“The Boulevard Marathon is like the Boston Marathon...[Residents opposed to the wind ordinance] are “like people with a pressure cooker and ball bearings with a bomb, trying to stop the projects…This is economic terrorism.” – John Gibson, Hamann Companies

“You should choose to save our communities, not destroy them—and I was not paid to come and talk today.” – Wendy Shannon, Boulevard resident and neighbor of Hamann’s proposed project

By Sierra Robinson; Miriam Raftery also contributed to this report

May 10, 2013 (San Diego)—After more than three hours of heated testimony on Tuesday, San Diego Supervisors opted to delay a decision on a controversial wind ordinance and changes to plans for two backcountry communities until May 15. The postponement came after a lawyer representing rural residents sent a last-minute letter claiming that approval of the project would be illegal.

County to offer discounted zero-emission lawn mowers at 14th Annual Trade-In Event

May 9, 2013 (Mission Valley) – County residents can roll their old, gas powered lawn mowers down to Qualcomm Stadium this Saturday and come away with new, zero-emission models. The price? Just $99.99 for a Black & Decker mower that typically retails for about $400, plus tax.

Available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the 14th Annual “Mowing Down Pollution” Lawn Mower Trade-In Event will be 650 new mowers, County Supervisor Ron Roberts said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Congressional legislation aims to halt June 15 closure of FAA tower, others

County  News Service

April 23, 2013 (San Diego)--The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (4/23) urged federal lawmakers to approve pending legislation in Congress that would save the Ramona Airport traffic control tower. The board, on a 5-0 vote, endorsed a pair of bipartisan federal bills that would halt the June 15 closure of the East County facility, along with nearly 150 other towers funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

By Nadin Abbott, photos Tom Abbott

March 12, 2013 (San Diego)—Today, Supervisor Dianne Jacob urged citizens in San Diego County to contact the Federal Aviation Adminstration (FAA) at Closurecomments@FAA.GOV  and oppose closure of the Ramona Airport’s air traffic control tower, a vital component in fighting wildfires and protecting safety of firefighting crews. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. Pacific Standard Time is the deadline for comments.

 The Board learned that the Federal Aviation Administration has targeted the Ramona Air Traffic Control Tower for closure as as early as April 7. This means, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Ray Cheney, that the airport would revert back to an “uncontrolled airport, where pilots have to avoid each other and announce their intentions.”  

This was the way it was back on June 21, 1995 when there was a midair collision between a United States Forest Service Beechcraft and an NTSB air tanker, leading to the deaths of the air tanker crew. An open space, instead of a controlled space, will increase the risk of mid-air collisions, since a “controlled airport controls the air traffic sequencing.”

Energia Sierra Juarez Substation and Cross-Border Transmission Lines Also Approved in East County

By Miriam Raftery

“This will impede firefighting efforts to a frightening degree…a wind-drive fire is not going to stay in the backcountry. We must not roll the dice…There are other, safer alternatives….I also have serious problems about an energy policy that depends on the stability of Mexico.” –Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who voted against both projects

“I’m opposed to green energy…I don’t think the Department of Energy should be putting subsidies in this….but the state has mandated renewable and we have to comply.” – Supevisor Bill Horn, who voted for both projects

August 9, 2012 (San Diego) – The irony was enormous. San Diego’s Board of Supervisors yesterday spent much of the morning debating whether cell phone towers five feet taller than current ones would mar community character on Mount Helix.  In the afternoon,  three of the five Supervisors then threw county height limits to the winds—voting to approve 500-foot-tall industrial wind turbines in scenic McCain Valley over the objections of numerous backcountry residents.

By a 4-0 vote, Supervisors also approved a power substation and cross-border transmission lines designed to bring power up from the massive Energia Sierra Juarez wind project proposed in Mexico.

By E.A. Barrera

May 23, 2012 (San Diego) -- Steve Danon has been active in Republican politics since his days as College Republican president at San Diego State University. He has worked for Republicans ranging from Supervisors Dianne Jacob and Ron Roberts to Congressman Brian Bilbray.

He is one of a new generation of youthful conservative leaders emerging in San Diego that include Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher and City Councilman Kevin Faulconer (both of whom have endorsed Danon).

County to offer discounted zero-emission lawn mowers at 13th Annual Trade-In Event

May 15, 2012 (San Diego) -- County residents can roll their old, gas powered lawn mowers down to the County Administration Center this Saturday and come away with new, zero-emission models. The price? The Black & Decker mowers, which normally retail for $400 plus tax, will cost just $99.99.

“The only reason to consider gutting planning groups is to give free rein to every developer who wants to overwhelm a rural town—and keep the locals in the dark.”  -- Patsy Fritz

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2012 (San Diego) – It wasn’t quite a public flogging, but it came close.  Rural residents and their community planning representatives showed up at a County Board of Supervisors’ meeting yesterday to verbally excoriate those considering recommendations made by a developer-stacked “Red Tape Reduction Task Force. The Task Force wants to eliminate community planning groups(CPGs) or discourage participation through measures such as eliminating indemnification of planners against lawsuits, imposing term limits, and eliminating the County’s Resource Protection Ordinance.  

