February 2012

City-Wide Committee of Planners Agree to Investigate Ocean Beach’s Issue With San Diego

February 29, 2012 by Staff
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It worked. Last night’s outpouring of support and solidarity for the Ocean Beach planners in their fight with the City proved the ticket. The city-wide committee of neighborhood planners agreed with the OB Board that this issue of the City granting improper variances was indeed an issue worthy of study.

Formally known as the Council of Planning Committees (CPC), they voted unanimously last night to create a committee to specifically look into the issue of the variances and to facilitate a resolution. There was sympathy for the issue when it was brought up at the regular monthly meeting of the CPC last night, as it appears the same type of city granting of variances is occurring in other communities as well.

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NDAA Nullification Passes Virginia Senate by a Veto-Proof 39-1 Vote

February 29, 2012 by Source

By Michael Boldin / Tenth Amendment Center / February 29, 2012

Today, the Virginia Senate took a firm stand in support of liberty, the Constitution for the United States, and the Constitution of Virginia by voting in favor of House Bill 1160 (HB1160), the “NDAA Nullification Act.”

The final vote was 39-1.

After a motion to recommit (delay until next year) went down to the wire before being rejected yesterday (report here), groups across the political spectrum activated in support of the legislation, which codifies in law that no agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia – including defense forces and national guard troops, will comply with or assist the federal government in any way under it’s newly claimed powers to arrest and detain without due process.

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Journalists, Activists, Professors and Politicians Sue US Government Over NDAA, Indefinite Detention

February 29, 2012 by Source

By Stop NDAA

A lawsuit against the United States government was filed this week on behalf of a group of plaintiffs that includes Pulitzer prize-winning author Chris Hedges, Professor Noam Chomsky, the Pentagon Papers’ Daniel Ellsberg, an Icelandic Parliamentarian, and three women activists engaged in work they believe will put them in imminent danger under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Defendants in the suit include President Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Senator John McCain, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi and others.

Attorneys in the case Carl Mayer and Bruce Afran also asked Southern District New York Court Judge Katherine Forrest to grant a Temporary Restraining Order to enjoin the provisions of the NDAA that appear to contravene the US Constitution.

In tandem with this filing, an international democracy advocacy group and progressive civil liberties group have teamed up to conduct a campaign in support of a lawsuit they hope attracts hundreds of thousands of supporters – and thousands of potential plaintiffs. RevolutionTruth, a small, international, all-volunteer group dedicated to defending democratic rights, and Demand Progress, a million-member civil liberties group, are leading the charge to build a broad, transpartisan coalition of supporters of this lawsuit and to provide a platform for potential plaintiffs to be screened.

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Student Walk-Outs Planned at City College, SDSU, and UCSD for March 1st

February 29, 2012 by Staff
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As part of the March 1st National Day of Action for Education, three area college campuses are planning student and faculty walk-outs tomorrow, the first day of March.

Students at City College, San Diego State University, and University of California at San Diego have all joined in this national day of demonstrations, and each campus has plans for walk-outs, rallies and other protests of budget cuts and the on-going stampede towards the privatization of public schools and colleges.

Here in more detail are the plans for each campus:

City College

At City College, the Walkout is set to start at 11:00 am at Curran Plaza. A rally will be held from 11:00am until 3:00pm.

SDSU

There will be a student walk-out at 12:oo noon, followed by a rally at Scripps Cottage Patio, where speakers will discuss a education from a variety of perspectives. Potential solutions and opportunities for students to stay involved will be offered.

UCSD

At 11:30 am, students will stage the walk-out. At 12 noon, instructors will hold a rally / teach-out at the Silent Tree in front of Geisel Library. There will also be performance art at the Silent Tree. Then at 1:30 pm, there will be a march!

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A Call to Action at UCSD – March 1st

February 29, 2012 by Source
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Editor: The following “Call to Action” is from ReclaimUCSD and involves a campus protest against student fees for March 1st, and although student walk-outs are also being planned for City College and SDSU, this “Call” is detailed in its reasons and history (see footnotes at end).

