorize borrowing for housing. Prop 2 would ask voters for permission to use a previously authorized tax revenue stream to include building housing for mentally ill people. Prop 3 wants voters to authorize bonds for water-related infrastructure. Prop 4 wants voters to authorize bonds for updates and construction of children’s hospital facilities.

On Wednesday I’ll delve into Props 5-8, and Thursday will conclude this series with 10-12. Some of the details/wording in this article is borrowed from a ’first look’ column I posted in late August; I’ve had the opportunity to do some more study and am sharing my findings.   [Read more…]

San Diego County’s 2018 Ballot Measures: A Question of Intent, Two Steps Back, One Step Forward

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As presently constituted, San Diego County’s Board of Supervisors is a dying breed.

Decades of a status quo determined by mostly white, Republican, and male overlords are coming to an end. Term limits, a less homogenous population, and the decline of the Grand Old Party’s base in California mean a change is coming.

This is the lens through which Measures A thru D–to be voted on by all San Diego County voters–must be viewed through.
  [Read more…]

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