Audit Finds San Diego School Inspectors Filed False Reports, Absent from Sites
A report released today by California state auditor Elaine M. Howle concludes that inspections of school construction projects for earthquake safety by the state architect's office have been severly deficient, jeopardizing student and teacher safety. The problem has been especially …
UCSD's Fresco Drilling Is Marketing Ploy, Italian Critics Say
A furor over whether UCSD's Center of Interdisciplinary Science for Art, Architecture and Archaeology should be boring holes in a priceless Giorgio Vasari fresco in search of a Leonardo Da Vinci masterpiece thought by some to be underneath is shaking …
Canada's National Post Details Alleged Gaddafi Conspiracy
As pieces of the alleged plot to smuggle Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s playboy son Saadi into Mexico begin to come together, newspapers around the world have been checking in with details of the accused conspirators. According to an account in …
Records Show Local Congressmen Lobbied for Pardons
The non-profit investigative news website ProPublica.org has just posted an interesting series of records documenting how congressmen have sought pardons for their constiuents and others over the years. On the list are longtime incumbent Democrat Bob Filner, currently a San …
Bonnie Dumanis and the Wisdom of Ladder-Climbing
Republican Bonnie Dumanis, currently trying to climb the local political ladder from her post as county District Attorney to San Diego's mayor, has been noted for tutoring others in the ways of political combat. According to the website of the …
Steve Breen and Roger Hedgecock Deck the Halls for GOP
It's the holiday season, time for politicians of good cheer throughout San Diego county to make the rounds of fundraisers and benefits everywhere. Tomorrow it's "Christmas for the Corps," a pancake breakfast featuring GOP congressman Brian Bilbray at Miramar's Marine …
Manchester A Step Closer to Union-Tribune Takeover
La Jollan Doug Manchester appears to be nearing his takeover of the Union-Tribune, based on an action disclosed yesterday by the Federal Trade Commission. A document posted on the FTC website entitled "Transaction Granted Early Termination" lists Manchester and two …
A Tale of Two Newspapers
In the wake of today's announcement that billionaire Warren Buffett is buying his hometown daily, the Omaha World-Herald, another Nebraskan, our political cartoonist Neal Obermeyer, weighs in below with a comparison of that paper and the Union-Tribune, soon to be …
Union-Tribune Buyer Hires City Hall Lobbyist
The law firm of San Diego super-lobbyist Paul Robinson recently picked up three new clients, including the Grand Del Mar resort, developed and run by prospective Union-Tribune owner Doug Manchester. According to a city lobbyist disclosure filing dated November 8, …
Manchester Charity Gets More Than $1 Million, Makes No Grants
La Jolla-based developer Doug Manchester, who has made millions of dollars on leases of public tidelands and is soon set to close on ownership of the Union-Tribune, often highlights his gifts to charity. According to the curriculum vitae on his …
Sheriff Seeking Ways to Cut Helicopter Costs
Big changes may be afoot for San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore's air support wing, judging by a request for proposals sent out by the county November 17. Officially known as the Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies unit, the operation …
Spanos Fundraiser for Rick Perry a Family Affair
Texas governor and GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry may be sliding in the polls, but he still has the backing of Chargers president Dean Spanos (pictured) and his three siblings, as shown by an invitation to a high-dollar private Perry …
Auditors Find Myriad of Problems at SDSU
An audit of San Diego State University by California State University headquarters in Long Beach has revealed multiple lapses in the university's management of state-owned vehicle usage, driving records, operating costs, vendor insurance, and building leases. Among other deficiencies, auditors …
Bersin Pressured Over Long Customs Waits
A Los Angeles area congresswoman is putting heat on U.S. Customs and Border Protection chief Alan Bersin over alleged customs staffing shortages at Los Angeles International Airport. Democratic Rep. Janice Hahn released a letter to Bersin Friday saying, "The shortage …
Democrats to Stage Fundraising Bash at Lerach Estate
Now that controversial Republican financier Doug Manchester is poised to take over the Union-Tribune, county Democrats may have reason to fear for their future. But they can still count on at least one well-heeled local ally. Super-lawyer Bill Lerach, who …
Manchester Purchase of Union-Tribune Raises Questions of Timing
Word this morning that Doug Manchester is buying the Union-Tribune may help explain some recent editorializing by the paper. Don Bauder first reported here on September 29 about rumors circulating that Platinum Equity, the Beverly Hills private equity outfit run …
Downtown Billboard Promoter Hires Well-Connected Lobbyists
A former aide to the owner of the Denver Nuggets has been quietly pitching the idea of turning part of downtown San Diego into a giant "entertainment district," complete with massive, Times Square-style animated advertising signs, video screens, and billboards. …
SeaWorld Retrieves Killer Whale from Canada
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting this morning that a nine-year-old killer whale in disputed custody was hastily flown to SeaWorld here Saturday evening after the big marine park operator prevailed in U.S. federal court over Niagara Falls, Ontario-based Marineland. Named …
San Diego Ethics Exec Signs Off on Controversial State Reforms
The Los Angeles Times reports this morning that controversial new rules to allow lobbyists in dating "relationships" with legislators to pick up unlimited tabs without disclosure are being considered by the state's Fair Political Practices Commission. After critics had their …
UCSD Has Major Cheating Problem, Study Finds
Research conducted by the head of UCSD's academic integrity office has uncovered a major cheating problem at the 23,000-student school, one of America's leading research universities, according to a paper published this month in the journal Science and Engineering Ethics. …