Politics and local government

SANTEE’S BEST LEAVING CITY MANAGER JOB

Santee City Manager Marlene Best (left)

By Mike Allen

April 18, 2025 (Santee) – Marlene Best, Santee’s city manager for the past nine years, is leaving the job effective April 23.

Following a closed session of the Santee City Council on April 18, Mayor John Minto announced he will sign a separation agreement with Best, and begin the process of looking for a new permanent city manager, and hiring an interim city manager.

“I can’t tell you a whole lot because this is a personnel matter,” Minto said.


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SEN. JONES' BILL TO END ELDERLY PAROLE FOR VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS PASSES KEY SENATE COMMITTEE

East County News Service

Photo snip of Jones with San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan (right) courtesy California State Republicans YouTube channel

April 16, 2025 (Sacramento, CA) -- In February, Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 286, to close what he called a “dangerous loophole” in California’s Elderly Parole program that allows violent sex offenders and murderers as young as age 50 to be released early.

Authored by Jones, and coauthored by Assemblymember Stephanie Nguyen (D-Elk Grove), the Senate Public Safety Committee earlier this month unanimously approved the bipartisan SB 286, also known as Mary Bella’s Law, to close that loophole.

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CA SENATOR SCHIFF INTRODUCES FIREWALL ACT

East County News Service

Photo: Getty Fire, courtesy of LA Fire

April 14, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) -- U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) has introduced his first bill. 

The Firewall Act aims to help homeowners hit by climate-fueled disasters such as recent Southern California fires. It would provide a tax credit for upgrades to make houses more resilient.

“By getting ahead of natural disasters, we can save taxpayer dollars and prevent the devastation that so often comes along with wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters,” Sen. Schiff says.


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TRUMP PAUSES MOST TARIFFS FOR 90 DAYS AFTER BACKLASH, BUT STIFF TARIFFS ON CHINESE GOODS REMAIN

East County business leaders speak out on impacts of tariffs


By G. A. McNeeley 


April 14, 2025 (San Diego) – On Wednesday, April 9, President Donald Trump temporarily dropped tariff rates on imports from most of the United States’ trade partners to 10% (for 90 days), to allow trade negotiations with those countries. 

 

Trump announced the pause hours after goods from nearly 90 nations became subject to tariffs imposed by the United States, according to CNBC. 

 

On Thursday, April 3, a libertarian group (that’s been funded by Leonard Leo and Charles Koch) mounted a lawsuit against Trump's tariffs (which sent international markets plummeting), according to The Guardian. 


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HOUSE GOP APPROVES ECONOMIC ATTACK ON POOR TO FUND 'BIG PAYOUT' FOR BILLIONAIRES

By Jake Johnson, Common Dreams

Apr 10, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- In a party-line vote, House Republicans on Thursday approved a budget blueprint that sets the stage for the GOP to pass another round of tax cuts for the rich, paid for in part by slashing Medicaid, federal nutrition assistance, and other critical programs.

The final vote was 216 to 214, with two Republicans—Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Victoria Spartz of Indiana—and every Democrat opposing the measure, which now must be converted into legislation.

The budget reconciliation process that Republicans are using for their sweeping bill means it can pass with a simple majority in both chambers of Congress.


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TRUMP’S MASSIVE GLOBAL TARIFFS WIPED OUT TRILLIONS IN US MARKETS BEFORE HE HIT PAUSE. WHAT DID, OR COULD, HIS TRADE WAR ACHIEVE?

By Matthew DeWees, Cronkite News
 
Photo via Library of Congress: Sen. Reed Smoot of Utah (right) and Rep. Willis Hawley of Oregon, both Republicans, on April 11, 1929. The Smoot-Hawley tariff they authored has been blamed for prolonging the Great Depression.
 
April 9, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — President Donald Trump’s tariff policy wiped out almost $10 trillion before U.S. stock markets bounced back Wednesday on news of a 90-day pause.
 
What could make damage of that magnitude worth it?

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JUDGE OVERTURNS SAN DIEGO COUNTY’S TRANSPORTATION GUIDELINES

By Miriam Raftery

View the court’s ruling

April 9, 2025 (San Diego) – San Diego Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfei has struck down San Diego County’s Transportation Study Guide.

The decision in a lawsuit filed by Cleveland National Forest Foundation (CNFF) and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation (CERF) is a win for environmentalists seeking to reduce emissions from vehicles to reduce impacts on climate change, but a setback for opponents of a controversial vehicle miles traveled (VMT) proposal that the county previously scrapped following objections the building industry and an East County supervisor.


