Election

Election 2024: A Cautionary Tale — Look Beyond Trump and Biden

May 15, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Last December, I wrote a column and predicted that neither Biden nor Trump would be the next President. Then it was an outlandish suggestion. Much less so now.
Why? Things are exponentially worse. Trust is lacking. Solutions non-existent.

Increased anger over gun violence, immigration surges, abortion restrictions, financial corruption, inflation, homelessness, war, a pandemic, climate change, the dark web, and global rise of dictatorships, etc., has unleashed a rare form of political and social near-insanity

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Senator Diane Feinstein’s Worth is Priceless

April 18, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Let’s be blunt.  Senator Diane Feinstein is worth more than a dozen GOP Senators. Worth more than millions of California votes that elected her to office decade after decade.

And worth more than all the naysayers popping up on talk shows and opinion pieces attempting to drive her from office.

Feinstein’s worth is priceless. And I, for one of multi-millions of California admirers want her to STAY PUT.  PERIOD. She can do more for the state than any replacement on the horizon.  And she only needs to stick around for about a year.

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Original San Diego Community Planning Board in Ocean Beach Struggling Because of City’s Axe and Lack of Interest Locally

April 7, 2023 by Source

By Geoff Page

Writing this account of the Ocean Beach Planning Board’s March 2023 elections as certified by the Board Wednesday, April 5th, feels like writing an obituary, for several reasons. The news just is not good for the original San Diego community planning board.

What is happening may well be the result of the Community Planning Group “reforms” the city adopted last September to put an end to community input on land use.

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Do You Know What District You Live In?

March 15, 2023 by Source

Know Your District?

[Slightly edited from Peninsula News]

If you live in Point Loma or Ocean Beach, you probably know which City Council District you’re in. (2)

You might know what County District we’re in. But that’s been tricky.

For a long time the northern part of Point Loma and OB was in District 4, and the southern Peninsula was in District 1.

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Night of the Living Woke Mind Virus

March 14, 2023 by Source

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Incumbents Re-Elected for OB Planning Board

March 6, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

The most recent annual election of the Ocean Beach Planning Board witnessed 8 incumbents re-elected and one new member elected to the community volunteer panel.

Chris Peregoy was the newly elected member and will represent District 4. And Christopher Chalupsky, a member since 2019, changed seats and was elected as an At-Large member.

Otherwise here is:

Your 2023 OB Planning Board as of March 2nd, 2023:

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Here Is a Better Idea: Bill Walton for Mayor

March 2, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Why not? Todd Gloria is unpopular. City residents are unhappy with his tenure. And most San Diegans want a “new direction” with a new leader.

For an in-depth accounting of Gloria’s scandals and misdeeds, read the recent column, “Sins of San Diego Mayors Part 2.”

Then look at the obvious decline of the City once dubbed, “Camelot by the Bay.”

The Mayor and City Council, “Cannot maintain. Cannot Sustain. Cannot deliver.”  Where are the improvements they promised?

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Poll Shows Mayor Gloria Vulnerable in Re-Election Bid

March 1, 2023 by Source

By Arturo Castañares Editor-at-Large / La Prensa / Feb. 27, 2023

A new poll conducted in the last month suggests that a majority of San Diegans are looking for new leadership at City Hall just as first-term Mayor Todd Gloria starts gearing up his re-election campaign for next year’s election.

“Nearly six-in-ten voters (59 percent) think the city has gotten off on the wrong track,” the poll analysis states. “Only 36 percent say it is heading in the right direction.”

The negative view of the City’s direction was highest among older voters, with 72% of voters over 45 years of age saying the City is heading in the wrong direction, and the lowest percentage believing so being among young and liberal voters.

The poll also suggests that the blame for the City’s wrong direction lies with one person: current Mayor Todd Gloria.

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Voting Begins for Ocean Beach Planning Board; Runs through Wednesday, March 1

March 1, 2023 by Staff

Voting for the eight seats up for election at the Ocean Beach Planning Board has begun and will run through Thursday, March 1 at 8pm. Online voting began on Wednesday, February 22.

In person voting will take place at the OB Recreation Center on March 1 from 8am-10am, then again from 4pm – 8pm. Mail-in and drop off ballots will also be accepted. The drop box will be at the OB Business center.

Results will be announced Thursday, March 2, 2023 via OBPB email and social media.

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OBceans and Peninsulans – Vote at Your Local Planning Boards Before the City Dismantles Them

February 28, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Annual elections for local planning boards are coming up fast – the Ocean Beach board has its election on Wednesday, March 1, while the Peninsula Community Planning Board has theirs on March 16.

But, OBceans and Peninsulans need to be aware that the City is making lots of noise these days to dismantle the volunteer citizen panels that have, for some at least, been around since the mid-1970s.

OB Rag writers, particularly Geoff Page and Mat Wahlstrom, have been sounding the alarm for weeks and months. The city of San Diego is coming for the community planning groups with schemes to make volunteering on the boards so onerous that no one will want to put themselves through the process.

