EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

January 18, 2021 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include: 

LOCAL

• San Diego DA to aggressively prosecute violent participants at inauguration-related protests (10 News)
• San Diego County Officials Push People To Use New Small Business Relief Program (KPBS)
• Taylor Guitars announces complete transition of ownership to its employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Biden chooses San Diego Unified superintendent as deputy education secretary (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Column: Reps. Jacobs and Issa: Profiles in courage and cowardice (San Diego Union-Tribune: Michael Smolens)
• The Capitol siege was far from San Diego. Its fringe ideologies were right at home (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Most police departments in San Diego County are more White than the communities they serve, data show (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Defend East County Chief in D.C. Cites ‘Duty to Overthrow Tyrannical Government’ (Times of San Diego)
• Council Unknowingly OK’d Surveillance Gear for Secretive Police Group (Voice of San Diego)

STATE

• California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal  (Politico)
• Newsom calls up National Guard, CHP denies permit for pro-Trump rally at California Capitol (Sacramento Bee)
• A day before Capitol attack, pro-Trump crowd stormed meeting, threatened officials in rural California (Los Angeles Times)
• Ambulance crews told not to transport patients who have little chance of survival (Los Angeles Times)
• California on brink of 3 million infections, despite coronavirus surge heading to plateau (Sacramento Bee)
• California clears dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines (10 News)
• San Francisco Supervisors Approve Ban On Natural Gas In New Building Construction (CBS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

LOCAL

San Diego DA to aggressively prosecute violent participants at inauguration-related protests (10 News)

FBI: Armed protests planned in 50 states.

San Diego County Officials Push People To Use New Small Business Relief Program (KPBS)

County officials and business leaders on Monday urged small businesses to get with a state program that’s handing out $500 million in grants.

Taylor Guitars announces complete transition of ownership to its employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Taylor Guitars, the El Cajon company whose high-end instruments are played by such stars as Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band and Jason Mraz, is making headlines, but not with a new instrument.  On Monday, Taylor co-founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug announced they have transferred complete ownership of the company to its nearly 1,200 employees.

Biden chooses San Diego Unified superintendent as deputy education secretary (San Diego Union-Tribune)

President-elect Joe Biden nominated San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten as his deputy secretary of education, the Biden administration announced Monday. Biden’s team cited San Diego Unified’s graduation rate and national test scores as reasons for her nomination.

Column: Reps. Jacobs and Issa: Profiles in courage and cowardice (San Diego Union-Tribune: Michael Smolens)

Sara Jacobs is the newest and youngest member of San Diego County’s congressional delegation. Darrell Issa is its most seasoned representative.  Their actions on Wednesday showed experience doesn’t count for much when it comes to character. Following the assault on the U.S. Capitol, Jacobs was a profile in courage, joining an early call for the immediate removal of President Donald Trump, who incited the riot. Issa proved to be a profile in cowardice, attempting to keep Trump in power by voting to challenge the legitimate election that will make Joe Biden president.

The Capitol siege was far from San Diego. Its fringe ideologies were right at home (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The unfounded belief that the election was stolen from President Donald Trump has for months been festering in San Diego. “Stop the Steal” rallies, marked by a party-like atmosphere, plainly illustrated a determined resolve to keep Trump in power. The conspiracy theory was further nurtured online, and the ultra-conservative One America News Network pushed it to a national audience from its San Diego studios.

Most police departments in San Diego County are more White than the communities they serve, data show (San Diego Union-Tribune)

When San Diego police Sgt. Harold Oliver was growing up in Southeastern San Diego in the 1970s, seeing a Black police officer was a rare occurrence. It was so rare that he may not have considered a job in law enforcement had he not looked up to an uncle who worked as an officer at UC San Diego.