“None of the Red Tape Reduction Task Force members were required to submit conflict of interest statements,” observed Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale.  “They failed to disclose huge vested interests and profits to be made. That is illegal.”

Ron Roberts, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors calls for letter grades, mobile phone aps for consumers to check ratings

February 25, 2012 (San Diego) – Supervisor Ron Roberts has announced plans to introduce county legislation to create a grading system for the expanding fleet of local food trucks, which have increased dramatically in popularity across the county.   

The measure follows investigations by the UT San Diego and ECM news partner 10 News, which found that about half of all food trucks received at least one violation notice from county health officials. However,  unlike restaurant records, food truck health safety records are not available online.  http://www.10news.com/news/30393605/detail.html.

Feb. 29 meeting will allow public testimony on Red Tape Reduction Task Force recommendations, including developers’ proposal to eliminate community planning groups and Resource Protection Ordinance

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2012 (San Diego)—A lawsuit filed by Californians Aware has succeeded in persuading the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to vacate votes that approved key changes made by a developer-stacked Red Tape Reduction Task Force without public input. The lawsuit alleged that the Board violated the Brown Act by voting on items not listed as action items on the agenda.  Now, the County has announced it will hold a public hearing on February 29. 

“This plan to subordinate Community Plans would eventually harm every unincorporated community in this County.”

By Jack Phillips, Chair
Valle de Oro Planning Group

March 14, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--On Wednesday at 9 a.m., County Supervisors will be hearing a controversial developer-backed proposal that would take away the rights of local communities to have their own community plans.

The community plans are the largest part of the general plan. There are 26 community plans right now that are an integral part of the general plan. To say we can have a general plan but we’re not going to allow these 26 communities to have their plan as part of it is ridiculous.

Story and photos by Mary E. Paulet

October 3, 2010 (San Diego)- Several East County Candidates were among those who squared off in the Center for Sustainable Energy California’s(CSE) Green Candidate forum held yesterday in San Diego.

The forum gave candidates a chance to discuss their positions on environmentally-related issues such as global warming, green sector jobs, mass transit, and Proposition 23 (which would suspend AB 32, a law that strengthened clean air standards and requirements to curb greenhouse gas emissions), as well as other issues. It also gave third party candidates a chance to be heard.

October 2, 2010 (San Diego) – Stephen Whitburn, candidate for San Diego County Board of Supervisors – 4th District, is pleased to announce that the Board of Supervisors has adopted one of his key reform proposals. After Whitburn appeared before the supervisors on September 28, the Board approved his proposal to ban supervisors from taking gifts from organizations that receive taxpayer funding through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Grants.

By Miriam Raftery

Funds allocated for facilities, equipment and technology—but no money to hire more firefighters

"You are sitting on $700 million in reserves at a time when San Diego County has had more people burn to death in wildfires in the past decade than anywhere else in the nation,” - Steve Whitburn, candidate for Supervisor

September 15, 2010 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to consolidate rural fire agencies and create a regional fire protection plan recommended by a Fire Deployment Study. The Board also named Cal-Fire's Howard Windsor to head up the County Fire Authority.

“There’s more to do, but we’re moving forward,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said. The plan allocates $15.5 million a year to the County fire agency, but Supervisors approved only $5 million this year for start-up efforts.

Candidate, speaking in La Mesa, also called for stronger fire protection by County
East County News Service

September 2, 2010 (San Diego) – The Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) has released a today which concludes that over 30% of households in San Diego County can not make ends meet.
 

“It is unacceptable that more than 30% of San Diegans can’t afford to live in San Diego County,” said Stephen Whitburn, a journalist running against incumbent Supervisor Ron Roberts in District 4.

August 26, 2010 (San Diego) – Supervisor Ron Roberts has been in office during two of the worst wildfires in San Diego history in 2003 and 2007, serving as Chair of the Board of Supervisors during the 2007 firestorms. But his opponent, challenger Steve Whitburn, has won the coveted endorsement of the San Diego Firefighters Association.

“We believe Stephen is the right choice for Supervisor because he will fight to make our communities safe,” said Frank DeClercq, president of the San Diego City Firefighters.

Restrictive new ordinance passes 4-1, sharply limits sites where dispensaries may locate

“Virtually all of them are either undeveloped land, cement factories, mining operations, even land that’s zoned for treatment of radioactive materials,” -- Kate Valentine of Americans for Safe Access

July 2, 2010 (San Diego) – A restrictive new ordinance passed Wednesday by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will sharply limit locations where medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed and make it extremely costly for operators. The measure passed by a four-to-one vote. Supervisor Ron Roberts cast the lone dissenting vote.

“I think we’re violating the spirit of the law,” said Roberts, referring to the ballot initiative approved by California voters 14 years ago to legalize medical marijuana.

“I am persuaded that this project will not be built. It was conceived in secrecy ….sold with misleading information.” – Stephen Volker, attorney

Anonymous donor pledges to match donations for legal battle up to $20,000

June 24, 2010 (Alpine) – A standing-room-only crowd of around 700 people packed into the Alpine Community last night, where Supervisor Dianne Jacob and the Protect Our Communities Foundation convened a meeting for the public to provide input on SDG&E’s proposal to route Sunrise Powerlink through the Cleveland National Forest.  No representatives were present from the U.S. Forest Service or SDG&E.

