Articles by Doug Porter

Doug Porter was an Ocean Beach hippie back in the day and was active in the alternative press in San Diego, contributing to the OB Liberator, the print version of the OB Rag, the San Diego Door, and the San Diego Street Journal. He also has contributed blogs to the Huffington Post and Daily Kos. He cares about education, rock-n-roll, good food and local politics!

Doug has written 800 articles for the OB Rag!

Right Wing Disinformation Targets San Diego Schools

December 10, 2020 by Doug Porter

An error filled online posting, devoid of context, with misleading assumptions has led to death threats and vile messages aimed at staff in the San Diego Unified School District, according to Board of Education Vice President Barrera.

Efforts to create awareness of racism as a systemic rather than an individual problem have stoked indignation in far right circles during the Age of Trump. Authors and publications seeking to educate the public and provide previously unheard historical context have been denounced as being racist themselves and part of a left wing conspiracy.

Now San Diego has its own mini-scandal, which should be laughable, except that threats and violence from right wing extremists have become normalized.

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‘My Cancer Demands a Rematch’

December 4, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / WordsandDeeds / December 3, 2020

As of December 10th, I’ll be taking a break from my daily musings [writing at Words&Deeds].

To make a long story short, I’m going to have surgery at UCSD La Jolla on December 11th. All the preoperative appointments are crowding my schedule making it difficult to write a daily column, so I’ve missed a day or two recently.

This has been on the horizon for a while. A biopsy found cancerous cells. A CT scan didn’t find any tumors. A PET scan says, yes, there is localized cancer in my throat at the same location leading to the surgery that cost me my vocal chords in 2012. A sonogram says my tissues can take another round of surgery.

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Results of Ballot Propositions in ‘Not-So-Blue’ California

November 12, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / WordsandDeeds / Nov. 10, 2020

Results for the dozen propositions on the 2020 general election ballot haven’t been finalized, but at this point it’s a safe bet to assume not much will change when it comes to the pass/fail question.

There are two types of electioneering for ballot measures, massive ad/publicity campaigns and door-to-door canvassing. Even though California is an expensive ad buy, thanks to its size and population centers, flooding public consciousness with messaging has always been the preferred technique for big bucks campaigns.

By the time election day rolled around, I’m sure many Californians took it as gospel that Uber drivers thought the labor rules written for them by their bosses were a swell idea.

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Don’t Give Up on the Police Department Budget, San Diego

June 16, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / June 11, 2020

Calls to take an axe to the San Diego Police Department’s funding for the coming year failed to move the City Council, which voted 8-1 on Monday, June 8 to approve a budget that included a $27 million increase for the cops.

There are, understandably, a lot of activists who are angry and/or dismayed by that vote. The deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville at the hands of police have served to raise consciousness on the relationships between racism and law enforcement to a much higher plane. I have no doubt that this is a turning point in history. And it’s about damn time.

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Will These Be on the November Ballot? Thirty Foot Height Limit, Ranked Choice Voting, Clean Elections, Project Labor Agreements

May 15, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / WordsandDeeds / May 14, 2020

The San Diego City Council’s Rules Committee met on Wednesday and advanced six ballot measures under consideration for the November 2020 general election.

A measure making San Diego Unified School District board elections district only affairs will be considered by the full council.. Currently, school district voters make their choices in a primary; the entire city gets to vote on those choices in the general election.

Five other measures will get a second hearing before the rules committee in June after further analysis and preparation.

  • Authorizing outside legal counsel for the city auditor
  • Public campaign financing for city offices
  • Ranked choice voting for city offices
  • Removing a ban on Project Labor Agreements
  • Removing the 30 foot height-limit in the Midway District.

All these potential measures are controversial in some respect. And there are other measures under consideration for the November ballot.

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Super Tuesday: The Story Out of California Will Be ‘The Delay’ in Ballot Counts

March 3, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter/ Words&Deeds / March 3, 2020

The horse race metaphor will reach peak silliness over the next day or so as election results are presented in the media. I get it that this method is a useful construct for reporting; using it as the sole measure of a political process falls short of presenting the bigger picture.