By Reclaim UCSD

Students, instructors and staff you have a stake in the future of the UC. The public nature of the UC is under threat, but on March 1st we are coming together to defend it.

Students, mandatory fees set by the regents have more than doubled since 2001 adjusted for inflation.[1] At the same time, UCSD’s average debt at graduation increased 20%.[2] In 2009, 48% of UCSD students graduated with debt at an average of $18,757.[3] Since 1990 expenditure per student has fallen over 19%.[4] At the same time state support per student fell 60% while tuition support more than tripled.[5] The UC shifted from public funding toward personal, private funding. This shift was not and is not inevitable. Students: the ability of many of your qualified colleagues to attend a UC is threatened by this shift,[6] but you can help.

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First Cuppa Coffee – February 29th, 2012 : Leap Day Edition

February 29, 2012 by Doug Porter
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Happy 29th! There’s an extra day this month…. It happens every four years and here’s the how & why. Disneyland(s) have decided to celebrate the extra day by staying open all night; one has to wonder just how terrific parents of young children and the Disney employees that have to put up with the late night tantrums will feel about this. The Catholic Church, not to be out done as an entertainment venue, celebrates today in honor of am Archbishop of York (St. Oswald) who happened to die on February 29th…

The official foods of the 29th... Over at Chowhound, where the foodie world intersects with social media, it has been suggested that the Italian specialty Saltimbocca is the perfect meal du jour. (A rough translation of the named dish equates to ‘leap in the mouth’…) In North Park, the restaurants that normally celebrate 30 on 30th have renamed their events (always fun and bargain filled!) 30 on 30th on the 29th… Local animal rights activists will be picketing Bice restaurant this evening to protest the inclusion of Foie Gras on its menus. A California law prohibiting the producing or selling of Foie Gras will be taking effect on July 1st of this year.

The art of the 29th… Leapin’ lizards! Weburbanist is offering up a collection of relevant posters for those of you who feel the need to waste printer ink and wish to decorate today. And on this date in 1940 Gone with The Wind won the Oscar for Best Picture. The film received 10 Academy Awards (8 competitive, 2 honorary), a record that stood for 20 years until Ben-Hur surpassed it in 1960.

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SMART-Phone, DUMB-Driver: A Debate Worth Having – Part 3

February 29, 2012 by Christopher Dotson
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Editor: This is Part 3 in this series. Here is Part 1 and Part 2.

In-Car Distractions: A Debate Worth Having

By Christopher Dotson

It’s no longer simply about “Hang up and drive”, which I have always considered to be an ill-thought mentality. In retrospect, perhaps the sentiment was only ill-timed. But it’s a debate worth commencing now.

We’re doing far more these days while driving than simply “talking on the phone”. The unlucky person who has learned “the hard way” knows, and this unfortunate person will spend the remainder of their lifetime wishing things had turned out (even a little) differently.

In truth, regarding my own near-miss, if things had turned out -even a little – differently, this article may have been written from a hospital bed, or never written. And as I am writing this today, I remember consoling and counseling a young neighbor (we were both young, then) named Ricky after he had just run down and killed a homeless man– of course, this was long before technology could be cited or held accountable for such a tragedy about to unfold.

Ricky appeared at my doorway one night, after dropping his girlfriend off for work. Still wearing a “lost”, far and away expression, he needed someone to listen, as he recounted the horrors of running over the unseen man, who had been crossing underneath the dark, night time bridge, beneath the 405 freeway. He was reliving the moment, still fresh in his mind, and he began to exorcise the demon which invaded his thoughts and consciousness. His sorrow was heavier than ever I’ve known in another.

