Republicans also seek to increase national debt to fund tax breaks for wealthy

By Alexander J Schorr

Image: Cc by NC-ND via Bing

February 24, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Republican senators pushed a $340 billion budget framework to passage early Friday that would give massive new tax cuts to wealthy people and corporations, while slashing Medicaid and other programs benefitting vulnerable Americans.The budget passed  the Senate in spite of an all-night session during which Democrats raised numerous objections, including to  releasing money that the Trump administration says is required for mass deportations and border security. The budget now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote.

The budget includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit, and aims to slash $1.5 trillion from social programs while boosting spending on border security and the military.

The Center for American Progress has set up a link for concerned citizens to contact their members of Congress and urge opposition to the SAVE Act.

By Alexander J Schorr

Photo:  Suffragists outside White House in 1917 urged that women be granted right to vote, which was approved with passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920

February 22, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – The19th Amendment guarantees women in the U.S. the right to vote.  But H.R. 22, the ironically named “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE), Act is actually poised to take away that right for millions of married women, as well as anyone else whose current name does not match the name on their birth certificate. Potentially, hundreds of millions of voters could become disenfranchised if the Save Act becomes law.

Currently, House majority Republicans are fast-tracking the Save Act, which was originally introduced in 2024 and has been brought back in the 119^th Congress by Representative Chip Roy, on a pretext of making sure undocumented immigrants don't vote.  But if enacted, it  would force every single American citizen to prove their citizenship status in person when registering to vote.This “show-your-papers” bill would require proof of citizenship once more even for those who have already registered, or wish to update their voting information, such as when moving or changing parties.

For the majority of Americans, this means having to present a passport or birth certificate at their local election office. But if you don’t have a passport, or the name on your passport or other ID does not match the name on your birth certificate, you would not be allowed to vote.The Save Act would disenfranchise 146 million Americans who do not have a passport and nearly 70 million women who are married do not have a birth certificate that matches their new legal name, according to PolitiFact.

Updates: The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Anthony Trujillo.  On Feb. 27, Andrew Gomez Cardona, 26, was arrested at a home on S. Magnolia in El Cajon. He has been booked on charges related to the murder of Trujillo, who died of a bullet wound in the neck.  Cardona told deputies that he resided in Lemon Grove.

Lemon Grove Mayor Alysson Snow issued a statement expressing "shock and grief" at the klling in broad daylight. She extended  "love and prayers" to family members and assured that law enforcemeng officers are "acting swiftly to bring those responsible to justice and to account for this inexcusable act of gun violence."

East County News Service

February 23, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – A man is dead after an assault with a deadly weapon at Kunkel Park in Lemon Grove this afternoon. 

Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the park within four minutes of a call reporting the assault at 12:40 p.m.  They found a Hispanic man in his 50s lying on the ground with trauma to his upper torso.

“Deputies promptly initiated first aid and life-saving measures, later assisted by Heartland Fire and AMR paramedics. The injured man was transported by AMR to a local hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries,” says Lieutenant Michelle Krugh.

San Diego’s inland region (east of I-15) is home to hundreds of restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisines. 

Below is an alphabetical listing from A to Z.

Know of a restaurant we missed? Email editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

Also see our guide to East County restaurants offering international cuisine and those specializing American foods, plus our guide to sweets and treats.

Scroll down to view our full list of restaurants in San Diego's inland region.

East County News Service

February 22, 2025 (New York) -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released a statement after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York's issuance of a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Americans’ personal and private information maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department.

East County News Service

February 22, 2025 (San Diego) --  East County Magazine has been selected by FeedSpot as the fifth best local magazine among the Top 15 San Diego Magazines on the web.

The site ranks  the best San Diego magazines from thousands on the web ranked by relevancy, authority, social media followers & freshness.

East County Magazine was established in 2008 and now averages 10 million hits and a quarter million visits each month. The site has won 147 major journalism awards.  Its mission is to provide in-depth news, views, and events coverage daily for the inland areas in San Diego County, reflecting the broad diversity of people and issues in our region, particularly those under-represented in other media.

East County News Service

February 21, 2025 (Ramona) – The Sheriff’s office is searching for Yolanda  Marodi, also known as Yolanda Olejniczak, who is suspected in the stabbing death of her wife, Cal Fire Captain Rebecca Marodi. The couple had been married for approximately two years.

East County News Service

February 21, 2025 (El Cajon) - The Grossmont Symphony Orchestra welcomes its new conductor, San Diego Symphony Orchestra violinist, Hernan Constantino.  He is also on his seventh season as the music director for Mainly Mozart with the San Diego Symphony. His first concert performance is titled “Spanish Nights: A Concert of Passion and Fire” on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

By Miriam Raftery

February 20, 2025 (Greenbell, Md.) -- A legal complaint filed by 26 unnamed former and current employees in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland alleges that Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.  That clause mandates that presidential appointments require the advice and consent of the Senate, which President Donald Trump did not seek when he appointed Musk and delegate vast powers.

East County News Service

February 20, 2025 (New York) – The Electronic Frontier Foundation and a coalition of privacy defenders filed a lawsuit in New York on February 11 asking a federal court to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the private information of millions of Americans that is stored by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and to delete any data that has been collected or removed thus far. The lawsuit also names OPM, and asks the court to block OPM from further sharing data with DOGE.

East County News Service

February 20, 2025 (Alpine) – Alpine Country Crafts and Gifts (2156 Alpine Blvd. in Alpine) invites you to a Spring Festival and Easter Celebration.

The event takes place on:

Thursday, March 20  4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday, March 21  9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, March 22  9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

East County News Service

Photo via 50501: thousands rallied against Trump in Washington D.C. outside Capitol

February 19, 2025 (San Diego) –  Protesters held “Not My President” rallies at state capitols in all 50 states and other locations to oppose unprecedented attacks on our democratic system’s checks and balances by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

View video of this incident, via Lemon Grove Media on Facebook

By Miriam Raftery

February 19, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – During last night’s Lemon Grove City Council meeting, former Councilmember Liana LeBaron urged members to agendize a discussion on 70 tiny homes for the homeless slated to be built on Troy Street. County Supervisors approved building the project in Lemon Grove before holding any public discussion, angering many residents.

By G. A. McNeeley 

February 19, 2025 (El Cajon) - There’s a lot happening on Grossmont Campus, including a variety of free and paid events open to the general public as well as students, staff and faculty. These include concerts, movies, theatrical productions, blood drives, and more.