By Miriam Raftery

January 10, 2015 (Washington D.C.) – On the first day of the new Congressional session, House Republicans pushed through a rule change that advocates for senior citizens and the disabled warn will lead to major benefit cuts for retirees and people on disability.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) legislative policy director calls the action “a mistake” that could lead to devastating 20% cuts for people dependent on disability payments as well as negative impacts for retirees--including reductions in benefit payments and another rise in retirement age, which is already set to go up from age 65 to 67.

Without a single Democratic vote, House Republicans pushed through a rule change that prohibits members from approving any financial fix to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program unless it is tied to broader “reforms” in Social Security that critics including the AARP say will lead to privatization of the program and weakening of benefits.  

By Hayden Parsley

January 8, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--After two decades in the senate, California Senator Barbara Boxer announced this Thursday that she will not run for reelection in 2016.

At 74 years old, Boxer states she will put effort into ensuring her seat remains with her Democratic Party. She also says she will, “Keep fighting for the issues I love,” and plans to spend her time helping people. She says that neither her age nor the Republican majority are factors in her decision, but that she wants to come home to the state that she loves.

By Miriam Raftery

January 7, 2015 (Spring Valley) – The State Controller’s Office has issued its final review report on the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District’s administrative and internal accounting controls.

“Our review did not identify any significant deficiencies with the District’s administrative and internal accounting controls,” the report states. None-the-less, the report indicates the state plans to charge the district for the cost of the investigation. report indicates the state launched the investigation  because it had “reason to believe that the Annual Report of Financial Transactions submitted by the District is misstated, incomplete, or incorrect.”

By Miriam Raftery

January 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –Many hot agenda items are coming up before boards, commissions and councils across East County during this first week of the new year.

December 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) - The new Republican Whip in Congress, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, is drawing scrutiny amid revelations that he spoke to a white supremacist group in 2002 that was founded by David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Michael Picker during a visit to the University of San Diego

December 25, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Following the resignation of disgraced California Public Utilities President Michael Peevey, Governor Jerry Brown has appointed his former renewable energy advisor, Michael Picker, to head up the CPUC as president of the board. Picker also served in the same capacity for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration.

East County News Service

December 19, 2014 (La Mesa)--It was the end of an era last Tuesday night at the La Mesa City Hall, where Mayor Art Madrid stepped down after a quarter of a century at the helm—one fourth of the time since La Mesa became a city.

By Paul Kruze

Photo by Randy Jordan

December 16, 2014 (El Cajon)--It has been the worst of times and it has been the best of times for the city of El Cajon.

Mayor Bill Wells painted a generally optimistic picture in his State of the City address delivered on Tuesday, December 9^th shortly after he was sworn in before a full City Council chamber. The mayor’s upbeat message came despite having to deal with some formidable headwinds during the past year—a year that saw the fifth largest city in San Diego County deal with political appointments surrounded by controversy, a crackdown on the city’s liquor stores, the city’s improving financial stability and ongoing renovation plans for the embattled East County Performing Arts Center.

Update:  The Senate passed the spending bill tonight.  California Senator Barbara Boxer voted no; Senator Dianne Feinstein did not vote. President Barack Obama later signed the measure.

By Miriam Raftery

December 13, 2014 (Washington D.C.) –A spending bill with more pages than the epic novel War and Peace passed the House Thursday night.  If not approved by midnight tonight by the Senate, when government funding runs out, the government is set to shut down. 

But controversial provisions slipped in by House Republicans have outraged consumer advocates and many Democrats.These include provisions that would allow big banks to “gamble with taxpayer money,” by repealing key provisions of the Dodd Frank Act separating money in traditional FDIC insured bank accounts from trades, warns Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts).  Other controversial items would increase campaign donations to political parties by wealthy donors ten-fold, block money for implementing Medicare and Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act,  slash spending for education reforms and the Environmental Protection Agency, among other things.

By Miriam Raftery

December 10, 2014 (Washington D.C.)--A bill passed by House Republicans is reigniting water wars in California and faces virtually certain defeat in the Senate, due to opposition from both of California’s Senators and a veto threat by President Barack Obama.

By Miriam Raftery

December 9, 2014 (San Diego) – Former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio lost his runs for mayor and Congress, defeated by Congressman Scott Peters in the 50^th Congressional District.

By Miriam Raftery

Satellite: Photo: Strip mining of Athabasca oil sands, courtesy NASA

November 18, 2014 (Washington D.C.) – By a single vote, the Senate blocked passage of a measure to authorize building the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.  The measure previously passed the House of Representatives 252-161.

But with Republicans taking control of the Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader-elect Mitch McConnell vowed to bring the matter up again soon after the new Congress convenes. Even if passed, however, the measure could face a veto by President Barack Obama.

California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer opposed the XL Pipeline, calling it the “Extra Lethal Pipeline.” She cited health risks from chemicals that can cause lung damage as well as serious environmental concerns.  "The facts are the facts are the facts," she said. "If you're not a scientist then be humble and listen to the peer-reviewed scientists.”

By Janis Russell and Miriam Raftery

November 11, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A week after the election with 28,000 absentee and provisional ballots remaining to be counted countywide, two East County race remain too close to call.

By  Leon Thompson

November 5, 2014 (La  Mesa)  - The hopes for an ordinance that would allow for medicinal cannabis dispensaries in La Mesa went up-in-smoke as Proposition “J” failed in last night’s election.   A similar measure in Encinitas suffered the same fate.