San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

San Diego Citizens Call on City to Enforce the 1985 Managed Growth Initiative

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Members of San Diegans for Managed Growth (SDMG), the original sponsor of the 1985 Managed Growth Initiative, will be joined tomorrow (Monday, October 22 at 12:30 p.m. at the City Hall Community Concourse Plaza, 202 C Street), by representatives of the League of Women Voters (LWV), Protect San Dieguito River Valley (PSDRV) and other organizations in calling on the Mayor, City Attorney and the City Council to enforce the initiative’s requirement for voter approval of urban development in certain agriculturally zoned open space areas of the City referred to as “Proposition A Lands” in the City General Plan.

At a news conference to be held in the Community Concourse near City Hall, speakers will outline the purpose and intent of the initiative, the threat posed by a proposed development which seeks to circumvent the voter approval requirement and the importance of following the policies and procedures put in place to provide certainty and confidence that the precepts of managed growth will be followed and that citizen’s initiatives will be respected.   [Read more…]

U-T San Diego publishes questionable mayoral poll

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From LGBT Weekly / October 21, 2012

The San Diego U-T published a poll suggesting that Carl DeMaio is ahead in the mayoral race by ten points. Shocking. You mean Doug Manchester and the U-T have conducted a poll that supports his candidate, DeMaio? No other poll has shown DeMaio in the lead. So I guess the cheese stands alone, as the old nursery rhyme goes. We in the LGBT community know that the U-T coverage of the mayor’s race has been cheesy at best.

Let’s analyze the actual U-T poll. First the margin of error is +/- 4%. That means that you can subtract 4% from DeMaio and add 4% to Filner. That would mean DeMaio could be as low as 42% and Filner as high as 40%. Hmm, that would make it a 2% lead for DeMaio. Of course, there are more issues with the headline and the poll.
  [Read more…]

On Probation or Off Parole? You can Vote in California – Register Now!

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While having a conversation about the upcoming Presidential debate I asked a coworker if he was going to be voting. He replied, “I wish I could, but I’m on probation.” Whoa… This was a moment in a busy shop, that is normally filled with Mitt Romney and Ron Paul supporters, where two like minded people had a few minutes to chat. The young man I was talking with is quiet about his political affiliations and before I could respond to his statement we were  surrounded by republicans, once again.

Once I was back at my desk I did a quick internet search and printed a page from the Northern California ACLU website that I handed to him later in the day. He thanked me with a big smile on his face.   [Read more…]

Save Big Money: Get Your Dental Work Done in Tijuana

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I have been going to Tijuana for dental work for five years. In that time I’ve had two root canals, several crowns and an implant. I’ve also taken my two granddaughters down there for routine dental work a couple of times. In the process I’ve saved several thousand dollars and been completely pleased with the results.

There are probably a lot of good dentists in Tijuana and some bad ones. The problem for most people is knowing who to go to. People need referrals to good dentists so please feel free to comment on experiences that you’ve had with dentistry in Tijuana – both whom you’d recommend and who to stay away from. Personally, I would recommend the office I’ve been going to which is Baja Oral Center. There is a network of dentists there ranging from children’s dentistry to general dentistry to tooth implants. All the dentists speak perfect English so there is no language barrier. One call to Berniece, the receptionist, whose English also is great suffices to set up an appointment. By the way it’s a local call. They have a 619 area code. So that’s two barriers out of the way: language and referral. And did I mention that they’re very friendly and accommodating to your schedule?   [Read more…]

Romney’s Bain Capital To Send Nearly 200 High-Tech Jobs to China the Day Before the Election

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Alternet / By Joshua Holland

On the day before an election that’s supposed to hinge on jobs, taxes and the middle class, Bain Capital, the company Mitt Romney founded, will close the doors of a factory in Freeport, Illinois, and ship 170 good, high-tech jobs to China.

The employees of Sensata Technologies were forced to train their Chinese replacements, and the American flag that long flew over the factory was reportedly removed while the Chinese engineers were visiting the site. A group of workers have set up camp across from the factory — calling it “Bainport” — and some supporters have tried to block the trucks hauling equipment out of the plant. According to Dave Johnson, there have been several arrests.

Sensata workers have asked to meet with Mitt Romney and hoped to enlist his help keeping their jobs in the United States, but he has refused, instead remaining on the campaign trail where he speaks often about “getting tough” with China.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Michael Jackson’s Lead Guitarist Holds Multimedia Workshop (Videos)

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Guitarist Jennifer Batten led a multimedia workshop Saturday in Rancho Santa Fe for an intimate crowd of fans and aspiring musicians. The former lead guitarist for Michael Jackson during his Bad, Dangerous and HIStory tours played several songs, describing the techniques she used in detail.

Batten was candid and charmingly quirky, offering up show biz advice when asked and stories about her time spent with the King of Pop as well as Jeff Beck. She went well past the scheduled two hours for the event, and made sure all questions were answered. Pictures and autographs followed the workshop.

The workshop was hosted by The Fine Tune Academy, a music school that caters to North County musicians and strives to provide access to big-name entertainers. Big Fish Studios provided the venue, and has been used by bands from Switchfoot to Blink-182.

