Consumer and retail industry leaders praise bill’s passage; San Diego’s Congressional delegation’s votes split down party lines

By Miriam Raftery
 

July 15, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – Moments ago, the U.S. Senate passed HR 4175, a landmark reform measure that “cracks down on corporate fraud and holds big banks accountable for reckless, risky behavior,” said Senator Patrick Leavy (D-Vermont), author of the bill which is expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama later today.
 

Business Wire reports that National Retail Federation senior vice president Mallory Duncan praised passage of the bill, titled the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. “This is a landmark step forward in protecting Main Street against the excesses of the banking industry,” he said.

By Buck Shott
 

July 14, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – The political scene in San Diego’s eastern regions runs the gamut from follies to jollies.  Here are the latest juicy stories—starting with a watchdog who may need some watching, according to newshounds at a local newspaper who turned up a pungent trail involving a prominent elected official.  Another media outlet found itself the target of criticism, however, after running a political cartoon portraying a one-eyed veteran running for Congress as a pirate. Plus a candidate in an East County council race has an illustrious resume that includes this jolly avocation: Santa Claus!

Only 22 Votes Out of 48,542 Separate Salas and Vargas
 

July 12, 2010 (San Diego) – Assemblymember Mary Salas, candidate for State Senate in the 40th District, has filed the necessary paperwork calling for a recount in the race for the 40th Senate District. A mere 22 votes, or less than one half of one percent, separates the two candidates.

Unlike other states, California does not have an automatic recount no matter how close the race.  So costs of the recount will be born by the Salas campaign, not taxpayers.  Costs of the count have not yet been determined.  A campaign insider indicated that discussions are underway to determine how widespread the recount will be in the race, which spans portions of Riverside, Imperial and San Diego Counties. 

July 9, 2010 (Sacramento) --Assemblymember Marty Block (D-Lemon Grove) announced today that AB 2674 has been signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. This legislation closes a loophole in state law that allowed a spouse convicted of soliciting the murder of a husband or wife to reap financial benefits such as community property in retirement and pension benefits from the injured spouse.

July 8, 2010 (San Diego) – “We have to make sure that California is the hub of a new clean energy economy,” Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) said in a press conference Tuesday in San Diego. She added, “If we do this right, we’re going to see the words `made in America’ again.”

July 7, 2010 (San Diego) -- Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-San Diego) has introduced the Medical Device Tax Repeal Bill, H.R. 5615, designed to repeal the medical device manufacturing tax that was passed with President Barack Obama’s health care insurance bill earlier this year.

Senator Boxer to meet with San Diego business leaders today on jobs plan; has support of dozens of technology leaders

July 6, 2010 (San Diego) – Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California) has launched a “Fiorina Facts and Fiction” campaign to fight back against misleading statements made by her opponent, Republican Carly Fiorina.

Independent analyses of the facts by nonpartisan groups and major media outlets support claims by Boxer, who chairs the Senate Ethics Committee, that Fiorina has distorted data on jobs, climate change legislation, and impacts of the federal stimulus bill by relying on outdated or biased sources.

View a video of Senator Boxer outlining her jobs plan during a speech at the California Democratic convention.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos courtesy of Helix Water District

July 3, 2010 (Sacramento) – Due to the state budget deficit, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger this week announced his intent to ask the Legislature to postpone Proposition 18, the $11.4 million water bond measure that qualified for the November 2010 ballot, until November 2012. Postponement would require a two-thirds vote of both the Assembly and Senate. 

The measure faced mounting opposition from consumer, environmental and labor groups, with even many supporters urging revision or postponement amid the current economic situation.

Opponents urge voters “tricked” into signing to ask that that signatures be revoked
 

By Miriam Raftery

June 28, 2010 (San Diego) – San Diego’s Registrar of Voters has rejected a ballot measure backed by Councilman Carl DeMaio that would have made it easier for the City to outsource jobs and overturned living wage standards. The measure was bankrolled by city contractors and developers who stand to gain from increasing outsourcing and lowering wage standards, along with DeMaio, who calls himself the "taxpayer's watchdog."

Local legislators split on support, opposition to measure

June 25, 2010 (Sacramento) – On Wednesday, the State Senate Health Committee passed AB 2578, the Healthcare Accountability Act. The measure aims to protect California consumers from excessive health insurance rate hikes, such as the 39% rate increase announced by Anthem Blue Cross earlier this year and an up to 75% increase imposed on businesses by Blue Shield.

ASKS BP TO PUT DIVIDENDS IN ACCOUNT FOR OIL SPILL CLEANUP AND VICTIM COMPENSATION

June 18, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – As BP board members debate whether to move forward with a scheduled dividend payment, U.S. Congressman Bob Filner joined 31 other members of Congress to call on the oil company to instead direct those funds to an escrow account dedicated to cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon spill and compensating its victims.

Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction among key open-seat races

June 9, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – In a an error reminiscent of the infamous “Dewey Defeats Truman” headline, the Valley News reported that Jeff Stone won the Republican primary for the 36th State Senate seat. That’s because the district spans both Riverside and San Diego Counties---and the chagrined publisher apparently only checked the Riverside results,  the conservative blog Flash Report revealed today.

In fact, Anderson leads by a hefty total of 6,810 votes with all precincts in both counties counted--though tens of thousands or more absentee and provisional ballots remain to be tallied.

PROP 14, “OPEN” PRIMARY MEASURE, MAY FACE CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES
 

By Miriam Raftery

June 9, 2010 (Sacramento) – Two ballot measures heavily backed by powerful utility and insurance industry money failed to win approval from voters. By narrow margins, Proposition 16 and 17 were defeated.  A third controversial measure, which would eliminate party primary elections, won passage by voters but may face legal challenges in court. 

June 9, 2010 (San Diego) – Francine Busby, who received 43% of the vote in her 2006 run against incumbent Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-San Diego) has won the Democratic primary by a nearly 66% to 34% margin over consumer attorney Tracy Emblem.

“I’m looking forward to working with Tracy and her campaign team to return responsible and representational government to our district,” Busby told East County Magazine. “We worked hard, and it’s good to be moving on from here.” 

A member of the Cardiff School Board, Busby has pledged to restore ethics to the district formerly represented by jailed Congressman Duke Cunningham, who was convicted of bribery. Busby has taken zero money from political action committees (PACs), raising $364,000 from individual donors as of the last reporting filing.