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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMPACT ON SOCIAL SECURITY

Changes at the SSA, such as staff cuts and office closures, are affecting customer service and beneficiary payments, and causing long phone wait times 
 
By G. A. McNeeley 
 
April 8, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – After President Donald Trump returned to The White House, one big focus of his presidency has been to eliminate wasteful spending in the federal government, which has been led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), underneath Elon Musk.  However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been the subject of mixed messages from the Trump Administration. 
 
Social Security is a program that has sent retirement and disability benefits to over 70 million people, through the SSA, according to TIME. 

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READER'S EDITORIAL: DISTRICT 1 ELECTION ISSUES AND NEGLECT

By Jennifer Lynn
 
April 9, 2025 (Spring Valley) -- I’ve written about this and spoken with the Representative from the County Registrar of Voters, who set up a table at two candidate forums, about Spring Valley being left out on the county web page and almost all media just stating cities and or South Bay. Spring Valley has never been referred to as the South Bay.
 
The zip code (91977) wasn’t even on the county page until the last week of March!Imagine a board member at the County’s Spring Valley Community Planning Group meeting on March 25 didn’t know what district she was residing in.

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DISTRICT 1 SUPERVISOR RACE SET FOR RUNOFF

East County News Service

April 9, 2025 (San Diego) – The balance of power on the County Board of Supervisors remains in limbo, as the special election to fill the District 1 vacancy left by Nora Vargas’ resignation now appears headed for a runoff.  No candidate has received 50% or more needed to decided the race outright.

As of this morning, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, a Republican, has 43.58% and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, a Democrat, has 31.62%. Mail-in ballots will continue to be counted until one week after Election Day.


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U.S. HOUSE TO EYE BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IT HARDER TO REGISTER TO VOTE

Update April 10: This bill passed the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

By Suzanne Potter, California News Service

April 8, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- Pro-democracy groups are speaking out against a bill being considered next week in the U.S. House of Representatives to require proof of citizenship to register to vote.The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act would require people to present a birth certificate, passport or certificate of citizenship in person to the county registrar.

Sydney Bryant, policy analyst at the Center for American Progress, noted a driver's license or a REAL ID alone would not count and called the bill unnecessary, since the government already has the records."


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TRUMP ADMNISTRATION VIOLATED COURT ORDER TO RESTORE FEMA FUNDING TO STATES: JUDGE DEMANDS COMPLIANCE

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, courtesy of Hawaii Dept. of Transportation:  Maui wildfires are among the disasters for which recovery funds have been withheld by FEMA under the Trump administratioin

April 7, 2025 – A federal judge has found that the Trump administration violated a court order to unfreeze FEMA funding to states to help victims recover from natural disasters.  On April 4, U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to immediately comply with the court order and release the funds to the states. The action followed a lawsuit by attorneys general from 23 states, including California.

 Specifically, the Court found that FEMA’s current freeze violates the Court’s preliminary injunction order to restore the funding.

“Today’s court order makes it unequivocally clear: the Trump Administration’s reckless effort to hold up millions in emergency funds is unlawful,” said Attorney General Bonta said on April 4. “We won’t stand idly by as we continue to see the Trump Administration breaking the law and will be closely monitoring to ensure that the Administration follows the court’s order and critical funds are released."


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SANTEE CITY COUNCIL TO VOTE ON 5 PERCENT RAISES

By Mike Allen

April 7, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee’s City Council and its mayor are looking at giving themselves a 5 percent pay hike at the Council’s next meeting on April 9, if they agree with the recommendations of the citizens salary setting advisory committee.

The committee voted April 2 to boost the pay for the council’s part time jobs, as well as giving them a $100 monthly raise in their gas allowance, and maintaining a $90 per month technology allowance.

The committee said the increases should apply to the next two fiscal years, 2025-26, starting July 1, and for the following fiscal year.

The projected pay hikes exceed the current national cost of living increase, which was 2.8 percent as of February, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and are more than the last round of pay increases the Santee Council approved in 2023, which was 4 percent for each of the next fiscal years.


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“HANDS OFF” PROTESTS AGAINST TRUMP AND MUSK DRAW MILLIONS NATIONWIDE, INCLUDING THOUSANDS IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Karen, left and right:  Protest in Borrego Springs Saturday drew about 300 residents

April 6, 2025 (San Diego) –  An estimated 12,000 protesters in downtown San Diego turned out yesterday, according to San Diego Police, with other estimates far higher. The peaceful demonstration was part of the nationwide “Hands Off” rallies which drew millions of demonstrators against the dismantling of federal programs, mass firings, and erosion of rights under the Trump administration.


