By Miriam Raftery

June 3, 2014 (San Diego)—Voters have rendered their verdicts in five contested Superior Court Judicial races, with all precincts counted but absentee and provisional ballots remaining. 

Career prosecutor Brad Weinreb leads with over 38% of the vote in one of the most contentious judicial races. At Election Central, Weinreb said he was pleased to into the run-off on top , vying against Hagan—or so he thought. Overnight however, the results flipped  to show Ken Gosselin narrowly edging out Miichele Hagan to vie in November’s run-off race against Weinreb.  Gosselin drew controversy after a court required him to change his ballot statement due to inflated education and experience claims.  Hagan, who has prosecution experience as well as advocating for consumers on legal issues, had been critical of the County Bar rating system.

Democrats regain supermajority in Congress

By Miriam Raftery

June 3, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – Statewide, Democrats won a supermajority of two-thirds in both houses of the state Legislature, meaning enough to pass budgets and override a Governor’s veto on legislation. But it’s not as liberal a group as in the past, the Sacramento Bee reports, due to business interests backing more moderate Democrats over liberal-leaning opponents.

Locally, incumbent state legislators representing East County cruised to easy victories in the June primary, with 100% of precincts counted and only absentee and provisional ballots remaining to be tallied.  With the new top-two primary system, some races in November will leave voters with a choice only among two candidates in the same party.

Statewide ballot initiatives also win approval

By Miriam Raftery

June 4, 2014 (La Mesa) – Voters have overwhelmingly approved Prop H by an 87-13% margin. With 85% of precincts counted. The measure continues Grossmont Healtcare District’s lease with Sharp Healthcare for Grossmont Hospital.

 “The returns indicate that Prop H will strongly pass. The Grossmont Healthcare District Board placed the measure on the ballot so the voters could decide an important issue to the East Region, whether the partnership with Sharp HealthCare should continue,” Barry Jantz, CEO of the Grossmont Healthcare District told ECM. We will work hard to ensure we continue working with Sharp to continue the hospital improvements underway and provide the best patient care for our community."

June 1, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to http://mailtrack.me/tracking/raWzMz50paMkCGRkBQR5AGpmZwZzMKWjqzA2pzSaqaR9ZGR1ZwDlBQpjWay2LKu2pG0kAQx4ZmHjBQpmZN

East County News Service

May 31, 2014 (Lake Moreno)—A felon suspected of pepper spraying a clerk during a robbery and seriously injuring a man after striking him in the face with brass knuckles has been arrested.  James Ibarra, 29, was taken into custody on May 29 in the 2900 block of Evergreen Street in the Lake Morena area of Campo.

May 31, 2014 (San Diego)—The San Diego County Grand Jury has issued a report, “Give Me Shelter” on Connections Housing, a downtown homeless shelter. While the center has made a “good start,” the report found,  there are still many people in the City of San Diego living a marginal life.  While the report found some positive strives and praised a dedicated staff,  a press release issued by the Grand Jury also states that “it appears that more money is put into staff salaries and the public relations aspect than the programmatic aspect of services for the homeless. No money is earmarked in the budget for food purchases, although the kitchen and food services are obligated to provide breakfasts and hot dinners for up to 150 residents per day.” Instead the program relies entirely on donated food.

May 30, 2014 (Ramona) – Activists from Veterans for Peace and the Ramona Forum found a creative way to get their message out at the Ramona Parade.  Dave Patterson narrates the groups’ video, providing details on a “drone pork drop” float created here in East County.    View the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuPsjj_12j0

Hear a podcast of today’s full show including D.A. Bonnie Dumanis interview here: http://kiwi6.com/file/b2ohmz2jt7

Listen live from 5-6 p.m. today online at http://knsj.org/knsjpopup.html or on the air at KNSJ 89.1 FM

June 2, 2014 (San Diego)—Our special guest on the East County Magazine radio show today is District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, talking about crime issues in our region and her candidacy to win reelection in tomorrow’s primary election. Dumanis squares off against attorney Bob Brewer, who did not respond to our interview requests, and Terri Wyatt ( who was previously  interviewed here: http://kiwi6.com/file/f1epluf93r)

 Today’s show also includes coverage and analysis of the 50^th and 53^rd  Congressional races, where incumbents Duncan Hunter and Susan Davis face off against multiple challengers.  Also learn more about the Insurance Commissioner race, which pits an incumbent championing consumer issues against insurance companies against an insurance broker and a third candidate who wants to eliminate insurance companies altogether and see a single payer healthcare system enacted.

