April 12, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce will host its 11^th annual “Grip It & Rip It!” golf tournament on May 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Sycuan Resort.

The Chamber invites participants to “ditch your suit and rock the argyle” at Sycuan Resort’s Pine Glen Executive Course for an afternoon of “golf, hilarious fun and incredible networking.” 

By Nadin Abbott

April 7, 2013 (San Diego) Updated April 8 with statement by Evolution Hospitality—East County residents and Congressman Juan Vargas (D-51), whose district includes the border areas in East County, turned out yesterday in support of low wage workers staging a hunger strike at the Mission Valley Hilton. Vargas spoke with ECM on immigration reform and how it applies to this situation.

The workers want the right to organize a union and collectively bargain for a labor contract. Employees contend that management is using immigration status to selectively threaten union organizers—while at the same time outsourcing housekeepers’ work to undocumented workers paid more than long-time employees.

By Miriam Raftery

March 24, 2013 (Alpine)—Seven Alpine businesses have filed a lawsuit alleging that SDG&E failed to adequately reimburse business owners for losses caused by the two-year project to underground the high-voltage Sunrise Powerlink lines along Alpine Boulevard.  Plaintiffs allege that some businesses were forced out of business, while others suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenues.

An attorney for plaintiffs contends that SDG&E did not live up to its promises to mitigate construction impacts by limited portions of Alpine Boulevard, instead creating a “gauntlet of construction obstacles” that drove customers away.

By Nadin Abbott

March 20, 2013 (San Diego)—Federal employees and their families at a rally outside the 32^nd Street Naval Station today  came to bring attention to the effects of the federal sequester in their lives. This is a reality for them right now, not just a headline in a paper.

Bill would provide federal tax adjustment to local breweries

March 7, 2013 (San Diego)-- To help the local craft brewing industry, Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53) joined a bipartisan group of members in cosponsoring H.R. 494, the Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act. 

“San Diego is increasingly becoming known as a hub of the craft brewing industry, which has contributed to the growth of small businesses and jobs in the region,” said Davis, a member of the House Small Business Caucus. “Small, independent brewers are a fast rising segment of our economy and Congress should help them compete against large, multi-national brewers.”

Article by Dennis Moore

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle.”   --Frederick Douglass

March 6, 2013 (San Diego)--Thousands of federal employees in the San Diego area are soon to be impacted by sequestration, automatic budget cuts mandated by the federal government.  These cuts may have a larger impact on San Diego County than anywhere else in the U.S., since our region is home to wide-ranging naval operations, a bustling border and vibrant biotech and drone sectors. About $37 billion flows into the County each year, including billions of dollars for defense contracts and millions more for research efforts.

The Coalition For Change, Inc. (C4C) is a Washington, DC based organization that promotes equality as well as exposes retaliation and racism in the federal government. “Civil servants (i.e., agents, air marshals, food inspectors, investigators, corrections officers, firefighters) function as America’s first line of defense against domestic threats. Therefore, we must protect our federal workforce against managerial abuse and reprisal in order to better protect our citizens.” That is what Tanya Ward Jordan, the founder of C4C, believes and espouses in her daily activities and advocacy on behalf of this organization. Now C4C is ramping up to strengthen its fight for federal workers.

March 1, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – It wasn’t a Valentine that the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted on February 14 to deliver to CEO Scott Alevy.  Facing a budget crunch, the inland region’s largest Chamber voted to eliminate its full-time paid CEO position, relieving Alevy of his duties.

“Both Scott Alevy and the Chamber are on soild ground,” acting President and Chief Executive Officer Becky Burgstiner told Chamber members at a First Friday breakfast this morning in the La Mesa Community Center. 

She announced that Board Chairman Marcel Becker will be taking the leadership helm as soon as he is fully recovered from surgery  in a couple of weeks.  Becker is also Chair of JCI Metals in Lemon Grove.

February 12, 2013 (La Mesa)—The San Diego East County Chamber is offering group tours to locations around the world.  On Wednesday, February 13 from 6-8 p.m., you can learn more at a travel briefing at the Grossmont Healthcare District auditorium, 9001 Wakarusa in La Mesa.

Trips include Tuscany in March,Costa Rica in July, Ireland this October, the French Riviera in November, South Pacific Wonders including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in October-November, and our December Holiday shopping trip to New York City.

February 4, 2013 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Chamber of Commerce’s first Breakfast Meeting of 2013 will host Supervisor Dianne Jacob as Guest Speaker on February 12 from 7:15 – 9:00 a.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 4731 Date Street, La Mesa.  

The cost is $15 for Chamber members and $20 for potential members and guests.  The “At Door” cost will be $25 for all attendees.  The Attendance Drawing is currently valued at $800.00.

Image credit: http://www.peopleinsight.co.uk/

January 18, 2013 (El Cajon) – San Diego East County Chamber is offering a free workshop, “A Model of Employee Engagement” on January 29, from 9-11 a.m. at the Chamber’s Board Room, 201 S. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon.  Learn how to take employee performance from good to great in this informative workshop. The workshop focuses on aligning overall organizational strategy, communication techniques to enhance engagement and the best ways to develop employee’s skills to help your business thrive.

January 16, 2013 (El Cajon) – The East SD County cash mob is headed to Silver Creek Gallery, 120 E. Main St. in El Cajon on January 19 at 12 p.m.  A Cash Mob is a large number of people organized via social media to draw customers to support a local small business during tough economic times.  Previous cash mob events have brought thousands of dollars into local retailers.  It’s all about supporting your local economy.

January 10, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Alpine resident Jeff Campbell, a realtor with Jeff Campbell & Associates, will be installed as 2013 president of the 1,900-member Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors at PSAR’s 2013 board of directors installation dinner and celebration on Friday, Jan. 18. The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Bonita Golf Course, 5540 Sweetwater Road, in Bonita. Seats cost $45 per person, or $400 for a table of eight. Register online at www.psar.org or www.esdcar.org, or phone (619) 421-7811 or (619) 579-0333.

By Miriam Raftery

January 1, 2013 (San Diego)—“The Vietnamese community in San Diego is in need of a strong sense of identity in order to unite in the revitalization of our social and economic life,”Frank Vuong, president of the Little Saigon San Diego Foundation, writes.

He hopes to see the Vietnamese community become a cultural asset for our region by putting it on the map.  So the Foundation has launched a petition to designate a Little Saigon District in San Diego’s Talmadge/Kensington area along El Cajon Boulevard between Euclid and Highland Avenues.

Read or sign the petition here:   https://www.change.org/petitions/san-diego-elected-officials-and-other-stakeholders-designate-a-little-saigon-san-diego-district#

By Nadin Abbott

December 18, 2012 (San Diego)-- it was raining and it was cold this morning at Qualcomm Stadium, as union members prepared to give 500 families the  fixings for a Christmas Dinner and toys for their children.

One of the recipients was Veronica, who did not share her last name. She is a member of the ATU, local 1309. She drives  transit buses for a living. We just talked for a second. But the problem Veronica has, like many other low income families in San Diego, is that she does not get enough hours to make ends meet. She is a mother of several children.

Neighborhood National Bank committed to serving low-moderate income census tracts for more than a decade 

December 17, 2012 (San Diego)—Neighborhood National Bank has reached its 15^th anniversary as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). The bank will celebrate its 15 year anniversary all-day open houses at each of its branch locations throughout the day on December 19, 2012. Guests are welcome to stop by any of the branches during business hours (9:00a.m.-5:00p.m.) for light refreshments and treats.