Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Gonzalez staffer joins gerrymander firm

Democratic memo: GOP decisively out-maneuvered

Gonzalez on KQED website - Image by Bert Johnson/KQED
Gonzalez on KQED website

Surrounded by controversies – from authoring anti-gig Assembly Bill 5 to a fiery tweet attacking Tesla's Elon Musk for reopening his car factory in the face of COVID-19 restrictions – Assembly Democrat Lorena Gonzalez may be cruising for a new round of political intrigue.

But meanwhile, Gonzalez seems positioned for some fallout of the vindication variety regarding her May 9 online castigation of Tesla's reopening in which she tweeted “F*ck Elon Musk” .

McLaughlin: “I'm thrilled to begin work on one of the most important elements of our democracy.”

Three days later, Alameda County officials announced they had cut a deal with Musk to reopen the plant with beefed-up anti-virus protections.

"We reviewed the plan and held productive discussions today with Tesla's representatives about their safety and prevention plans, including some additional safety recommendations," said a tweet, though the county took no questions.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Now the Washington Post is reporting the appearance of COVID-19 at the plant. "Two workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, told The Washington Post that supervisors held meetings with their teams to disclose the company had reported several cases of the coronavirus, and the employees affected were told to stay home," says a June 9 Post report.

"As part of the agreement struck allowing Tesla to reopen on May 18, Tesla would have to report all positive cases to the Alameda County Public Health Department," added the account, which noted none had yet surfaced.

"But because Tesla restarted production a week earlier, there could have been cases that were never reported to the county because Tesla was 'not required to directly report known cases' before the agreement, county officials said."

Meanwhile, the June 8 announcement that Gonzalez's chief of staff Evan McLaughlin – an ex-political and legislative director at the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council and her onetime Assembly campaign manager – is leaving to become vice president of Redistricting Partners, is raising new questions.

“I'm thrilled to begin work on one of the most important — but least understood — elements of our democracy,” said McLaughlin said in a news release.

"Redistricting Partners has been an innovator in the space, both working directly with local governments conducting redistricting and assisting organizations and communities outside of the official process to influence the drawing of lines."

In December 2011, ProPublica reported that Redistricting Partners, founded by Sacramento consultant Paul Mitchell, had outwitted state Republicans by creating a friendly district for House Democrat Jerry McNerney, an effort called OneSanJoaquin.

"The author of OneSanJoaquin's maps was not identified on the Facebook page, but ProPublica has learned it was Paul Mitchell, a re-districting consultant hired by McNerney," said ProPublica.

"OneSanJoaquin described itself as a nonprofit, but records show it is not registered as such in any state. It has no identifiable leadership but it does have a Facebook page, called OneSanJoaquin, created by the Google account OneSanJoaquin.

"McNerney announced he was moving to the newly created San Joaquin district to run for re-election. It was a huge improvement for him," the piece noted.

"Summing up the story, an internal Democratic memo said the GOP had been decisively out-maneuvered. 'Their hope was to create a Republican Congressional seat,' the memo said. 'Their plan backfired.'"

Among the firm’s other revenue, state campaign disclosure records show that Redistricting Partners was paid $23,000 in campaign consulting fees by the California Dental Political Action Committee in June 2011, during the state last redistricting round.

According to the website GovSalaries.Com, McLaughlin got annual pay of $90,000 from the Assembly Rules Committee in 2016.

A May 31 roster of staff salaries posted online by the Assembly shows McLaughlin currently making $5,178 a month, for a total of $62,136 a year in a half-time position as Gonzalez's chief of staff.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Air toxins plague Escondido, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, Tijuana

"The smell has improved since Mexico turned their pumps on"
Next Article

Pronto payments cause confusion

Did MTS stumble with new technology rollout?
Gonzalez on KQED website - Image by Bert Johnson/KQED
Gonzalez on KQED website

Surrounded by controversies – from authoring anti-gig Assembly Bill 5 to a fiery tweet attacking Tesla's Elon Musk for reopening his car factory in the face of COVID-19 restrictions – Assembly Democrat Lorena Gonzalez may be cruising for a new round of political intrigue.

But meanwhile, Gonzalez seems positioned for some fallout of the vindication variety regarding her May 9 online castigation of Tesla's reopening in which she tweeted “F*ck Elon Musk” .

McLaughlin: “I'm thrilled to begin work on one of the most important elements of our democracy.”

Three days later, Alameda County officials announced they had cut a deal with Musk to reopen the plant with beefed-up anti-virus protections.

"We reviewed the plan and held productive discussions today with Tesla's representatives about their safety and prevention plans, including some additional safety recommendations," said a tweet, though the county took no questions.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Now the Washington Post is reporting the appearance of COVID-19 at the plant. "Two workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, told The Washington Post that supervisors held meetings with their teams to disclose the company had reported several cases of the coronavirus, and the employees affected were told to stay home," says a June 9 Post report.

"As part of the agreement struck allowing Tesla to reopen on May 18, Tesla would have to report all positive cases to the Alameda County Public Health Department," added the account, which noted none had yet surfaced.

"But because Tesla restarted production a week earlier, there could have been cases that were never reported to the county because Tesla was 'not required to directly report known cases' before the agreement, county officials said."

Meanwhile, the June 8 announcement that Gonzalez's chief of staff Evan McLaughlin – an ex-political and legislative director at the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council and her onetime Assembly campaign manager – is leaving to become vice president of Redistricting Partners, is raising new questions.

“I'm thrilled to begin work on one of the most important — but least understood — elements of our democracy,” said McLaughlin said in a news release.

"Redistricting Partners has been an innovator in the space, both working directly with local governments conducting redistricting and assisting organizations and communities outside of the official process to influence the drawing of lines."

In December 2011, ProPublica reported that Redistricting Partners, founded by Sacramento consultant Paul Mitchell, had outwitted state Republicans by creating a friendly district for House Democrat Jerry McNerney, an effort called OneSanJoaquin.

"The author of OneSanJoaquin's maps was not identified on the Facebook page, but ProPublica has learned it was Paul Mitchell, a re-districting consultant hired by McNerney," said ProPublica.

"OneSanJoaquin described itself as a nonprofit, but records show it is not registered as such in any state. It has no identifiable leadership but it does have a Facebook page, called OneSanJoaquin, created by the Google account OneSanJoaquin.

"McNerney announced he was moving to the newly created San Joaquin district to run for re-election. It was a huge improvement for him," the piece noted.

"Summing up the story, an internal Democratic memo said the GOP had been decisively out-maneuvered. 'Their hope was to create a Republican Congressional seat,' the memo said. 'Their plan backfired.'"

Among the firm’s other revenue, state campaign disclosure records show that Redistricting Partners was paid $23,000 in campaign consulting fees by the California Dental Political Action Committee in June 2011, during the state last redistricting round.

According to the website GovSalaries.Com, McLaughlin got annual pay of $90,000 from the Assembly Rules Committee in 2016.

A May 31 roster of staff salaries posted online by the Assembly shows McLaughlin currently making $5,178 a month, for a total of $62,136 a year in a half-time position as Gonzalez's chief of staff.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Bluefin tuna, three subspecies vary greatly in size

Lobster opener – gotta go deep for rockfish
Next Article

Lost Abbey finds a new way

Best drinking in San Diego
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader