February 17, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- Sempra-owned utility San Diego Gas & Electric wants “San Diego-area utility customers to pay for nearly all of an estimated $463 million in cost not covered by insurance from the catastrophic 2007 wildfires that were triggered in large part by its power lines,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. “At stake is who ultimately pays for the fire’s destruction — ratepayers or shareholders.” SDG&E wants the ratepayers to cover 95 to 100 percent of excess wildfire and related litigation costs.

By Brian Lafferty

February 16, 2012 (San Diego) – A few years ago I wrote an essay that was published in the anthology book Voices of Autism. I was unaware of the significance until I saw how impressed my college professors, friends, and family were. Shortly after, I was featured in a piece by my alma mater.

By Miriam Raftery

February 17, 2012 (Lakeside) – A lineman for a PAR Electric subcontractor working on SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink suffered serious injuries yesterday in a fall in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley.

“Even though he refused medical attention, he was strongly encouraged to go to the hospital, via ambulance, for precautionary reasons,” Deborah Tate with PAR Electric told ECM. “After being examined at the hospital, he was informed that he has 8 broken ribs [and] a separated shoulder.”

By Mia Myklebust

February 17, 2012 (La Mesa)--Gold and blue balloons spotted the La Mesa Village Plaza this past Tuesday for the kick-off of the yearlong La Mesa Centennial celebration.

The crowd waited expectantly, cameras in hand, for a special blue Centennial trolley wrapped in historical photos.  A band played old-time tunes as the trolley rolled into the station and the Centennial committee, along with Mayor Art Madrid and the City Council, disembarked.

February 18, 2012 (San Diego) -- The 41st annual American Indian Pow-Wow will be held on March 17 at San Diego State University.

This free event, which is open to the public, is sponsored by the San Diego State Alumni Association, Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, and the SDSU President's Leadership Fund.

How many massive energy projects are too many for one rural community to absorb?

“They want to put these all out here, because we’re throwaway country people.” – Howard Cook

By Mia Myklebust and Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2012 (Jacumba) – Walking along the shores of Lake Jacumba, it’s clear that Howard Cook has big dreams for his community.  Chairman of the Lake Restoration Committee, he has wrested a pledge from the Audubon Society to restore the once-dry lake.

“We want to have fishing, boating, and recreation,” he says.  Cook is working with others who dream of “making this another Taos—art, wildlife, hiking, Indians and birds.”

But there’s trouble on the horizon.  Multiple industrial-scale wind and solar farms soon stand to surround this tiny town, jeopardizing its most cherished natural treasures. Sites include publicly owned recreation lands, notably a spectacular scenic gorge known to locals as “our Grand Canyon,” Cook points out.

Jacumba is a proverbial canary in the coal mine—a warning of what other publicly-owned preserves and rural communities across America may soon face. 

By Miriam Raftery

February 16, 2012 (San Diego) – State Senator Juan Vargas came to the California Democratic Convention hoping to find support for his campaign to fill Bob Filner’s seat in Congress.  He won the party endorsement—but has lost support from many here.  A group of activists surprised Vargas in the hall and presented him with a “Spineless Rubber Chicken” award for twice ducking a vote on SB 810, a landmark healthcare reform bill opposed by the insurance industry. 

Insurers reportedly spent $1.46 million to elect Vargas to the Legislature. His Congressional campaign has taken another $140,000 in insurance and pharmaceutical contributions, as ECM previously reported http://eastcountymagazine.org/node/8577

“The official casualty count of Iraq and Afghanistan is 5,000 plus killed and about 45,000 wounded…You know how many men and women have approached the VA for help for war-related injuries from those two wars? Almost a million," said Congressman Bob Filner. "We need to take care of these kids when they get back here…Veterans are THE issue for Democrats.”

By Miriam Raftery and Mia Mykleberg

February 16, 2012 (San Diego) –Thousands of soldiers are returning home to San Diego County as the Iraq war ends and troop draw downs occur in Afghanistan. 

At the California Democratic Party’s newly formed Veterans’ Caucus, Congressman and Mayoral candidate Bob Filner, former Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, laid out detailed plans to welcome home veterans with respect and hands-on help--including establishing a Veterans' Office for San Diego if he is elected Mayor.

Reproductive Justice Still Hot Topic as 50th Anniversary of Landmark Case Approaches 

• Israelis: Iran behind Bangkok bombings: coordinated attacks around the world (CNN)
• Israel warns US Jews: Iran could attack here (ABC)
• Heightened security in U.S. over Iran threat (ABC) 

• Congressional negotiators reach tentative deal on payroll tax, unemployment benefits (Washington Post)
• Lobbyists sue Obama administration after being booted from boards (The Hill)
• Obama signs $63B FAA funding bill into law (The Hill)
• U.S. seeks to mine social media to predict future (UT San Diego)

• Alzheimer’s brain plaque ‘rapidly cleared’ in mice (BBC)
• How your cat is making you crazy (Atlantic)

 
February 15, 2012 (Lakeside) –A manhunt is on for a hit-and-run driver following a collision at 7:56 p.m. at Highway 67 and Riverford Road involving a white car and a Toyota pickup. According to the CHP website, the suspect fled on foot and a search is on in the vicinity of Woodside Avenue.

February 14, 2012 (El Cajon)—A suspect wanted in a January home invasion robbery remains on the loose tonight. Late this afternoon, police with guns drawn surrounded a black sedan with tinted windows matching the suspect’s vehicle description on I-8 in La Mesa.

Officers shut down two lanes during the terse stand-off. The San Diego Police ABLE helicopter used heat-sensing technology to try and determine whether the suspect was in the vehicle.

Bill would be paid for by closing a tax loophole for out-of-state corporations

By Megan McGlamery

February 14, 2012 (Sacramento)--In an effort to make college more accesible for students of all economic backgrounds, Assembly Speaker John Pérez (D- Los Angeles) has introduced the Middle Class Scholarship Act. This groundbreaking piece of legislation could cut fees in the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems by two-thirds for students whose family incomes are less than $150,000 and who do not already receive financial aid.

By Miriam Raftery

February 12, 2012 (San Diego) – At this weekend’s California Democratic Convention, the statewide party issued pre-primary endorsements in three Congressional races but declined to make an early endorsement in two other races.

Story and photo by Nadin Abbott

February 12, 2012 (San Diego) – Declaring it time to “regain control of the people’s House from the special interests,” California Democratic Party Chairman hosted a joint press conference with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in San Diego, site of the 2012 California Democratic Convention themed “Battleground California.” 

Democrats’ hopes to pick up 25 Congressional seats in the 2012 elections include three seats in California—one of which is the newly redrawn  52nd Congressional District (formerly the 50th district) currently held by Republican Brian Bilbray.

Two well-known Democrats are vying for the nomination:  Lori Saldaña, former Assemblywoman and past Associate Dean at Mesa College,  and Scott Peters, former San Diego City Council president and Port director. 

By Joel A. Harrison, PhD, MPH

By Mia Myklebust