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Candidate Forum March 9, Election March 16 for Peninsula Community Planning Board

February 28, 2023 by Staff

By Geoff Page

The Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regular monthly meeting, Thursday, February 16, was a relatively bland affair.

Elections

The upcoming planning board elections was probably the most important topic of the meeting. The election information is posted on the PCPB home page here.

There are five board positions open for this election. Anyone wishing to run for a seat must fill out an application that can be found on the Elections page titled “2023 Board Member Application.” The titling is a bit odd as it was always was called a Candidate Application in the past.

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Councilmember Gloria to the Rescue – The Sins of San Diego Mayors – Part 2

February 22, 2023 by Source

By Norma Damashek / NumbersRunner / Feb. 22, 2023

Councilmember Gloria Bounds to the Rescue (2013–2014)

According to the City Charter, the presiding officer of the city council has limited authority to act as mayor in the event of an unplanned vacancy in the mayor’s seat. With a wink and a nod from City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, Councilmember Todd Gloria put his feet up on the mayor’s desk and immediately got to work reorganizing city government in his own image.

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The Sins of San Diego’s Mayors On Parade – Part 1

February 20, 2023 by Source

By Norma Damashek / NumbersRunner / Feb. 19, 2023

One thing’s for sure–San Diegans are under a gag order when it comes to naming names and identifying the corrupt, self-serving, and unethical maneuvers of many of our city’s  influential players–elected and unelected–who steer the San Diego ship.

Isn’t it time to put our mayors on parade and figure out if there’s still time to change direction?

1) The Parade Starts with Mayor Susan Golding (1992-2000)

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My Wild Prediction: The ‘Arc of History’ Will Decide Senator Feinstein’s Successor

February 6, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

First, that history.

“In a letter dated March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams writes to her husband, John Adams, urging him and the other members of the Continental Congress not to forget about the nation’s women when fighting for America’s independence from Great Britain.

‘I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.

‘Remember, all men would be tyrants if they could.”

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Brilliant Move by Katie Porter to Secure Diane Feinstein’s Senate Seat

January 11, 2023 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

Once you have witnessed a comet streak across the sky or a double rainbow stretch across a mountaintop, you never forget the sight.

Once, you have seen Rep. Katie Porter deliver a takedown of corporate and political bigwigs during Congressional hearings, using just a small white board and some numbers, you never forget that moment. And now, after just being sworn in for her third term, Porter has just delivered another memorable moment by stealing the march on multiple competitors and announcing her run for Senator Diane Feinstein’s seat.

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Looks like a Lot of Same Old Same Old (Reflections on the Speaker of the House Vote Fiasco)

January 11, 2023 by Ernie McCray

by Ernie McCray

America today is a bit
whacky
and almost
out of control,
when we should be reaching
down deep in our souls
to make our nation
at least not a country
where one turns on his TV
to CNN or MSBNC
to a scene
where one US Congressman
is being restrained by a fellow Congressman
to prevent him
from going upside the head
of another Congressman

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House GOP Says Pentagon Budget Is Safe — But Social Security and Medicare Aren’t

January 11, 2023 by Source

By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams / Jan 10, 2023

Republicans who have pledged to use their narrow majority in the House to pursue steep federal spending cuts have sent a clear message in recent days: The bloated Pentagon budget is safe, but Social Security, Medicare, and other key government programs are not.

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Toil and Trouble in the House

January 11, 2023 by Source

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San Diegans Rally in Balboa Park and Call for Accountability, Mark the 2nd Anniversary of the Attempted Insurrection

January 7, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Fifty San Diegans rallied Friday in Balboa Park to call for accountability and to mark the second anniversary of the attempted insurrection and coup.

They gathered near the Evenson Fountain between the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Natural History Museum on a bright but cool afternoon. The event was organized by a local Indivisible chapter and was part of nationwide efforts to demand that those responsible at the highest levels for the violence on January 6, 2021, be brought to justice.

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San Diego Rally to Demand Accountability and to Mark the 2 Years Since the Assault on Our Freedoms – Friday, Jan.6

January 6, 2023 by Staff

San Diegans have organized a rally today, January 6, to demand accountability and to mark two years since the January 6th attack on our Capitol.

It’s from 2 to 4 PM at Balboa Park’s Bea Evenson Fountain (between the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and the Natural History)

It’s part of events nationwide that will raise our voices for accountability and broad democracy reforms.

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Michael Moore: On the Second Anniversary of Defeating the Fascists and Supremacists (and President Benedict Trump)

January 6, 2023 by Source

By Michael Moore / Jan. 6, 2023

Friends,

Two years ago today, we defeated an attempted coup in our country. The attack by domestic terrorists, operating on the orders of a treasonous defeated president, attacked our Capitol and Congress with brutal violence. People died. 535 Americans elected to represent us were forced to run for their lives.

This violent coup was beaten back after hours of pleas to the White House for help. May Trump rot in prison some day for this.

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It’s Now Been 2 Years Since Trump Organized the Insurrection at the Capitol – And He’s Still Walking Around Free

January 6, 2023 by Frank Gormlie

Today is January 6, 2023, and it’s now been two years since Trump instigated and organized the insurrection at the Capitol and assault on our democracy. And he is still walking around free. Although hundreds of those he mobilized for the attack are not.

And as Kevin McCarthy knows, the insurrectionists in the House are still with us. America is still dealing with the insurrection on so many levels.

Yes, the House Panel that investigated January 6 did vote on Monday, Dec. 19, to send to Justice Department prosecutors a recommendation that the former president Trump be charged with four crimes:

  • inciting or assisting an insurrection,
  • obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress,
  • conspiracy to defraud the United States and
  • conspiracy to make a false statement.
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6 Californian Representatives Make Michael Moore’s ‘Traitors Attempted Coup’ List

January 3, 2023 by Source

Six Californian House of Representative members — including Darrell Issa – have made Michael Moore’s list of “Traitors Attempted Coup.” Here is what Michael Moore is asking us …

By Michael Moore / Jan. 3, 2023

Sometime today in the morning (Tuesday, January 3rd), 121 reelected members of Congress (including 2 promoted to the Senate) who participated in the attempted coup of January 6th by voting in the House and Senate to overturn the 2020 election — i.e., overthrow the elected government — will raise their hand and take the same oath they took three days before they voted to give the insurrections what they wanted in 2021.

This should not happen. I’m asking you to join me in calling your representatives

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Big Wins for Direct Democracy and History

December 21, 2022 by Source

By Colleen O’Connor

This holiday season’s gifts came early.

Two big reports and findings that allow anyone interested to delve into the evidence, consider the charges, the criminal referrals, and possible fixes to the vulnerabilities in our electoral system.  Then, make your own forensic decisions.

Fun and readily available. First, the January 6th Committee’s Executive summary on its findings of causes and culprits directing and participating in the assault on the Capital (over 100 pages) and soon to come, a digital download of all the supporting evidence (probably over 1,000 pages). Already available in paperback form

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Jan. 6 Committee Refers Trump to Justice Department for Prosecution of 4 Crimes

December 19, 2022 by Source

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol voted today, Monday, Dec. 19, to send to Justice Department prosecutors a recommendation that the former president Trump be charged with four crimes:

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Logical Predictions for 2023

December 12, 2022 by Source

Part II

By Colleen O’Connor

The State of the Union is fragile.  The ingredients for more chaos, violence, domestic terrorism, convictions for “seditious conspiracies,” fraud, mistrust, and outright disdain for the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law are already baked in.

No one should be surprised by the speed, undesirability, stupidity, or horrific events and Marquee targets that may present themselves.

Thus, the big predictions.  Neither Biden nor Trump will be the U.S. President in 2024.

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‘My Winning Predictions From Previous Years’

November 30, 2022 by Source

Part 1

By Colleen O’Connor

Admittedly, there is little better than a 50% chance of being correct, but here are a few self-evident winners from previous years.

Best Prediction: “There will be a woman on the Democratic 2020 presidential ticket. Why? Because Nancy Pelosi will insist and California will deliver. That candidate will be Kamala Harris.”

Enduring Prediction: “Majority Senate Leader, Schumer, will be a surprisingly strong legislative leader.  He will check Biden’s “come together” moments, while delivering legislative victories for Democrats via the reconciliation process.” Proof: 2022 midterm Senate wins.

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OB’s Ranting ‘Whistler’ At It Again – This Time in Maricopa County, Arizona

November 28, 2022 by Frank Gormlie

OB’s ranting “Whistler” has been at it again. This time, he traveled to Maricopa County in Arizona and yelled “election fraud” at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors last week, despite evidence that both Maricopa County and statewide elections were fair and free from fraud.

Matt Baker, if you recalled, received national notoriety back in August 2021 when he addressed the San Diego County Board of Supervisors by whistling and yelling at them about COVID mandates.

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New House GOP Agenda – Legislating or Just Irritating?

November 21, 2022 by Source

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Councilmember Campbell’s Budget Recommendations Show a Slavish Kowtowing to Bicycle Advocates for Votes

November 18, 2022 by Source

By Geoff Page

After perusing Council member Jennifer Campbell’s September 10, 2022, Memorandum titled “Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Recommendations,” the not-so-shadowy hand of the cycling community becomes immediately apparent. One sentence in particular made this clear and caused a closer look at the memo.

“While flexible bollards are useful for demarcating space for bicyclists, they do not have any stopping power to prevent distracted, impaired, or malicious drivers from hitting bicyclists.”

“Malicious drivers?” Only the cycling advocates would say anything like that and Campbell included it in her budget memo. The closer review of Campbell’s budget memo revealed much more.

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