1 p.m. update:  ECM publisher Mark Hanson, whose home overlooks the San Vicente Reservoir, says the fire appears to be out in his area following air drops on the blaze.  The U.S. Forest Service has also been called in to assist, Incident Page Network reports.

May 29, 2010 (Julian) -- Stephanie Brehm-McCabe, 44, was found dead May 27 n her vehicle in a remote mountain area near Julian. Cause of death has not yet been released by the coroner's office.

A resident of Santa Margarita, she had been reported missing by family on May 25.  She was last seen May 24 at approximately 8 a.m. after putting a knife to her wrist. She left in her truck, then phoned an acquaintance and left a message indicating she intended to commit suicide.

May 29, 2010 (Sabre Springs) BreAnna Erickson, 17, died from injuries sustained in a head-on crash with a truck on Sabre Springs Parkway near Creekbridge Place at 5:39 p.m. last night. A friend was driving the car at a high speed but lost control, according to the Coroner’s office. Four other young people were also in the car, San Diego Police report.

INSURANCE-BACKED INITIATIVE DECEIVES CONSUMERS, SAY PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS 

By Miriam Raftery

May 28, 2010 (San Diego) – Mercury Insurance is the sole sponsor of Proposition 17, though it hides its identity behind the deceptively name Campaign for Consumer Rights. Mercury wants to repeal portions of a law that prohibit it from charging higher rates to consumers who dropped insurance coverage for 90 days, missed a single payment, or were not previously insured (even if a teen had a perfect record driving a paren'ts car).

Yesterday, Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Mary Salas held a press conference with Votevets.org chairman Jon Soltz to warn that Prop 17 unfairly penalizes veterans who drop coverage while serving overseas or in the U.S. “Soldiers and veterans would be required to pay up to $1,000 more a year for auto insurance when they sought to restart coverage,” Salas cautions.

"There was no money laundering...I'm endorsed by the  Deputy Sheriffs, police, the CHP. Do you think they would endorse me if I was a money launderer?" - Assemblyman Joel Anderson

 

May 28, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) has been dogged by the whiff of scandal since the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) fined his campaign $20,000 for accepting five contributions over the legal limit of $3,900 per individual.

Opponents and some media reports have made references to money-laundering. For months, Anderson has said little on the matter, on the advice of attorneys. But in a phone call with ECM editor Miriam Raftery today, Anderson flatly denied any intentional wrongdoing and defended his integrity.

“The industry standard is one firefighter for every 1,000 in population. San Miguel is currently operating with one firefighter for every 5,400 taxpayers.”  - Alan Laatsch, president,  Firefighters Local 1434
May 27, 2010 (Spring Valley) – Facing a $1.6 million deficit, San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District’s Board tonight considered a proposal to lay off three firefighters, eliminate the Administrative Division Chief position and demote several officials.  But after hearing moving testimony from firefighters, fire and accident victims, and others in the community, the Board voted unanimously to reject the recommendation and consider other options.

Among the most moving testimony came from Doug de Brauwere, a father with young children. “I’ll be the first firefighter to be laid off,” he testified, his voice choked with emotion. “I spent 10 years serving my country; a year and a half of that was in Iraq.”

May 27, 2010 (Sacramento) – Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate and Assembly Democratic leaders have proposed three separate budgets with drastically different approaches to closing a $20 billion gap.  Should California completely eliminate safety nets for children, poor families and the elderly? 

That's what the Governor has proposed -- and what Republican leaders in both houses support. Or should corporate tax breaks be delayed to help balance the budget, as Senate Democrats propose?  Or should a compromise measure from Senate Assembly leaders, that includes both cuts and a tax on oil companies, plus outsourcing management of bottle bill revenues, be considered?  

Those are among the touch choices facing state legislators.  

The 7th Annual Golf Classic, sponsored by the Santee Chamber of Commerce and the Santee School District Foundation, will be held on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at the Carlton Oaks Country Club. Tee time is at 12:00 p.m.

The funds from this event are used to provide resources for the visual and performing arts and technology for students in the Santee School District.

By Miriam Raftery

May 24, 2010 - The Final Project Modification Report has been released for Sunrise Powerlink, showing the final route and any changes/modifications made to the project. View the report: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/toc-pmr.htm.

The East County Community Action Coalition has organized an effort among opponents of the project to request that the Sunrise Powerlink CEQA/NEPA process be reopened to address issues that were not covered or not adequately covered in the original Environmental Impact Report (EIR/EIS).

Nothing but the Truth!

By Will Power

May 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Earlier this month, the U.S. Stock Market burped big-time, sending blue-chips down to pennies a share for several minutes, while computers throughout the world strained to keep up. Within hours, millions of paper losses and gains were recorded, and then the market stabilized. Nobody knows what caused the sudden shock. But the profits and losses were substantial, and in fact many of the trades are now being nullified by the SEC. The trades are being voided because they were outside parameters set up by the SEC. You can hear the howls of pain from brokers in Tierra Del Fuego.

May 25, 2010 (San Diego) -- The new San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego's very best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers.

These concerts are FREE to the community and include locations in East County.  The following are upcoming concerts for June 2010.