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Teaching Your Dog “Manners” So Walks Can Be Problem-Free in OB

February 29, 2012 by Source

By Louisa Golden / Special to the OB Rag

“And the Woman said, ‘His name is not Wild Dog any more, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always.” (Rudyard Kipling)

Spring is nearly here and with the warming weather, Obceans can expect the local dog population to explode. Warmer, longer days mean that more people will be getting out and taking their dogs for walks. Strolling in the neighborhood with your First Friend is a great pleasure. Doing your duty to clean up after Fido is not. With a little management and planning, you and your dog can enjoy your daily promenade without the hassle.

Potty-less walking is convenient, relaxing, clean and great for public relations.

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First Cuppa Coffee – February 28th, 2012 : Virgin Voters Edition

February 28, 2012 by Doug Porter
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About that voicemail from the FBI… In the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision banning the warrant-less use of Global Positioning Systems devices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation finds itself with a rather unique problem on its hands: because the court ruling made the use of GPS devices a questionable practice which could lead to future convictions being overturned, the Feds simply turned them all off. Now they’re missing up to 3000 transmitters, many of which were simply stuck underneath suspicious vehicles.

Putin shows Newt how it’s done…. Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has come up with a strategy his handlers think will to woo women voters to his camp: Callista Gingrinch, wife du jour for the candidate, has started “The Women With Newt National Coalition”. Details are scarce, but apparently ex-mistresses from the 1990’s will not be playing a leadership role. Vladimir Putin, who is running his own campaign for the top job in the former Evil Empire, has developed a much more persuasive approach, which includes a video that suggests strongly that women who vote for the Vladster will achieve sexual satisfaction in the near future. Especially if they are virgins.

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Looking for Winter in San Diego

February 28, 2012 by Frank Gormlie
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With weather reports promising 6 to 8 inches of snow in local mountains for yesterday – February 27th – I nosed my PT Cruiser east on the old venerable Highway 8, and punched the accelerator in a mini-adventure to find Winter in San Diego County.

Gray skies, billowing clouds, and even some sunshine filled my vision for the first half hour in the cruise up the elevation towards Mount Laguna. If it was too snowy by time I reach the turn-off for Sunrise Highway, I thought to myself, I’ll go into the small town of Pine Valley for shelter and comfort, imagining flurries cutting off my visibility in the trek into the snow.

But actually, when I reached Sunrise Highway, I hadn’t even seen any rain. And there was a News 8 van sitting alongside the road, waiting to file the first report on the promised snow.

As I headed up the mountain on the twisting two-laner, the only vehicles I encountered were Border Patrol, ICE, immigration trucks and SUVs. They were all heading down the mountain.

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“Garbarge Beach Heroes” Honored for Saving Fellow Surfer at Sunset Cliffs

February 28, 2012 by Source
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By Gail Powell

On a foggy morning in March 2011, a man who blacked out in the water while surfing off Sunset Cliffs survived, all thanks to quick action from three fellow surfers. Fox5 News reported at the time that surfer David Scheidlinger was very close to death, when help arrived from an angel in a wetsuit!

“I remember being at the top of the stairs carrying my board down and starting to paddle out and then the next thing I remember was being in the bottom of a lifeguard’s boat,” Scheidlinger noted.

Scheidlinger is lucky that Paula Reynolds was his surfing companion and buddy that morning, for she noticed that something was amiss with her friend who suddenly seemed unresponsive in the water.

This life and death situation occurred off surfing mecca Garbage Beach, a popular place to catch some waves off Sunset Cliffs.

Paula Reynolds, a friend since childhood and next door neighbor, told me that she “pulled Dave out of the water” and (onto his surfboard.)

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Remembering My Cousin, Pearlie Mae

February 28, 2012 by Ernie McCray
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I wrote in the guest book of her obituary:

Pearlie Mae. What can I say.
On my family tree.
A cousin but like a big sister to me.
Part of my history.
Here when I arrived.
Could always count on her love.
In my heart she will always reside.

She was a prominent member on our branch of the Windham/Windom family tree. Our grandmother’s Lillie (hers) and Alma (mine) were sisters. It’s hard believing that she’s now resting in peace with those two extraordinary women.

Her obituary states how selfless and loyal she was to family and friends and confidantes and I sure got a sense of that early on in life.

