By Miriam Raftery

January 30, 2013 (Washington D.C.) –One day after a bipartisan coalition of Senators (four Republicans and four Democrats) introduced a framework for immigration reforms,  President Barack Obama has announced a four-part plan for comprehensive immigration changes 

The President's plan includes a pathway to citizenship, strengthening border security, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented workers, and streamlining our legal immigration system.  For details on the President's plan, see http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/01/29/watch-live-president-obama-speaks-comprehensive-immigration-reform.  For the Senators' framework, see http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/562528/reform0128principlessenatefinal.pdf.

January 26, 2013 (Washington, D.C.) – Congresswoman Susan Davis introduced legislation to prohibit a person from being removed from a jury because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Serving on a jury is one of America’s most cherished civic duties,” said Davis.  “It is unjust to exclude a particular group of people from participating in civil society because of whom they love or what they look like.  The federal government already prohibits juror discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and economic status and as we pursue greater equality for all Americans, I believe LGBT Americans should be also be free from juror discrimination.”

San Diego’s Congressional delegation splits votes

By Miriam Raftery

January 25, 2013 (Washington D.C.)—By a 285-144 vote, the House of Representative Wednesday voted to prevent the government from defaulting on its debt by suspending the federal debt limit until May 18, giving Congress time to craft a longer term solution.  The majority of Republicans supported the bill, HR 325, while most Democrats opposed – though  San Diego’s Congressional representatives voted just the opposite.

Democrats Susan Davis, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas  were among a minority of 88 Democrats who supported the bill, while Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa were among just 33 Republicans who voted no.

By Miriam Raftery

January 20,2013 (San Diego)—Both of California’s U.S. Senators are strongly supporting actions to restrict assault weapons and protect the public from mass shootings, though members of San Diego’s Congressional delegation are divided in their views toward President Barack Obama’s plan for reducing gun violence.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) has confirmed she intends to introduce legislation to reinstate a ban on assault weapons this week. A U.S. Department of Justice study found the prior assault weapons ban authored by Feinstein resulted in a 6.7 percent drop in the murder rate nationwide. Find details at http://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/assault-weapons.

“We have an opportunity in San Diego to create a truly great international city; a city that respects and empowers its people; a city that protects and enhances their quality of life, and a city that promotes good-paying jobs and a healthy economy for all residents.” – Mayor Bob Filner

By Miriam Raftery

January 17, 2013 (San Diego)—In his State of the City address this week, newly elected Mayor Bob Filner  discussed financial challenges as well as his vision for the future. He likened the city to a “patient who has overcome a serious illness,” citing a past cover-up of financial problems.

“The budget surplus predicted by my predecessor last year could actually be a deficit as much as $40 million,” Filner said, noting that state funding issues and court cases remain to be resolved.   “But if we learned anything from the mistakes of the past, it’s that it is better to be truthful about these problems than to cover them up,” he said.  Despite challenges ahead, the Mayor laid out ambitious plans for revitalizing the region's economy, making San Diego the nation's solar capital, expanding redevelopment to neighborhoods city-wide, and improving communication systems for regional emergencies such as wildfires.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Supervisor Dianne Jacob spells out her goals for future; Dave Roberts, left, prepares to take oath as his children look on.

January 8, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – For the first time in 19 years, a new County Supervisor, Dave Roberts, has been elected.  At yesterday’s swearing in ceremony,  East County Supervisor Dianne Jacob also made history, becoming the longest serving woman on the Board. 

Jacob made clear that she hopes to have an ally in the newly elected Supervisor—particularly on energy issues and protection of the backcountry. Roberts pledged support for preserving open spaces and working to develop a county utility as an alternative to SDG&E.

January 9, 2013 (San Diego)--Mayor Bob Filner has announced his staffing team at City Hall. The appointments reflect San Diego’s diversity: over 50% are women, 38% Latino, 21% African-American, 4% Asian Pacific Islander as well as staff from the lesbian, gay, bisexual/transgender community.

“When I campaigned for Mayor, I pledged that everyone would have a seat at the table, and that includes in my administration. I am proud to lead this team of talented and dedicated women and men. Together we will work hard for the citizens of San Diego,” said Mayor Bob Filner, who also released salaries of his staffers as part of his pledge toward transparency.