Defend East County Chief in D.C. Cites ‘Duty to Overthrow Tyrannical Government’ (Times of San Diego)

Speaking from the Washington area, the founder of Defend East County on Wednesday defended the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol — likening them to the revolutionaries of 1776. “It’s our constitutional duty to overthrow a tyrannical government,” said Justin Haskins, the former leader of the group Facebook shut down two months ago. “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. You know: Give me liberty or give me death.”  In a 15-minute video posted to Instagram hours after the violence, Haskins wore a MAGA headband and said he was “conflicted” over what he saw.

Hundreds hold local demonstrations in San Diego and East County (10 News)

Local demonstrators held two protests on Wednesday, the day Congress was set to ratify the election results… The two local demonstrations were held just hours after a violent riot at the U.S. Capitol unfolded — those events fresh on everyone's minds.

Council Unknowingly OK’d Surveillance Gear for Secretive Police Group (Voice of San Diego)

As one of its final acts in 2020, the outgoing San Diego City Council gave city employees permission to buy cell-phone hacking technology — as well as drones and rapid response vehicles — without realizing it.

STATE

California expects record revenues in stunning Covid budget reversal  (Politico)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday unveiled a record $227 billion January spending plan that marks a dramatic reversal from summer fears that the state would head off a financial cliff.  California's budget has benefited from massive stock market gains and income growth among its most affluent residents, particularly those in the high-flying Bay Area. The budget picture reveals a dramatic disconnect between upper class residents who have built wealth during the pandemic and those struggling to avoid eviction and put food on the table.

Newsom calls up National Guard, CHP denies permit for pro-Trump rally at California Capitol (Sacramento Bee)

With officials bracing for the possibility of civil unrest and armed conflicts at state capitols nationwide following last week’s siege at the U.S. Capitol, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday activated the National Guard to deploy 1,000 troops to Sacramento. “We’re treating this very seriously and deploying significant resources to protect public safety, critical infrastructure and First Amendment rights,” the governor said in a video message. “But let me be clear: there will be no tolerance for violence.”…The move also follows a decision by the California Highway Patrol to deny a permit for a rally in Sacramento that had been set for Sunday and to clear its calendar of permitted events for the weekend.

A day before Capitol attack, pro-Trump crowd stormed meeting, threatened officials in rural California (Los Angeles Times)

…The Shasta County Board of Supervisors had planned to meet virtually Jan. 5 because of an uptick in coronavirus cases. The supervisors’ chambers in Redding were closed. Seats had been removed. The public speakers’ microphone was disabled. But, in protest, a newly elected supervisor unlocked the doors. In poured dozens of people, unmasked, to vent their fury. Three supervisors attending virtually watched from afar as threats flew amid the speeches.“When Joe Biden’s long winter sets and the dark night comes in this country, do you think you’re going to get to see the dawn?” Timothy Fairfield, 44, of Shingletown asked the supervisors. “No, you will not. Flee now while you can.”

Ambulance crews told not to transport patients who have little chance of survival (Los Angeles Times)

The situation in L.A. County hospitals is so critical that ambulance crews have been advised to try to cut back on their use of oxygen and not to bring to hospitals patients who have virtually no chance of survival. Officials now say they need to focus on patients with a greater chance of surviving.

California on brink of 3 million infections, despite coronavirus surge heading to plateau (Sacramento Bee)

Even as coronavirus hospitalizations and infections appear to be reaching a plateau following an enormous surge, California is nearing in on another big number — 3 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

California clears dentists to administer COVID-19 vaccines (10 News)

The California Department of Consumers Affairs gave the green light to a public health emergency waiver that will allow dentists to help administer COVID-19 vaccines…According to the CDA, dentists are likely to administer the vaccines at hospital settings, clinics, and vaccination sites expected to be set up to meet the vaccine demand. The waiver comes as Governor Gavin Newsom says the state is looking to speed up the rate of vaccine distribution.

San Francisco Supervisors Approve Ban On Natural Gas In New Building Construction (CBS)

 San Francisco supervisors have approved a ban on natural gas in newly-constructed buildings in the city, but some are questioning whether now is the right time to go “all-electric.”