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Flush with cash, Apple unveils plan to shift 700,000 jobs to United States

February 28, 2012 by Dixon Guizot
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CUPERTINO, CALIF. — Giving new meaning to corporate social responsibility, Apple Inc. announced it is “bringing home” more than 700,000 manufacturing jobs currently held by workers in foreign countries.

“As a leading corporate citizen of the United States,” the company said in a press release, “Apple can’t help but feel some sort of responsibility to its fellow Americans. So why not start hiring them?”

Apple plans to spread the employment across ten different U.S. cities, bringing each city an average of 70,000 new jobs, all with full benefits, by the end of 2013.

“We basically just gave our outsourcing team a different task,” Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook told The OB Rag. “Instead of scouring third-world countries to find where workers come cheapest, we surveyed America to find areas where these new jobs would make the most sense.”

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Wisconsin Everywhere: Race to the Bottom or Raise the Floor?

February 27, 2012 by Jim Miller
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In last week’s column, I noted that Arizona lawmakers, with help from a right-wing think tank, were pushing union busting legislation more severe than Wisconsin’s. Not surprisingly, as John Nichols reported in The Nation, Arizona Republicans got a little pep talk from Governor Scott Walker himself:

Two days after Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected Governor John Kasich’s anti-labor agenda by a sixty-one to thirty-nine margin in a statewide referendum, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker jetted to Arizona to launch the next front in the national campaign to attack union rights. After meeting with former Vice President Dan Quayle, Walker was whisked over to the Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, where he briefed a thousand Arizona conservatives on how they could attack “the big-government union bosses.”

“We need to make big, fundamental, permanent structural changes. It’s why we did what we did in Wisconsin,” declared Walker, who at the annual dinner of the right-wing Goldwater Institute said that compromising with unions was “bogus.” Comparing governors who have been attacking the collective-bargaining rights of public employees with the founders of the American experiment—“just like that group that gathered in Philadelphia”—

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First Cuppa Coffee, Monday, February 27, 2012: Occu-Toddlers, Bullets and Bubbles

February 27, 2012 by Doug Porter
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As more and more Americans are becoming aware of the hallucinatory claims being made by increasingly desperate Republicans candidates around the nation, the notion of a credible competitive conservative campaign against entrenched Democratic incumbents appears to be slipping further and further away. As of two weeks ago, well over half the TV advertising purchased by or on behalf the various 2012 GOP candidates was characterized as negative, even vitriolic, as opposed to 6% of ads purchased in 2008..

Some groups, like the National Rifle Association, are embracing the crazy: their newly minted “Trigger the Vote” campaign features Ted Nugent and Chuck Norris tiptoeing around suggestions that if ballots don’t work, bullets will. You have to remember that, after four years of unrequited warnings that the Second Amendment was about to fall, these anti-government extremists have realized that yelling louder is probably their only hope of being noticed.

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MOVE TO AMEND Barnstorming Tour: “Creating Democracy and Challenging Corporate Rule”

February 27, 2012 by Source
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Featuring David Cobb – a fiery speaker, attorney and former Green Party presidential candidate. David’s presentation is part history lesson and part heart-felt call-to-action!

Cobb is an organizer and national spokesman for MoveToAmend.org, a coalition of over 170,000 people and organizations whose goal is to amend the United States Constitution to end corporate rule and legalize democracy.

This event is free and open to the general public, donations requested, no one turned away for lack of funds.

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Jim Crow’s Jig Is Up

February 27, 2012 by Ernie McCray
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There’s a character
from old Minstrel Shows
who went by the name of Jim Crow,
white man in
black face
depicting what he considered to be,
a Negro,
all singy and dancey and grinny,
don’t you know,
but over time
in my mind
I configured the soul
of the rogue playing Jim Crow
as the mastermind
of all the crimes
against my gentes
I’ve seen in a lifetime,
a symbol of all our woes,
morphing into
“The Man”
I’ve come to know:
….

