SAN DIEGO ACTIVISTS RALLY TO COUNT EVERY VOTE
By Miriam Raftery Photos by Erik Herrara November 5, 2020 (San Diego) – Yesterday, the day after the presidential election, the San Diego March for Democracy Coalition held a press conference and “Count Every Vote” car caravan through local communities. The action was called to protest President Donald Trump’s premature victory claim and demand for vote counting to stop. In the early hours after Election Day, when no media outlets had declared a winner and with millions of votes yet to be counted in key battleground states, Trump stated, “We want all the voting to stop.” The votes being counted were cast legally on or before election day. CNN labeled Trump’s premature victory claim and demand to stop vote counting as “false, authoritarian and undemocratic.” Many Republican leaders have also denounced the President’s actions. Biden, by contrast, has said he believes he will win but has urged that every vote be counted. Following Trump’s press conference and tweets labeled “misinformation” by Twitter, mobs of Trump supporters showed up outside vote tabulating centers in swing states, hypocritically calling for vote counting to continue in Arizona, where Trump trails Biden, while demanding that vote counting be stopped in states such as Pennsylvania, where Trump is ahead but his lead is dwindling as more ballots from heavily Democratic districts are being counted. “The results of the vote will reverberate for decades,” says Martin Eder, founding member of Activist San Diego, which called for the coalition to be formed. The March for Democracy Coalitoin includes Activist San Diego, Gente Unida, North County Equity and Justice Coalition, East County Justice Coalition, San Diego Veterans for Peace, Blind Spot Collective, Guerrero Azteca Peace Project, Unity San Diego, Schools for Chiapas, ReEvolutionary Poets Brigade, Mexican Solidarity Coalition and others. The caravan with dozens of vehicles convened outside the San Diego County Administration Building on Pacific Highway, then drove through San Diego neighborhoods as far east as City Heights before returning downtown. Yesterday’s event locally was held in solidarity with similar organizations nationwide. Photo, right: Frances Yasmeen Motiwalla, who ran for California’s 34th Congressional district, paints messages on her car in preparation for the caravan. Federal law does not require states to certify election results until December 8, a week before the Electoral College convenes to formally elect the next president. Although some speakers noted that it could take weeks for results to be known, CNN currently projects Biden has 253 electors and Trump 213. A total of 270 are needed to win. If Biden retains his lead in Nevada (6 electoral votes) and Arizona (7), he wins. Or if Biden wins Pennsylvania (20), where he is rapidly closing the gap, he wins. Biden also has a path to victory if he wins Georgia or North Carolina, along with any one of the other states where the counting continues. Trump currently leads in Georgia and North Carolina, but the lead in Georgia is shrinking as votes from heavily black areas formerly represented by the late Congressman John Lewis. For Trump to win the presidency, he would have to win several of the remaining states. An announcement of a projected winner in the presidential race could come as early as today, depending on when the remaining states complete their counts and what the outcomes are in those battleground states. Photo, left: Enrique Morones, Gente Unida Printer-friendly version
PROTEST AT LEMON GROVE TOYOTA FEB. 29 TARGETS COMPANY’S SUPPORT OF TRUMP LAWSUIT AGAINST CA OVER EMISSION STANDARDS
By Miriam Raftery February 21, 2020 (Lemon Grove) – Toyota positions itself in marketing as a green company. But the company recently joined the Trump administration in a lawsuit against California seeking to overturn our state’s clean emission laws for vehicles. On Saturday morning, February 29, protesters are organizing a march through Lemon Grove ending in a rally at Larry Miller Toyota in Lemon grove. A press release issued by Toyota Loves Trump, an environmental justice campaign organized by Activist San Diego, states, “Toyota management wants to put their profit above our health. We must let them know this is unacceptable.” All who care about clean air, healthy bodies and freedom from fossil fuels are invited to meet at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 29 at 7065 Broadway I Lemon Grove, outside a vacant social services building. The group will march to the Toyota dealership, where they will hold a protest rally and hear from several speakers. The rally is important because “Toyota and Trump won’t stand for a better environment,” the news release states, adding, “We will.” You can RSVP to participate in the rally here: https://toyotatrump4ever.com/2020/02/20/toyota-loves-trump-is-hitting-the-streets/ To learn more about the Toyota Loves Trump campaign, visit https://toyotatrump4ever.com/faqs/. Printer-friendly version
PEOPLE’S BALL “COUNTER-INAUGURAL” JANUARY 2017 IN SAN DIEGO
