Category: San Diego

by Jim Wallis / Christians for Immigration Reform /04-21-2010

I got up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday to fly to Phoenix, Arizona, to speak at a press conference and rally at the State Capitol at the invitation of the state’s clergy and other leaders in the immigration reform movement. The harshest enforcement bill in the country against undocumented immigrants just passed the Arizona state House and Senate, and is only awaiting the signature of Governor Janet Brewer to become law.

Senate Bill 1070 would require law enforcement officials in the state of Arizona to investigate someone’s immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person might be undocumented.

The San Diego County Democratic Party (SDCDP) Wednesday named the County Registrar of Voters and the Republican Party as conspirators in a legal violation regarding postage subsidies.

The SDCDP plans to report the violation to the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

The SDCDP alleges that the County Registrar of Voters, at taxpayer expense, will insert partisan campaign literature into the official sample ballots mailed to Republican voters next month.

Originally posted April 22, 2009

by Frank Gormlie

This was the day a new park was born, created out of the dirt of a Highway Patrol station. The people of Barrio Logan on this day seized land that was supposed to hold a CHP station. They made it into a park – Chicano Park – which today stands as an historic center for murals, art, Chicano and Mexican-American culture.

Editor: This is great news. A non-profit in La Jolla has stepped up to sponsor that community’s seven fire pits. Hopefully, a local non-profit in OB could assist our neighborhood in sponsoring our eight fire pits. The issue for OB will be heard at the OB Town Council on April 28th.

By Dave Schwab / La Jolla Light / April 20, 2010

The La Jolla Community Foundation is willing to pay for beach fire pits in La Jolla if other donors and community foundations are willing to follow suit in their communities.

Regional Mobilization Here on May 18-19 Calls for an End to Civilian Casualties in Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Region

Peace activists from across California and even from Nevada are planning to mobilize here in San Diego to protest the world’s largest and leading manufacturer of drones May 18-19.

San Diego is home to defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, site of the activists demonstration. General Atomics builds the Predator and Reaper drones generally costing U.S. taxpayers $4 million to $12 million each.

by George / GrokSurf’s San Diego

“How your water rates subsidize golf courses” is the headline in a recent Voice of San Diego article by Rob Davis that will probably stir up some indignation around town. The article says that “475 businesses, homeowners associations, golf courses and public agencies” get a 78% discount on reclaimed water which is subsidized by regular water users.

The article cites Michael Shames, executive director of UCAN, who suggests that discounted prices for reclaimed water users may be illegal, and that “City Councilwoman Donna Frye called it “out-of-whack” and promised to hold a public hearing on it.”

GO TO LINKS PROVIDED INSIDE ….

We’ve all seen it over these last months: water rushing down gutters and streets, partially filling intersections, workers on our avenues, blocked roadways to our houses in paradise.

Why does the City have to waste so much water as it replaces our pipes – especially during this drought? This is a question many of us have asked.

Jim Noble was asking the questions last Thursday while he took these shots. Again a picture or 9 are worth thousands of words.

Coastal Commission Nixes Sanders’ Vision for Foot of Broadway – to Delight of Local Activists

By Pat Flannery / Blog of San Diego / April 15, 2010

One of the biggest mistakes Jerry Sanders made in his two mayoral terms was to fall for whatever slick sales talk Steve Cushman used to cajole him into backing this used-car salesman for a third term as Port Commissioner, despite term limits. Sanders’ strange fascination with Cushman raised eyebrows at the time. It may now have cost him his legacy – the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan (NEVP). It lies in ruins because of the cruise ships.

The Adopt-A-Fire-Pit Project Is Looking for a Few Good Local Volunteers

OB Fire Pits Before OB Town Council on April 28th

The eight remaining fire pits on OB beaches are fast becoming a burning issue. As you probably know, the City of San Diego, under the pretense of not having sufficient funds, plans on removing all 185 fire pits that ring the City’s beaches – including Mission Bay. And these include what’s left of the pits in our community.

The City’s plans of removal are said to begin at the start of the new fiscal year, July 1st, as the City does have the money for maintenance of the fire pits up through this June.

Spring is here, but the endless, pointless wars grind on. U.S. troops are preparing for an offensive in Afghanistan ‘s Helmand province. As people lose their homes, their jobs, and struggle to make ends meet; as teachers are laid off and libraries are closed across America ; money gushes into the war and military budgets.
*Defund the Afghanistan Escalation!
*National Call-in to Congress Days April 13-15

The number of earthquakes greater than magnitude 4.0 in Southern California and Baja California has increased significantly in 2010. Scientists are studying the uptick but cannot fully explain it.

Seismologists in California were busy this week fighting rumors apparently floating on Twitter that a major earthquake was likely in the next few days.

Officials at Caltech say that rumor is not true — and that no such prediction can be made. But researchers say there has been an uptick in earthquakes this year.

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”.

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.