When Democrat Bob Filner was a congressman, he could always count on plenty of campaign cash from the Falics, a well-heeled Florida family who own a string of duty-free shops along the U.S.-Mexico border all …

What’s news to NBC-owned TV station KNSD, at least according to its latest federally required “issues and program list,” covering the operation’s news coverage during the period between April 1 and June 30? First, a …

Federal regulators have sent UCSD a warning notice regarding the university’s alleged violation of federal regulations in the treatment of an animal at one of the school’s experimental test labs. On April 8, administrators were …

The controversial possibility of installing new electronic billboards downtown continues to be a lucrative affair for GOP lobbyist Paul Robinson. According to his latest financial disclosure report of July 11, he got $5000 from Capitol …

It’s been a busy few weeks for sex-related allegations at San Diego city hall, thanks to the now self-admitted but unspecified indiscretions of Democratic mayor Bob Filner. If the mayor’s accusers ever emerge to confront …

It probably wasn’t as exciting as a clash in city council chambers between mayor Bob Filner and city councilman Todd Gloria, and the booze wasn’t on the house, but nothing beats Adams Avenue for homespun …

Staff for Republican congressman Darrell Issa have been hitting the road frequently of late, journeying afar with the ostensible aim of picking up hints on everything from “drafting legislative policy” to “office management” and “mail.” …

Former city councilman Carl DeMaio, who lost his bid for mayor to Democrat Bob Filner, hasn’t yet received the official GOP endorsement for his congressional run, but he’s already looking to at least one high-power …

Ex-state senator Steve Peace is at it again. The onetime Democrat-turned-independent whose hopes for state office were dashed by mangled public utility regulation reform efforts back in the ’90s, is currently co-chairman of a group …

Myrtle Cole, the San Diego city councilwoman who beat fellow Democrat Dwayne Crenshaw in a knock-down, drag-out fight between big labor and the wealthy GOP Lincoln Club, has finally gotten her just rewards. Besides being …

Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps All-One-God-Faith, Inc., the Escondido hemp oil-mongering outfit — whose president David Bronner was busted last year during a protest in which he locked himself into a cage on the sidewalk in …

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his wife Ann Romney have been lobbying hard to build a new dream manse by the sea in La Jolla’s tony Barber Tract, going so far as to …

Performers at this year’s county fair in Del Mar are getting a variety of compensation, judging from a sampling of entertainment contracts taken up by the board of the state’s 22nd agricultural district, which operates …

Grand del Mar resort owner and GOP publisher Douglas Manchester’s U-T San Diego appears to have gotten itself a pretty good deal from the board of the fair district. According to a board report on …

JMI Sports, the big-money consulting outfit set up by controversial financier and ex-Padres owner John Moores, has picked up another client in the chronically scandal-tainted world of college athletics. This time it’s Alabama’s public Auburn …

It took only a short time for Democrat Juan Vargas to conduct his first San Diego fundraiser as a newly elected Democratic congressman. On March 22, according to an invitation widely circulated here and on …

After three controversial decades, San Diego State University’s vice president of business and financial affairs Sally Roush is finally retiring from her $230,400-a-year job. Originally director of personnel services, Roush was promoted to her current …

A politically wired San Diego State University figure in the news of late has been Ricardo Lara, a Democratic California state senator. Two weeks ago, the SDSU alum was forced to cancel a $3000-a-head Memorial …

There’s been a bit of argument lately in San Diego over how and how much tourist tax money to spend promoting San Diego to out-of-towners as a visitor destination, but meanwhile the State of Louisiana …

The Teamsters Union’s public affairs council and utility giant Sempra Energy have something in common: Both gave $2500 last week to the San Diego County Democratic Party, only the recent of many off-year special-interest contributions …

A replacement for Tony Haymet, the former director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and a global warming champion with close links to Democratic ex–vice president Al Gore …

The San Diego County Fair starts next month at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, but in the meantime one of the fair board members has been making good use of the facilities himself. On May 25 …

Daniel Bucheli, a staffer for Republican congressman Darrell Issa (who has of late been watchdogging the Obama administration’s Benghazi record), recently took a two-day free trip up the road from the nation’s capital to visit …

With the battle over San Diego medical pot parlors raging between the city council and mayor Bob Filner and full-on legalization unfolding in Washington and Colorado, it’s probably not too surprising that more marijuana is …

Whether or not it makes the citizenry feel more secure or not, the City of San Diego is looking for a few good Homeland Security Coordinators, according to an online job notice. The new hires …

