An open letter to La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis 

By Aaron Amerling

Photo, left: Kathleen Brand

January 24, 2023 (La Mesa) -- I want to wholeheartedly recommend Kathleen Brand for the planning commissioner spot. She has over 20 years of history serving the people in La Mesa in both volunteer positions and on boards and committees, her work experience is in city planning and she has shown an even-keeled approach to sustaining growth while not losing what makes La Mesa, La Mesa.

By Chris Pearson, Spring Valley

Image: CC via Bing

November 24, 2022 (Spring Valley) -- Republicans support guys with guns because they hide behind the 2^nd Amendment and cower before the NRA. They support criminals who are murdering our kids and neighbors. The GOP has gone soft on crime. That has to change.  We have an epidemic of gun crimes in the United States right now. It needs to stop.  We need solutions, not politics.  

By Robert Gehr

August 20, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Previously, I’ve written freelance articles about El Cajon for East County Magazine - the attractions, beauty, things to do, and its once dilapidated condition rising from the ashes of fire like the mythical Phoenix to become a nice attractive place to call home.

Sadly. I’m now giving my opinion on how this city is once again falling into disrepair.

By Editor, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Times of SD Editor’s Note: This statement was prepared and signed by more than 45 leaders of the San Diego Jewish community.

June 28, 2022 (San Diego) - Jewish tradition is grounded in obligation and responsibility to ourselves, one another, and our community. As Jewish communal professionals and clergy, we understand Jewish approaches to autonomy and community have long protected the rights of reproductive freedom and justice, as exemplified by cases where health, wellness, and life are at stake. 

By Adam Gantz, San Diego

June 24, 2022 (San Diego) -- Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that we have to have nine Supreme Court Justices. Nor would it require a Constitutional amendment to add more seats. In fact, Congress has expanded the Supreme Court five times throughout American history.

By Jay Steiger

Photos: San Diego rally to stop gun violence on June 11, 2022

June 12, 2022 (San Diego) -- Enough! How many more will die before action is taken to reduce the ongoing tragedy of gun violence?  The horror at Robb Elementary was the 27th school shooting in 2022 alone. In the past decade, there have been over 900 incidents involving gunfire at schools.  Are we really to the point where, if it's not a mass shooting, we can compartmentalize the fact that gunfire and schools should never mix?

By Professor Harvey Wasserman

Originally published in Reader Supported News

Photo: San Diego Women’s March 2022, by Miriam Raftery

May 24, 2022 (San Diego) -- The real Founders of American society were not the 55 rich white male interlopers who staged a coup d’etat in 1787-9 … and whose misogynist progeny have always wanted to ban abortion.

Our true original founders were the Indigenous matriarchs who ran most of America for thousands of years before the first whites set foot here.

For tens of centuries they controlled their pregnancies by herbal means. The idea that any government (tribal or otherwise) could rule a woman’s uterus would evoke disbelief and contempt from men and women alike.

This letter was written in response to La Mesa City Councilmember Laura Lothian's proposal to purchase land in Campo to house La Mesa's homeless population. The item is slated to be heard tonight, May 10. Tisdale sent copies of her letter to the city of La Mesa, Supervisor Joel Anderson, and Campo-Lake Morena's planning group chair Billie Jo Jannen.

By Donna Tisdale, Chair, Boulevard Planning Group (photo, left)

First and foremost, It would be the courteous and ethical thing to do to provide timely notice and ask the Campo - Lake Morena Community Planning Group to weigh in on your proposal to export your problem to their predominantly low-income rural community where most residents are already struggling to survive the pandemic, government-induced inflated cost of living, and a basically open US/Mexico border with daily smuggling activities. They don't need an additional problem foisted on them.

Rural residents have the added burden of an expensive commute due to the increasing cost of gas. We make many sacrifices in order to enjoy the benefits of quiet country living.  A serious lack of local services is one of those sacrifices ,including very limited medical and law enforcement .  In some cases, it may take days for law enforcement to answer a call to a rural home.

Exporting your homeless problem to Campo's underserved rural area is neither justified nor warranted for local residents or the homeless population. Shelters / alternative housing should be placed close to services, not an hour away.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and research suggests those who need anti-depressants aren't necessarily happier than those who don't

Photo: I'm within two weeks of travel greater than 120 miles so MASK ON! (April 27, 2022)

By Greg Dunne

Photo: CC by ND via Bing

April 9th, 2022 (Alpine) -- The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has announced the following Nominees for the 2022 induction. You can vote for your favorite singer or band online at vote.rockhall.com by April 29^th. The Nominees this year are Beck, Pat Benatar, Kate Bush, DEVO, Duran Duran, Eminem, Eurythmics, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Rage Against the Machine, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, A Tribe Called Quest, Dionne Warwick.

By Bettie Wells

February 27, 2022 (El Cajon) -- On Saturday, February 26, 2022, exactly 6 months to the day after Zeus, the homicidal pit bull, nearly killed a woman and her dog that were peacefully walking by Granite Hills High School, Zeus was euthanized. 

By Kathleen Harmon

February 1, 2022 (San Diego) – Born during the Great Depression, I was in my 30s when President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act, guaranteeing that after taking office, he would pass a major tax cut bill, the Clean Air Act, and the Civil Rights Act. In addition to banning job discrimination, these laws also forbade segregation of public accommodation (for example, not allowing blacks to use the bathroom). 

By Staley Pitts

October 20, 2021 (La Mesa) -- Biden has a choice to make: Does he want to establish his legacy as a president who fought for voting rights, or not?

By Erik Wiese, President, Wiese & Associates

September 26, 2021 (Santee) -- The city Councilmembers and staff of Santee should be congratulated on their historical opposition to allowing cannabis dispensaries to open up in our city. For years, they have maintained the health and safety of our citizens as their primary concerns.