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Ocean Beach Planners Take Fight With City Over Variances to City-Wide Board – Tuesday, Feb. 28th

February 26, 2012 by Frank Gormlie
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The Ocean Beach Planning Board is embroiled in a fight with the City of San Diego. And it’s a fight that goes to the very essence of what it means to be an OBcean, a resident of OB – a community about to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The City right now has been granting variances that improperly allow developers to build beyond what is allowed under local rules.

By doing this, the City is over-riding the Ocean Beach Precise Plan – the governing document that directs development in OB – a Plan that was won by OBceans nearly forty years ago. And by over-riding the Precise Plan with the granting of improper variances that allow for beachfront McMansions – new development on the front lines of the efforts to gentrify northwest Ocean Beach – the City is over-riding Ocean Beach – once again.

But now the OB Planners are taking the fight and the issues they have with the City to the committee of planning board chairs who have their next meeting this Tuesday, Feb. 28th. The OB Board members are hoping that the city-wide group will agree to sponsor an investigation into the variances that the City has been granting to property owners who wish to throw up three-story houses on West Point Loma Boulevard.

The Committee of Planning Committees is holding their meeting Tuesday night, February 28th, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at their Kearny Mesa location, the Metropolitan Operations Center II Auditorium, located at 9192 Topaz Way, Kearny Mesa.

OB Planning Board members are car-pooling to the meeting and are urging OBceans to join them in support and solidarity by attending the meeting – at least that part that involves OB, which is scheduled on the agenda for 8:25 p.m. People who are interested can join up at the OB Rec Center and likewise carpool.

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Smart Phone, Dumb Driver: Another “Techno-Related Near-Miss” – Part 2

February 25, 2012 by Christopher Dotson
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Editor: For readers who are following this series, here’s the second installment of the article entitled, “Pushing the limits: SMART-Phone, DUMB-Driver”. The first part can be found here.

By Christopher Dotson / Special to the OB Rag

How Much Is Too Much? How Fast Is Too Fast?

As the face of the distracted young driver began filling my rearview mirror, I was amazed how he managed to keep his eyes so intently focused upon his “Top-1000” gadget of the week. . . while driving. And that’s the point here: Labor-intensive tasks require a huge amount of mental bandwidth and capacity, as measured over time.

At 60mph, you travel almost 90 feet per second. So even “a few” seconds could be, like, 300 feet! Plus, add to that your ability to (correctly) evaluate and react to new events on the road. Even three seconds is way too long to remain engrossed in non-driving activities.

But I digress . . .

Peering again into the mirror only heightened my emotions, as both his hands now moved off the steering wheel, and he was busily grasping at some type of tether attached to the device.

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Religious Freedom is a Two Way Street

February 25, 2012 by Andy Cohen
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Limiting the availability of contraception to women or the denial of civil rights to gays and lesbians on the basis of religious objections is itself a denial of religious freedom. How Conservatives misunderstand the concept of religious liberty.

When Conservatives and religious leaders complain about the HHS rule requiring contraception coverage, what they’re really complaining about is that the ability to impose their religious morals and beliefs on others is being stripped away.

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Wake and Bake Kids! It’s TGIF!

February 24, 2012 by Source
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By OB Joe

Hey y’all! Hi ya’all doin’? You made it through the week – cowabunga dude!

Doug Porter couldn’t write up his First Cuppa Coffee this morning cause he’s been ill. So, once again Editordude calls me at the last moment to fill in. I told him that Doug usually has a theme to his column and I can’t do that. He says not to worry. So, here ya go – a bunch of newsclips that were lining my bathroom wall:

Chris’ Deli almost robbed early this (Friday) morning. One of the workers at the Deli, located at the corner of West Point Loma Blvd and Sunset Cliffs Blvd, walked in early only to find two guys trying to break into the store’s safe. He told investigators that one of the guys pointed a handgun at him, so he took off. But he watched what happened from a safe distance. He saw the guys then place a sledgehammer and a gray trash can into the bed of an older dark pickup with a California license plate. They both had on white bandanas and hooded zip-up sweatshirts, one orange and the other yellow. Oh, btw, the first U-T version of the attempted theft called Chris’ Deli, “the Princess Deli and Liquor”.

