April 18, 2013 (San Diego) --  Mayor Bob Filner received a big thank you on Friday from a wounded Army veteran in desperate need of mobility. The Mayor secured a handcycle for Todd Fahn, who suffered severe injuries to his back from an explosion while serving in Iraq.

Fahn brought his son, Bentley, to meet the Mayor.  Fahn says his new handcycle will allow him the mobility he needs to get around quickly, especially as the father of a toddler.

“I had come to a place of extreme frustration and the system was not working.  I reached out to Mayor Bob Filner because of his many years of commitment to helping veterans in need and he delivered,” said Fahn.  “Because of him, I have a device that helps me get around quickly and efficiently.”

By Miriam Raftery

March 28, 2013 (San Diego) –When it comes to open government and public access to government records, times have changed dramatically in California. Much of that change can be attributed to the tireless efforts of Terry Francke, General Counsel of Californians Aware. 

Last night, Francke received the coveted Sunshine Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in San Diego.  The award was presented by Donna Frye,  Director of Open Government for the City of San Diego and a prior recipient of the Sunshine Award.  Mayor Bob Filner also presented a proclamation honoring Francke.

By Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2013 (San Diego) – This week, Mayor Bob Filner celebrated his 100th day in office as the 35th Mayor of San Diego by releasing a list of accomplishments in his first 30 days.  

To the delight of some and the dismay of others, the new Mayor is shaking things up at City Hall and challenging the powers-that-be as he strives to fulfill his campaign promises for change.

February 28, 2013 (San Diego)—San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante officially opened a San Diego City office south of the border on Friday, February 22, in a show of unity and commitment to encouraging both economic growth and cultural respect.

“Somos dos ciudades pero una region.  We are two cities, but one region.  This office opening is not just a symbolic gesture, we are going to solidify our relationship and work together to build a great border community,” said Mayor Filner.

February 14, 2013 (San Diego) – In a letter sent to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on February 8, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner urged denial of Southern California Edison’s request to restart Unit 2 at the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station for five months at 70% as a test to see if similar problems that caused failure of a steam generator at Unit 3 would occur.

Mayor Filner stated bluntly, “The NRC has previously determined that both Unit 2 and Unit 3 steam generators had similar serious design flaws and errors in the computer models used for design. The restart of Unit 2, even at reduced power, is a dangerous experiment that threatens the safety of the 8.2 million Southern California residents living within a 50-mile radius, including much of San Diego.”

“We have an opportunity in San Diego to create a truly great international city; a city that respects and empowers its people; a city that protects and enhances their quality of life, and a city that promotes good-paying jobs and a healthy economy for all residents.” – Mayor Bob Filner

By Miriam Raftery

January 17, 2013 (San Diego)—In his State of the City address this week, newly elected Mayor Bob Filner  discussed financial challenges as well as his vision for the future. He likened the city to a “patient who has overcome a serious illness,” citing a past cover-up of financial problems.

“The budget surplus predicted by my predecessor last year could actually be a deficit as much as $40 million,” Filner said, noting that state funding issues and court cases remain to be resolved.   “But if we learned anything from the mistakes of the past, it’s that it is better to be truthful about these problems than to cover them up,” he said.  Despite challenges ahead, the Mayor laid out ambitious plans for revitalizing the region's economy, making San Diego the nation's solar capital, expanding redevelopment to neighborhoods city-wide, and improving communication systems for regional emergencies such as wildfires.

December 22, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – Newly elected Congressman Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) has been assigned to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee by House Minority Leader Nandy Pelosi.  Vargas, who will be sworn in in January, was elected to fill the seat left by Bob Filner, who stepped down from Congress to run for Mayor.

“We’re going to see that every community has power.” – Bob Filner

By Miriam Raftery

December 4, 2012 (San Diego) – From day one in his administration, Bob Filner has made clear that it won’t be business as usual for the city’s powerbrokers. To emphasize that point, he hosted not one, but a series of inaugural parties including celebrations in disadvantaged neighborhoods.  One such festive event took place last night at the Jacob Center in the Euclid area of east San Diego.

“We’re going to see that every community has power, “ Mayor  Filner, wearing a Hawaiian lei, told an enthusiastic and ethnically diverse crowd. He pledged to include faces from the Latino, African-American and Asian communities working in his mayoral office and city bureaucracy through appointments to the boards and commissions that “do the work of the city.”

By Nadin Abbott

Photos by Tom Abbott

November 7, 2012 (San Diego)-- As we left the Lincoln Club Party downtown late this evening, Carl DeMaio was in the lead and had just faced the press to note that “We do not have the final outcome.” This was about two hours ago, and as of now Congressman Bob Filner has gained a slim lead at 50.37% with Carl DeMaio trailing at 49.63% with 78% of precincts counted. This race is as tight as it can get.

By Leon Thompson

October 16, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Pat Hurley is the Democratic candidate for State Assembly District 71 (formerly the 77th), a district that holds a huge voter registration advantage for the Republican incumbent Brian Jones. Pat Hurley is the dark horse in this race.  As a nonprofit executive, he’s experienced at creating good-paying jobs and helping to transition our region to a green economy.  Now in an exclusive interview with ECM, he details his plan for jobs and economic growth, making his case for why voters should pick him as the winner to represent the people of East County.

Republican maverick has challenged his party on ethical issues in past, says he avoids "special interest money"

By Janis Mork

September 28, 2012 (San Diego)- Republican Michael Crimmins is running against Democrat Juan Vargas for Congress in the 51st district, which includes the entire border with Mexico and Imperial Valley. View a map of the district: http://www.crimminsforcongress.com/map/.  The seat is open, since incumbent Congressman Bob Filner is stepping down to run for Mayor of San Diego.

Crimmins says he running because he wants to make a difference.  His qualifications include military service and an education background. He is a retired military officer and San Diego teacher with two master degrees in education.  Currently he resides in Point Loma, which is not in the district.  If elected, he says he would move to Imperial Beach.  Married in Florida in 1977, he divorced in 1988 and has a daughter, Ashley, a flight attendant.

Independent survey of likely November voters shows Filner leads by 8 points

August 6, 2012 (San Diego)--A poll of San Diego voters shows Bob Filner with a significant 8-point lead in the race for San Diego Mayor.

 In a survey of 400 likely November voters in the City of San Diego, 40 percent of respondents said they support or lean toward Filner in the Mayor’s race. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they support San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and 29 percent were undecided.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Nadin Abbott, Tom Abbott and Miriam Raftery

June 6, 2012 (San Diego) – Two feisty and fiercely competitive politicians, polar opposites in the partisan divide, will square off in the San Diego Mayoral run-off race in November. 

Carl Demaio, a conservative Republican and former councilmember, in his victory speech at the U.S. Grant Hotel , said that “Citizens have shifted the city into drive and put their foot on the gas.”  He pledged to “finish the job of fiscal reform”  by implementing Propositions A and B, as well as fixing “roads that are falling apart.”

Congressman Bob Filner, a liberal Democrat and former Deputy Mayor of San Diego, faulted DeMaio for focusing on “a pothole somewhere” while lacking a positive message for voters.  “I want to talk about a vision of the future of what can be a really great city,” Filner told media at Election Central. 

June 4, 2012 (San Diego) The U.S. Health & Human Services Department has awarded $9,398,738 for healthcare in the communities of San Diego, Campo and Brawley.