January 13, 2017 (San Diego) – Activist San Diego, the nonprofit owner of KNSJ radio, is hosting its annual “People’s Ball” on January 20th, which this year falls on the presidential inauguration date. The event will be a “counter-inaugural” featuring a live dance band, food, spirits, raffle and a keynote speech by Greg Palast, investigative reporter and filmmaker known for exposing schemes to steal minorities’ votes. The People’s Ball will be held at the Centro Cultural de La Raza (2004 Park Blvd., San Diego) in Balboa Park. Click here to. buy a single ticket or a TABLE of 8 with your friends or call 619-283-1100 Printer-friendly version
LEMON GROVE PROTESTERS SEEK STOP TO SHERIFF TROLLEY SWEEPS
June 25, 2015 (Lemon Grove) – At a “Black Lives Matter” rally held last Monday in Lemon Grove, approximately 30 activists including representatives of religious, civil liberties, and immigrant rights groups called for a halt to the Sheriff’s “Operation Lemon Drop” and other similar law enforcement sweeps. The rally, held at the Lemon Grove trolley station, was organized by Summit Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. “We were joined by members of several other groups such as Activist San Diego, Border Angels, ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), Women Occupy and others,” said Jack Shu, spokesman for the event. Many people who drove by hooked horns or gave the group a thumbs up to show support. Some even joined the group for a while as they walked by,” Shu added. During Operation Lemon Drop, Sheriff’s deputies and Metropolitan Transit officers conduct checks at the trolley station for trolley fare compliance and probation violations. According to the Sheriff’s Department, the goal is to “identify prolific offenders and their associates, as well as seeing if offenders are linked to known existing crimes.” At a July 2014 Operation Lemon Drop sweep, 3,330 people were checked for trolley fare compliance, 100 probationary searches were conducted, and 53 people were arrested. Most of those arrested were offenders who had been re-released under the state’s prison realignment program, which shifted responsibility for non-violent criminals to the local level and resulted in early release of some due to shortage of jail space. But protesters opposed to the sweeps contend that such operations amount to racial profiling of African-Americans. Printer-friendly version
PASSAGES: ATTORNEY, TEACHER AND RADIO HOST DOUGLAS HOLBROOK
September 30, 2014 (San Diego)–Douglas Holbrook, a San Diego attorney, KNSJ radio host, and past president of Activist San Diego, has died of heart failure that occurred while driving over the weekend. He is survived by his two daughters and a two-year-old granddaughter. Holbrook co-hosted the “Talk of the Town” show on KNSJ, along with Mike Aguirre. Aguirre has advised KNSJ that he plans to continue hosting the show. Holbrook previously hosted “Perspectives,” a nationally syndicated radio program, and “Legally Speaking,” a legal advice show. He was also a faculty member at San Diego State University and the University of San Diego, teaching political science and business law. In addition, he had served on the San Diego Crime Commission and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Task Force. A litigation attorney in private practice, he specialized in criminal law and domestic violence cases. He received his law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law and practiced law for the past 34 years. Holbrook had a passion for politics. He co-founded the Coalition of Independent Voters for an Informed Constituency, seeking to engage independent voters who had become apathetic and disenfranchised by the major political parties. He ran for San Diego City Council’s District 8 seat in 2005, when he likened himself to Abraham Lincoln: “an honest lawyer with a vision for how the business of government ought to be run.” Holbrook organized a Comedy Writers of San Diego group and also wrote about the history of Golden Hill, where he lived in a historic home designed by Irving Gill. Martin Eder, founder of Activist San Diego, which owns and operates KNSJ Radio, issued a statement after receiving news of Holbrook’s passing. “This sudden loss to his family, friends and to our organization and radio station, which he loved and dedicated so much time to in the last year, is hard to comprehend,” said Eder, who added that the tragedy is a reminder of “how precious our relationships are and the passions and principles which bind us. On behalf of the ASD board we send our condolences to family, friends and coworkers.” Printer-friendly version
PEOPLE’S BALL MARCH 15 TO SUPPORT KNSJ RADIO