Many public officials and candidates for office came out in opposition to the project—while others were conspicuous by their absence or failure to take a stance. 
 

The public has until June 29 to submit comments to Forest Supervisor William Metz. You may submit your comments online at www.mailroom_r5_cleveland@fs.fed.us and include the subject line “Sunrise Powerlink Comments” or call to leave recorded comments at (858)673-6180.

"So what we have here is a helicopter that is buildling a fire hazard, and if a fire breaks out, it will respond in two to four hours--and taxpayers will be charged $7,500 an hour." -- Steve Whitburn, candidate, 4th Supervisorial district

June 16, 2010 (San Diego) – By a 5-0 vote, San Diego’s Board of Supervisors voted to allow Sunbird, a San Diego Gas & Electric Company helicopter intended to construct Sunrise Powerlink, to also be utilized for firefighting. View video of hearing.

Strong Mayor initiative also approved by voters
 

June 9, 2010 (San Diego) – By a resounding 68.9%, voters in San Diego County approved Proposition B, which imposes term limits for Supervisors. The measure is not retroactive to the current Board, but will limit future reigns to eight years.
 

But voters may not need to wait eight years for the opportunity to change two seats on the Board, which is currently composed of five Republicans who have served for decades. Both Ron Roberts and Bill Horn failed to gain the 50% majority needed to win outright in the primary—and both appear headed for run-off races against challengers in the fall.

Update June 9, 2010 10 a.m. - With 100% of precincts counted, but absentee and provisional ballots remaining to be counted, Roberts has 48.02%, below the 50% threshhold he needed to prevent a fall run-off.  Whitman has 21.64%, followed by Jackson with 18.17%. For full returns in this and other local races,  click here.
June 8, 2010 (San Diego) – In the hotly contested 4th Supervisorial District, Democrats appear to have succeeded in preventing incumbent Ron Roberts from securing the necessary 50% margin to prevent a run-off election in November.

By Buck Shott

May11, 2010 – This week, we bring you a ringside seat for the latest political knock-down, drag-out fights in state and local races.

MISSING IN ACTION: Ballot statements have been published for the June primary—but one local candidate’s statement is conspicuously absent.

April 14, 2010 (San Diego) – All five members of the San Diego Board of Supervisors are conservative Republicans, including Supervisor Ron Roberts, who has held office for nearly 20 years. Though incumbents’ seats are generally considered safe barring a scandal, Roberts may be vulnerable due to changing demographics in his district and a formidable pack of Democratic candidates running for his seat. In fact, the Fourth Supervisorial District now has a hefty majority of 127,000 registered Democrats and only 87,000 registered Republicans, as well as 67,000 who decline to state party affiliation.

Four Democrats say that Roberts has lost touch with his constituents and has failed to represent the needs of families, working people, the poor, and the middle class. Democrats vying to replace Roberts are Shelia Jackson, president of the San Diego Unified School Board, Juan del Rio, affordable housing advocate, journalist/community activist Steve Whitburn, and retired teacher Margaret Moody.

Democratic candidate, 4th Supervisorial District
Stephen Whitburn ran for City Council in 2008, receiving 45% of the vote. Now he’s set his sights on winning Ron Roberts’ seat on the County Board of Supervisors.
“My background is in journalism,” the award-winning reporter says. “I covered government for many years and I know how to ask the tough questions and get to the heart of the matter, and tell people what’s going on. Our Republican Supervisors have done a poor job of telling people what’s going on.”

Democratic candidate, 4th Supervisorial District
April 14, 2010 (San Diego) -- “I think the County needs a leader to represent all of the families inside the Fourth Supervisorial District,” says Shelia Jackson, president of the San Diego Unified School District. “Ron Roberts hasn’t reached all the families,” she concludes. “The Supervisors are out of touch.”
San Diego has a 16.6% poverty rate, the highest since 2000, Jackson observes.

Democratic Candidate, 4th Supervisorial District
April 14, 2010 (San Diego) -- As a housing counselor, Juan del Rio voices alarm over seeing many hard-working families falling into poverty. “This past year has seen a 70% increase in people without permanent housing in our County and all indicators are the situation is going to get worse,” he says. “So many people, who never thought they would be homeless, are turning to shelters and food banks, but while charities and the cities in San Diego County struggle to keep up with the overwhelming demand for services, the County is MIA!”
Del Rio is running on the bilingual slogan “The One Voice for the Poor/La Unica Voz para los Pobres.” He calls incumbent Ron Roberts “entrenched” and believes the Supervisor has “lost his perspective because he feels invincible.”

Democratic candidate, 4th Supervisorial District
April 14, 2010 (San Diego)--A teacher for 24 years in the San Diego area, at 75 years of age Moody placed her name on the ballot because she feared Supervisor Ron Roberts would run unopposed after Assemblywoman Lori Saldana announced she was pulling out of the race due to a death in her family and Councilwoman Donna Frye also opted not to run. She now is urging voters to support any of the other three candidates in the race.