SAN DIEGO COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY BACKS AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN “CITIZENS UNITED” DECISION
December 7, 2012 (San Diego)–In a stunning unanimous vote Tuesday, the San Diego City Council supported a Constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allowed virtually unlimited corporate donations to political campaigns. The vote was 8-0 to limit the power of money in politics, with one absent councilmember not voting. The resolution asks Congress to begin the process to amend the U.S. Constitution to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission “so that the expenditure of corporate money to influence the electoral process is no longer a form of constitutionally protected speech.” Councilmember Marti Emerald introduced the resolution, calling it “an important message to send to Washington D.C.” Council President Todd Gloria said “the Citizens United case has affected our local campaign finance laws and we do need this action.” The San Diego resolution was proposed by MOP (Money Out of Politics), a grassroots coalition led by Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and Women Occupy San Diego. San Diego joins over 350 cities and 12 states that have passed similar resolutions. Kathay Feng, California Common Cause Executive Director, praised the action by the council, saying, “San Diego, the eighth largest city in America, has joined the national effort to reverse this unjust decision. The whole amendment process and the national coalition are gaining strength, gaining momentum.” In 2010, The US Supreme Court ruled in the case Citizens United Inc. v. Federal Election Commission that corporations had the same rights of free speech as living citizens, as well as the right to raise and spend any amount of money in an election. The decision wiped out state campaign finance laws all across the country and opened the floodgates to vast amounts of money pouring into the political process. John Smith, Common Cause organizer in Southern California, congratulated Councilmember Marti Emerald for her leadership in bringing this resolution to the San Diego Council. He also applauded the grassroots effort behind the resolution, which was led by the organization Money Out of Politics, and supported by Common Cause and the League of Women Voters. Said Smith, “This was a perfect example of how a small group of citizens can work with local government to achieve a goal. Now look for other cities and other states to realize the danger of Citizens United to our political system and to get behind the amendment “This is really exciting to see traditionally conservative San Diego take this stand,” said MOP co-founder Pam Page. “This puts San Diego in step with other city and state governments who are calling for action to restore our democracy.” The MOP coalition will continue working to raise awareness and build the movement toward passage of an amendment establishing that corporations do not have the rights of people and campaign contributions are not free speech.
BROWN ACT IS BACK IN FORCE: OPEN GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS RESTORED
By Miriam Raftery December 8, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The public’s right to know what’s on the agenda for local government boards is now fully restored–thanks to a provision tucked within the fine print of Proposition 30, the tax measure to aid schools passed by voters in November. Back in July, the cash-strapped California Legislature suspended a section of the Brown Act that required local government boards to post agendas at least 72 hours before a meeting. Because the law required the state to reimburse local governments for such costs, the state simply eliminated citizens’ right to know what actions government bodies had scheduled. “Since the election, the Brown Act mandate is fully back in force and agencies can no longer claim reimbursement for mandated costs. That’s a side effect of the passage of Prop 30,” Terry Francke, general counsel at Californians Aware (CALAWARE) told ECM. Proposition 30 gets rid of the requirement for the state to pay back local governments for the cost of running notices of public meetings in news publications. So now local councils, boards and commissions must foot the bill themselves for keeping the public informed about upcoming governmental actions—a right that is fundamental in our democracy. San Diego’s County Supervisors in July assured residents that they would comply with the Brown Act even though it had been suspended. But in mid September, the Board gave open government advocates serious cause for concern. Supervisors announced the resignation of Chief Administrative Officer Walt Eckard, then named his replacement in the same meeting with no public notice, shocking government watchdogs. The County’s Chief Deputy Council Ellen Pilsecker justified the action in part by noting that the state’s open government law had been suspended. (Pilsecker further justified the action as allowable under emergency powers, even though Eckard wasn’t leaving until December 1.) Restoration of the Brown Act assures that the County Supervisors and other local governing bodies must once again provide adequate public notice, or risk litigation – something that County Supervisors have already faced more than once in the recent past for taking actions in violation of the Brown Act. If a government group fails to provide that notice, any member of the public or press has the right to ask that a meeting be postponed and that proper notice be given. Below is the relevant language in Prop 30 (see page 16): vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2012/general/pdf/30-title-summ-analysis.pdf SEC. 4. Section 36 is added to Article XIII of the California Constitution, to read: (c)(3) Notwithstanding Section 6 of Article XIII B, or any other constitutional provision, a mandate of a new program or higher level of service on a local agency imposed by the 2011 Realignment Legislation, or by any regulation adopted or any executive order or administrative directive issued to implement that legislation, shall not constitute a mandate requiring the State to provide a subvention of funds within the meaning of that section. Any requirement that a local agency comply with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, with respect to performing its Public Safety Services responsibilities, or any other matter, shall not be a reimbursable mandate under Section 6 of Article XIII B.
