dan weisman

Breaking News, Duncan Hunter investigations, News, North County, Politics March 1, 2019

North County Congressional Town Hall killed

Much-ballyhooed and sold out within hours of announcement, the All North County Congressional Town Hall scheduled for March 19 at MiraCosta College Concert Hall, Oceanside was cancelled abruptly Friday afternoon. Rep. Duncan Hunter, (R-50th Congressional District) and Rep. Mike Levin (D-49th Congressional District) were scheduled to attend the 2-hour evening event primarily arranged by the San Diego North Economic  Development Council. Additional sponsors included the…

Escondido, Media, San Marcos March 1, 2019

Olga Diaz addresses Jay Petrek questions

After six weeks of trying to get answers about Escondido Assistant Manager Jay Petrek’s appointment to the San Marcos City Council, Escondido Councilwoman Olga Diaz sent answers to The Grapevine on Thursday, Feb. 28. That leaves Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara, Deputy Mayor Consuelo Martinez and council members John Masson and Michael Morasco to go. Thank you. As the Washington Post states on its masthead: “Democracy Dies…

Breaking News, Business, California, News, North County, Tourism, Transportation February 26, 2019

California Pacific Airlines says it will rise again

Like the Black Knight in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” who kept on fighting despite being torn apart limb by limb, California Pacific Airlines chief Ted Vallas said Tuesday his troubled 10-year airline project would fly again “within three months.” California Pacific Airlines flew for one month last year, incurred large debts, grounded its airplane, left employees without payments, got kicked out of the…

Breaking News, Featured, Immigration, News, San Diego, The World February 21, 2019

Meet the new San Diego border barrier, just behind the old San Diego border barrier

It’s kind of like a bait-and-switch along 14 miles of San Diego border barrier, or maybe similar to the new and improved status sometimes awarded to reconstituted cereal brands. Or call it peaches, as President Trump said for all he cared in early January. You know how some people double wrap leftover food. Using previously allocated border funds, the Trump Administration was double-wrapping the border…

Duncan Hunter investigations, Politics February 14, 2019

Duncan Hunter lies. End of Story.

When it comes to utter shamelessness, move over Donald Trump, we got Duncan Hunter. One would think being caught with his hand in the ultimate cookie jar, indicted on 60 felony counts of criminally spending over $250,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses, trips, gifts and booze/cigars/girlfriends, starting almost from the day he first took office in 2009 to 2016 would chasten the Republican from…

Escondido, Featured February 6, 2019

Meet the new mayor, same as the old mayor

Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara had his office this week announce a monthly meet-and-greet event called “Meet the Mayor.” Just don’t ask McNamara about whether it’s appropriate for Escondido Assistant Manager Jay Petrek also to hold a second job as a San Marcos city councilman. Apparently, that’s where McNamara draws the line. Just as former Mayor Sam Abed was renowned for not answering legitimate questions and shunning public…

Breaking News, Business, News, North County, Transportation, Travel February 1, 2019

California Pacific Airlines takes a nose dive

It’s all over except the shouting, and lawsuits, for North County’s only airlines, or at least the 2-month version of one, as California Pacific Airlines blew up this week in the darkened skies of a reported debt of at least $6 million and apparent mismanagement. California Pacific Airlines, launched flights on Nov. 1 last year from Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport to San Jose, only to halt service in…

Agriculture, Breaking News, California, News, Weather February 1, 2019

Water, water everywhere; it’s a good thing

John Van Doorn, former business editor of the North County Times, managing editor of the New York Post and a New York Times editor, among other avocations, had this thing about rain. “Wet stuff,” Van Doorn would say. “If anybody around here uses the cliche of ‘wet stuff,’ for any reason, under any circumstances, they’re fired.” With that in mind, Escondido, North County and the…

Duncan Hunter investigations, Editorial, Featured, Opinion, Politics January 31, 2019

No committee, no problem for Duncan Hunter

Turns out when you’re indicted for massive campaign finance fraud, it ain’t so bad. Having been prohibited by House Republican leadership from ever having another committee assignment — committee work is a major facet of congressional time and power — U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Vape Hut) has a lot more time to do what he loves most, promote vaporizing, hang out with the Bro Caucus…

Business, California, Rancho Santa Fe, The World, Transportation January 27, 2019

California Pacific Airlines going nowhere fast

After 10 years of effort, Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar Airport-based California Pacific Airlines finally took flight on November, 2018. It flew high for a whole month before being grounded, kicked out of the state of South Dakota and sued. A long-time pursuit of Ted Vallas, a 97-year-old Rancho Santa Fe businessman with an ambitious plan to pick up the traditionally failing Carlsbad passenger traffic market, the airlines may never…