By Mike Allen

June 21, 2024 (Santee) -- At the end of Santee Councilwoman Laura Koval’s District 3 town hall on June 18, she opened it up to questions, but there were no takers. Perhaps that’s a sign of satisfaction about the direction the all -Republican City Council has steered Santee over the past decade, or maybe it’s a lack of interest among residents.

She then tried to coax the assembly of about 30 people, mostly city staffers, and got this: “Tell us a fun Padres story.”

The former director of ticket sales for the Padres obliged, telling a story involving the team’s first World Series and the late Raiders defensive star Lyle Alzado. But she wasn’t challenged about any of the decisions she and her colleagues in the City Council have made in the past several years.

By Miriam Raftery

East County News Service

June 3, 2024 (El Cajon) -- The City of El Cajon’s special sales tax measure (Prop J) is set to expire, and voters may soon be asked whether to approve extending the half-cent sales tax in the future.  The city invites residents to four town halls (June 13,15,18 and 20) to learn about the services provided through the half-cent sales tax and what services may have to be cut if the funding source is not continued.

Each Town Hall will include an interactive budgeting activity that will provide vital feedback to City leaders.

Below are the town hall meetings scheduled:

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: C-Span video screenshot of Trump speaking to reporters after the verdicts.

May 30, 2024 (New York, NY) -- A New York state jury has found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony criminal counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to a porn star in order to influence the 2016 election. The former President and presumptive nominee will face sentencing at a July 11 hearing, where a judge could sentence him to prison. The hearing is just days before the Republican National Convention.

Trump, released pending the sentencing hearing, held a press conference after the unanimous verdict was read. He denounced the trial as "rigged" and a "disgrace," then said voters deliver the "real verdict" during the November 5 election.

“The geographic shifts in populations of people experiencing homelessness to East and South County communities demonstrates the effect of the City of San Diego camping ban.”—Paul Downey, CEO, Serving Seniors

By Miriam Raftery

May 24, 2024 (San Diego’s East County)—The 2024 Point-in-Time Homeless Count reveals some significant changes for East County. East County’s total homeless population dropped by 28% overall from  January 2023 to January 2024, from 1,703 to 1,232.  That’s in sharp contrast to the county overall, which had  the number of homeless people increase by 3% to a total of 10,605,

However, some East County communities had sharp rises, notably in communities closest to San Diego, which recently enacted a ban on encampments:

• La Mesa’s total homelessness rose 86%, with a 47.2% rise in unsheltered;
• Lemon Grove’s unsheltered homeless numbers rose 85%

The sharp spikes in La Mesa and Lemon Grove may be due to  the city of San Diego’s ban on homeless encampments, suggests Paul Downey, Chief Executive Officer of Serving Seniors, a nonprofit helping low-income adults age 60 and up.

By Miriam Raftery

May 3, 2024 (Washington D.C.) -- In April arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court,  former President Donald Trump’s lawyers argues that presidents should be immune from prosecution for any official acts done while they are in office,  unless the president is impeached and convicted by Congress.  But Trump attorney David Sauer’s argument, if accepted by the high court, would grant a president dictatorial powers even for violent acts committed for personal gain—by his own admission in arguments before the high court.

Liberal justices pushed back on that disturbing proposition.  Justice Elena Kagan pressed Sauer on whether ordering a military coup or selling nuclear secrets to a foreign power would be considered official acts that would prevent criminal prosecution of a president, and Sauer said such acts should be protected by presidential immunity.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor grilled Sauer on whether ordering execution of a political rival would be considered an official act. Sauer replied, “We could well see that as an official act.” Hear recording of this exchange.

By Miriam Raftery

April 25, 2024 (Washington D.C)  – The Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act (H.R.6443) authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), passed the House of Representatives on April 10.

H.R.6443 incorporates 172 acres of land in San Diego’s East County region into the Jamul Indian Village Reservation, placing the land into tribal trust and preserving it for generations to come. This area also includes a 100-year-old church (photo, left, by Miriam Raftery) and cemetery where their tribal lineage has rested for generations.

The acreage is currently owned by the Jamul Indian Village and includes residential land for homes and council buildings, an ancestral cemetery, and the tribe’s only road for transportation.

If approved by the Senate and signed by President Joe Biden, this would be a dramatic expansion of Jamul’s tribal lands, since the existing reservation has only six acres,  most of which is occupied by the tribe’s casino and a hotel under construction.

By Miriam Raftery

Chart, left, prepared by city staff, shows general fund forecast for next 10 years if Prop L is extended.

April 23, 2024 (La Mesa)—The La Mesa City Council will hold a special meeting at 4 p.m. today to review and discuss the Proposition L renewal survey results.  Prop L, the ¾ cent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2008, is set to sunset in 2029, unless a measure to extend it is put before voters and approved.  Prop L revenues currently account for 20% of the city’s general fund revenues.

The announcement of a special meeting comes after a letter sent April 17 by former Mayor Art Madrid to the current Mayor, City Council, and City Manager urging action.