There are more people voting in California than ever before, and more of us are voting in advance of election day. We have wisely encouraged voter participation, making it easy as possible for casting a ballot, and backed it up with systems –we’re told– prevent fraud.

While we’ll have an idea of the overall outcome on presidential candidacies late on election night, the final count may take days or weeks. Each of the 58 counties in California could be processing its own ballots until April 3. The secretary of state then has until April 10 to certify those statewide results.

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Vote Like You Mean It on Tuesday

March 2, 2020 by Doug Porter

Today: some analysis on where the presidential campaigns stand, and a rundown of resources to help undecided voters make their choices.

by Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / March 2, 2020

The decision to move California’s primary election to earlier in the season has made the state a bigger player in the nominating process. And California’s Democratic voters have been watching closely, and reports now indicate that millions held on to their ballots strategically.

Twenty percent of the 16 million ballots mailed had been received as of Sunday, with Democrats and No Party Preference voters being more likely than Republicans to have NOT cast their votes.

The withdrawal of Amy Klochubar, Tom Steyer and Pete Buttigieg leaves voters with a binary decision:

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Issa, DeMaio Scrape Bottom of Barrel in Congressional Race for 50th District

February 21, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / February 14, 2020

We’re less than two weeks away from the 2020 California primary, and the two brand name Republicans in the 50th Congressional district contest are fighting it out over who can run the scummiest ads.

Having been rebuked by his own party for running a “wink-wink” video ad pointing out Carl DeMaio as a Gay man, Darrell Issa has now dialed up some old-fashioned racism to make his case.

A new TV ad features a photo of three shirtless and tattooed men (taken in a Latin American prison) as the narrator insists, “Amnesty. Open borders. Citizenship. Carl DeMaio is dangerous.”

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Is ‘Ranked Choice Voting’ in the Future for California?

February 19, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Feb. 11, 2020

Congratulations, California. The legislative and executive branches of our state government have worked hard to make the process of voting easier in a world where 9 to 5 and Monday thru Friday jobs are disappearing faster than big name brick storefront retailers.

Republicans, generally speaking, hate this concept, as their roads to victory involve voter suppression. Whether it’s repeating the oft-debunked tales of voter fraud or scheduling a presidential visit on election eve in the hope of disrupting polling place access (yes, Trump just did this!), the GOP’s ideal democratic republic involves the entitled ruling the roost.

The Golden State and the voting districts within are facing a governance dilemma of a different sort, namely one party rule. Many of our elections in San Diego are little more than personal popularity contests, where a smiling face and the bucks to get it in front of people mean more than actual ability. Take our mayoral contest, for instance.

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The A, B, C’s of San Diego’s Primary

February 14, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Feb. 13, 2010

Should we vote for Measures A, B, or C? The short version: Yes, No, Maybe.

What does it mean to be a progressive in San Diego? The answer to that question can depend on how one feels about the A,B, & C measures on the primary ballot. (Measure D is a no-brainer)

No matter which side you choose, there will be somebody out there in the chattering classes who will say you’re not a true progressive.

So, with that in mind, bring on the haters. I’ve made up my mind.

Measure A

Measure A is about the approval process for future developments in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County requiring changes to the General Plan for development.

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Primary Election 2020 Guide to Voter Guides and Endorsements

February 13, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds/ February 10, 2020

Who should I vote for? That’s a question I hear all the time. My mail-in ballot lists no less than 85 candidates, running for 13 seats, plus four ballot measures.

I’ve spent a lot of time studying the candidates and issues and written about it extensively. But you don’t have to take my word for it.

There are a handful of websites that go through the process of listing all or most of the candidates, and I’ll review them in this column.

There are dozens of organizations eager to share their knowledge and viewpoints with voters. They endorse candidates whose outlook and record indicate a higher level of support for their organizational objectives.

With the goal of keeping my explorations short enough to possibly get read, I’m not going into individual’s endorsements. You should visit a candidate’s website to learn these if it is important to you.

