( Manuel Paul, San Ysidro School District Superintendent; Clarissa Falcon, District Director for State Senator Denise Ducheny; Rachel Solorzano, Congressman Bob Filner, Representative from Assembly Member Mary Salas’ Office; Yolanda Hernandez, San Ysidro School Board Member; Hector Espinoza, San Ysidro High School Principal; Jesus Gandara, Sweetwater School District Superintendent; Ralph Dimarucut from Assembly Member Mary Salas’ Office; Anastasia Farbur from Senator Denise Ducheny’s Office; Raquel Marquez, San Ysidro School Board Member; and Jason Wells, San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce. )

April 16, 2009 (Otay Mesa)--Congressman Bob Filner joined with local school and public officials at the San Ysidro Child Development Center today to publicly oppose the release of convicted sex offender, Matthew Hedge, in Otay Mesa. A judge recently approved a plan to release Hedge in Otay Mesa within the next month, and many are concerned that this is too close to schools and neighborhoods with small children.

By Miriam Raftery

April 16, 2009 (Washington, DC) - U.S. Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has issued a statement opposing the Obama Administration's request for $30 million in supplemental funding for the closure of Guantanamo Bay.

April 10, 2009 (La Mesa) – La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club celebrated its 25th anniversary with a celebration last week that included cake, a potluck dinner, recognition of key members and presentation by Councilwoman Marti Emerald’s chief of staff, Xema Jacobson. Special honorees included the club’s founding members, Claude Cassirer, a Holocaust survivor, and his wife, Beverly (photo).

By E.A. Barrera

April 2, 2009 (San Diego)—Openly gay San Diego State Senator Christine Kehoe defended newly elected 78th District Assemblyman Marty Block, even as she scolded Block for his refusal to support a resolution calling on the California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, the voter-approved measure which invalidated gay marriages in California.

Vittorio Arata, Gabriella Quiroga (1), Katya Quiroga, Mariella Quiroga (Mark Raftery)

April 1, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) — On his first day of work at the Capitol,  Assemblyman Marty Block introduced AB 24, a bill which would require that the California State University trustees conduct a feasibility study for locating the 24th Campus of the CSU System in Chula Vista.

By Miriam Raftery March 23, 2009 (San Diego)--Honored as outstanding advocate by Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, Tracy Emblem now wants to fight for the rights of people in the 50th Congressional District who need help with healthcare, housing, and jobs. "Brian Bilbray has not been an effective leader. He hasn't brought back any jobs to our community," Emblem said in an exclusive interview with East County Magazine.

By Miriam Raftery March 18, 2009 (Washington D.C.)--East County Magazine contacted Congressman Bob Filner's office after receiving an e-mail from the American Legion which stated that President Obama intended to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for treatment of military veterans who suffered service-related injuries or disabilities. Filner (D-San Diego), is Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

By Miriam Raftery March 12, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County residents opposed to Sempra Energy’s Sunrise Powerlink project are mobilizing opposition to President Barack Obama’s nomination of David Hayes as deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Hayes served as Deputy Director of the department during the Clinton Administration, but later went to work for the lobbying firm Latham & Watkins representing Sempra Energy and SDG&E.

By Miriam Raftery

"This line is really about bringing fossil fuels up from the plant owned by SDG&E in Mexico," said Dianne Jacob, chair of the County Board of Supervisors. "We do not need this line to meet San Diego County's energy needs now or in the future...Follow the money to see who supports Sunrise Powerlink."

February 28, 2009 (Lakeside) — “We do not need this line to meet San Diego County’s energy needs now or in the future,” Dianne Jacob, chair of the County Board of Supervisors, told a crowd of 200 to 300 Lakeside residents at a February 25th community meeting on Sunrise Powerlink. She accused the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) of ignoring fire safety warnings raised in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which concluded that the line was rated “the highest fire risk possible” and that “fire risk could not be mitigated.” Jacob added, “Follow the money--Some public officials supported the line even before there was an EIR report. Their votes were bought, in my opinion.”

View Rob Constantine’s video of officials and Lakeside residents speaking. Also view the new "Save El Monte Valley from Sempra Powerlink Towers" (includes footage of valley during the Cedar Fire, now, and images with computer-generated towers) or visit www.saveelmontevalley.com. Video of Dianne Jacobs’ speech, compliments of Rob Constantine.

March 1, 2009 (Washington, DC -- Congressman Bob Filner has re-introduced H.R. 937, the Visitors Interested in Strengthening America (VISA) Act. The bill gives Port Directors the discretion to issue humanitarian visa waivers to Mexican children making brief, pre-scheduled visits to the United States for medical, educational or recreational purposes. This legislation does not affect the number of legal or illegal immigrants living in the United States - the children and accompanying adults will visit for one day and then return home to Mexico.

A documentary film and a panel of experts to represent Palestinian and Israeli points of view, including Dr. Shlomo Dubnov and Dr. Nasser Barghouti.

By Miriam Raftery

By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2009 (San Diego) — A letter sent by the County of San Diego last week to foster parents warned that the State of California planned to halt payments to counties for foster parent services immediately. While County officials joined with 23 other counties to file a lawsuit against the state, the prospect of losing funding to care for needy children has sparked concern among local foster parents.

”My wife and I have 12 foster girls under our supervision and the letters from the County were horrible,” Herb Cawthorne, head of community relations for Viejas Enterprises, told East County Magazine. “These children are already without the normal family relationships - fathers gone, mothers in rehab or jail or incapable of good parenting, brother and sisters scattered across the county and, wham, this letter comes saying that they may not be able to stay in the places where they have become accustomed.”

February 13, 2009 (Washington DC) --“Congressman Duncan Hunter has introduced H.R. 881, which would declare that life begins at conception. The Right to Life Act would establish “personhood of the unborn” by requiring equal protection under the 14th amendment of the Constitution to the “born and unborn” beginning with the moment of fertilization or cloning.

County to Sue State Over Funding Cuts

By Miriam Raftery

Supervisor Dianne Jacob

February 12, 2009 (El Cajon) — Dianne Jacob, Chairwoman
of the County Board of Supervisors, presented a bleak outlook in a State of the County
address presented
last night at Cuyamaca College. As a result of falling revenues
and state budget cuts, lay-offs and deep cuts in County services will be necessary,
she warned. “Apparently, state legislators see nothing wrong with collecting
their paychecks, while aid checks to more than 63,000 `at risk’ San Diego children
hang in the balance,” said Jacob, who revealed that the state plans to delay
some $100 million in aid payments to foster families, disadvantaged children
and their parents.