Group 2013 February

San Diego archive for February, 2013

Filner sets up ballot battle committee

New campaign fund of San Diego mayor could dramatically up ante in war with San Diego's big three hoteliers demanding cash payouts from city hall

The epic battle involving San Diego's big three hotel owners, their city council ally Todd Gloria, and Democratic mayor Bob ...

County supervisors quietly assign selves lucrative board gigs

Fight over stipend-laden planning and airport board seats at city eclipses low-key self-awards at county

It was an epic struggle last month between Bob Filner and fellow Democrat Todd Gloria - the politically ambitious, developer ...

Yet another lawsuit being cooked up by hotelier-run district, notice reveals

Friday meeting agenda shows so-called tourism board run by C. Terry Brown is not yet done suing

Hotel workers are complaining they don't make enough scratch, and hotel owners say they are afraid for their own sizable ...

Hotel titan leading legal war against Democrat Filner had role in San Diego Nixon scandal

C. Terry Brown helped fund controversial effort to bring 1972 GOP convention to Richard Nixon's "lucky city"

The date was March 9, 1972, and San Diego's hopes to host that year's Republican convention were quickly unraveling. Lobbyist ...

Advocacy group closely tied to big hotel owner backs legal attack on Filner

Executive board of business lobbying group includes Mike McDowell, vice president of corporate affairs for Atlas Hotels

As reported earlier this week by Dorian Hargove, city councilman Todd Gloria, who is not a particularly close ally of ...

Declining to take public questions, tax-backed tourism board votes to sue Filner

Four of nine marketing district board members skip controversial vote to sue San Diego mayor over disputed two-percent hotel levy

After an unexpectedly long meeting behind closed doors early this afternoon, five of the nine members of the San Diego ...

Home Brew Mart to debut The Homework Series

Ballast Point taps its homebrewing component for a new line of suds

Home Brew Mart (5401 Linda Vista Road, Linda Vista) is one of the most significant locales where San Diego’s craft ...

Humphrey's owner voted to sue San Diego mayor

Wealthy hotelier who runs internationally famous Shelter Island concert venue is vice-chairman of hotel tax district at center of Filner storm

San Diego's famed Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, where musical acts all the way from Tony Bennett to the Goo ...

Registrar seeking poll workers for special elections

The county Registrar of Voters is scrambling to fill temporary poll worker positions for two upcoming special elections: one to ...

Immigrants deported from the US face ordeal

[Translated by Fulano from an article in El Mexicano.] TIJUANA.- In light of the constant raids by ICE, thousands of ...

Lawyer for hotel owners planning to sue city can't say who will pay his fee

Litigation targeting San Diego mayor yet to gain final approval and will be debated at February 22 meeting at the Bahia Hotel, attorney says

Who will pay the tab for that prospective lawsuit against the city of San Diego regarding Democratic mayor Bob Filner's ...

DeMaio backers behind Tourism Marketing District attack Filner in U-T San Diego

U-T San Diego, run by GOP hotel magnate Douglas Manchester, not pleased with Democratic mayor's self-styled reform plan for city "tourism" subsidies

The San Diego Tourism Marketing District, TMD for short, has long been a fixture at city hall, funneling $30 million ...

Two month delay for alleged South Bay corruption cases

Frustrated South Bay residents unable to be seated in tiny courtroom

Once again on February 15 the wheels of justice did not roll forward. Arraignments for 14 defendants in alleged pay-to-play ...

Did genes condemn O'Connor to gambling compulsion?

Late father of ex-San Diego mayor brought down by $1 billion in gambling debts was celebrated San Diego bookie

Jerome O'Connor was laid to rest in September 1992 at the age of 87, followed just thirteen days later by ...

Capitol Hill's top two personal debtors hail from San Diego, analysis finds

North County mega-millionaire Republican and newly elected La Jolla Democrat not eager to talk about places on congressional debtor list

Two San Diego county congressman rank at the very top of the list of Congress's biggest debtors, but neither are ...

UT San Diego's sale of the North County Times campus in Escondido in limbo

Well after the 90-day escrow, the charter school has yet to obtain a permit or funds for the campus.

It didn't take long for Doug Manchester and John Lynch to start selling assets that came with the $12 million ...

Valentine's Day? Bah! Humbug!

Just noticed from an online photo that you can still get those little heart-shaped candies with the lame messages on ...