What a rip! Thanks a lot Carquest Auto Parts! SDGLN.com reports that Golden State Supply, doing business as CARQUEST Auto Parts stores in the San Diego area, has agreed to pay a $242,715 judgment after being accused of charging customers more than the advertised or posted price on items when they were scanned at check-out counters. In addition, inspectors observed in eight stores that the cash registers failed to display the price of items where the consumer could see the display, which is a violation of state law.

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Pushing theLimits: SMART-Phone, DUMB-Driver

February 24, 2012 by Christopher Dotson
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Editor: In response to recent announcements that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is calling for further bans on in-car technology, this multiple part series by Christopher Dotson examines recent claims and studies announced by the NTSB to collect more consistent crash data. Dotson also shares personal insights into the growing phenomena and suggests ways we c an all better understand the everyday impact of cell phones and mobile technology which can impact traffic, as well as public safety.

By Christopher Dotson / Special to the OB Rag

Another Accident Waiting to Happen

Approaching Ocean Beach near the end of the 8 freeway, I began slowing as the car ahead of me was already stopping for the yellowing light. I cast a glance in my rearview mirror and immediately noticed the driver behind me showed no signs he was preparing to stop.

No big deal. He had time. Surely he is not too distracted that he is blind to what’s ahead of him.

As a lifelong motorcycle rider, it’s always been standard practice to observe how driver-safety, and other forms of driver behavior, can impact driving and traffic conditions. I’m writing this article because a lot of people (myself, included!) are too easily distracted using high technology while driving and, with so many new gadgets to amuse us in the car, “distracted driving” can really push the limits of public safety, however you may define this.

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Gasoline Smugglers Caught in Ocean Beach as America’s “Gas War” Rages

February 24, 2012 by Frank Gormlie
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With gas prices over $4 a gallon and Middle East tensions not soon to be abated and with the price of a barrel of oil skyrocketing, the smuggling of gas into the United States is taking on a new priority, law enforcement agents admitted on Thursday on the beach at Ocean Beach.

Twelve gas smugglers were taken into custody in Ocean Beach on Thursday morning at the foot of the OB Pier. Local Pat James caught some of the scene with these photos.

The smugglers had come ashore on a small boat, called a “panga” which had a number of plastic jugs of gas. It was first assumed that this was just an ordinary “illegal alien” bust, but when authorities discovered all the gas jugs, agents had to rewrite their reports.

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An End to an Era – the Last of the Brighton Ave. Beach Restrooms Fall

February 24, 2012 by Staff
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Yup, it’s an end to an era all right. These photos were taken by the City of San Diego to demonstrate the end to the Brighton Avenue beach restrooms. The city calls them “comfort stations” – but whatever they’re called, they’re down.

This all occurred on Wednesday, the 22nd of February.

Next up: the building of the restrooms.

This controversial project has been a long time coming. Here are some recent posts by us: go here, here, and here.

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Sex in San Diego: Buying bras for a kid

February 24, 2012 by Source
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by Emilie Astolat

Breasts. It wasn’t too long ago that I told my 10-year-old stepdaughter she had to wear a different shirt because I could see details of her breasts beneath the one she had on.

I’m not sure when she started maturing sexually, but it’s definitely happening. Technically, according to all the books, they’re only buds. But the idea of her actually having them is so foreign they might as well be balloons.

For her birthday recently, I got her a book called The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls by Valorie Lee Schaefer. As the name implies, it describes and illustrates various bodily developments and what to do about each one.

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Will the Supreme Court Reconsider Citizens-United?

February 23, 2012 by Source
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By Linda Greenhouse / The New York Times – RSN / February 23, 2012

Is there really a chance that the Supreme Court might reconsider Citizens United?

