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Weakening of "Honest Services" Could Affect SD Cases
The two Gs, Golding and Gwinn. They left their mark, eh? Aren't they just wonderful, though, with their concerns for domestic violence and child abuse? I mean, who couldn't love them both? So what if their mark is a boot imprint on our faces? Golding is now penning moving pieces for SDNN, and Gwinn is still carrying out his old philosophy "on early intervention at the misdemeanor level in order to prevent an escalation of the offenders behavior to felony level conduct." Which, you might say, he applied well to himself and his buds while serving (up) the small people.— June 28, 2010 4:10 p.m.
Weakening of "Honest Services" Could Affect SD Cases
Locally, if "honest services fraud" could be broadened to include those who "use their offices for self-empowerment rather than helping the public," more Councilmembers than Inzunza and Zucchet would be facing charges. In San Diego, empowerment is the doorway to enrichment. Gratis the laxity of conflict-of-interest requirements, this means that not only Councilmembers rarely act in the peoples' interest (except for business people and developer people), but also nonprofit boardmembers, appointees to City and County committees, and staff of the U-T rarely speak out or cast a vote in any way that will disempower them or remove their access to City Hall.— June 28, 2010 1:34 p.m.
Jerry’s power play
"the revelation comes not via news conference or neighborhood meeting." Perfectly stated, and certainly not via coverage in the U-T. But we have The Reader and Matt Potter, thank you! Looking over the sandiego.gov website page "City Bulletin of Public Notices" is always a good way to get a hint at what is cooking behind the scenes. Also good to check the "City Council Committee Meetings" for Agendas & Actions. For example, the Natural Resources and Culture Committee has on its agenda for July 1 "Report from the Public Utilities Department regarding Award INDIRECT POTABLE REUSE/RESERVOIR AUGMENTATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECT: ADVANCED WATER PURIFICATION FACILITY"— June 28, 2010 9 a.m.
Voice of Frankie
Thanks Matt. This has been going on for so long...Gloria Penner, with the help of Voice of San Diego's Republican-donor-rich board and their sycophant journalists, presented Jerry Sanders as the unquestioned successor to the Republican throne, back when they liked him. Now, if you follow the Twits of Scott and Andrew, they like him not so much. Who do they have lined up as the next successor? The people have The Reader. The Republican establishment have the Voice.— May 19, 2010 7:32 p.m.
Kick in the Pants
I like it too! ...Because it doesn't have chain-corporate prices, it's within walking distance, it has a nice and easy parking lot with lots of space when I drive, and because I need a grocery nearby to buy healthy, inexpensive veggies, fruits, and nuts (good wine selection too, and low-cost steaks and pork chunks, all sorts of tortillas, crema fresca, polenta, noodle products...pretty good stuff for a local market). It is private property, and the family that owns it has to look to their own best interests. But...A few years ago, when the family patriarch passed on, we almost lost the store to a developer: http://www.americannationalinvestments.com/projec… The ~60 unit mixed-use project would have included retail with a "boutique" grocer for the captive condo/apartment residents. Thankfully, the downturn resulted in the developer pulling out, and a lawsuit resulted for breach of contract. Then the sons of the patriarchal owner decided to stay with the business, and we are all HAPPY! Show some love to your local independent grocers! Note: the owners pay $3637/year to the Golden Hill Corporation for the MAD assessment, but all they get in return is bad-mouthing by the Corporation's boardmembers and allies. Why are there no promotions and kind words for the Gala store by the GH CDC? They never mention it, but some of them have called it "disgusting" and talked about wanting a Tesco, or a Trader-Joe's-type of chain. It's all about appearances, it seems, and City Planning Dept. tax base...?— May 6, 2010 6:32 p.m.
Kick in the Pants
It would be very nice to see the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee step up to the bat, likewise. The GGH CPUAC includes at least one person whose only goal for being on board is to tear down existing bungalows and develop a high-density mixed-use infill project. At least one other member has ties to a consulting design firm for the GGH CPUAC. The focus of much of the Collaborative Services "tour" through Golden Hill was on our only major grocery store, Gala, and there seemed to be an obsession with denigrating its great parking lot. We like our free parking and we appreciate our grocery store and its wonderful owners. The store could be a lot of things wrt how it appears, but "ABOLISHED" isn't one of them! GGH Planning Committee, find your voice and stand firm against density infill! Nothing is premature when it comes to defending against the unwelcome plans of the City Planning Department. They will work with the developer community for years on end, to lay the framework for what they intend to do. Time, downturn, deficits...they just wait for the right moment and come right back.— May 6, 2010 5:03 p.m.
