San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

Combine and Conquer: SDSU’s Department that Produces Multi-Cultural and Bilingual Special Educators Is on the Chopping Block

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By Remigia (Remy) Bermúdez/Special to the SDFP

Last semester at San Diego State University there was a big brouhaha within the College of Education (CoE) about consolidating the Special Education Department (SPED) and the Department of Policy Studies in Language and Cross-Cultural Education (PLC). A united front resulted in both departments remaining autonomous from each other and in full force on their own within the CoE.

Six months later, however, the future of the PLC department is again at risk and appears to be on the chopping block. This reversal is indicative of SDSU’s lack of commitment to the largest populations it serves and a total disconnect from the community and societal needs in this binational border region.   [Read more…]

Buried News Story of the Week

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By Bob Dorn/Special the SDFP 

The Ayn Randians in the leadership of The Reader can usually be counted on to keep the San Diego diocese safe for local conservatives, relying on snark to make clear they belong to neither party, nor to the city’s rulers, and especially not to the rest of the city’s readership.    Last week, though, the weekly wetted down the dynamite in a piece of work from their fearless, bright and always readable Don Bauder.  The story, a failure by UT-San Diego’s chief executive officer, John Lynch, to pay $23,332 worth of property taxes on a house he owns here, was relegated to page 50, and pared to just three long paragraphs. Two of those were dedicated to Lynch’s own explanation of how it came to be he’d failed to pay.   [Read more…]

How the Left Can Become a True Political Force to Be Reckoned With

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By Bill Fletcher, Jr., Carl Davidson / Alternet / Nov. 13, 2012

The 2012 elections may prove to have been a watershed in several different respects. Despite the efforts by the political Right to suppress the Democratic electorate, something very strange happened: voters, angered by the attacks on their rights, turned out in even greater force in favor of Democratic candidates. The deeper phenomenon is that the changing demographics of the USA also became more evident—45% of Obama voters were people of color, and young voters turned out in large numbers in key counties.

Unfortunately for the political Left, these events unfolded with the Left having limited visibility and a limited impact—except indirectly through certain mass organizations—on the outcome.   [Read more…]

Energy Independence for America Is a Worthy Goal — But It’s a Death Wish If We Do It with Oil & Gas

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By Tara Lohan / Alternet  / Nov. 14, 2012 

Can we drill our way to energy independence? Republicans (and some Democrats) have long proclaimed we can — and now a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) says the U.S. may be poised to become the world leader in extracting fossil fuels like oil and gas, overtaking Saudi Arabia in the coming decade. The report declares that we could even achieve energy independence in the next 20 or so years.

While “energy independence” may seem like welcome news, it helps to dig a little deeper. “That doesn’t mean we’ll stop importing oil; rather, we’ll be exporting so much coal and natural gas that it will offset our oil imports,” writes Joshua Delaughter at Ars Technica. “Those imports will also be kept in check by a combination of increased fuel efficiency and expanded extraction within the US.”   [Read more…]

Secession Movement Embraced as the Republican War on the Constitution Escalates

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By Joshua Holland / Alternet / Nov. 14, 2012

In the wake of Barack Obama’s decisive victory over Mitt Romney, we are again reminded that there is no greater oxymoron in America’s political discourse than the “Constitutional conservative.” Nobody has less respect for the federalism enshrined in that document than today’s Tea Party Right.

Matt Drudge – who dignified himself during the race with endless scare-stories warning that African Americans would launch a race war if Obama won – has full embraced what he calls the “secession movement” (because a bunch of angry Facebook posts and a petition now qualify as a mass movement).   [Read more…]

Dear Angry White Conservatives Mourning Romney’s Loss: Chill Out

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By Chauncey DeVega / Alternet / Nov. 12, 2012

Dear angry white conservatives who are mourning Mitt Romney’s loss,

If Fox News is any indication, many of you are dismayed, upset, and befuddled by Mitt Romney’s loss to President Obama. Some of these feelings are normal. Politics is tribal. When your team loses, a bit of sadness is expected.

However, some white folks are acting out in some very unhealthy ways. Young white conservatives participated in a near riot at the University of Mississippi, where they hurled rocks at bystanders, used racial slurs, and burned Obama and Biden campaign signs. Other angry white folks used the Internet to send out racist messages and pictures on Twitter as an act of protest and anger at the country’s re-election of its first Black president. I believe that these events are malicious outliers.   [Read more…]

The Dove and the Cockerel: Chapter 10

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“No, no, don’t!” cried Clarence Taylor, pulling back from the bailiff as two other deputies approached.