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The Next Mayor of San Diego Will Probably Be Todd Gloria (Not an Endorsement)

February 10, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porterr / Words&Deeds

This is not an endorsement. The sky could fall. Trump could quit Tweeting. Republicans could support the constitution. And Todd Gloria could lose.

I just don’t see it happening. And, by all means, cast a vote for the candidate you think could do the best job. My point of view is informed by observations about the state of the city and the campaigns of those opposing him.

I have, after all, been wrong before. My list of fallen favorites spans the decades, going way back to when I was “Clean for Gene” (McCarthy). But with every loss has come a bit more insight.

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San Diego Mayoral Forum on Homelessness & Housing: Is the Answer ‘Build, Baby, Build’?

February 7, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / February 5, 2020

“There is not a poll that you see, there’s not a discussion that you go to, where homelessness isn’t the primary concern of the electorate and to have a forum where you talk about homelessness and housing is really special.” — Voice of San Diego Editor Scott Lewis at Voices of Our City Mayoral Forum

While some folks chose to subject themselves to the painful experience of watching President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, a few hundred San Diegans gathered at the Fraternal Order of Eagles auditorium in Hillcrest to hear a discussion among Mayoral candidates about reality in America’s Finest City.

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County Board of Supervisors District 1: A Big Change is Coming

January 23, 2020 by Doug Porter

District One Includes Point Loma and Sunset Cliffs

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Jan. 22, 2020

In 2021, for the first time in more than two decades, the 631,000 residents of District One will have a new representative on the County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Republican Greg Cox was appointed in 1995 to replace Brian Bilbray, who was moving on to the House of Representatives, has faced minimal opposition over his six terms. Now he’s termed out.

Democrats have a 72,000-person advantage in voter registration in the sprawling district, which includes the cities of Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City and communities within Southeast San Diego, Point Loma, Sunset Cliffs and parts of downtown San Diego. The district also includes the unincorporated communities of Bonita, Sunnyside, Lincoln Acres, and East Otay Mesa.

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San Diego Has Four Open Seats for Judges on March 2020 Primary Ballot

January 17, 2020 by Doug Porter

There are four judicial seats appearing on ballots for the March primary. None of them are for incumbents. All are for seats vacated by a retiring judge. I wish it was easy to tell you who the progressive candidates are, but the way the system works makes it hard to tell.

With rare exceptions, incumbent judges run unopposed in the primary. In fact, unless there is announced opposition, incumbents names don’t even appear on the ballot.

One third of the 1,535 judges in the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even numbered years. Technically the elections are for a six year long judicial “office” as opposed to an individual.

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California 78th Assembly District 2020 Preview: A Case of Name Recognition

January 14, 2020 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds

Todd Gloria’s decision to run for Mayor of San Diego left the 78th Assembly District looking for a new legislator.

Comprised of coastal communities and center city neighborhoods, this is a solidly Blue district. It’s so Democratic leaning that Republicans haven’t even put up a candidate for 2020. Donald Trump won a mere 25.9% of the vote in 2016

So we have three Democrats on the primary ballot.

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California’s 52nd Congressional District: Scott Peters 2020 Primary Challenges & Challengers

January 9, 2020 by Doug Porter

The second decade of the 21st century saw San Diego’s 52nd Congressional District change from red to blue. In 2010 it was represented by the second generation of the Republican Hunter family; in 2020 Democrat Scott Peters has a firm grip on the seat.

In part the shift in partisan outlook can be attributed to redistricting, but when Peters went up against Brian Bilbray in 2012, the GOP still had a voter registration advantage, despite redrawn boundaries.

The latest stats for the upcoming primary from the California Secretary of State show registered Republicans in third place, fifteen thousand voters behind No Party Preference and thirty five thousand behind Democrats. It’s a testament to the sagging fortunes of a political party burdened with inept local leadership and a cult figure at the top nationally.

So it’s safe to say an incumbent Democrat should feel optimistic about their chances for re-election.

