By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: Mayor Mark Arapostathis Mayor’s State of the City Report, January 9, 2018.  Photo courtesy City of La Mesa

January 15, 2018 (La Mesa) – On Tuesday, La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis delivered an optimistic State of the City, in which he cited low crime, a 2017 survey that said 91% of La Mesa residents rate the quality of life in La Mesa as being excellent or good, and $8.5 million in local infrastructure improvements, plus further investments from SDG&E and San Diego County Water Authority that strengthen the "long-term stability for the infrastructure under our streets."

By Miriam Raftery

January 13, 2018 (El Cajon) – On Thursday, one day after revelations that a Grand Jury has been convened and issued a subpoena in a federal criminal investigation into Congressman Duncan Hunter’s alleged use of campaign finances for personal use, the progressive group Indivisible called on Hunter to resign.

By Miriam Raftery

January 11, 2018 (San Diego) – A federal grand jury has subpoenaed documents from a local business as part of a criminal investigation into Congressman Duncan Hunter’s campaign finances, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported yesterday.

The newspaper’s award-winning journalist Morgan  Cook reports that the grand jury will hear evidence and testimony from a witness also ordered to appear in San Diego later this month.  Potentially, the grand jury could issue one or more criminal indictments, casting a pall over Hunter’s effort to win a primary race in June and reelection to Congress in November.

By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2018 (San Diego) – Congressman Darrell Issa announced Wednesday that he will retire at the end of his term, creating an open seat in the 49^th Congressional District for the first time in 18 years.  The action sets the stage for a battleground in the November election, since the 49^th is considered a swing district that Democrats hope to capture in their effort to retake control of Congress.

By Michelle Mowad, County of San Diego Communications Office (Credit County News Service)

January 9, 2018 (San Diego) - Supervisor Kristin Gaspar was unanimously voted chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for 2018 on Tuesday. The Board also named Supervisor Dianne Jacob to serve as vice chairwoman and Supervisor Greg Cox as chairman pro tem.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Santa Barbara oil spill, 1969, dumped up to 100,000 barrels of crude oil off California's coast, killing 3,500 sea birds as well as marine mammals such as dolphins and seals. (Dick Smith Collection, University of Santa Barbara)

January 5, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke yesterday issued a sweeping proposal to open up 98% of all outer continental shelf areas for offshore oil drilling -- including off San Diego’s coastline.  By contrast, drilling is currently allowed in only 6% of those areas.

The proposal, which also includes plans to drill in the Arctic, elsewhere along the west coast, the Atlantic coast and the Gulf coast, has drawn strong opposition from environmental groups and from California’s Attorney General.  View map of proposed drilling sites. The public will have an opportunity to weigh in however in public comments and public meetings to be held around the country.  A schedule of those meetings will be posted here.  Online comments at regulations.gov will be accepted starting January 8^th.

By Miriam Raftery

January 3, 2018 (Sacramento) – As the state Legislature reconvenes to consider important matters including the state budget, the process just got more complicated for Democrats.  Resignation of three Democratic members means the party has lost its supermajority.  So even though Democrats still retain a majority, without the two-third supermajority required, they won’t be able to pass any measure that raises taxes without Republican support.

By Miraim Raftery

January 3, 2018 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump starting the New Year off with a Tweet mocking North Korean President Kim Jong Un’s power and the sizes of his nuclear button. The action came in response to Kim’s New Year’s announcement in which the North Korean strongman stated that “The whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike,” though adding that he would not attack first unless threatened, and he voiced support for talks.

By Paul Kruze

Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

Read Judge Taylor’s full decision dismissing Kalasho’s cross complaint.

December 27, 2017 (San Diego)--San Diego Superior Court Judge Timothy Taylor gave his early Christmas gift Friday to embattled El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho: a proverbial piece of coal.

The judge dismissed a countersuit filed by Kalasho against two beauty pageant contestants and a taco shop owner who are suing Kalasho on serious allegations of abusive behavior including sexual misconduct, fraud, defamation, and cyberharassment.

With Kalasho stoically standing next to his attorney, Judge Taylor found that the countersuit filed by Kalasho, a public figure, met the definition of a SLAPP suit meant to intimidate individuals’ constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances. SLAPP suits are illegal under California law. The judge affirmed that the plaintiffs have a right to redress their grievances against Kalasho in a court of law and to speak about their grievances in the media. “Lawsuits are public proceedings,” Taylor admonished Kalasho’s attorney, Stephen J. Liosi.

By Miriam Raftery

December 26, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded on Obama-administration guideline that advised local courts against imposing excessive fines and fees on poor people. 

Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles

December 26, 2017 (Sacramento) -- With the new year just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to inform the public of several new laws or changes to existing law that, unless otherwise noted, take effect January 1, 2018.

By Miriam Raftery

December 22, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – President Donald Trump has signed into law a final version of a sweeping ta reform bill.   The measure provides huge, permanent tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals, also providing temporary tax relief for many other individuals that will take effect in 2019 and expire eight years later.  Many of those cuts will be offset, however, by loss of popular tax deductions and a provision that is expected to raise rates for Affordable Care Act healthcare policies.

Among San Diego’s representatives, only Republican Duncan Hunter voted in favor.  Republican Darrell Issa joined with Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters, and Juan Vargas to vote against, as did California’s two Senators, Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein.

Here's a summary of what’s in the final bill, including key last-minute changes:

By Jonathan Goetz

Photo: December 19, 2017 was declared Marcos’ Jewelry Day in honor of the retirement of Marcos Ortega.

December 20, 2017 (Lemon Grove) -- Lieutenant S. Amos updated the Lemon Grove City Council yesterday on the Sheriff’s Department progress on body-worn cameras. Amos announced that all Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Lemon Grove station (excluding those there on overtime from other stations) have body-worn cameras.

by Paul Kruze

Hear audio of Mayor Wells’ State of the City address

December 15, 2017 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells painted a positive picture of his city in his annual “State of the City” address at the City Council Chambers on Tuesday.

Wells began his address saying that for the past several years, the City of El Cajon has attempted to create a new atmosphere for its businsses, residents, and visitors. He said that in 2017 the city had made significant progress towards this goal. “New and exciting things are continuing to happen for El Cajon, and more is yet to come,” he stated. “The City of El Cajon is taking enormous strides to improve the quality of life liveability of the city for residents and businesses. The city is engaged in major economic development making our city more effiicient, increasing the safety of the community, and rebranding El Cajon as a family friendly place.”

Home office deductions and deductions for service businesses, self-employed and independent contractors are also slated for elimination

By Miriam Raftery

December 13, 2017 (Washington D.C.) – Nonprofits are voicing concerns over a provision in the Republican tax bill now in Congress that could harm charities by taking away incentives for the vast majority of Americans to donate to nonprofit organizations.