Susan withdrew to avoid the gathering melee. This was not the pompous ass with the Gucci penny loafers and cardigans from school. This was a person ready to snap. No, he had snapped, and she was going to distance herself before she got caught in the maelstrom. But it was too late. Clarence had grabbed her waist and had her in a death grip, tearing her blouse, exposing her lace camisole, much to the delight of Kenneth Piedmont and all the other males present.

“Don’t let them take me, Susan!” he yelled.   [Read more…]

Bilbray Concedes: Peters Elected to Represent CA 52

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UPDATED Democratic challenger unseats longtime Republican incumbent.

According to a report first published by the UT-San Diego, Republican Representative Brian Bilbray has conceded his race for reelection to Democratic challenger Scott Peters.

As the polls closed on Election Day and as the vote counts began coming in from the Registrar of Voters, Bilbray maintained a lead throughout the night. But the margin started shrinking as more precincts reported in. As the clock ticked toward midnight on Nov. 7, the two candidates were separated by a mere 13 votes. By 1:30am, Peters had gained a 321 vote advantage.

It was a lead he would never relinquish, and that would continue to grow as the Registrar turned its focus to mail-in and absentee ballots. As of last night, that margin stood at 3,877 votes in favor of Scott Peters.   [Read more…]

Time for a Rolling Jubilee: Debt Relief By and For the People

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The statistics on personal debt in the country are pretty sobering- 77.5% of American households are in debt; tuition debt has now exceeded credit card debt; and 1 in every 4 Americans is being pursued by a debt collector. 40% of indebted households used credit cards to pay for basic expenses.

These statistics reflect wage stagnation over a period of decades, the prohibitive costs of a college education, the lack of jobs and access to quality affordable health insurance. The right prefers the simpler argument that they reflect a lack of moral grounding in hard work and individual responsibility. That argument was rejected in the recent election. It remains to be seen whether national policies reject austerity as our fiscal course of action.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line—1000 Walmart Black Friday Protests Starting Early

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Protests aimed at disrupting Black Friday sales events at Walmart stores around the country began yesterday with walk-outs at a number of stores and the promise of more actions in the lead-up to what is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year.

Employees at six Seattle area Walmart stores walked off the job yesterday, protesting what they say is low pay, too few hours and retaliation by managers against workers who speak out. Another walkout is in progress at a warehouse supply location in Mira Loma, California and picket lines are in place this morning at a Walmart store in Dallas, Texas.

Inside: Dave Roberts In at County Supes, Tony Young Out at City Council, SDEA Recall Petitions Filed, IB Parents Cry Foul

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Post-Election Thoughts … What if the Blue States seceded from the Red States?

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The election is over and the dust really has finally settled. By the way my candidate lost, but it isn’t easy being Green. The 47% and then some spoke up and now, maybe, just maybe, WE can get to work and do the good things we do well, fix the good things we use to do well, and set aside the bad stuff which has been gnawing at our insides for so long.

WE proved the Koch Brothers, et al. could not buy an election, and Karl Rove is as superfluous as a dead rat on the floor just waiting to be swept up and thrown out with the garbage. WE, with the help of Donald Trump and Ted Nugent, proved that just because you have money and a forum, does not preclude you from being as crazy as a three-dicked goat. WE proved that even FOX News has to concede something to the other side every once and while.   [Read more…]

Interview with San Diego Artist Steve Harris of The Styletones

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By Brigitte Taylor

Most San Diego locals are familiar with the soulful funk group, The Styletones, and the lead singer and co-writer Stevie Harris. Harris is also the lead singer guitarist and songwriter of Stevie and the Hi-Staxx and was previously signed by Cargo Records as solo artist, touring with the group Conglomerate throughout the United States and Morocco.

In 2010 and 2011, I collaborated with Steve Harris on a few San Diego shows geared toward highlighting his acoustic work as well as his side project Stevie and the Hi-Staxx. We recently spoke about the future of his music and, since I learned recently that he also paints, I had questions about his art. With that in mind, I asked Steve to show some of his paintings at an upcoming event at The Go Lounge. What follows are insights about his music-related projects as well as his artwork.   [Read more…]

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