May 9, 2010 (Sacramento) – “The Senate continues to make progress to restore California's economy and put people back to work,” Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) announced. In April, Senate committees passed several bills as part of “Agenda 2010”, Democrats’ plan that aspires to create 140,000 jobs without raising taxes or dismantling workplace and environmental protections.

79th district Democrats Ben Hueso, Pearl Quinones in Bonita;

77th district Republican Christine Rubin at Barrett Junction

May 6, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – On Thursday, May 13th, voters are invited to meet local candidates for Assembly at two separate locations. Both events are free and open to the public.
 

A round-up of national, state and local political news

By Buck Shott

April 22, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week in the political arena, Jerry Brown came out swinging against Meg Whitman, Republicans duke it out for the 36th State Senate race, and Democrats endorse candidates at their state party convention.

April 20, 2010 (La Mesa) – Dean Calbreath, a business columnist/reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune, was part of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that exposed bribery by former Congressman Duke Cunningham. Calbreath will speak on Wednesday, May 5th at the La Mesa-Foothills Democratic Club meeting.

By Chris Morrow, freelance journalist/CNN iReporter
April 14, 2010 (City Heights) --Residents of City Heights who spend hours daily tending the garden Michelle Obama visited today wished they had been part of the moment.
Hundreds of guests attended to meet the First Lady as she toured the New Roots Community Farm, but only three of the community growers were invited as she walked through their garden.

Many of the growers watched in their homes across the street. It was a time of happiness to have the First Lady visit the farm and also a time of sadness to not be included.

April 14, 2010 (San Diego) – All five members of the San Diego Board of Supervisors are conservative Republicans, including Supervisor Ron Roberts, who has held office for nearly 20 years. Though incumbents’ seats are generally considered safe barring a scandal, Roberts may be vulnerable due to changing demographics in his district and a formidable pack of Democratic candidates running for his seat. In fact, the Fourth Supervisorial District now has a hefty majority of 127,000 registered Democrats and only 87,000 registered Republicans, as well as 67,000 who decline to state party affiliation.

Four Democrats say that Roberts has lost touch with his constituents and has failed to represent the needs of families, working people, the poor, and the middle class. Democrats vying to replace Roberts are Shelia Jackson, president of the San Diego Unified School Board, Juan del Rio, affordable housing advocate, journalist/community activist Steve Whitburn, and retired teacher Margaret Moody.

Democratic candidate, 4th Supervisorial District
April 14, 2010 (San Diego)--A teacher for 24 years in the San Diego area, at 75 years of age Moody placed her name on the ballot because she feared Supervisor Ron Roberts would run unopposed after Assemblywoman Lori Saldana announced she was pulling out of the race due to a death in her family and Councilwoman Donna Frye also opted not to run. She now is urging voters to support any of the other three candidates in the race.

UPDATE:  Jones won the primary and will face off in November against Democrat Mark Hanson.

“The number one most important thing for East County right now is to create more jobs. The on ly way we can do that right now is to decrease the regulatory burden.” – Brian Jones

"I believe that it is the duty of government to diminish itself to the point that the people are not burdened by taxes. It is the duty of elected officials to force the government to restrict itself to the functions of protecting the people and providing the necessary infrastructure for people to thrive. " -- Bill Wells

By Miriam Raftery

April 8, 2010 (Lakeside) -- The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) today announced it is issuing a $400 fine against the Lakeside Firefighters Political Action Committee (PAC) and John Hisaw, the committee’s treasurer, for failing to file two semi-annual campaign statements in a timely manner with the San Diego County Registrar of Voters in 2008 and 2009. Two filings appear to have never been turned in.

The amounts raised and funneled into campaigns to elect two union members, Jim Bingham and Nicholas Johnson, to the Lakeside Fire Board have raised eyebrows recently. Both members are now facing a recall election launched by Lakeside citizens angry at the pair for voting to fire Lakeside Fire Chief Mark Baker.

April 5, 2010 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Foothills Democratic Club is hosting a free candidate forum on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. All Democratic candidates running for the 52nd Congressional District, 77th Assembly District, 36th State Senate District, and San Diego School Board Seat B have been invited to speak.

March 29, 2010 (Washington D.C.) – San Diego representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) has joined with Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA), Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) and Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-TX) to introduce legislation aimed at stopping frivolous patent litigation related to the marking of products.