Congressman Bob Filner speaking at Coffee Party event, April 11, 2010, at Queen Bee's. Photos by Patty Jones.
Almost exactly one hundred San Diegans met Sunday, April 11th, for an afternoon of civility and political discourse – as the brand new chapter of San Diego’s Coffee Party held a public display of itself, while presenting Congressman Bob Filner.
The event was at Queen Bee’s in North Park, and it represented a coming-together of the County’s various Coffee Party chapters. There were reps from Ramona, Oceanside, Escondido, and from the various San Diego areas, “Coastal”, “eastern San Diego”, and “mid-city”.
Eric Byler and his two nieces. Eric is a co-founder of the national Coffee Party.
Representative Filner stressed that the nation needed public financing of elections, in order to level the playing field. This issue has become one of the Coffee Party’s central issues. He also heavily criticized the gerrymandering of Congressional districts into “safe” areas – which allows Congresspeople only to have to speak to their own base, and not have to communicate with people who disagree with them. Filner sited that 93% of all Congressional districts are safe for the incumbents in either party.
Stacy Taylor.
Local radio personality Stacy Taylor, musician Kenny Eng, and poet SA Griffin took their turns with the crowd.
Near the end, one of the co-founders of the national Coffee Party showed up, Eric Byler, who also shared his thoughts on the origins of the movement. Eric wrote the “Civility Pledge” which all members take.
A half dozen Tea Partiers showed up, and although they were invited inside if they pledged to be civil and not display signs, most chose to remain outside. 
One guy who has his own website, “Stop Obama”, chanted about Filner.
Here’s Stacy Taylor’s take on the afternoon.
Here’s Shane Finneran’s report in The Reader.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
It was a great event! Congratulations and thanks to everyone who was part of putting it together!
Check out both Stacy Taylor’s and Shane Finneran’s reports on the meeting – there are links to both at the end of the post.
Thanks for the follow-up, Frank, and for the links to the other takes on it as well. A couple comments…
1. The guy waving the Obama = Hitler sign claims the Coffee Party sent thugs from the Service Employees’ International Union to attack him while the police did nothing but stand by and watch. The guy that smashed his sign claims the teabagger was hitting him with the sign and refused to let him get to his car. There’s a ‘po, po, pitiful me’ letter that sign guy has been circulating posted in the comments to Stacy’s article.
2. On the post announcing the talk, there was a link ) to some of the protestors…they make reference to not being able to get Filner to talk to them. No way I’m going to say he should have to put up with a bunch of bozos’ hate speech and whatnot, but it seems kind of contradictory if their claim he refused to talk is true and “He also heavily criticized the gerrymandering of Congressional districts into “safe” areas – which allows Congresspeople only to have to speak to their own base, and not have to communicate with people who disagree with them. Filner sited that 93% of all Congressional districts are safe for the incumbents in either party.”