October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)- In the November election, community planning association (CPA)/community planning group races countywide give voters few choices. Most are not competitive – with either the exact number of candidates as seats vacant or in several cases, fewer candidates than openings. That means many vacancies will be filled by appointments approved by Supervisor Dianne Jacob.
The moral of the story? If you want to have a say-so in development projects planned for your area, run for office! Your odds of getting elected are high, based on this year’s low number of candidates. Plus if your planning group has fewer candidates than seats open, you can ask to be considered for appointment to fill a vacancy.
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October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--In the Mountain Empire Unified School District school board race there are three seats up for election. Voters will also be asked whether to approve a bond measure for local schools.
The candidates currently sitting on the Board of Trustees at MEUSD are board President Tina Heimerdinger, Jeffrey G. Morrison, and Tina Ambrose. Ambrose unopposed. Heimerdinger is opposed by Tom Brady,attorney, in Trustee Area 6. Jeffrey G. Morrison is being challenged by Diane Yops, an educator and business owner, in Trustee Area 2.
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Proposition 39 adjusts taxes for multi-state corporations to fund clean energy programs
October 12, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Prop 39 changes tax laws to require businesses operating in several states to pay California income tax based on the percentage of sales from California. From this money saved, California would dedicate $550 million every year for five years toward energy efficiency jobs and projects that create clean energy.
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ECM article helped shed light on misreprentation, Lincoln Club’s Stirling reveals
By Miriam Raftery
October 11, 2012 (San Diego) –Jim Miller, candidate for Superior Court Judge, failed to disclose in his candidate questionnaire that he had been removed for cause as a Judge Pro Tempore, the San Diego Lincoln Club announced today. A press release issued by the conservative business group states that Miller “misrepresented the facts” when asked for comments on the allegations in private.
“Such conduct does not meet the high ethical standards that Lincoln Club members believe are required for judicial officers,” the release concludes. Last night, the Club’s Board of Directors voted to withdraw its endorsement of Miller and to endorse his opponent, Deputy District Attorney Robert Amador.
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October 7, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Zach Miller has first-hand knowledge of what a student needs to learn. Now 19 and a junior at SDSU, he is running for the Grossmont Union High School District Board to apply some critical thinking skills and assure that students' needs are met.
At age 5, he was admitted to American MENSA, an organization for those with genius-level IQs. He headed up Academic League teams and was captain of the Rubik’s Cube Competitive Team at Cajon Valley High School, where he graduated with honors. While still in high school, he took community college classes; finishing 10th grade he enrolled at San Diego State University’s mechanical engineering program.
His priority is to ensure that teachers and students have resources to teach and learn. He hopes to include more Advanced Placement and honors classes and increases in student enrollment, resources for AVID courses. He hopes to better the district, to look at what the schools need and use the money to help students learn instead of luxuries, such as building new swimming pools and performing arts centers.
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Group focused on rights of working San Diegans also takes stands for Prop 30, against Prop 32
By Miriam Raftery
October 11, 2012 (San Diego)—At its 15th anniversary gala last night, the Center on Policy Initiatives (CPI) honored “every day heroes” for providing education and training, “seeds of a strong future.”
In a packed ballroom at the Holiday Inn on the Bay, State Senator Christine Kehoe praised CPI for “shining a light” on truth with the organization’s research into issues such as poverty, wages and other issues impacting working people in San Diego County. “We need CPI more than ever,” she noted, adding “We have a very large voice of corporations."
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October 11, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Two candidates are vying for the 4th District seat on the Padre Dam Municipal Water Board.
Incumbent Augie Caires is running on his record, including slashing the District’s deficit and saving money for customers. His opponent, environmental health specialist John Hammerstrand, wants to eliminate contaminants including fluoride, a neurotoxin, from drinking water.
Below are both candidates' answers to written questions provided by East County Magazine.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)- Retired La Mesa city treasurer Jim Stieringer is running for the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) board with confidence that he can, first and most importantly, create greater collegiality among the board members by presenting a policy that all board members must abide by, if elected. In this policy, Stieringer expects that “all board members will agree to the standards of conduct amongst themselves, and their relationships with each other and the public.”
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October 10, 2012 (Spring Valley)- Fire captain/paramedic Dave Rickards hopes to get re-elected to the San Miguel Fire Board because “I care about the community I want the best fire protection in the community I live in.” The three-term incumbent is a district resident since 1990, spent 29 years in the fire service in El Cajon, and currently sits on the Heartland Communications Commission. He is also the Districts’ representative Finance Committee.” He adds, “We’re all training each other and we all have agreements that help each other out.”
He is also a U.S. Navy vet, a USS Midway volunteer, and a private pilot. He is currently a Company Engines Officer in the Fletcher Hills Community of El Cajon.
