Category: Politics

The Widder Curry Reports on Pt. Loma Democratic Club Meeting

By Judi Curry

Sunday August 25 – was the annual pot-luck for the Pt. Loma Democratic Club.

When my husband and I were members years ago we never missed this meeting because people brought food, desserts and good will to the meeting. Today’s meeting was different in some respects – the same in others. The food was still there (in fact I tried a new recipe for lemon bars and when it was time for dessert they were all gone before I ever tasted one.) The salads were good; the camaraderie was nice, and there was an excitement in the air that permeated the atmosphere.

Our progressive mayor, Bob Filner, had resigned from office just 72 hours before this meeting. They was a lot of talk about who would take his place and maybe carry on his ideas for San Diego. The consensus was that there is probably no one that is willing to stand up to Big Business and, for the most part, we will be returning to the “Good Old Boys” method of governing. What a shame, because Filner, in spite of his foibles, had many good ideas and was set to put them in use.

By Jim Miller

In the aftermath of the Filner resignation, a group of Democratic Party insiders and money people are continuing to run around with their hair on fire trying to anoint Nathan Fletcher as our savior and discourage other truly progressive candidates from entering the field.

Of course this includes folks like Christine Forrester, who runs a marketing consulting firm that connects businesses with hedge fund money, and former Labor Council leader Lorena Gonzalez, who has long been championing her personal friend, the former Assemblyman with an 18% labor voting record over the vociferous objections of many in labor.

10News is reporting breaking news that Mayor Filner’s lawyers are in mediation right now with attorney Gloria Allred and City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, with a possible resignation deal being brokered according to their sources.

Here is the 10News report:

Two inside, anonymous sources told Team 10 Mayor Bob Filner’s attorneys were in a mediation session Monday morning with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and LA-based attorney Gloria Allred.

One of Team 10’s sources said the meeting was scheduled for late morning, with no set end time.

Calling for due process for Mayor Bob Filner – and his accusers – a coalition plans to hold a press conference today, Monday, August 19th at noon. It will be held at the Civic Center Plaza.

Declaring that the silent majority will not be silent any longer, organizers are asking “community members of color, veterans, environmentalist, educators, woman’s rights, gays, civil rights, labor, human rights, faith, unions, neighborhoods, immigration” to join them:

“as we stand united in stopping the public mockery of our judicial system. Due Process for mayor and accusers. Let’s get back to business of moving region forward with Mayor Bob Filner.”

By Jay Powell

The news this week via the “Utterly-Terrible” news machine (August 6 edition) is, when asked the “push-poll” question:

“What story about Filner concerns you more: the charge of sexual misconduct or the charge that he improperly extracted monetary concessions for the city from developers in return for approving their projects?”, the result was a dead heat at 44% for each.

Never mind that in both cases the “story” is about a “charge”. And that the only so-called “extraction” was from the now infamous Sunroad developer for donations to two City sanctioned projects.

by Juan Cole / Informed Consent/ August 6, 2013

In a Reuters Exclusive, John Shiffman and Kristina Cooke reveal that the National Security Agency shares information it gleans from warrantless surveillance of Americans with the Special Operation Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency, which then uses the metadata to develop cases against US citizens. The DEA then routinely lies to the judge and defense attorneys during discovery about how its agents initially came by their suspicions of wrongdoing.

by Paul Buchheit/ Common Dreams

Some of America’s leading news analysts are beginning to recognize the fallacy of the “free market.” Said Ted Koppel, “We are privatizing ourselves into one disaster after another.”Fareed Zakaria admitted, “I am a big fan of the free market…But precisely because it is so powerful, in places where it doesn’t work well, it can cause huge distortions.” They’re right. A little analysis reveals that privatization doesn’t seem to work in any of the areas vital to the American public.

Health Care

Our private health care system is by far the most expensive system in the developed world. Forty-two percent of sick Americans skipped doctor’s visits and/or medication purchases in 2011 because of excessive costs.

In the San Diego Reader, columnist Don Bauder has a different view of the Filner scandal and imbroglio. He says it “is all about greed” and that the “business community reveals it plans to pick [our] pockets.”

We are reprinting it here in its entirety:

Don Bauder / San Diego Reader / August 1, 2013

A story in the Aug. 1 Union-Tribune tells all that has to be known about the Filner slaughter. First, the city attorney’s office issued two dubious opinions to smooth the way for a recall. City Attorney Goldsmith, a toady for the downtown corporate welfare crowd, has been an enemy of Filner from the beginning. But then comes this quote, which is all you need to know about what is going to happen.

Councilmember Lorie Zapf – who now sits representing District 6 in the City Council of San Diego – is running for re-election in District 2, the district that encompasses Ocean Beach, Point Loma and the Peninsula – as well as the rest of the district.

Recently district boundary lines were changed and Zafp now resides in District 2. Zapf – a Republican – wants to hold Kevin Faulconer’s seat – also a Republican – in the Party’s fold.

And apparently, Zafp is well on her way to carry the GOP banner, as she has collected $130,000 for her warchest in the last six months, so reports Dorian Hargrove at The San Diego Reader. His headline: Zapf collects big-time cash from building and hotel industries

By Sherly U. Jehest

Not accustomed to nightmares – as I am usually a good sleeper – I had a horrible one last night and just have to share it with you – my San Diego nightmare.

I had gone to sleep at my usual time, falling into slumber some time between Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show with John Oliver and its first commercial – a truly deadly time for me. I was dreaming of rolling sheets of ocean waves, so pretty … when I noticed a pale figure emerge out of the surf and begin to walk towards me.

The figure got closer and I noticed it was a tall woman wearing long, thin robes. She approached me and got closer – when all of a sudden she was sitting at the foot of my bed.

“What the …” I started to say, partially sitting up, when she shushed me with a long bony finger to her pale lips, glancing over at my sleeping mate.

“Who are you?” I managed to squeak out.

“I’m the Ghost of Scandals Past,” she said softly. She looked sad.

By Sherly U. Jehest

Not accustomed to nightmares – as I am usually a good sleeper – I had a horrible one last night and just have to share it with you – my San Diego nightmare.

I had gone to sleep at my usual time, falling into slumber some time between Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show with John Oliver and its first commercial – a truly deadly time for me. I was dreaming of rolling sheets of ocean waves, so pretty … when I noticed a pale figure emerge out of the surf and begin to walk towards me.

The figure got closer and I noticed it was a tall woman wearing long, thin robes. She approached me and got closer – when all of a sudden she was sitting at the foot of my bed.

“What the …” I started to say, partially sitting up, when she shushed me with a long bony finger to her pale lips, glancing over at my sleeping mate.

“Who are you?” I managed to squeak out.

“I’m the Ghost of Scandals Past,” she said softly. She looked sad.

Editor: The OB Rag has been following a rift within the local Democratic Party about the District 2 City Council race – District 2 includes Ocean Beach and Point Loma. Here, former District 2 candidate and lifeguard Ed Harris – he has recently dropped out – is publishing the email he sent to Francine Busby, the head of the San Diego County Democratic Party.

By Ed Harris

Email I sent to Busby:

Francine,

To say I’m disappointed by your attached email is an understatement. As a member of the Democratic party and a Democratic candidate for District 2, I expected support and equal treatment from those elected to head the party. Since announcing my intentions to run, you have strategically used your position to push another candidate forward. Rumors of allegations have been used to poison others in the Democratic party prior to my meeting them. Those rumors are traced back to you and others from Run Women Run. The fact that Run Women Run supports you financially makes this more troublesome.