May 29, 2014 (Rolando)--Sophia Pruden, a 13 year old Rolando resident, hosted the 7th annual Cookies for a Cure fundraiser last Sunday, May 25, in loving memory of her aunt, Amy Pruden, who passed due to Leukemia in 2007.

By Jessica Richmond and Miriam Raftery

Duncan Hunter and James Kimber do battle for Reps and Dems; Libertarian Michael Benoit also in  race

June 1, 2014 (San  Diego)-- Congressman Duncan D. Hunter(R) will face off against two other opponents, Democrat James Kimber, a  Navy veteran and retired Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman/ current neurosurgery physician assistant, as well as Libertarian Michael Benoit,  a retired business owner.

Due to the California Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, the top-two-vote-getters  in the California 50^th Congressional District will then square-off  in an all-out battle in November.  This Tuesday’s Primary election represents the opportunity for voters to decide whether to back fiscal austerity on domestic programs and a big military budget with the Republican candidate, the  Libertarian candidate who aims to shrink government, or the Democrat, who wants to make healthcare, veterans’ issues and immigration reforms his top priorities.

Originally Published in the ECOreport

By Roy L Hales

June 1, 2014 (San Diego's East County) - The biggest lobby group in California is the oil sector. The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), alone, spent $1.4 million during the first three months of 2014. Senate Bill 1132 called for a seven month moratorium of fracking while the Natural Resources Agency conducted “an independent scientific study” to ascertain what dangers fracking presents to Californians and the environment. When a bill like this is defeated, (tied 16-16, with 8 abstaining) one has to wonder why. Did California’s oil lobby buy SB 1132?

By Miriam Raftery

May 31, 2014 (Sacramento)--California is becoming bluer – leaving Republicans singing the blues.

According to the Secretary of State, the number of registered Republicans in California has plummeted, while Democratic registrations have held steady.

Third candidate wants universal healthcare and elimination of insurance companies

By Stevon Marshall

May 31, 2014 (Sacramento)--All three candidates in the running to become California’s next insurance commissioner in the June 3rd primary election call themselves consumer crusaders. Yet where do the similarities end and where does the actuality of their plans begin? The three candidates are incumbent Dave Jones, Ted Gaines, and Nathalie Hrizi.

The race pits the incument, with a track record of battling insurance companies on behalf of consumers, against an insurance broker seeking to reduce regulation of the insurance industry and a socialist who wants to eliminate insurance companies altogether and get universal healthcare for all Californians.

By Miriam Raftery

May 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – After learning that the Democratic Party didn’t have a candidate on the ballot in the 71^st Assembly District that includes most of San Diego County’s inland regions as well as south Riverside County, Howard Katz obtained signatures to qualify as a write-in candidate.

Chairman of the Riverside Democratic Party,  Katz wants to roll back tuitions for public colleges and universities statewide, push for a healthcare-for-all Californians plan (which failed by two votes previously in the State Legislature), and support modest tax increases if needed to fund these initiatives.  Hear our radio interview podcast with Katz here:  http://kiwi6.com/file/oj62bcco0x

Katz previously ran for Congress against Darrell Issa.  In addition to Katz and Jones, a conservative Republican, moderate Republican Tony Teora, an engineer and science fiction author, is also in the race.

Originally published in the ECOreport

By Roy L Hales

May 29, 2014 (Sacramento)--The California Assembly passed AB 2145 by a 51-15 vote. A broad and diverse coalition of business, local government, community and environmental organizations have decried the Assembly’s passage of what they are calling California’s ‘Utility Monopoly Power Grab of 2014.’