EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: JULY 21, 2011

July 21, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County, published in other media.

Top Roundup headlines this week include:

• Alcohol crime shifted inland after beach ban (Voice of San Diego)
• Amazon.com can move forward on tax referendum (Sacramento Bee)
• Cities sue state over redevelopment (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Commission mulls seeking sanctions for Lothian (La Mesa Today)
• Small agencies worry about fire fees (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego Police helicopter hours cut (KUSI)
• Checkpoint video raises questions over police searches (10 News)
• Padre Dam Water District makes major cuts (10 News)
• Car2Go hopes San Diego car-sharing gets plugged in (KPBS)
• Calif. Governor signs landmark law to teach gay history (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• San Diego River Park Foundation heading to White House (KPBS)
• ‘Unusual event’ reported at San Onofre Nuclear Plant (10 News)
• Treasurer: California may borrow $5B if Feds default (KPBS)
• UC Board okays additional 9% tuition hike (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Man accused of stabbing ex’s mother 78 times[in La Mesa] (10 News)
• City pursuing a theatre in Riverview development (Santee Patch)

ALCOHOL CRIME SHIFTED INLAND AFTER BEACH BAN

July 21, 2011 (Voice of San Diego)-- Before San Diego banned alcohol from its beaches, Police Chief Bill Lansdowne expressed his opposition to the proposal and issued a warning. The heavy drinkers who amass during summer holidays won't go away, he said. They'll move inland, away from beefed up beach patrols, and make it harder for police to monitor crime.

"The group that wants to drink and party will go somewhere else," Lansdowne said at the time. "On the beach there are no windows to break or fires to start. It's pretty easy to manage." Three years later, crime statistics appear to support Lansdowne's forecast.... And here's the big irony: Beach communities such as Ocean Beach that opposed the ban now have less alcohol-related crime while many inland communities that supported it, such as Rancho Bernardo, now have more.
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/data-drive/article_11d044a6-b33e-11e0-b0e...
 

AMAZON.COM CAN MOVE FORWARD ON TAX REFERENDUM

July 18, 2011 (Sacramento Bee) -- Amazon.com can begin collecting signatures to overturn California's new online tax collection law after state Attorney General Kamala Harris issued ballot language Monday for the retailer's proposed referendum.

: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/07/amazoncom-gets-cleara...

CITIES SUE STATE OVER REDEVELOPMENT

San Diego, other local officials back challenge

July 18, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune)--California cities sued the state Monday to save redevelopment and keep $1.7 billion from being shifted to Sacramento to help balance its budget.
The action by the League of California Cities, California Redevelopment Association and the cities of San Jose and Union City was filed with the California Supreme Court on an expedited basis, officials said, because local redevelopment agencies have until Sept. 1 to decide whether to disband or pay the state what is requested.
 

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, joined by the mayors of Imperial Beach, La Mesa and National City, earlier announced their support of the suit, some calling the state's action "extortion."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/18/cities-sue-state-over-red...

COMMISSION MULLS SEEKING SANCTIONS FOR LOTHIAN

July 18, 2011 (La Mesa Today)-- Sometime during the Clinton Administration the era of the endless campaign became part of national politics. As subsequent presidents have learned, the next election begins the day after the inaugural balls.
 

La Mesa may have joined the game this year.
 

Tuesday evening at the city's Parking Commission meeting the commissioners took steps to reign in one of their own -- Parking Commissioner Laura Lothian, who the majority of the members feel is acting more like a candidate for the 2012 elections than a responsible member of the commission.
http://www.lamesatoday.com/profiles/blogs/la-mesa-parking-commission
 

SMALL FIRE AGENCIES WORRY ABOUT FEES

People may not give locally if the state charges for prevention

July 15, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune)--Ron Peterka fears a stiff statewide fire fee, worried that volunteer departments like his outside of Ramona will see desperately needed contributions wither.
 

“If we ask for a donation they will assume they paid for their fire protection already,” said Peterka, a board member with the Intermountain Fire-Rescue Department.
 

Similar alarms are being sounded across the state, either in districts that are all-volunteer or where residents already are being assessed for fire protection and would balk at paying twice.
How to adjust to those situations, if at all, is just one of many unresolved questions as the state marches toward imposing a new fire fee of up to $150 annually in rural areas that rely on state fire protection.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/15/small-fire-agencies-worry...