Who put the "ash" in Ash Wednesday?

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. It occurs 46 days before Easter. It is ...

A Valentines Day song for Mexicans

Anillo de Compromiso [Engagement Ring], by Cuco Sanchez You can listen to the song here. Anillo de bodas que puse ...

San Diego ranked 2nd safest large city in U.S.

Recent list compiled on FBI statistics gives California cities high rankings

A recent list released, created by CQ Press and compiled on FBI statistics, ranks San Diego as the 2nd safest ...

Filner "Special Events" committee reports big special interest cash

SDG&E, Chargers, downtown lobbyists listed on disclosure of mayor's inaugural and state of the city events

San Diego's new Democratic mayor Bob Filner has become locally famous for frequently showing up around town for various community ...

Doug Manchester's Texas lobbying team bankrolls Rick Perry

Lobbying and campaign disclosure records show wealthy La Jolla Republican retains Austin influence peddling firm closely linked to GOP governor

U-T San Diego says it is worried about California’s economic future in the wake of Texas governor Rick Perry's Pacific ...

Day after Jacobs speaks, Plaza de Panama lobbying deal with Shepard ends

Public Policy Strategies Plaza de Panama lobbying gig with Turner Construction is dropped the day after Qualcomm billionaire pulls out of controversial Balboa Park road and parking makeover

It didn't take long for the announcement by Qualcomm billionaire Irwin Jacobs that he was pulling out of his controversial ...

Local municipalities pushing to get cats sterilized ahead of peak breeding season

County, six local cities offering $100 vouchers for free spaying

The late winter months of February and March mark the primary breeding season for cats, which leads to the dubbing ...

Rick Perry's La Jolla super PAC down to its last $946

San Diego committee backing California job-poaching Texas governor isn't so super anymore

Self-styled San Diego business leaders aflutter about Texas governor Rick Perry's recent California job raiding forays can rest easy about ...

Isola serves lovin' from the oven

Pizza’s the focus, but its upstaged by unexpected stars

Italian in Little Italy—what a novel idea. Nowadays, with trendy ramen joints, second-story comfort food perches, and burger joints popping ...

Pop-ups taking over Market

San Diego Public Market fundraiser realizes chef’s makeshift resto concepts

Last year, farmers market maven Catt White and business partner Dale Steele went the Kickstarter route in search of funds ...

Rosarito Blues: Cantamar

[Translated by Fulano from an Op-Ed piece in Rosarito en la Noticia.com] by Gerardo Díaz Valles On the "San Lunes¹" ...

Jacobs says he is bowing out of Balboa Park makeover

Money talks as La Jolla billionaire Democrat and Qualcomm founder makes announcement on public broadcasting station he funds: "I've told the committee that the project is over "

San Diego's richest man, Qualcomm billionaire Irwin Jacobs, says he is pulling out of his controversial Balboa Park traffic and ...

After backing industry-favored timber tax, Fletcher reaped big contributions

Republican-turned-independent Assemblyman was one of two crucial votes needed for passage of tax bill favored by Sierra Pacific Industries and other timber interests

It was August 2012 and one of the most heated tax battles of the year was unfolding. California's Democratic governor ...

In debt to self for failed mayoral bid, San Diego District Attorney already raising 2014 re-election cash

Republican Bonnie Dumanis puts out the word that be she intends to have a big campaign war chest for next year's re-election battle

Fresh from a frantic year-end fundraising bout for her failed mayoral campaign fund- which finished 2012 with $32,758 of cash ...

A Fairy Tale for the Fortunate

Once upon a time in The Land of Pink-tiled Roofs, the landed gentry of the Village- by-the-Seawall were unhappy. The ...

American citizen kidnapped in Rosarito escapes by jumping from car

[While the following story was widely reported in many Baja California news sources, so far, after six days, no American ...

An illegitimate Phrase

An Illegitimate Phrase By: Anthony Conwright The preamble of my college years was something of a wakeup call. On the ...

Point Blank. Finding your place on the gun control continuum

Hidden within the pages of our nation’s gun control history, you can find the story of the infamous Black Panther ...

Lobbyists, lawyers, and land developers anted up for Dumanis’s post-loss fundraising

San Diego district attorney and mayoral candidate raked in big money in December after placing fourth in June primary; still carried $50,000 debt to self

San Diego's Republican District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, who placed fourth in last year's mayoral primary, did well at post-election fundraising, ...