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Former Chief Runs Against One of the Board Members Who Fired Him
By Mark Gabrish Conlan
October 8, 2012 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Fire Protection District contains 55 square miles of land, 65,000 people, and according to its website, http://www.lakesidefire.net, “is primarily suburban residential but also has several core commercial zones, some light industry, and many rural/agricultural properties.” It has a significant wildland/urban interface — firefighter-speak for places where homebuilders have butted developments up against forests and other wild areas. In the last decade, that has proven a recipe for brewing out-of-control fires that have threatened properties and claimed lives—particularly here in Lakeside, which has been devastated by several of the worst wildfires in county history.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 40 allows voters to approve or reject the new state senate districts created by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. If Prop 40 is approved with a yes vote, nothing changes. If rejected by a no vote, the senate districts are re-drawn again by officials under the supervision of the California Supreme Court. Both the California Democratic Party and California Republican Party now recommend a “yes” vote on Prop 40.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Proposition 37 would require mandatory labeling of most foods made from plants or animals with genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). Such foods would also be prohibited from being advertised as “natural.”
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--California’s three strikes law imposes a life sentence for a felony if the person convicted has two previous felony convictions.
Prop 36 revises the law so that a life sentence on the third strike would only be given if that third strike is for a serious or violent crime.Under Prop 36, mandatory life sentences would continue to be imposed if any previous conviction was for murder, child rape, molestation, or if the third crime involved sex or drug offenses, or a gun.
If passed, the measure would also allow for re-sentencing criminals serving life sentences if their third conviction was for a non-serious or non violent crime and if a judge determines that a new sentence does not pose an unreasonable risk to public safety.
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San Diego has one of the highest rates of child sex trafficking in the U.S.
October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 35 would increase prison sentences and fines for anyone convicted of human trafficking — the illegal trade of human beings for sex slavery or forced labor. Prison sentences would be increased to 15-years-to life, with fines up to $1.5 million. Prop 35 would also require anyone convicted of sex trafficking to register as a sex offender and disclose identities they use on the Internet, along with which sites they visit.
In a rare show of unity, this proposition is supported by both the California Democratic and Republican parties.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Proposition 34 would eliminate the death penalty in California and replace it with a sentence of life in prison with no chance for parole. Importantly, it applies retroactively to anyone who has already been convicted of murder and sentenced to death.
The measure would also make it a requirement for anyone found guilty of murder to work while in prison, with some wages given to funds for victims and their families. Prop 34 would also earmark $100 million in grants, paid for from savings by the proposal, to law enforcement for investigation of rape and homicide.
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“Mercury Insurance has a terrible history of mistreating its customers, ignoring the law and trying to deceive voters.”—Brian Stedge, Consumer Watchdog
“Proposition 33 creates a more vibrant market for auto insurance by empowering California’s consumers to shop for the best deal.” –Samuel Kang, Greenlighting Institute
October 10, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Proposition 33 is similar to an insurance-industry backed initiative defeated in 2010 (Prop 17). Both measures received millions in funding from Mercury Insurance Company.
Prop 33 would change the law so insurance companies may set prices for car insurance based on whether a person had insurance with any company before. Drivers who don’t have a history of continuous insurance would pay more. Special exceptions would be made for drivers who drop their insurance to serve in the military or due to loss of employment. The measure has a grace period, so drivers who cancel insurance and purchase new insurance within 90 days would still be considered as continuously covered.
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“This initiative is exclusively about the stranglehold that special interests have had over California’s political system,”—Jake Suski, Yes on 32
"It promises political reform but it's really designed by its special interest backers to help themselves and harm their opponents." – Trudy Schafer, California League of Women Voters
October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 32, titled the “Paycheck Protection Initiative,” would restrict unions and corporations from deducting funds from workers’ paychecks to fund political campaigns, but would allow voluntary employee contributions. Prop 32 also prohibits unions and corporations from contributing to candidates and candidate-controlled committees or groups. Other kinds of political expenditures are still allowed.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 38 would raise income taxes to fund K-12 education. he measure differs from Prop 30, the Governor’s education funding initiative also on the ballot, in several key ways.
Prop 38 increases taxes on low and middle income earners as well as those with higher incomes, while Prop 30' sincome tax raise targets only the wealthy. Prop 38 imposes restrictions on how education funds can be spent. Prop 38 is limited to K-12 funding, while Prop 30 also includes community colleges. Prop 38 raises taxes over a longer time period.
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October 10, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--Proposition 30 is the Schools and Safety Protection Act, also known as the temporary taxes to fund education. The measure aims to provide a stable source of funds for public education, which has seen budgets slashed severely in recent years. Local schools have seen teacher lay-offs and class sizes increase; colleges have severely cut back course offerings and some have even eliminated summer school.
Proposition 30 increases income taxes for seven years on Californian residents who earn over $250,000 a year or couples earning over $500,000 a year. It also increases sales taxes for residents of California by ¼ cent for four years. If passed, Prop 30 could raise $6 billion annually for community colleges and K-12 schools.