SAN DIEGO POLICE HELICOPTER HOURS CUT

July 14, 2011 (KUSI)--Getting criminals off the streets is getting even tougher because of state budget cuts. The San Diego Police Department was forced to ground its helicopter for four hours a day.

http://www.kusi.com/story/15085044/san-diego-police-helicopter-hours-cut
 

CHECKPOINT VIDEO RAISES QUESTIONS OVER POLICE SEARCHES

July 2011 (10 News)--Cell phone video shot by a San Diego man during a DUI checkpoint is raising questions about police searches.
http://www.10news.com/video/28542493/index.html
 

PADRE DAM WATER DISTRICT MAKES MAJOR CUTS

July 13, 2011 (10 News)--On Tuesday night, the district's board of directors approved a deficit elimination plan that will cover an estimated $3.5 million budget deficit. When the most recent California drought began, Padre Dam water customers were asked to cut their water use by 8 percent while their rates increased 34 percent. Those customers went above and beyond and cut their water use by 34 percent, which translated to a $3.5 million loss for the district.

"We asked them to conserve and they did. They did their part and now it's our turn to make some pretty difficult decisions," said Padre Dam Municipal Water District General Manager Allen Carlisle. The district on Tuesday decided to reduce its staff by 26, cut expenses by $1.2 million and defer $12 million in capitol improvement projects.

http://www.10news.com/news/28540823/detail.html

CAR2GO HOPES SAN DIEGO CAR SHARING GETS PLUGGED IN

July 13, 2011 (KPBS)-- San Diego will be home to the nation's first all electric car sharing service this fall. Diamler-owned Car2go picked San Diego because the city will have more than 1,000 public charging stations by the end of the year.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jul/13/car2go-hopes-san-diego-car-sharing-...

CALIF. GOVERNOR SIGNS LANDMARK LAW TO TEACH GAY HISTORY

July 14, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune/AP)— Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill making California the first state in the nation to add lessons about gays and lesbians to social studies classes in public schools.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/calif-gov-signs-landmark-...

SAN DIEGO RIVER PARK FOUNDATION HEADING TO WHITE HOUSE

July 15, 2011 (KPBS)--The San Diego River Park Foundation has been selected as the 2011 Take Pride in America National Award winner for outstanding partner.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jul/15/san-diego-river-park-foundation-hea...

‘UNUSUAL EVENT’ REPORTED AT SAN ONOFRE PLANT

July 17, 2011 (10 News) -- Officials said they do not know what caused a computer that monitors security on the grounds of the San Onofre nuclear generating plant to shut down, which prompted the issuance of an "unusual event" report – the lowest emergency level.

http://www.10news.com/news/28577384/detail.html

TREASURER: CALIF. MAY BORROW $5B IF FEDS DEFAULT

July 14, 2011 (KPBS)--California's state treasurer said Wednesday that he's preparing contingency plans to borrow as much as $5 billion for the state in case the federal government misses its Aug. 2 deadline to raise the nation's debt ceiling. /
The state was preparing to take out short-term loans to cover day-to-day state operating expenses if the federal government begins to run out of money to pay its bills, Treasurer Bill Lockyer told the Sacramento Press Club. / "We're hoping to do our borrowing before Aug. 2," he said.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jul/14/treasurer-calif-may-borrow-5b-if-fe...

UC BOARD OKS ADDITIONAL 9.6 PERCENT TUITION HIKE

July 14, 2011 (San Diego Union-Tribune)-- The University of California system on Thursday raised student tuition by another 9.6% for the upcoming school year in response to a sharp reduction in government support. / The UC Board of Regents approved the $1,068 tuition increase, which comes on top of a previously approved 8 percent hike for 2011-2012.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/14/uc-board-oks-additional-9...
 

MAN ACCUSED OF STABBING EX’S MOTHER 78 TIMES

Marc Jernigan Accused Of Stabbing June George To Death In 1986

July 18, 2011 (10 news) El Cajon -- DNA found at the crime scene links a man to the murder of his girlfriend's mother in La Mesa 25 years ago, a prosecutor said Monday, but a defense attorney said the evidence was contaminated.
http://www.10news.com/news/28583716/detail.html

CITY PURSUING A THEATER IN RIVERVIEW DEVELOPMENT

July 18, 2011 (Santee Patch)--City staff and council discussed a new proposal for developing housing, shopping, a theater and even a college near Town Center.
http://santee.patch.com/articles/city-pursuing-a-theater-in-riverview-de...