San Diego Free Press

Grassroots News & Progressive Views

$34.4 Million Can’t Seem To Buy Prop 37 Opponents Their Own Facts

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Alternet / By Zack Kaldveer / Oct. 2, 2012

Apparently $34.4 million in pesticide and junk food money can’t buy the opponents of Proposition 37 their own set of facts.

Case in point: A new L.A. Times poll shows Prop 37 winning by more than a 2-to-1 margin among registered California voters. And, according to the recent Pepperdine poll the opposition’s support actually dropped four points over the past two weeks.

So while their treasure trove of special interest money can pay for an endless supply of tired, discredited talking points, it can’t seem to convince consumers we don’t deserve to know what’s in the food we eat.   [Read more…]

Biden v. Ryan: The Old Pro Takes On the Lying Kid (Video)

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Alternet / Adele M. Stan / Oct. 11, 2012

In a lively contrast to last week’s presidential debate between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, tonight’s match-up between Vice President Joe Biden and Republican rival Rep. Paul Ryan offered moments of riveting television as Biden used his populist persona to full effect against the wonkish and prevaricating Ryan.

In a discussion surprisingly heavy on foreign policy, the two also sparred over the federal budget, Medicare and reproductive rights — with Ryan making the surprising claim that the courts should have no role in deciding the legality of abortion.

With the first few moments, it seemed that the whole mood of the liberal blogosphere turned from despair to elation amid a chorus of “Attaboy!” — especially among those who gathered on Twitter and other social media. And unlike Obama, Biden held no fire on the subject of Romney’s infamous comments about the 47 percent of the American people who he described as victim-conscious drags on the economy.   [Read more…]

The Dove and the Cockerel: Chapter 5

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It was Colin who gently lifted back the yellow cover. Standing, he looked down at the lifeless form of Officer Peter Ernesto Castillo. The low morning sun cast a warm red glow over the otherwise dead white complexion of the silent face. Sightless eyes, wide open, surveyed the concrete sidewalk. The jaw and neck were a mass of torn flesh and coagulated blood.

He lay on his left side, his tuffy jacket matted with drying blood. His badge was not visible, but the name tag clearly read, “P.E. Castillo,” underlined by three little stars.Pete’s hand was still clutching the holstered revolver on his right hip. His left leg was tucked under his straight right leg. The white top of the femur and knee cap were visible through the torn fabric of the once tan, now blood soaked, pant leg.

The slight downhill slope of G Street, west toward the bay had caused the flow of blood to pool for the most part behind Pete’s body. Only a small puddle of the blood formed in front of Pete’s face.

As Colin looked on, he had trouble believing this had been Pete Castillo. The same Pete Castillo who had dispensed pearls of wisdom to Colin when he was a neophyte on the street. About driving, Pete had told him, “To survive, never backup, never turn left and if you get in an accident, admit to nothing.” Colin recalled taking a crime report from one of the street people in the Heights and Pete remarking, “Today’s victims are tomorrow’s suspect.”   [Read more…]

The Starting Line— DeMaio ‘Malarkey’ Fails to Stick in Mayoral Contest

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DeMaio Was for Pension Bonds Before He Was Against Them

City Councilman Kevin Falconer and other local backers of Mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio pressed forward yesterday with attacks aimed at challenger Congressman Bob Filner.  Earlier in the day they were beating the drum about Filner’s earlier advocacy of pension obligation bonds as a solution to San Diego’s financial crisis. The Congressman has maintained in recent statements that voter approval of last June’s Proposition B makes the bonds unnecessary.

The DeMaio campaign went silent on that subject when local Dems unearthed evidence that the City Councilman also had a past history of supporting such bonds.  A 2004 report from DeMaio’s Performance Instititute (funded by U-T San Diego publisher Doug Manchester), DeMaio offered a blanket endorsement of the reforms proposed by the City’s Pension Reform Committee, which included issuance of $600 million in pension obligation bonds to address the City’s unfunded pension liabilities…

Having failed at this round of attacks, the DeMaio campaign shifted gears, calling a press conference outside his campaign headquarters in Murphy Canyon to denounce Congressman Filner’s participation in Congressional junkets funded by “special interests”. (Oh, so much more inside….)   [Read more…]

SDFP Exclusive: The Dove and the Cockerel

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Editor’s note: Steve Burns is a former cop for the San Diego Police Department and first introduced himself to the Free Press as a Sex in San Diego contributor. His 32-chapter novel, The Dove and the Cockerel, is set in the late 80s and takes place over the 72-hour period of an investigation of some murders. A new chapter will be published every Saturday. Chapter 5 will be published tomorrow October 13. Prior chapters are available.