A week ago, I wouldn’t have thought so, and I still think it’s an extreme long shot. But a provocative statement last Friday by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer makes this crazy idea worth pondering – which is undoubtedly what the two justices intended.

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Early History of the Ocean Beach Woman’s Club

February 23, 2012 by Source
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From Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association / Feb. 21, 2012

The Ocean Beach Woman’s Club has been a “Hub of Activity” in Ocean Beach for eighty-eight years. The majority of the club’s history from 1924 to 1937 has been lost from the official records. The information that we do have comes from historians and newspaper articles of the time. On September 21, 1997 the building sustained major fire damage. Again much of the club’s records and history was lost or damaged by the fire. It is gratifying that the sons and daughters of old time members are finding and presenting the club with memorabilia of the club in years past.

The Ocean Beach Woman’s Club was founded on November 24, 1924, and is one of the oldest civic groups in San Diego. Forty five charter members are listed as having signed the charter. Many of the club’s charter members were married to the Chamber of Commerce men, so the women had long been involved in public affairs. Records indicate that the club was a member of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs prior to 1936. The club was organized with a Constitution, Bylaws, and its first Board of Directors on January 12, 1925.

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How much will real estate and development interests spend to elect DeMaio?

February 23, 2012 by Source

By Dirty DeMaio/ February 21, 2012

One of Carl DeMaio’s favorite claims on the campaign trail is that government doesn’t create jobs. We’ve noted previously that DeMaio can actually thank government for every job he’s ever had, but is he also looking to have government create jobs for his campaign contributors?

After he didn’t back down from a statement that he “owes” his supporters, DeMaio assured the audience at a mayoral debate in January that “we have not had any contract process where I’m awarding a contract.” But as we noted last month, that’s not entirely accurate:
(see inside)

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First Cuppa Coffee – February 23rd, 2012 : Going Postal Edition.

February 23, 2012 by Doug Porter
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The US Postal Service is stepping up security starting today… in anticipation of “adverse reactions” by employees as they learn that their workplaces are slated to be phased out. With 150,000 employees facing layoffs thanks to some clever moves by Congressional Republicans that have left the Post Office with an artificially induced requirement to pre-fund pensions at the rate of $5.5 billion annually.

Today’s the day I get to face our latest energy crisis… Our Honda-bomb needs its thrice monthly fill-up. Prices have shot up faster than NBC’s Consumer Bob can make up metaphors to describe the situation. “Why, oh, why?” we ask… As NPR noted this morning, the number of drilling rigs in U.S. oil fields has quadrupled since 2008. Domestic oil production hit an 8-year high in 2011. For the first time in 60 years, the U.S. is now a net fuel exporter. Oil demand was actually down 4.6 percent last week over last year, while the supply of gasoline has actually increased slightly since a year ago. “Why, oh, why?” we ask… McClatchy News tells us that it’s the same sort of wonderful “free market” mechanisms that caused the current recession.

The war in Iran has already started... While we’re on energy related topics, Robert Grenier, former Director of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center mulls over what it all means today at Al Jazeera. It’s worth reading if you’d like to escape the confines of the SDUT’s world view.

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Leaders unite across party lines to defend Constitution from NDAA

February 22, 2012 by Source
WASHINGTON, DC — In the first few weeks of 2012, at least six jurisdictions have enacted local resolutions opposing the military detention provisions of the controversial National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law by the president only a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, legislation to nullify the NDAA has been introduced in legislatures of several states from coast-to-coast, with a Virginia bill passing the House of Delegates 96-4 last week.
Concerns about NDAA detention provisions transcend political party, ideology, and geography, and representatives in these diverse jurisdictions have stood up to resist an ongoing bipartisan assault on constitutional rights by federal officials. While a debate about the scope of the NDAA’s potential abuses continues to distract congressional policymakers, who voted without realizing the law’s terrifying implications, their counterparts in state and local governments are proving more conscientious, proactively acting on their oaths of office to defend the Constitution.
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