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SUPERVISOR CANDIDATES URGE DELAYED COUNTY BUDGET VOTE

Two Democratic candidates vying for the District 1 seat want the county to delay its budget approval until after the seat is filled. 

By Lisa Halverstadt and Jim Hinch, Voice of San Diego

April 4, 2025 (San Diego) - Two Democratic candidates for supervisor are urging the county to delay its annual budget vote until after a now-vacant District 1 seat is filled. That push appears unlikely to garner needed support from a sitting board majority but a 2-2 political split on the county board may mean the candidates get their wish by default.   


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NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST SATURDAY TO SAVE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Multiple weekly protests are also planned against Trump, Musk and  Issa, including in East County

East County News Service

April 2, 2025 (San Diego) – A coalition of over 100 organizations are joining together for “Hands Off!” rallies nationwide to stand up against the “destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies.” 


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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SUSPENDS SOME STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PLANS

 

Some borrowers will have to pay more


By G. A. McNeeley 

 

April 1, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Some student loan borrowers are seeing their payment plans get suspended, which means their payments are rising. This has to do with changes at the Education Department implemented by President Donald Trump’s Administration. 

 

Approximately 43 million Americans have some kind of student loan debt, according to Newsweek. 

The Education Department reported that Americans collectively have $1.5 trillion in student debt nationwide. 

 

Trump has made efforts to dismantle the Education Department, and said that student loan programs could be moved to different agencies if the department is eliminated. Nearly half of all Education Department workers are being laid off, as the agency undergoes major restructuring. 


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TOWN HALL APRIL 9 ON PROPOSED BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY IN LA MESA

By Miriam Raftery

March 29, 2025 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Councilmember Laura Lothian will host a town hall community discussion on a battery storage facility proposed on El Paso St. The town hall will take place Wednesday, April 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Brew Coffee Spot, 6101 Lake Murray Blvd.

Heartland Fire Chief Brent Koch, Heartland Acting Fire Marshall Rebecca Winscott, and La Msa Director of Community Development Lynette Santos will also participate in the discussion.

Battery storage facilities are key to expanding renewable energy production such as wind and solar energy, enabling power to be utilized even when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow.

But lithium ion battery storage facilites have also sparked fires, most notably a fire at a large battery storage site in Otay Mesa, where some nearby businesses had to evacuate for two weeks.


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AT “EMPTY CHAIR” TOWN HALL, REP. ISSA’S CONSTITUENTS AIR CONCERNS

Attendees object to Congressional Republicans ceding authority to executive branch

View video of the March 23 "Empty Chair Town Hall

By Karen Pearlman

Screenshot:  Crowd chants "Shame" over Issa's refusal to hold a town hall in his district.

 March 28, 2025 (Escondido) – Hundreds of constituents in Republican Congressional Rep. Darrell Issa’s district gathered at an “Empty Chair Town Hall” event at the California Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 23.

A standing-room only crowd in the venue that holds about 400 people expressed a variety of concerns about everything from healthcare needs and veterans’ services to immigration and education. The event was also live-streamed on social media.

Created to bring attention to what they say is Issa’s penchant to avoid meeting constituents in a Town Hall format, the event was organized by Indivisible North County San Diego.


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TARIFFS SET TO HARM SAN DIEGO ECONOMY, WARN LEADERS FROM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, WORLD TRADE CENTER AND COUNCILMAN CAMPILLO

Update April 4:  The tariffs rolled out are broader and steeper than those initially proposed. Read the full list of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on nearly every nation, which range from 10% to 99%. Noticeably absent from the list of Russia, which has zero tariffs imposed.

By Karen Pearlman

Photo by Emma Palmer: San Diego County Building Industry Association CEO Lori Pfeiler; Lucas Coleman, Director of World Trade Center San Diego; and San Diego City Councilman Raul Campillo.

March 26, 2025 (San Diego) -- One week ahead of plans by President Donald Trump to put a 25 percent additional tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 10 percent tariff on imports from China, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo and local business leaders  warned of severe economic consequences for the San Diego County region.


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EL CAJON COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTS ANTISEMITISM RESOLUTION

By Karen Pearlman

Photo:  Rabbi Scott Meltzer said his synagogue in San Diego has twice been vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.   

March 26, 2025 (El Cajon) -- The El Cajon City Council took a step toward condemning hate by unanimously voting for a resolution to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism.


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COUNTY MAKES SPEAKING AT BOARD MEETINGS EASIER THAN EVER

By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office

March 26, 2025 (San Diego) - Have you ever wanted to speak about an issue at a San Diego County Board of Supervisors meeting?

Well, the County is introducing changes to make it easier to do than ever before.

