News Under the Radar
La Jolla financier and public affairs philanthropist R.B. “Buzz” Woolley has teamed up with Netflix founder Reed Hastings in a high-dollar independent campaign on behalf of South Gate city clerk and ex-teacher Carmen Avalos, who …
State attorney general and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Jerry Brown dispatched a news release last week touting a $549,000 grant his office had made to the California Arts Council, using some of the money paid by …
Lobbyist and lawyer Paul Robinson has been appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the governing board of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, replacing another lawyer and lobbyist, John Davies, who quietly quit in …
The California State University system has been beset by scandals, ranging from a defaulted $1.25 million loan made by Sonoma State University’s academic foundation to Clem Carinalli, a former board member and developer who is …
Balboa Park’s Old Globe Theatre escaped the great financial meltdown of 2008 relatively unscathed, at least according to its IRS return covering the 12-month period ending in December 2008 and filed last November 18. The …
For years, KPBS-FM and TV, the public broadcasting arms of San Diego State University, have been extremely deferential in handling interviews with city officials; the university is dependent on the City’s goodwill for getting an …
Donovan’s Steak and Chop House, the San Diego–based chain of meat eateries, is prepared to admit that it failed to disclose its political contributions by not filing a so-called major donor report as required by …
Quarterly lobbying reports are in, and they reveal the usual lineup by state legislators and their staffs for gifts parceled out by a variety of special interests. During the quarter, Sempra Energy spent a total …
San Diego city councilman Carl DeMaio’s campaign to qualify his controversial city contracting measure — the so-called Competition and Transparency in City Contracting Initiative — for the city ballot isn’t hurting for money, thanks to …
Some wealthy and influential San Diegans are putting sizable money behind Democrat Gloria Romero’s bid to become state superintendent of public instruction. Romero, a state senator representing East L.A., also has the backing of EdVoice, …
Maybe it was because of the recession or questions raised by crusading websites. In any case, San Diego county supervisors appear to have accepted far fewer gifts in 2009 than during the years of the …
Hopes were high for California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission last December, when nearly 30,000 applications poured in from all over the state for a seat on the 14-member board that is to draw up new boundaries …
Politics can be fun and profitable at the same time. Just ask GOP congressman Duncan Hunter. On March 29, his reelection campaign offered special seats at a Bon Jovi concert held at Verizon Center in …
There may be no free lunches in this world, but free dinners are another matter, at least when the City’s bond underwriters are picking up the tab and the diner is Jay M. Goldstone, top …
The campaign of ex–Safeco Insurance lobbyist and former assemblyman Juan Vargas, now running for state senate, got $1500 on April 5 from ex–city schools superintendent Alan Bersin. The Point Loma resident was recently named head …
This March 26, as in years past, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders filed an annual Statement of Economic Interests, required under state law, listing something called Maxxum Equity Fund, which the statement identifies as a …