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It’s Time to Pay Attention! California Primary Two Months Away

January 3, 2020 by Doug Porter

California’s Primary is just two months away – March 3. In just over a month a supermajority of California voters will begin voting by mail for candidates and issues in the 2020 primary.

We citizens get the opportunity to vote twice in 2020. Traditional polling places will be open on March 3 (Primary) and November 3 (General election).

Our state has made it incredibly easy to perform the action of casting a ballot. What’s not so easy is deciding who to vote for, particularly once you get past the big name contests.

First off, you need to ask yourself:

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Emails Lead to Papa Doug’s Fall From GOP Grace

November 19, 2019 by Doug Porter

RNC Cuts Ties to San Diego’s Real Estate Mogul “Papa Doug” Manchester

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Nov. 18, 2019

The Republican National Committee has cut all ties with San Diego real estate mogul “Papa Doug” Manchester. They’ve refunded his most recent contributions and denounced his behavior as “totally inappropriate.”

It appears as though Papa Doug broke one of the few rules enforced at the White House these days; he got caught.

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Impeachment Day 30: Quid Pro Quo and Smoking Gun Means a GOP Shutdown

October 23, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Oct. 23, 2019

Ambassador William Taylor’s bombshell testimony.before congress on Tuesday laid waste to the Trump administration’s ‘No Quid Pro Quo” defense.

Another round of polling shows further erosion of the President’s support among independent voters, and GOP insiders are whispering about an as yet unreported fall in Republican support.

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Mayoral Candidate Barbara Bry’s Horrible Homeless Crusade

October 21, 2019 by Doug Porter

From Words&Deeds / Oct. 19, 2019

Note: I promised myself I’d stay out of Democrat vs Democrat races where the election of one or the other wouldn’t have a great impact. Barbara Bry has crossed that line. We don’t need four more years of Kevin Falconer.

Councilmember and Mayoral Candidate Barbara Bry isn’t the first person who comes to mind when I hear Senator Bernie Sanders railing against the 1%. Sometimes though, it’s not how much money you’ve got, it’s how the trappings of the uber rich filter down the economic food chain.

The 1% need a little help beyond what money can buy to protect their interests. This means advocacy and ideology supporting their interests. Otherwise well-meaning people parrot policy ideas favoring the status quo that are all about protecting people’s “stuff.”

La Jolla’s Councilmember has been beating the drums lately with an op ed in the Times of San Diego, direct mail, and Facebook ads stirring up issues around homelessness in a manner aimed at juicing up the disgust many San Diegan feel when confronted with the results of decades of heightening inequality.

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As Trump Sucks Money From California Donors – He Tells the Rest of Californians to ‘Go Suck a Tailpipe’

September 18, 2019 by Doug Porter

The Trump administration has decided to revoke California’s power to set its own standards for vehicle emissions. There are three reasons why this is happening.

The obvious reasoning for this move by the “Environmental” Protection Agency is to encourage the consumption of dirty energy commodities. Fossil fuel producers and refiners, most of whom support Trump, have the opportunity for continued profits, even as their products shorten the time we have to stabilize the planet’s climate.

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Trump Lunch Fundraiser Set for Today – Wednesday – at the US Grant Hotel

September 18, 2019 by Doug Porter
By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds

The word is that Trump’s re-election fundraiser will be happening at the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego, Wednesday, September 18.

Guests have been asked to arrive between 9 and 11. Trump is expected to arrive at 11, and speak at Noon.

Local activists have announced plans to gather in Horton Plaza Park across the street from the hotel to protest the policies of the Trump administration.

The infamous inflatable Baby Trump balloon is expected to make an appearance.

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Does Todd Gloria Really Have the Mayor’s Race All Wrapped Up?

September 12, 2019 by Doug Porter

The 2020 Primaries: Is it Time for Todd Gloria to Do a Victory Lap?

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / Sept. 9, 2019

Short answer: Nah, he’s not gonna pull a Howard Dean.
The first round of polling made news this weekend. A poll has Assemblyman Todd Gloria leading Councilwoman Barbara Bry by more than a 2-1 ratio among likely voters in the race to become San Diego’s next mayor.

