January 2, 2013--(San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

 EAST COUNTY

• Hiking in San Diego County? There's an App for That (La Mesa Patch)
• La Mesa resident prevails in illegal search case U-T San Diego)
• Ways to Work’ helps families move their lives forward by putting wheels on them (East County Californian)
• Spring Valley Citizens Association survives by a single vote on third ballot (La Mesa Patch)
• Sailors sue Japan over illnesses they say stem from radiation exposure at Fukushima (10 News)
• New members for Grossmont Hospital Foundation (U-T San Diego)
• New San Diego Humane Society adoption center opens at East County Petco (East County Californian)

SAN DIEGO REGION

• San Diego Can Now Have Redevelopment Funds For Some Projects (U-T San Diego)
• Gov. Brown Grants 79 Pardons, Including Seven Cases in SD County (La Mesa Patch)
• Economy for 2013: San Diego worse than state, nation?  (SD Reader/Don Bauder)
• Sempra completes Hawaii wind farm project (San Diego Business Journal)

STATE

• Mortgages, vaccinations, guns among new-law topics (Sacramento Bee)
• New California laws to affect drivers in 2013 (Sacramento Bee)
• California's snowpack levels above normal (Sacramento Bee)
• Jerry Brown pushes new funding system for California schools (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

December 26, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

• East County redevelopment funding announced (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego’s Biggest Park Gets Even Bigger (KPBS)
• San Diego Kaiser Hospital Fined For Removing Wrong Kidney (KPBS)
• El Cajon PIO stayed at hotel with Hanson-Cox (U-T San Diego)
• San Diego Boy Scout Council Wins Lease Discrimination Lawsuit, Leases to Continue at Balboa Park and Fiesta Island (Mission Times Courier)
• City wins tentative ruling in pension case (U-T San Diego)
• A roadmap to SANDAG’s transportation plans (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• Feds reject Calif. request for education waiver (Sacramento Bee)
• Second audit of State Parks finds more mystery money (Sacramento Bee)
• 2,600 Medi-Cal cards sent to wrong families (Sacramento Bee)
• Lawmakers target key environmental law for overhaul (U-T San Diego)
• Pot farm boom slams Northern Calif. environment (Sacramento Bee)
• California farmers, residents to get more water (Sacramento Bee)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

Upate: Patch.com has coverage of a Lemon Grove Council candidate debate:  http://patch.com/A-zfM4

Six candidates vie for seats

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

October 14, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--When the Republican Party swept the 2010 elections nationwide, their triumph stretched as far down as the small city of Lemon Grove in east San Diego County. The Lemon Grove City Council switched from a Democratic to a Republican majority, and in looking for items to cut from their budget they zeroed in on the city’s recreation department.

The vote wasn’t totally party-line. Democratic Mayor Mary Sessom joined Republican Councilmembers Mary England and Howard Cook in eliminating the recreation department and its annual budget of up to $260,000 per year, while Republican Councilmember Jerry Jones joined Democrat George Gastil in voting to keep it.

But the debate over community services versus fiscal responsibility, and the lingering bitterness of some Lemon Grove residents and civic activists over the Council targeting recreation to balance the city’s budget, has become the main theme of the 2012 Lemon Grove City Council race.

Editor's note: Also see video interviews with Santee mayoral and council candidates posted here.

By Nadin Abbott

September 20, 2012 (Santee)—Candidates for Santee’s City Council and Mayoral races met at the City Council complex for a candidate forum organized by the League of Women Voters and moderated by Dana Quitner. Mayor Randy Voepel squared off against Rudy Reyes, while long-time Councilman Jack Dale faced off against challenger Maggie Acerra.

The mostly-friendly debate touched on a series of issues of importance for the city. These ranged from the budget and how the end of redevelopment agencies has affected the city to public safety, including how the Cedar fire affected both Reyes and Voepel. Marijuana medical collectives, also a hot issue, drew some fiery responses.

• Lemon Grove considers downtown rule change (UT San Diego)
• Fletcher bolts GOP as San Diego mayoral race nears (Sacramento Bee)
• Former college official, architect arraigned (UT San Diego)
• Underemployment holding back San Diego economy (KPBS)
• Candlelight vigil held for slain Iraqi woman (10 News)
• Redevelopment pigs back at the trough (San Diego Reader)
• MTS boosts benefits for boss by $20,000 (10 News)
• Records Suggest Move Against Racist Icon Tom Metzger in Bombing (SPLC)

• California Legislative Democrats balk at Jerry Brown’s proposed budget cuts (Sacramento Bee)
• California GOP lawmakers push budget plan to cut state workers’ pay, nix tax increase (Sacramento Bee)
• Gov. Jerry Brown’s solar energy campaign (Sacramento Bee)

• Jerry Brown pushes his tax proposal
• Redevelopment demise leaves CA housing money in limbo (Sacramento Bee)

• Scripps warning on Statin-induced diabetes (UT San Diego)
• Would you buy gas in Mexico? It’s $2.91 a gallon  (UT San Diego)
• Barona Fire Captain arrested on molestation charges (UT San Diego)
• Madrid opposes county taxes to help build Chargers Stadium (La Mesa Patch)
• Poway reps to oppose water rate increases (Pomerado News)
• Bonnie buys some open government cred (CityBeat)
• SDG&E helicopter has hard landing (10 News)
• Tire surcharge funds paving projects that use old tires (KPBS) 

East County Performing Arts Center is among major projects at risk from the decision

December 29, 2011 (Sacramento) – Sounding a death knell for hopes to restore redevelopment funds eliminated by the Legislature to fund education, the California supreme Court today ruled that the state has the right to eliminate local redevelopment agencies. The decision has sparked criticism from local business owners and politicians on both the left and right.

February 4, 2011 (El Cajon) --Want to upgrade your commercial storefront or interior in Downtown El Cajon? Want to open a new retail or restaurant business in Downtown?
 

The El Cajon Community Development Corporation (CDC) is hosting an orientation for existing or potential business and property owners interested in available incentives. The Business Success Orientation will be held on February 7, 2011 at 3:30 pm. in the El Cajon CDC offices at 131 East Main Street in Downtown El Cajon.

Plan is opposed by cities, labor, development interests, and affordable housing advocates

By Miriam Raftery

January 27, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Governor Jerry Brown has proposed to eliminate redevelopment agencies (RDAs), a move he predicts would save the cash-strapped state $1.7 billion in the next fiscal year. The Governor’s plan would take away funds for improving blighted areas and instead divert those dollars to school districts, counties, and state coffers. But the plan is being met with strenuous opposition from cities and redevelopment entities around the state—including here in East County.

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

October 9, 2010 (San Diego) -- As voters watch scandal after scandal rip apart state and municipal politics. most voters are unaware of the gorilla in the budget- redevelopment. According to the LA Times, “ After the savings and loan scandal, the HUD scandal, the EPA scandal and the Pentagon spending scandal, the next scandal to be uncovered will be the redevelopment scandal in the cities across the nation.”