February 21, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The 2014 Activist People’s Ball will be held on Saturday, March 15 at 7:00PM at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park. The extravaganza is a benefit for Activist San Diego and its newly-launched radio station KNSJ (Networking for Social Justice). The featured musical group will be the world-renowned Liquid Blue, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the most internationally traveled band in history having performed in more countries than any other musical group (including performances for over 65,000 people at several Asian venues). Their socially conscious messages, their professionalism and their danceability are always crowd pleasers, according to the event organizers.. John Elliot, former KLSD radio personality, will be the emcee. ASD expects to make an announcement soon about a surprise keynote speaker. Tickets for tables and individuals are available at knsj.org for advance purchase at a reduced rate thru PayPal. Individuals $25 advance/$30 at the door Tables for 8 – $200 advance/$240 at the door Since there are only 250 tickets available buy early and don’t miss out. Opportunity drawings, cultural performances, activist awards and other entertainment will fill the evening. Food and drink will be available for purchase from the World Beat Center’s “The Prophet” Restaurant. For more information Call 619-871-9354 or info@KNSJ.org. Printer-friendly version
ACTIVIST FILM SERIES: WORLD PREMIERE “WHO ARE MY PEOPLE?” JUNE 22
June 15, 2013 (San Diego) – The world premiere of the documentary film “Who are My People?”, presented by the Activist San Diego, will be June 22, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. at Joyce Beers Uptown Community Center, 3900 Vermont Street, San Diego. The film created by Robert Lundahl is about the environmental struggles, indigenous lands and native peoples. Lundahl and several tribal elders and leaders will attend the premier. The one-hour television documentary film takes an in depth look at the current and controversial topic of the build out of large scale renewable energy in the deserts of the west. The Los Angeles Times indicates, we are at a “Flashpoint” between competing value-systems. Bodies have been exhumed, and geoglyphs destroyed, in an area that is a long-term indigenous settlement. “Who Are My People?” depicts how the world’s energy firms like Solar Millennium, the German Solar Giant, have met their match in a small group of Native American elders, in the hottest desert on the planet. The film takes us behind the scenes of two of the largest solar projects in the world, “fast tracked” by US renewable energy policies. Suggested donations are $4-10. For more information visit www.ActivistSanDiego.org/node/4284 and http://WhoAreMyPeople.com. Printer-friendly version
MEDIA JUSTICE FORUM JUNE 17: ECM EDITOR ON PANEL
June 1, 2013 (San Diego) –Access to information from truthful, unbiased media are cornerstones to democracy. As KNSJ prepares to launch its public, nonprofit radio station transmitting from Descanso in East County, you’re invited to a forum on media justice hosted by Activist San Diego. East County Magazine editor Miriam Raftery will be among the panelists at the forum on Monday, June 17 at 7 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center on Vermont Street (one block north of University Avenue across from Trader Joe’s). Joseph Pulitzer observed back in 1883 that the media “should always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party, always oppose privilege classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always be drastically independent, never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty.” But today, the major broadcast media and many print publications are owned by the very same corporations over which media should serve as watchdogs–and they have are far from impartial . Six corporations control the vast majority of our airways and more. Consider this: NBC’s parent corporation, General Electric, makes nuclear power plant equipment and military hardware used in wars, among other holdings. It is also affiliated with Microsoft and donated $2.4 million to get George W. Bush elected. CBS is owned by Westinghouse, which owns, designs, and supplies nuclear power plants. Westinghouse has a media empire that includes 15 stations and 200 affiliates in the U.S., as well as sports and country music TV networks. It’s board of directors includes Frank Carlucci , founder of the Carlyle Group, which invests in defense, aerospace, oil, gas and wind energy, to name just a few of its vested interests. Viacom International Inc. owns 20 major U.S. TV stations as well as many other media interests such as Nickelodean, Showtime, MTV, and Paramount Pictures, as well as Simon & Schuster Publishing. Viacom donated hundreds of thousands of dollars last year to both Democratic and Republican members of Congress. FOX News, viewed in nearly 50% of U.S. households, is owned by News Corp and Rupert Murdoch, who serves on the board of Phillip Morris cigarettes, which donated $2.9 mililon to elect George W. Bush. News Corp also 135 newspapers, 25 magazines, 22 TV stations, sports teams and airlines. ABC is owned by Disney, which donated $640,000 to George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and has holdingds in crude oil and gas. Disney also owns ESPN, Miramax and Touchstone Pictures, and numerous magazines. Time-Warner TBS-AOL donated $1.6 million to George W. Bush’s campaign and forged the largest merger in corporate history. It also owns the world’s largest music company, movie studios, several sports teams, and 35 magazines including Time, Fortune, People and Sports Illustrated. Democracy Now