STORES CAUGHT SELLING TO DRUNK DECOYS, SHERIFF OPERATION REVEALS
By Miriam Raftery December 8, 2012 (Bonita) – Today Sheriff’s deputies, with help from Alcoholic Beverage Control agents, conducted drunk decoy operations in Imperial Beach and Bonita. Of 11 retail outlets visited, six sold alcohol to individuals who appeared to be intoxicated. An undercover Deputy Sheriff was sprayed with alcohol for the operation, then entered the establishments acting intoxicated and reeking of alcohol. Where alcohol was sold to the decoy, plainclothes deputies entered and provided informational handouts to the persons who made the sales; no enforcement actions were taken. Decoy operations will continue through 2013 The program is a result of a $100,000 grant from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and is to be spent on patrols focused on alcohol related crimes and educating licensed ABC businesses to increase safety in San Diego County.
MOUSE IN CAMPO TESTS POSITIVE FOR HANTAVIRUS
December 6, 2012 (Campo)–A mouse trapped in Campo during routine monitoring has tested positive for the potentially deadly hantavirus, officials from the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health said Thursday. County officials said it was normal to find rodents carrying hantavirus in San Diego County, but that they rarely posed a threat to people if they remained in the wild. However, they said people should protect themselves whenever cleaning up after rodents if they found them in their homes or on their properties. “The best way to protect against exposure to hantavirus is by keeping rodents out of your homes, garages and outbuildings,” said Environmental Health Director Jack Miller. “Hantavirus can become dangerous if infected rodents get indoors and people come into contact with their droppings.” Wild rodents, primarily deer mice, can carry hantavirus and shed it through their saliva, urine and feces. People can breathe in the virus through the infected dust from rodent droppings and nesting materials. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a sickness that begins with flu-like symptoms but which can lead to severe breathing difficulties and even death in some cases. Miller said people can help protect themselves by taking some simple steps: How to Avoid Exposure: Eliminate rodent infestations immediately. Avoid rodent-infested areas and do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with rodent droppings and urine. Clean up rodent droppings and urine using the wet cleaning method described below. Use “wet-cleaning” methods to prevent inhaling the virus: DO NOT SWEEP OR VACUUM INFESTED AREAS. Ventilate affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes. Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution (2 tablespoons bleach to 1 cup of water) onto dead rodents, rodent droppings, nests, contaminated traps, and surrounding areas and let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning. Clean with a sponge or a mop. Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard in the trash. Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method. Thoroughly wash your bare hands with soap and water. For more information, contact the County Department of Environmental Health at (858) 694-2888 or visit http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/pests/hantavirus.html.
RED FLAG ALERT ISSUED FOR HIGH FIRE DANGER: HIGH WINDS AND FOG ALSO FORECAST
December 8, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning starting tonight at 6 p.m. through Tuesday at 2 p.m. for San Diego’s inland valleys. A red flag alert means conditions for wildfire danger are high. In addition, a high wind warning has been issued from now through 4 p.m. Monday by the National Weather Service in San Diego. A dense fog advisory has also been issued for tonight and tomorrow morning. Use caution if you must drive during these conditons. Backcountry residents concerned about potential proactive electricicty shutdowns due to high winds can monitor SDG&E’s website for updates at http://www.sdge.com/tools/windspeed-dashboard