Here’s the fine print: 46% of likely voters are undecided,

Longer Answer:

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San Diego City Council Member Gomez’ Big Announcement: Whatever Could It Be?

September 11, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words & Deeds / Sept. 11, 2019

Exactly nobody will be surprised on Saturday morning if District 9 San Diego City Council Georgette Gomez person announces she’s running for Congress.

I seriously doubt she’ll be announcing free parking for the Green Day/Weezer concert at Petco during next year’s ComicCon. Or that she’ll endorse Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson.

The not-expected letter from incumbent 53rd District Representative Susan Davis declaring her retirement at the end of this term has changed the 2020 election picture for San Diego.

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Duncan Hunter and White Nationalists

August 22, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words & Deeds

Congressman Duncan Hunter’s relationship with a self proclaimed white supremacist made headlines following disclosure of a photograph taken at a July Fourth parade of the congressman standing beside Kris Wyrick, who flashed an “OK” gesture — a sign appropriated by extremists in recent years to mean “WP” or “white power.”

The photo was deleted from Hunter’s Facebook page following media inquiries.

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It’s ‘Guns, Baby, Guns’ for Carl DeMaio’s Congressional Campaign

August 21, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words & Deeds / August 20, 2019

It’s a Day Ending in Y in August, so that’s as good as an excuse as any to catch up on what’s going on in California’s 50th Congressional District, also known as #DuncanHunterland.

When I last checked in on this contest, former talk show host Carl DeMaio was throwing his hat into the race, offering up the summary of a pathetic little (302 likely voters) push poll showing a voters liked him more than Duncan Hunter or Darrell Issa.

Since that time, Congressman Hunter’s trial on charges of misusing $250,000 in campaign funds was postponed from Sept. 10 to Jan. 14 until an appeals court considers a defense motion to dismiss the case. This makes it likely a verdict and or a plea deal won’t be done until very close to the March primary debate.

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We’re Drowning in Plastic – the California Legislature Aims to Do Something About It

August 13, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / August 13, 2019

Three bills being considered by the California Legislature in coming weeks seek to change the economics of recycling, which–if you haven’t heard already–is in big trouble. It’s time to watch Sacramento closely, as corporate interests seek to protect their short range profits as damage to our health and the environment escalates.

The California Circular Economy and Plastic Pollution Reduction Act, a set of identical bills that started in the Senate as SB 54 (Ben Allen) and the Assembly as AB 1080 (Lorena Gonzalez) would require manufacturers to reduce waste from packaging and certain plastic products.

AB 792 (Assm. Phil Ting) requires manufacturers use sharply escalating percentages of recycled plastic in beverage bottles over the next decade.

Earlier this month rePlanet, a major collector of beverage bottles and cans, shut its 284 collection centers in California.

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Trump’s Blame Game on Mass Shootings Continues Unabated

August 8, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / August 7, 2019

One of the things you can say this administration has done well is gaslighting people on mass shootings.

While I know pointing out the ten thousand plus falsehoods coming from the Oval Office isn’t going to change the mindset of Trumpanistas, staying aware of reality is an important part of civic consciousness.

These fabrications and fictions have the cumulative effect of tamping down overall voter enthusiasm while keeping the thirty percent of Americans who represent Trump’s base energized.

Faced with overwhelmingly bad news –mass shootings, winning trade wars isn’t easy, after all, and those darn statistics about climate change– the administration and their allies are cranking out absurdities at a frightening pace.

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Issa to Host La Jolla Fundraiser for Senator ‘Moscow Mitch’ McConnell

August 2, 2019 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / Words&Deeds / July 29, 2019

Ex-Congressman Darrell Issa has invited prospective donors to a reception at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club on Monday, August 12 starting at 5pm.

A check for five thousand dollars, payable to McConnell for Majority Leader, merits individual entrance to the event plus a photographic memento.

There are four things going on here: a fundraiser for the primary enabler of Trumpism, an opportunity to protest, the Majority Leader’s opposition to elections free from outside interference, and the return of Darrell Issa to the spotlight.

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