host, journalist Amy Goodman, once observed that “the media can be the greatest source for peace.” But how apt is that to happen when the major media is owned by corporations that profit off of war? Similar conflicts of interest apply to issues across the board: can we count on a company with vested interests in energy companies to tell us the truth about energy issues or climate change? And when companies seek to influence the outcome of elections with hefty donations to candidates in any political party, are the media outlets that they own rgoing to provide us with unbiased campaign coverage? In addition to the media justice forum, the ASD meeting will also include a discussion of the KNSJ radio launch, as well as election of officers for the nonprofit organization, an umbrella group that includes a broad coalition of causes. Printer-friendly version
WHERE IS THE WIND? ATTORNEY PRESENTS EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST WIND INDUSTRY CLAIMS ARE OVERBLOWN
By Miriam Raftery May 7, 2014 (San Diego)–“How do you beat the national average with below average wind speeds?” Attorney Bill Pate posed that intriguing question at a forum hosted in San Diego recently by Activist San Diego. Good question. Pattern Energy told the California Public Utilities Commission that it would reach 34% capacity at Ocotillo Express Wind Facility, a site rated just a class 2, the second lowest federal rating for wind speeds. The first three months of data for the Ocotillo project show only about a 19% capacity reached. In the entire U.S., there is only a 22 to 23% net capacity on average. So how did the project get approved? Government officials charged with protecting the public good simply “didn’t care,” said Pate of the many problems raised by residents including skepticism that wind power promised could ever be produced. “They only care about capacity. Wind energy companies got $530 million in federal subsidies and they used a benchmark that nobody else uses – the number of households that could be powered.” Pattern Energy claimed in public documents and hearings that the Ocotillo project would power 125,000 homes, ECM has confirmed . “Simple math proves this is impossible,” Pate said. “The BLM [Bureau of Land Manaqgement] lowered that to 94,000 [after the project was approved], and that assumes maximum capacity with 100% of turbines working. I have never seen 60% of them working,” added Pate, an Ocotillo resident. ECM photographers have spent months documenting lack of wind speeds through videos shot since December when the project went online. Most days, turbines are not spinning, or barely so. When a wind project manager giving a tour stated that turbines would power only one-tenth the homes that Pattern told the federal government it would power, the manager became enraged to find video of himself online and threatened two photographers with violence trying to force removal. The photographers obtained restraining orders against the manager, who later claimed he was mistaken on the wind speeds. Pattern has refused to disclose wind speed data with media or residents. Residents also raised concerns over impacts on health, wildlife, the environment and Native American cultural resources. Residents tried to stop the project. They wrote letters to public officials. They testified at public hearings. They filed lawsuits. But with the new federal fast-tracking process, the entire project was approved in just five months from January to May last year. Some turbines are just one-third of a mile from homes. Pate questioned how much wind it would take to turn a turbine with a fan blade, gear box and nacelle that combined weighs about 150 tons. “The most that one could produce is 3.5 megawatts,” he notes. That would be under ideal conditions, and it would take a 26 mph wind to sustain power generation. Only a few places on earth—notably Ireland and Mongolia –regularly have winds that strong, Pate said. There is also a very narrow wind in which wind turbines function effectively – too little wind, and the turbines fail to produce substantial power. Too much, and turbines shut down over about 31 mph to avoid damage. “The average wind in Ocotillo is 10.7 mph,” he said, noting that winds change directions frequently, another problem for wind generation. Pattern refused to disclose wind data. However, Pate disclosed, “We caught them on a $110 loan application. They said the average wind speed is 6.2 meters per second, or about 13.8 mph—which puts this at the very bottom of power production, yet they told the PUC it would hit 34$ capacity in a class 2 wind speed area.” He faults media for a lack of skepticism. “Every article in the U-T says this will supply 125,000 homes. It’s more like 10,000 or so.” Plus, Pate noted, “for every 250 MW of wind SDG&E wants to put in 400-500MW of power with a peaker gas-fired power plant,” such as Quail Brush, the controversial project proposed near Mission Trails Regional Park. “If wind turbines were so great,” he concluded, “the Phoenecians would have put them up long ago.” East County resident Donna Tisdale, chair of the Boulevard Planning Group, also spoke. “When these first came in,” she