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October 9, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Proposition 31 would move California from a one-year budget cycle to a two-year budget cycle, meaning budget debates happen every other year, instead of annually. Prop 31 would also prohibit the Legislature from spending more than $25 million on new programs unless an equal source of revenue or spending cuts are identified first, and would require performance reviews of all state programs.
The measure is supported by the California Republican Party and opposed by the California Democratic Party.
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October 10, 2012 (La Mesa) -- Absentee Ballots went out yesterday. Do you have a particular topic that would influence your vote for La Mesa City Council? See what the candidates have said in their own words at candidate Forums. Topics are organized alphabetically in categories, to make it simple to find what you are looking for.
We also provide links to their websites and articles from prior campaigns, for those who want to know more about the candidates themselves and their histories.
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October 9, 2012 -- A real life David-and-Goliath battle is heating up in California’s newly formed 50th Congressional District. Republican incumbent, Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (photo, right), is facing off against first-time political candidate, Democrat David Secor (photo, left). The race is defined by large disparities in campaign finances and widely differing policy positions.
Hunter and Secor hold vastly different views on Social Security, Medicare, Roe v. Wade, access to birth control and other social issues which typify the divide between the Republican and Democratic parties. Among the most important economic issues on which the two candidates hold different opinions are policy differences surrounding family planning options, birth control and Roe v. Wade.
Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
October 10, 2012 (El Cajon)--Eight candidates are vying for three seats on the El Cajon City Council in a hotly contested race: incumbents Tony Ambrose, Bob McClellan and Bill Wells and challengers Ben Kalasho, Lily Schworm, Kathy Spacone, Chris Shamoon and Duane Swainston.
ECM invited all candidates to be interviewed; six responded. Below are our in-depth interviews with candidates, listed in alphabetical order. In addition, here are links to coverage of a candidate forum, as well as candidates’ websites and Smart Voter pages from the League of Women Voters, prior stories on candidates who ran before, and additional news stories.
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October 9, 2012 (San Diego) -- The National Committee to Protect Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), one of the most trusted, independent and effective advocates for these programs in the country since 1982, has endorsed Scott Peters for Congress, the Peters campaign announced today.
NCPSSM President and Chief Executive Officer Max Richtman said they are endorsing Peters over Bilbray because they trust Peters to protect Medicare and Social Security, while Bilbray has voted repeatedly to cut these critical programs which protect many of America’s seniors from living in poverty.
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October 8, 2012 (Spring Valley)- Incumbent Karrie Johnston Scully hopes to get re-elected to the San Miguel fire board this November. In an exclusive interview with ECM, she shares her goals which include holding Cal Fire accountable for promises made when the Board voted to outsource services to the state fire agency.
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October 5, 2012 (San Diego)--Just about everybody who follows American politics at all has heard by now of the surreptitious video recording made of Mitt Romney and his peers at a $50,000 per person fundraiser in Boca Raton, Florida last May 17. In case you need the reminder, it’s the event at which he said, “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what … who are dependent on the government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That’s an entitlement. … These are people who pay no income tax. Forty-seven percent of Americans pay no income tax. So our message of lower taxes doesn’t connect. … [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. What I have to do is convince the five to 10 percent in the center … ”
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October 9, 2012 (El Cajon)—Councilman Bill Wells, a conservative who staunchly opposes new taxes and led efforts for El Cajon to become a charter city, seeks reelection to the El Cajon Council. He is one of seven candidates in the hotly contested race.
In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, Councilman Wells discusses his accomplishments and plans for the future.
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October 6, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)- Bill Weaver hopes to replace incumbent board member Dr. Gary Woods on the Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) board. He is a parent of a son and a daughter in Alpine schools, soon to enter the district. His two kids are the main reason of why he is devoted to GUHSD. He has championed a high school for Alpine but believes in reaching out to all schools. He also pledges to listen to concerns of every parent, make kids the focus when reaching a decision, use tax money wisely, and be open-minded and considerate of students’ needs.
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October 8, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – ECM sent questions to all candidates running for Helix Water District Board.
In the race for seat three, there are two candidates: incumbent Chuck Muse and challenger Lori Kern-Greenberg. Kern-Greenberg responded to all questions in detail on topics ranging from water rates to transparency. (Scroll down for her replies.)
Muse refused to answer any questions, instead sending a brief reply: “All information you requested can be found on my web site.” (Editor’s note: In fact, only some of the topics are addressed on his website, which can be viewed at www.chuckmuse.org.)
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October 8, 2012 (Columbia, Missouri) – With near record viewership for the first presidential debate, expectations are now unusually high for the one and only vice presidential debate on Oct. 11 between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Paul Ryan.
Mitchell McKinney, University of Missouri associate professor of communication and internationally recognized scholar of presidential debates, points out that vice presidential debates present unique challenges for the vice presidential candidates and these debates function very differently than their presidential counterparts. Key features that typically characterize the vice presidential debate include:
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