January 6, 2013 (El Cajon) -- At the next meeting of the East County Democratic Club on January 17, Robert B. Tapp, Ph.D. will discuss "Those Other Elephants," issues that were not discussed during the Presidential debates and campaigning, such as the unprecedented income inequality, science denial and the overpopulation crises.  Professor Tapp is Professor Emeritus of Humanities, Religious Studies and South Asian Studies at the University of Minnesota.  He is an author and editor of several books including “Religion Among the Unitarian Universalists”, and was co-sponsor of the 2011 SDSU sponsored conference "Toward A Reasonable World."

By Rebecca J Williamson

January 4, 2013 (La Mesa)--Madeleine Falco is taking date night to a higher standard by going on a date to the swearing in ceremony of President Barack Obama on January 21, 2013 in Washington, D.C.

So how did this all happen?  U.S. House of Representative’s Congresswoman Susan Davis, representing the 53^rd district, offered a lottery for tickets to the inauguration ceremony shortly after the presidential election.  Her constituents had to enter their name in the lottery to be selected. Falco and a male friend, entered their names.

By Miriam Raftery

January 2, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – By a 257-167 vote late last night, the House of Representatives approved without changes a “fiscal cliff” deal previously passed by the Senate 89-8.

The stock market reaction to ending the uncertainty was positive, rising 235 points or 1.9% on January 1 for a second-straight day of triple digit gains. It’s a deal that reflects compromise on both sides, averting a potential crisis short-term, but deferring major decisions on spending cuts and raising the nation's debt ceiling down the road.

The decision divided  the Republican leadership, as well as the local Congressional delegation. Lame-duck Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray joined with Democrat Susan Davis in voting for the measure, while Republicans Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa voted against it.  (Bob Filner resigned his seat Dec. 3 to assume his new responsibilities as Mayor, leaving his seat vacant until Juan Vargas is sworn in later this month.)

December 22, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – Newly elected Congressman Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) has been assigned to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee by House Minority Leader Nandy Pelosi.  Vargas, who will be sworn in in January, was elected to fill the seat left by Bob Filner, who stepped down from Congress to run for Mayor.

By Miriam Raftery

December 19, 2012 (El Cajon ) –The Mother Goose Parade wasn’t the only beneficiary of funds stolen by former El Cajon Councilwoman Jillian Hanson-Cox, who pled guilty to embezzling more than $3.6 million from Century Design, Inc (CDI), her former employer.  

Court documents reveal that she also spent purloined money to hire celebrity impersonators to appear at her campaign fundraiser in 2004. She treated the city’s former Chief of Police to a vacation at a Hawaiian resort hotel. Plus she hosted city public information officer Monica Zech at a Beverly Hills hotel, including manicures and other spa treatments.

Elf visit, BMW dealership, and Hanson-Cox support letters also hot topics at council meeting

By Miriam Raftery and Janis Mork

December 13, 2012 (El Cajon) – “We’re going back to our roots in El Cajon, because this was agricultural community,” Councilman Gary Kendrick told East County Magazine after the El Cajon Council unanimously approved both community gardens and chicken ownership for city residents. 

Kendrick noted that the El Cajon valley was the grape-growing capital of the United States before Prohibition and orange groves once occupied the hillsides.  “There is great soil on the valley floor,” he said, adding that residents will now be able to grow fresh vegetables on numerous vacant lots in the community.

By Miriam Raftery

December 8, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The public’s right to know what’s on the agenda for local government boards is now fully restored--thanks to a provision tucked within the fine print of Proposition 30, the tax measure to aid schools passed by voters in November.  

Back in July, the cash-strapped California Legislature suspended a section of the Brown Act that required local government boards to post agendas at least 72 hours before a meeting.  Because the law required the state to reimburse local governments for such costs, the state simply eliminated citizens’ right to know what actions government bodies had scheduled.

“Since the election, the Brown Act mandate is fully back in force and agencies can no longer claim reimbursement for mandated costs.  That's a side effect of the passage of Prop 30,” Terry Francke, general counsel at Californians Aware (CALAWARE) told ECM.

“We’re going to see that every community has power.” – Bob Filner

By Miriam Raftery

December 4, 2012 (San Diego) – From day one in his administration, Bob Filner has made clear that it won’t be business as usual for the city’s powerbrokers. To emphasize that point, he hosted not one, but a series of inaugural parties including celebrations in disadvantaged neighborhoods.  One such festive event took place last night at the Jacob Center in the Euclid area of east San Diego.

“We’re going to see that every community has power, “ Mayor  Filner, wearing a Hawaiian lei, told an enthusiastic and ethnically diverse crowd. He pledged to include faces from the Latino, African-American and Asian communities working in his mayoral office and city bureaucracy through appointments to the boards and commissions that “do the work of the city.”