East County News Service

March 10, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- The Senate introduced a resolution today to overturn a Federal Communications Commission rule that requires internet service providers to get customers’ permission before they sell sensitive consumer data, such as browsing history.

By Miriam Raftery

AARP warns that seniors age 50-64 will pay $8,500 a year more for health insurance premiums each year, on average, under the GOP plan. Read the bill here. 

March 10, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) –Major organizations representing patients, doctors, nurses and senior citizens have come out against the “American Health Care Act” ( AHCA or “Trumpcare”), Congressional Republicans’ plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA Obamacare) that’s being fast-tracked through Congress. 

The American Medical Association (AMA),  the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and others warn that the plan will weaken benefits and make healthcare much more expensive than many people are paying now, whether you’re on an ACA plan, private health insurance or Medicare/Medicare.   

“As drafted, the AHCA would result in millions of Americans losing coverage and benefits,”  Dr. Andrew Gurman, prseident of the AMA, the nation's largest organization of doctors, said Wednesday. "By replacing income-based premium subsidies with age-based tax credits,  AHCA will also make coverage more expensive—if not out of reach—for poor and sick Americans. For these reasons, the AMA cannot support the AHCA as it is currently written.”

By Ken Stone

Reprinted from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association.

Photo by Ken Stone:  Rep. Duncan Hunter (left) and Darrell Issa (center) greet Donald Trump in San Diego.

March 9, 2017 (San Diego) -- Rep. Duncan D. Hunter’s deputy chief of staff says the Republican congressman is looking forward to Saturday’s long-awaited Town Hall in Ramona.

 “We anticipate it being a really good event,” said Michael Harrison, the aide. ”And we’re confident and hopeful it’s going to be productive.”

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: With exclusions around sensitive sites and each other, it appears three dispensaries will open in the western portion of Lemon Grove along Federal Boulevard

March 8, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove City Council held a public hearing Tuesday about the new medical marijuana dispensary application process that opens March 20^th to comply with  Measure V, which Lemon Grove voters approved in November legalizing medical cannabis sales.   

By Miriam Raftery

March 2, 2017 (San Diego) – State or local officials who discuss public business on their private email accounts or phone text messages must turn those communications over when asked under a Public Records Act request, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously today.

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo:  El Cajon Councilman Ben Kalasho faces resistance on new group to bring holiday cheer to seniors

March 1, 2017 (El Cajon) - Freshman El Cajon Councilman Ben Kalasho was impressed by the Santee Santas, and wants to bring the idea to El Cajon. Kalasho envisions an organization, El Cajon Elves that would bring carols, socks and slippers to elders around the holidays.

But groups that already serve seniors, including the AARP and the Salvation Army, turned up to oppose the City of El Cajon from releasing $5,000 in seed money to the El Cajon Elves, and requested that the funds instead be given to one of the existing organizations already serving senior citizens. No one testifed in support of the city providing seed money to start a new nonprofit.

By Chris Jennewein

Originally published in Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Network

March 1, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- In his first address to Congress, President Trump spoke extensively about three issues important to California, promising to stop gang violence, secure the border with Mexico and reform immigration policy.

By Mary Kuhlman, Public News Service

Photo:  Millions of Americans struggling with mental health concerns gained access to services because of provisions in the Affordable Care Act. (Pixabay)

March 1. 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Plans to revamp the Affordable Care Act were among President Trump's talking points during last night's address before a joint session of Congress. And one sector of the population stands to be significantly impacted by changes to the healthcare law.

By Veronica Carter/Eric Galatas, Public News Service

March 1. 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump's call to increase military spending by $54 billion likely means cuts will be made to some politically-sensitive programs, from education and the environment, to science and fighting poverty. Trump first announced his plans Monday to the National Governors Association and shared more details in a speech to Congress last night.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2017 (San Diego) – By a unanimous vote, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) board of directors voted Friday to authorize an independent investigation into why SANDAG provided inaccurate revenue projections in the ballot description of Measure A, the regional transportation initiative rejected by voters.                                                                                 

East County News Service

February 25, 2017 (Ramona) – Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) will hold a town hall meeting on March 11, 2017 at 10 a.m. at the Ramona Main Stage (626 Main St., Ramona),  NBC 7 reports, citing a Hunter staffer as their source.

The move comes after several hundred protesters gathered  on all four corners outside Hunter’s El Cajon office and on an overpass above State Route 67 to protest his inaccessibility to constituents.

East County News Service

February 23, 2017 (Lemon Grove) – After Voice of San Diego revealed that SANDAG misled voters on projected revenues for the Measure A transportation initiative (see stories here and here),  seven SANDAG members said they were not informed of the botched forecast and have signed a letter calling for an investigation, VOSD reported.

By Miriam Raftery

February 22, 2017 (San Diego) — San Diego Republican Congressman Darrell Issa on Tuesday announced that he has released a “discussion draft” of his bill to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a new plan.  Issa’s “The Access to Insurance for All Americans Act” would give all Americans access to buy in to same insurance plans provided to federal employees and their families—but not at the heavily discounted rates provided to federal workers.

East County News Service

February 20, 2017 (San Diego) — Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego), the new ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, invites you to a roundtable discussion on higher education in San Diego.  The public event will be held Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center at San Diego State University (5250 55^th St., San Diego).  Check in and networking starts at 8:10 a.m. with the event from 8L30 to 10 a.m.

By Miriam Raftery

February 19, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump has raised disturbing comparisons to notorious dictators and to disgraced President Richard Nixon with his unjustified attacks on respected, established media outlets as “fake news” and his repeated denouncements of  “dishonest media.”  

Worse yet, Trump’s tweet this week calling media an “enemy of the American people” has drawn sharp criticisms from  a Fox News anchor, his own Secretary of Defense, Republican Senator John McCain, and Carl Bernstein, the reporter whose investigation exposed the Watergate scandal that led to Richard Nixon’s resignation.