“The only reason to consider gutting planning groups is to give free rein to every developer who wants to overwhelm a rural town—and keep the locals in the dark.”  -- Patsy Fritz

By Miriam Raftery

March 1, 2012 (San Diego) – It wasn’t quite a public flogging, but it came close.  Rural residents and their community planning representatives showed up at a County Board of Supervisors’ meeting yesterday to verbally excoriate those considering recommendations made by a developer-stacked “Red Tape Reduction Task Force. The Task Force wants to eliminate community planning groups(CPGs) or discourage participation through measures such as eliminating indemnification of planners against lawsuits, imposing term limits, and eliminating the County’s Resource Protection Ordinance.  

“None of the Red Tape Reduction Task Force members were required to submit conflict of interest statements,” observed Boulevard Planning Group Chair Donna Tisdale.  “They failed to disclose huge vested interests and profits to be made. That is illegal.”

By Nadin Abbott

February 29, 2011 (San Diego)--David Cobb from Move to Amend came to San Diego on a barnstorming tour . The organization aims to get money out of politics and to amend the Constitution to end corporate personhood.

This event took place at the Peace Resource Center and was attended by about 400 people. It was organized by Women Occupy San Diego.

By Miriam Raftery

February 27, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Accidents have been reported on both eastbound and westbound I-8 in Alpine near Willows Road due to ice on the highway this evening. Due to snowfall, chains are required on Sunrise Highway, in Julian, and on old highway 80 in Jacumba.

MEMORIAL SERVICE SET FOR MARCH 3

February 27, 2012 (La Mesa) –A motorcycle accident has taken the life of Jeffrey Leonard Marxen, M.D., 60, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa. 

District Attorney and Mayoral Candidate Bonnie Dumanis Unlikely to Prosecute Due to Political Ties to Sanders, Complaint says

February 26, 2012 (San Diego) - Today, Ray Lutz, national coordinator of Citizens Oversight Projects (COPS - Citizens Oversight, Inc.), submitted a complaint to the San Diego County Grand Jury regarding the claim that Mayor Jerry Sanders committed felony embezzlement by selling promotional signage to Qualcomm, allowing them to change their sign to "Snapdragon" during one NFL football game and two college bowl games for only $1000.

Ron Roberts, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors calls for letter grades, mobile phone aps for consumers to check ratings

February 25, 2012 (San Diego) – Supervisor Ron Roberts has announced plans to introduce county legislation to create a grading system for the expanding fleet of local food trucks, which have increased dramatically in popularity across the county.   

The measure follows investigations by the UT San Diego and ECM news partner 10 News, which found that about half of all food trucks received at least one violation notice from county health officials. However,  unlike restaurant records, food truck health safety records are not available online.  http://www.10news.com/news/30393605/detail.html.

Richard Darvas, a freelance investigative journalist who has won awards for his reporting in East County Magazine, has painstakingly dissected the case of William Richards, a prisoner whom the San Diego-based California Innocence Project believes was falsely convicted of murder. 

February 24, 2012 (San Diego)—San Diego County residents will finally have a chance to tell the California Public Utilities Commission what they think about San Diego Gas & Electric’s proposal to charge ratepayers $463.9 million for the utility’s uninsured losses due to the 2007 wildfires caused by its poorly maintained power lines.

Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon will hold a public participation hearing on April 5 from 4-9 p.m. at the Al Bar Shriner Auditorium , 4330 Kearny Mesa Road in San Diego.

The announcement follows a February 21, 2012 “Turko Files” KUSI TV investigative report which revealed over a dozen private meetings in which SDG&E executives wined and dined CPUC Commissioner Simon,  who is acting as a judge on this matter:  http://www.kusi.com/story/16988213/almost-anything-goes.

Proposed “Blunt Amendment” would let employers deny coverage for  blood transfusions, birth control, AIDS or cancer treatments, and more

 Rep. Issa (R-San Diego) draws heat for restricting testimony to men only at hearing on women’s health

By Miriam Raftery

February 21, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – Disguised as an amendment to limit options for women’s health, the “Blunt Amendment” (S. 1467) introduced byU.S. Senator Roy Blunt and supported by  conservatives in Congress goes much farther.

It would allow employers to design their own healthcare plans under the Affordable Care Act and   to exclude any “specific items or services” that are “contrary to the religious beliefs or moral convictions of the sponsor, issuer, or other entity offering the plan.” 

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 Authorities seek info on shooter; owner found but relinquishes dog

February 21, 2012 (Alpine)—A dog found lying on the side of Viejas Grade Road  near Willows Road in Alpine with a bullet in its chest remains in extremely serious condition following surgery.  The 40-pound retriever mix was found by a passerby and a Viejas firefighter yesterday morning around 7:30 a.m.

Updated 5 p.m.

February 21, 2012 (La Mesa) - A 17-year-old boy was struck by a trolley in downtown La Mesa today after attempting to beat the trolley by running across the tracks.  La Mesa Patch reports the teen suffered "survivable" injuries and was conscious when rescued shortly after 11 a.m. today.