Congress approved several major bills in January, including measures to improve healthcare for low-income children, provide oversight of bail-out funds, delay conversion to direct TV,  set aside public lands and ocean areas as environmental preserves, protect fair pay for women,  and improve remedies for victims of discrimination. The Senate also approved  nomination of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.  Do you know how your elected officials voted?  Find out here!

For more information on these and other bills, visit www.vote-smart.org or www.govtrack.us

View our full library of photos from local presidential inauguration events in East County and East San Diego at eastcountymagazine.org/?q=414_inauguration_photo_library.

Watch our video of the inaugural community ball in City Heights at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U9e-XN7bXs.

At the Community Inaugural Ball hosted by City Heights Library Performing
Arts Annex, Poet Sylvia Cameron Telafaro read a poem she composed especially
for the occasion. Below is the text, along with her photo.

By Miriam Raftery

Antoinette Curry and Dupreesha Jones have hope for their futures. (Leon Thompson)

Sunny Farrand, San Diego Heroes To Hometown, clasps hands with fellow onlooker as Obama is sworn in.

Crowd at Malcolm X shows emotion as Barack Obama is sworn in as America's first African-American President.

January 21, 2009 (San Diegoâ’s East County) — Cheers and tears of joy
were evident among hundreds of local residents gathered at the Malcolm X Library
in east San Diego yesterday to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama,
America’s first African-American President.

”I am happy because with Barack, I know we can be anything we want,” said
Antoinette Curry, a student who attended the inauguration viewing along with
other 7th and 8th grade students from teacher Haroon Abdul-Mubaarik’s classes
at Holly Drive Leadership Academy in San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

Carrol W. Waymon, PhD

January 20, 2009 (San Diego) — Watching the presidential inauguration of Barack
Obama holds special meaning for Carrol W. Waymon, PhD, San Diego’s most prominent
living civil rights leader.

”It’s incredible to me,” said Waymon, who led efforts to desegregate schools
and housing in San Diego as head of San Diego’s Human Relations Commmittee.
He also served as San Diego’s official delegate to the funeral of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. “I couldn’t imagine at that time in 1968 that we’d have a
black president 40 years later.”

EXCLUSIVE
TO EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE 

By Dennis Moore

Steve Breen

The opinions expressed are the views and beliefs of the author only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or beliefs of East County Magazine, its publisher or editor.

Author Dennis Moore has offered East County Magazine an exclusive
preview of his upcoming book, The City That Works: Power, Politics, And
Corruption In Chicago.  Moore alleges that he felt fearful for his
life after refusing to go along with a corrupt political system. The book provides
an insider’s glimpse into Chicago’s formidable political machine - with revealing
insights into Chicago's top political figures including President-elect Barack
Obama, Mayor Richard Daley and Governor Rod Blagojevich, now facing impeachment
proceedings for attempting to sell Obama’s former Senate seat.

In addition to private parties that are planned all over the county several national organiztions are mobilizing supporters to open their homes for viewing parties. To find out if there is a party in your neighborhood click on the following links.

Moveon.org is planning many local house parties as well as some events in local restaurants: http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=158&rc=homepage

The Presidential Inauguration Committee is also organizing neighborhood viewing parties in our area http://www.pic2009.org/content/home/

January 13, 2009 (San Diego) - Ron Nehring, Chair of the California Republican Party, gave an update on the GOP’s priorities nationally and statewide during a San Diego County Republican Party Central Committee meeting January 12. Nehring reported that during the Obama administration, the Republican National Committee’s priorities will include limiting the scope of government, opposing higher taxes and maintaining a strong national defense, according to the conservative blog site, Red County.

To commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2009, President-elect Obama has created a national day of service and is calling on all Americans to renew America together.

This call to service is extended to every American across the country, regardless of political party affiliation, to reignite our national spirit of volunteerism and community service not only on a single day - January 19, 2009 - but continuing commitment to our local communities throughout the year.    Renew America Together is not just about stepping up to serve for a single day, but about a continued commitment to our communities.

Richard and Rita with Enrique Morones at a joint Latino African American press conference on the day they left for the battleground states. Enrique is the director of Border Angeles, an immigrant rights group in San Diego that provides water and food to immigrants in the desert.

Kensington residents Richard Griswold and Rita Sanchez are among thousands
of ordinary - or should we say extraordinary - citizens who felt inspired to pull
up stakes and travel to distant states campaigning for Barack Obama.
What’s it like to hit the road and talk to strangers all over the U.S. on behalf
of a presidential candidate? Below is Griswold’s chronicle of this remarkable
saga detailing the memorable places and colorful characters that he and Sanchez
encountered in their journey through the heart of America.

Democrats in East County’s 77th Assembly district elected a pro-labor/progressive
slate of 12 delegates on Saturday, January 10th at the El Cajon Library.

1 in 18 San Diego households face foreclosure; food bank demand up
50%

December
23, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) — California Senator Barbara Boxer has prepared
a report detailing impacts of the nation's recession on California counties
and cities.  The report, based on interviews conducted with officials
in 20 cities and all 58 counties, paints a stark picture of the economic strains
felt across California.  The analysis includes unemployment figures, home
foreclosure rates, budget deficits, and first-hand accounts.

Environmental voting records for east San Diego County state legislators and Governor Schwarzenegger

By Sylvia Hampton

December 9, 2008 San Diego) — Environmental protection is very important to San Diego County voters. Every year the League of Conservation Voters publishes a "scorecard" on the voting records of all state level representatives: www.ecovote.org/scorecard_2008.pdf. Among Assembly members representing East County and San Diego's eastern region,  environmental protection scores ranged from a low score of 5% (Anderson, Gerrick and Walters) to a high of 95% (Salas).  Among our state Senators, scores ranged from a low of 6% (Hollingsworth) to a high of 100% (Kehoe), while Governor Schwarzenegger received a 60% rating.

By Miriam Raftery

November  2008
(San Diego) — Public officials and backcountry residents leveled
harsh criticism at SG&E during a public meeting of the California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) convened in San Diego on October 14 to discuss
causes of the 2007 wildfires and how to prevent future conflagrations.  Speaker
after speaker blasted SDG&E’s proposal to cut power to 45,000 homes
during high fire risk conditions and urged commissioners to take action to
prevent future fires.  (Citizens with information for the CPUC may send
an e-mail to sd2007fires@cpuc.ca.gov.)

Democratic voter registration volunteers cheer as Party Chair Jess Durfee announces San Diego County now has more registered Democrats than Republicans.

NOVEMBER
2, 2008 (San Diego) — “We have, after 24 years, returned San Diego
County to the blue column,” San Diego County Democratic Party Chairman
Jess Durfee announced at a press conference today.