Escondido residents are up in arms over what they say is a non-permitted 22-acre paramilitary tactical shooting range operated by the so-called Freedom Fighters Foundation (FFF) at the San Pasqual Valley, just north of Escondido. “Our neighborhoods in Escondido have been pleading with the government for over a decade to rid our community of the Freedom Fighters Foundation’s non-permitted, para-military tactical shooting range,” neighbors said…
Despite pleading guilty to massive campaign finance fraud, former Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Vapeville) was pardoned Tuesday, Dec. 22 by Donald Trump. A White House press release issued shortly after 4 p.m. PST also named 19 other people pardoned by Trump, including Russia probe figures George Papadopoulos and former Rep. Chris Collins, who, along with Hunter, were the first members of Congress to endorse Trump. Margaret…
As if 2020 weren’t bad enough, thousands of local residents got their power cut late Wednesday and early Thursday by San Diego Gas & Electric. And the worst may be yet to come. SDG&E initially pulled the plug on about 24,000 customers with another 94,000 in the crosshairs. That number quickly grew to 61,609 without power as of 2:30 a.m. Thursday, and possibly through Monday,…
With about 75 protesters forming outside San Diego-based Trump wannabe and Russian influenced One America News Network (OAN) on Saturday, the kindergarten-quality station showed its bravery by posting armed guards behind locked gates. Then, it got even worse for the nation’s least influential media supporter of the Trump embarrassment. Network founder and CEO Robbert Herring Sr. brought out his own kindergarten-quality sign, tried to affix…
Escondido took a knee at high noon Wednesday, June 3, 2020. That’s when Mayor Paul “Mac” McNamara, Council member Mike Morasco, Escondido Police Chief Varso, Yusef Miller of Racial Justice Coalition San Diego, Rev. Meg Decker of Escondido Together and other leaders and community members held a peaceful vigil in honor of George Floyd at City Hall. An estimated 200 people attended. With the coronavirus devil…
Former California Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Vapeville) has been sentenced to 11 months in prison after pleading guilty to misspending campaign funds. The funds bankrolled private school tuition for his children, his wife’s shopping sprees, weekend trips with his mistress and drinking parties in Washington. The former Marine’s defense attorneys had asked for home confinement, citing his military service, including fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prosecutors…
Today, Wednesday, March 11, the ACLU Foundation of California sent letters to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration detention center officials urging them to develop a comprehensive emergency plan for the prevention and management of potential Coronavirus (or COVID-19) cases at its detention centers. In the letters, the ACLU asks for written responses from ICE and other detention center officials that explain how they…
Census 2020 has gotten off to a Trump Administration start, which is to say already under scrutiny for lack of competency, missed deadlines and multiple causes for concern. The General Accountability Office (GAO) last week said “readiness for upcoming operations is mixed” for the 2020 Census. GAO is the authoritative agency providing Congress, the heads of executive agencies, and the public with timely, fact-based, non-partisan information…
San Diego County Measure A, Voter Approval For Land Use Amendments to County General Plan probably sounds more than a little wonky. However, it is a measure that affects regional housing, transportation and development in a profound way; and is on the March 3 primary ballot. Supporters refer to it in a somewhat more people-friendly manner as “Safeguard Our San Diego Countryside (SOS) Citizens’ Initiative.”…
A much ballyhooed church project to renovate and re-purpose the abandoned, and historic, Ritz Theater in downtown Escondido will be delayed. Considering the historic failures of numerous groups seeking to re-purpose this long-abandoned historic theater over the years, the question is will it even happen. Promoted prominently by Escondido’s then-mayor Sam Abed and his allies, New Vintage Church (NVC) received unanimous approval from Escondido council…