La Jolla Officials Get Advice from Li Mandri
[cont] LJL, Opinion, "It's Time for Merchants to Speak Up," May 5, 2010... "What this all means is that there's still time for people who have good ideas about how to help our businesses, whether they are hotels and restaurants or small businesses, to say something. So don't be shy. Show up at the Town Council meeting at 5 p.m. May 13 at the Rec Center, 615 Prospect St."— May 6, 2010 9:21 a.m.
La Jolla Officials Get Advice from Li Mandri
Don't miss the Opinion in the LJL ("It's Time for Merchants to Speak Up," May 5, 2010; pasted here in its entirety, because their back webpages sometimes disappear): "When the debacle surrounding Promote La Jolla, the local group that had been running the business improvement district started to unfold a year ago some of the strongest voices for the local tourism industry and Village merchants decided to step away from the fray. Some resigned their seats on the organization's board and a couple of others opted to become board members with San Diego North Convention and Visitors Bureau. Meanwhile, around the holidays a few merchants raised their voices about finding a better way of marketing their businesses, beautifying the Village and hosting special events. But despite apparent dissatisfaction, no one has given a public voice to the concerns, even as some Town Council trustees are suggesting a new group be formed to accomplish those tasks. We've said before that the needs of businesses and residents are divergent enough that the two shouldn't be lumped together and we've called for those who may have better ideas to speak up. With the topic of visiting Little Italy - or having the firm that runs their community's district visit La Jolla - expected to be on the agenda for the May 13 trustees' meeting and a budget about to go to the City Council to keep the La Jolla BID functioning next year, this is a critical moment for business owners and managers to make their opinions known. If there is not solid support for the business improvement district, then perhaps businesses should no longer be assessed. State law and council policy contain procedures for "disestablishment" that can be considered once a year prior to approving a budget and levying the assessments. In short, the process can be initiated by a petition of 20 percent of the eligible (read that as "paid up") businesses in the district. Once that happens, the city's staff must conduct a mail-ballot election of the businesses to determine if "at least 50 percent of the eligible businesses by assessed value support dissolution." (Odd quirk, it seems, but the petition process can only be used once in any three-year period.) Other ways to start the dissolution movement include a resolution by four-fifths of the directors or "special circumstances as determined by the Council." Should the move to shut down a BID succeed, the council would "wind down" operations and if there are remaining assets return them to businesses that were current in the assessments when the council approved the move, but only if there are no impacts on existing contracts. And if the cost to return funds is greater than the assets, the city manager can decide to spend the money on "an eligible BID activity." ... [cont]— May 6, 2010 9:19 a.m.
La Jolla Officials Get Advice from Li Mandri
Just came across this entry in the September 2009 minutes for the Little Italy Association Board of Directors meeting: "Situation with Promote La Jolla and BID Council An article was provided in the board packet regarding Promote La Jolla. The article states that the President and Executive Director went out and formed a new Corporation without the Board’s consent, opened a line of credit, then defaulted on it. Consequently, they did not pass their Audit. The Executive Director of Promote La Jolla then resigned, and is now working as the President of the BID Council." Gotta love the last sentence. For anyone who doesn't know what the BID Council is, straight from the City of San Diego's CPCI/Economic Development website: "The BID Council, a non-profit organization primarily funded by nearly $780,000 in City of San Diego Small Business Enhancement Program funds, is an association of the BIDs in San Diego. The Council's primary charge is to disseminate information, resources and expertise to its member districts,..." San Diego government, the place to go, when you've been caught.— May 6, 2010 9:10 a.m.
Spread the Wealth
concerned: You are correct. The residents won, with their scraped-together donations from many local property owners to cover costs, and with the kindness and generosity of a wonderful East County lawyer, doing pro bono work. Hats off, too, to a hero. a wonderful long-time resident of the area, who led the way and did much of the legwork despite struggling with a serious, serious health problem. We love our neighborhood, but we also love honest, democratic processes and feel disgusted by the divisiveness and ugliness and phoniness that the Golden Hill Corporation and the City, including Hueso, Atkins,and now Gloria, and the voting block of Republican sycophants in the City Council, have foist upon us. We just couldn't turn our backs on this retched little scam and ignore it. It would have been easier to do so, and we would have rather spent our time over the past 2 years doing much happier and productive things. But a City of liars, propagandists, and grifters is too much to ignore. Grifters. They really are that bad. And they have hired desperate, defective, "front" people to further their cause. It is hateful and understandably boring to outsiders, but we are fighting hard for what is right, and we will not stop. The City has filed an appeal in the 4th appellate, and it will drag out for months and years, but we will win.— May 3, 2010 7:23 p.m.