The good news out at San Diego State University is that through March of this year there has been only one rape, compared to last year’s five during the same period. Robberies were also down, …

Maybe it was because they were still recovering from New Year’s Eve, but state legislators seemed to go easier on the receipt of corporate freebies during the first three months of this year. That’s not …

Those with a hankering for gourmet hospital food may hope that a recent sponsorship opportunity by UCSD’s health system is repeated. According to an online fundraising flier, a $25,000 “masters” sponsorship of the health system’s …

Back on April 10, a report here about ten free tickets given to a group of San Diego Unified Port District staffers to attend the “Sustainable Seafood Gala 2013” thrown by the San Diego Oceans …

Back on February 15, ex-GOP assemblyman Nathan Fletcher tweeted his fans with some big news: “Just accepted award from Chancellor Khosla for work on behalf of UCSD while in the legislature.” The former San Diego …

It’s almost time for the San Diego County Taxpayers Association’s annual “Golden Fleece” banquet, famous of late on YouTube for its promotional video featuring GOP San Diego city attorney Jan Goldsmith, dressed up as a …

AMR San Diego, an ambulance outfit in the race for the city’s paramedic contract, has just amended its fourth quarter 2012 lobbyist disclosure statement to reveal $1000 contributions to failed GOP mayoral candidate and ex–city …

La Jolla Democratic congressman Scott Peters, who beat the GOP’s Brian Bilbray in a hard-fought race last year, spent plenty of his own cash in the process. With wealthy wife Lynne Gorguze on his side, …

San Diego’s Republican Party outraised its Democratic rivals during the month of February by a hefty margin, recent disclosures show. The GOP took in $28,512, its monthly federal campaign report says. Democrats got just $8485. …

At least ten unidentified employees at the port of San Diego were each given a ticket last month worth $150 to the “Sustainable Seafood Gala 2013” thrown by the San Diego Oceans Foundation. The free …

Bridgepoint Education, Inc., the controversial San Diego–based private school operator, continues to spread around political cash. According to a recent disclosure posted online by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, the firm gave $5000 on …

Who is giving the big bucks to San Diego State’s nonprofit Campanile Foundation? Not all the names have been made available, but according to a document recently released by the foundation under the requirements of …

San Diego’s Qualcomm, Inc., the cell phone giant, made a big splash a few weeks ago when company executive Nathan Fletcher — the former GOP Assemblyman turned independent who lost his bid for mayor last …

Fresh from a big controversy over who gets to run kayaks at La Jolla Shores, the City of San Diego is now preparing to award an exclusive deal for parasailing operations on Mission Bay. But …

Anyone who doubts the politically incestuous nature of San Diego’s old money — still playing a big role at city hall these days — has only to review the family connections of the Evans clan, …

How much does it cost for the care and feeding of about 600 local VIPs and various hangers-on invited to watch a power plant being blown to smithereens? In the case of the San Diego …

Business is booming for La Jolla lobbyist Matt Peterson, whose most well known client is failed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his beachside teardown in the Barber Tract. Homeowner Peter Winn has retained Peterson …

Republic Services, the big Phoenix-based solid-waste operation with a wide footprint in San Diego, has of late been anteing up the bucks at city hall. According to its latest lobbyist filing with the city clerk, …

The race to replace ex–city councilman Tony Young in the Fourth District is being fed by a raft of out-of-town special interests. According to recent disclosures, “Californians for Quality Paramedic Services, Sponsored by Rural/Metro Corporation” …

San Diego State University’s owned and operated public broadcasting operation is out with its “2013 Local Content & Service Report,” touting what it says are various achievements of the previous year. The document is required …

icPurple, the super PAC run by La Jolla computer magnate Ted Waitt that lost its bid to elect so-called independent Nathan Fletcher mayor last year, is still in business, barely. According to its monthly federal …

How much have San Diego taxpayers forked over to the giant law firm of Latham Watkins for legal services delegated to it by GOP city attorney Jan Goldsmith — the man lately in the middle …

Telecommunications giant AT&T spent a total of $32,737 in the last three months of 2012 on what is called “activity expenses,” also known as freebies awarded to public officials to get their time and attention. …

Democratic Lt. governor Gavin Newsom made some waves here just over a year ago when then–Jerry Sanders media handler Rachel Laing tweeted a link to a letter from Newsom to Milford Wayne Donaldson, advising the …

Reports published after word came of ex–San Diego mayor Maureen O’Connor’s admission of stealing from her late husband’s foundation to feed a billion-dollar gambling compulsion had it that her game of choice was video poker, …