Chapter One

The vibram resole on his black leather, steel-toe boots barely made a sound on the aging, cracked concrete sidewalk adjacent to the 800-block of “G” Street. The leather of the boots had been oiled and polished so many times it had long since forgotten to squeak with his steps — steps which carried a cautious authority well learned and developed through 18 years as a street patrolman. There was not the politically correct “Police Officer” found on the badges of his newer coworkers — those with less than 15 years — but “Patrolman,” now almost worn from his brass badge.
  [Read more…]

“I’m Not Really a Writer But…” From Chicano Activist to Publisher and now Desde la Logan

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by Brent E. Beltrán
“Would you be interested in talking to us about becoming a contributor for the San Diego Free Press?” This came completely out of the blue. The thought of pursuing journalistic writing hadn’t crept into my mind in a long time. Immediately I was intrigued because I was ready for a new challenge at this point in my so-called “professional” life (I put professional in quotes because I rarely got paid for any of the work that I did).
I’ve decided to take up the challenge of contributing to San Diego Free Press and give voice, through my perspective, to the community that I live in. I do not pretend to speak for the entire community of Barrio Logan. I am just one voice among thousands.
There’s a renaissance happening within blocks of my residence. I plan on writing about a community that has always stood it’s ground and defended it’s interests from any and all outsiders and their devious plans. I was born and raised here in San Diego. My father was born and raised here. This is my home. Barrio Logan is my neighborhood. And this is my life. I’m not really a writer but I’ll give it a shot.   [Read more…]

Field of View: Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery

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While Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery received its designation in 1934, it has been a burial ground since before 1847. In the early 1880s, it became the final resting place for the fallen in the Battle of San Pasqual, who were transported and eventually reinterred at the hillside cemetery.

In addition to an extensive list of those who have been honored with medals for their service, the cemetery is also known for commemorating the death of 62 sailors who died aboard the USS Bennington after a boiler explosion in July 1905.

According to officials, Fort Rosecrans is currently at capacity for casketed remains, though space is still available for cremated remains. The cemetery overlooks both the sea and the bay and is located on the Fort Rosecrans Military reservation in Point Loma/Ocean Beach.

All photos by Annie Lane.   [Read more…]

The Starting Line – Local Labor Activist Banned from All Walmart Stores

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Skirmishes between Walmart and labor groups continued yesterday, as 200 angry protesters showed up at a meeting of investors and analysts earlier today at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.

Here in San Diego local AFL/CIO leader Lorena Gonzalez paid her first visit ever to a Walmart, visiting the College Grove store with a letter for the store manager asking the retailer to improve employee pay and benefits, and require store contractors to pay a living wage.

The store manager refused to even shake hands with Gonzalez, keeping hands in his pockets as she asked him to accept the letter.

He responded with a notice banning Gonzalez from ever setting foot in any Walmart store, and called the police.   [Read more…]

SD For Free – The Timken Museum of Art

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Just to the east of the Plaza de Panama parking lot in Balboa Park is a squat white marble building that contrasts with the Spanish Colonial Revival style buildings that dominate much of the architecture in this part of the park. This building is the Timken Museum of Art, opened in 1965. Although many of the museums in Balboa Park are free on certain days through the Residents Free Tuesday program, the Timken is always free to all visitors.
The free admission aspect of the Timken Museum makes it a nice place to enjoy without feeling the need to justify paying admission by staying for an entire day. A visit to reflect on a piece or two during a visit to Balboa Park is a relaxing way to spend an hour. Of course, a longer visit can be nice too and there are docent-guided tours available each day to give an overview of the collection on display and answer questions. Tour details can be found here.   [Read more…]

Hoping the Light at the End of the Tunnel is not the Start of Something New

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One day I checked into facebook and found the question: “What if when we die the light at the end of the tunnel we see is just us being pushed out of another vagina.”

My first thought was “Oh, God, I hope not.” I mean if I were on Let’s Make a Deal and had in my hand a certificate guaranteeing me a rebirth in a new body, I’m going with whatever is behind curtain number one. Because when I depart I will have left it all in the Milky Way just like leaving all I had on the court in my basketball days.

So, I don’t care if Wayne Brady says “Oh, Ernie, you could have had another life but you’re going home with a one day supply of Alpo!” After jumping around like I had won the lottery I’d run off and rent a dog for a day.
  [Read more…]

We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Lies

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by Norma Damashek/NumbersRunner

A) Some liars lie for self-protection.  Consider political cover-ups.

B)  Some liars lie to whitewash things they say (or write) whenever they get loaded.  Consider the congenital lushes you’ve known.

C) Some liars lie because of a pathological affliction that compels them to create false/ fabricated/ fallacious responses to just about everything.  Consider the manchurian (I have a friend who calls him manchesturian) candidate Carl DeMaio.

Let’s explore this more closely.   [Read more…]

How Gloria Romero Became the Face of Proposition 32

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by Matthew Fleischer/Frying Pan News

“Money is the mother’s milk of politics,” Gloria Romero tells me on the phone. “It’s flowing to both sides. Government isn’t about drawing lines. It’s not about saying you’re on that side and you can’t come over.”

Her voice is friendly, somewhat placid, but it’s clear Romero is not thrilled with having to answer questions about her political alliance with the Koch brothers and other wealthy supporters of Proposition 32, and she conspicuously avoids bringing up their names. When pressed about the Kochs and the money behind behind Prop. 32, she falls back upon her experience in Sacramento.

“I have sat in the belly of the beast,” she says. “I have seen the realities of money and its influence.”

With Election Day still one month away, the battle to pass Prop. 32 has seen its share of political shockers, including the sudden injection of $4 million of Koch brother money to the Yes on 32 campaign, along with millions more from Charles Munger Jr. But nothing has been more surprising than the decision of Romero, a former California State Senate Democratic majority leader, to serve as the measure’s frontwoman.   [Read more…]

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