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LOCAL RESIDENTS OBJECT TO TRUMP SLASHING FUNDS FOR LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy of Library Foundation San Diego

March 26, 2025 (San Diego) - On Friday, March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order intended to drastically reduce funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services.


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REP. JACOBS, AT TOWN HALL, SEES 'RED LINE' FOR GOP IF TRUMP DEFIES COURTS

By Tesa Balc, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Rep. Sara Jacobs in her congressional office. (File photo courtesy of Jacobs’ office via Facebook)

March 24, 2025 (Jacumba) - A San Diego Democrat said Saturday that Republicans have told her they will not back President Donald Trump if he defies court orders.


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USDA CANCELS PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDED LOCAL FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS AND FOOD BANKS

The USDA has cut funding for two programs that allowed schools and food banks to purchase fresh food from local farms, also halting deliveries to food banks. 
 
By G. A. McNeeley 
 
March 21, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Trump administration has cut two programs that provided more than $1 billion to schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and ranchers. 

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CITY OF LA MESA AND JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE LAUNCH LA MESA’S FIRST-EVER OLDER ADULT RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: LEARN MORE AT OFFICE HOURS MARCH 24, 26 AND 27

Eligible low-income residents aged 55, older may receive funds for housing

 

Source: City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Services

 

March 21, 2025 (La Mesa) – The City of La Mesa and Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) are launching the City’s first-ever Older Adult Rental Assistance Program, assisting seniors aged 55 and older who are at risk of homelessness. The program, operated by JFS, will provide 40 participants with a $500 monthly housing subsidy paid directly to their landlords for 12 months and individualized case management. Applications are being accepted beginning the last week of March. Priority will be given to applications filed by April 4.



According to the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, nearly half of unhoused Californians are 50 and older, and more than 41% are experiencing homelessness for the first time in their lives.

 

"With many seniors on fixed incomes challenged by increasing expenses, this program serves as a vital lifeline,” said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis. “The program will help rent-burdened older adults in La Mesa maintain housing stability and financial security, allowing them to age in place with dignity.”


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TEACHERS SAY 'SEE YOU IN COURT' AS TRUMP TRIES TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

"We won't be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires," said the head of the nation's largest labor union.

By Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams

March 20, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of shutting down the Department of Education.


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EGG PRICES STILL RISING RAPIDLY AMID AVIAN FLU OUTBREAKS; JUSTICE DEPT. LAUNCHES PRICE GOUGING INVESTIGATION

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley


March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing information and engaging in price gouging, ABC News reports. 

 

President Donald Trump’s campaign platform including a pledge to bring down inflation including egg prices, but so far, prices continue to skyrocket.  Now, the administration is offering its first details on its plan to fight avian flu and ease costs. 


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CONGRESS AVERTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BUT ACTION CAUSES DIVISION WITHIN POLITICAL PARTIES

 

Stopgap funding measure signed by President Trump; California’s Senators voted no

By G. A. McNeeley 

March 18 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Congress avoided a government shutdown on March 14, just a few hours before the funding deadline. The stopgap measure to fund the government until September 30 was signed by President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The stopgap would fund government operations through the remainder of this fiscal year, but it would also slash non-defense funding by roughly $13 billion and increase defense spending by about $6 billion over current budgets (including billions for deportations, veterans’ health care and the military). 

Many Democrats, including California’s Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, opposed the measure due to the non-defense cuts and because Republicans refused to include language in the bill putting guardrails on Trump and Elon Musk’s ability to continue dismantling the federal bureaucracy unchecked. The  Democrats also advocated for a shorter, four-week stopgap to keep the government running on current funding levels in an effort to buy more time for appropriators to strike a deal on a bipartisan funding package.  Republican leadership interest in those negotiations diminished weeks ago. 


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SUPERVISORS WEIGH OPTIONS TO ADDRESS UNSAFE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TO REDUCE FIRE DANGER

By Karen Pearlman  

Photo via San Diego County Sheriff:  Homeless encampment fire in Santee,  February 2025

March 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- With an estimated one out of every five fires in San Diego County started in encampments where homeless individuals congregate, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson has said enough is enough.  

“Nobody has a right to burn my constituents’ homes down, whether they intend to or not,” Anderson said, two days after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to update the county’s Unsafe Camping Ordinance. It would apply to property that the county owns or leases and specified areas such as parks, open space and certain public works facilities. 

At their meeting on Tuesday, March 11, the supervisors voted 4-0 to empower appropriate authorities “to ensure public safety and do more than just cite repeat offenders,” Anderson said.  A final draft ordinance is expected to be presented by county staff to the board in about two months, when a final vote will take place.


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