said of wind turbines in our region, “I thought they were clean and green.” She has since learned that people living near wind turbines in her area, as well as around the world, are developing health problems associated with low frequency noise, infrasound, and stray voltage from turbines. “It’s a huge web surrounding us.” In Campo, turbines malfunctioned and blew apart, hurling blade parts half a mile away. Now there are medical issues in residents near turbines. “At one house, a toddler had a tumor the size of a chip bag removed. There are several cancer cases- brain, kidney, stomach,” she said. A medical study found 68% have chronic sleep deprivation – more than two-thirds. Such symptoms are consistent with symptoms elsewhere linked to excessive electricity exposure; the project also includes high-voltage power lines and a substation. A person speaking on a cell phone at the Manzanita tribal hall had a blue arc shoot up due to electricity in the air, she said. A tribal leader has indicated that tribal lands may be uninhabitable and negotiations with SDG&E to move the tribe are underway, Tisdale said. ( A Manzanita tribal leader has refused to answer media questions about the project recently, but has previously denied this claim. A tribal member has told ECM however that the tribal leadership is now pressuring members not to allow anyone else on tribal land to conduct further tests, after stray voltage levels 1,000 times normal were found in homes near turbines.) Wind turbines also increase fire risk, Tisdale noted. “We have volunteer fighters and the highest fire risk in the state,” said Tisdale, who had most of her own ranch property burn in the Shockey Fire last summer. The area is also rich in cultural resources. More than 3200 solar models and thousands
EAST COUNTY LEADERS AMONG THOSE SPEAKING OUT APRIL 15 AT SAN DIEGO EVENT ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES
April 13, 2013 (San Diego) – A growing movement seeks to build awareness of social and environmental justice issues related to energy production. While the world has jumped on the “green bandwagon” in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels and nuclear, how much difference are alternatives such as wind and solar power really making? What are the unforeseen consequences on communities, public health and the environment? Why isn’t the media reporting on these issues? On April 15, prominent environmentalists and community leaders will speak on local experiences and on growing national/international movements seeking social and environmental justice. Speakers at the event titiled “Energy Projects, Fracking, and Rights of Mother Earth” include Donna Tisdale, chair of Boulevard Planning Group and co-founder of two nonprofits battling big energy projects in East County, Terry Weiner with the Desert Protective Council and Solar Done Right, attorney Bill Pate who handled a legal challenge to the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility, Peg Mitchell with SanDiego350.org and Citizens Climate Lobby, and Carlos Pelayo, Asociación de Jornaleros y Trabajadores de Casa. The meeting, sponsored by Activist San Diego, will be held on Monday, April 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the Joyce Beers Community Center in San Diego (across from Trader Joe’s in the Uptown Shopping Center). Below are details on speakers and their topics. Donna Tisdale: Chair of the Boulevard Planning Group, co-founder, President of Backcountry Against Dumps, and Secretary of The Protect Our Communities Foundation, she will speak on the health impacts of industrial wind turbines on East County residents. “We already have 25 existing wind turbines that are disrupting sleep and making people ill within at least a three-mile radius,” she says. “Industrial scale wind turbines generate electrical, low-frequency noise and infrasound that invades homes and creates stress response reactions that damage people’s lives and well-being.” Terry Weiner : As co-founder Solar Done Right and the Imperial County Conservation Coordinator for the Desert Protective Council, she will address the “rush to the desert for remote, industrial-scale wind and solar development” as well as the impacts. She will also discuss public subsidies for these projects. DPC is a plaintiff in an active lawsuit against the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility. Carlos Pelayo: Organizer with the Asociación de Jornaleros y Trabajadores de Casa, he will speak about indigenous movements for respect of sacred sites and about the international movement towards the rights of “Mother Earth.” Peg Mitchell: Member of the Public Policy Committee of SanDiego350.org as well as the Group Leader of the North San Diego County Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, and organizer of an April 20th fracking event at Joyce Beers 5-8pm. Bill Pate: An attorney who has handled a legal challenge to the Ocotillo Express Wind Facility, Pate will speak on the U-T San Diego and Imperial Valley Press “blatant disregard for the real story and failure to ask the tough questions.” He will provide example news articles and responses.” Printer-friendly version