Photos and videos by Annie Lane.   [Read more…]

Are We Headed for a Servant Economy?

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Jobs in the US are undergoing a huge transformation. People are being laid off from good paying jobs with benefits, and, to the extent they are finding new ones, they are being paid about half what they were at their previous job with no benefits. Most of the newly created jobs in the “promising” recent jobs report were part time or temporary jobs. The September Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report indicated that 114,000 jobs were added in September and that the unemployment rate dipped to 7.8%. This is good news to be sure, but the fact remains that the issue is more about the quality of jobs added than the actual number.

Half of all college graduates are not able to find work. The good jobs out there are only for elite students from elite institutions. Half of all graduates including graduates in science and engineering from universities like Harvard and Duke are going to work on Wall Street.

This is where the top talent is going, and they’re making big bucks – six figures to start plus signing bonuses. If you are just an average college student though from a run of the mill college, chances are the only job you will find is as a barrista at Starbucks or at the Apple genius bar. The Microsofts, Qualcomms, Googles and Intels are only hiring the top 1% or 2% from elite colleges.

The myth that with a college education you will be able to get a good paying job is being laid to rest.   [Read more…]

Are Parks Like SeaWorld Harming or Helping Killer Whales?

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Alternet / By Jill Richardson / Oct. 3, 2012

This article was published in collaboration with GlobalPossibilities.org.

To a child, SeaWorld can be a magical place. To many adults, it’s boring. To a killer whale — or orca — it might be hell. Nowadays, the show going on in Shamu Stadium is called Believe. Attractive trainers in blue wetsuits dance on stage, direct the orcas to do various stunts, and toss the whales treats of fish – but the trainers no longer do the “hot dog” stunts of flying out of the water and through the air on the rostrum of the ocean’s top predator. (The rostrum is the part of the whale you might imagine would be its nose.) People who saw these impressive stunts at SeaWorld on previous trips might anticipate them and then remember the reason the trainers are out of the water: a SeaWorld orca killed a trainer in February 2010.

When a male orca named Tilikum dragged Dawn Brancheau, one of SeaWorld’s most senior trainers, into his tank on Feb. 24, 2010, she became his third human victim.   [Read more…]

The Dove and the Cockerel: Chapter 6

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Colin was jerked back from his reminiscing as Joe let out a low whistle. Joe had made his way to the far end of the counter and was now looking down, shaking his head and making quiet “tsk, tsk,” noises. As Colin approached, first the feet and then the legs of the girl came into view. By the time he reached the end of the counter where Joe was standing, he had still not prepared himself for the sight.   [Read more…]

Peters vs. Bilbray: The Vacuum Debates

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San Diego’s 52nd Congressional District candidates square off, but few seem to have noticed.

Did you happen to catch the debates between Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray and Democratic challenger Scott Peters this past week? No? You’re not alone. My guess is that not too many people knew they were happening. I certainly didn’t, and I’m paying attention; a lot more than the average voter, I would suppose.

The last I had heard was that Peters was doing everything possible to try and goad his opponent into a get-together. Back in August, Bilbray issued a challenge to Peters to a series of four debates. The Peters campaign replied that “Mr. Bilbray has issued a challenge to debates we agreed to weeks ago.” The Peters camp took a very Pat Hill “anytime, anywhere” stance, but still could not get anything on the schedule. According a Peters spokesperson, every time a date was proposed, Bilbray claimed a conflict. (For those who don’t know, Pat Hill is the former Fresno St. University football coach who constantly whined about his program’s inability to get a game against the big boys. “We’ll play anyone, anywhere” became Fresno State’s unofficial motto.)   [Read more…]

The Starting Line— Weekend Wingnut Gathering Slated for Balboa Park

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Come Stand in Defense of Your Church!” is the rallying cry for the San Diego Tea Party’s event at the intersection of Park Boulevard and President’s Way Saturday morning, October 20th.

More than a dozen speakers, representing a variety of groups with theocratic agendas, will take the stage to rail against the Obama administration’s so-called assaults on religious freedom. Speakers include radio host Gina Loudon, whose claims to fame include comparing gay marriage to people marrying animals and suggesting people who wanted to build an Islamic Community Center in New York City were Nazis; local gay basher Charles LiMandri; Dr. Jim Garlow, Senior pastor at Skyline Church; Anti-Abortion activist Timmerie Millington, and President Steven Pynes of the Mormons.   [Read more…]

The Power Was Overwhelming

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A new young couple moved into our neighborhood two years ago and over that time I have had conversations with them; worked with Heather and taught her to make jam; called on Mark to help with a few heavy things that needed to be done around the house; fed their dog treats when Buddy and I take walks together. I was thrilled when she called me and asked if I would like to go the “Women for Filner” fundraiser at the University Club on Wednesday, October 17th. Although there was a $100 donation, (which I could not make) I am not sure how Heather worked it so that I could attend, but attend I did, and had a great evening.

The power in that room was overwhelming. So many of the “big guns (gunnettes?) of the San Diego female world were in attendance:   [Read more…]

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