All posts tagged: San Diego

Notes from April Meeting – Medical Marijuana – The Current State of Policy and Access in San Diego

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The meeting got underway just after 4pm with club president Susan Peinado welcoming and introducing guests Dave Shermer and Doug Porter together with new members Thermon Hampton, and Angie Lake, and new patron member Eduardo Valerio. She then introduced Rafael Castellanos, Port Commissioner and candidate for San Diego City Attorney. He provided an overview of his background and candidacy. Susan also congratulated Andrew Waltz on receiving an award for his new video Sustained San Diego. Program: Medical Marijuana – the Current State of Policy and Access in San Diego Susan welcomed and introduced the moderator for the panel Cynara Velasquez, who in turn introduced the panelists: Terrie Best, San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access; Alex Kreit, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Thomas Jefferson School of Law; Ebon Johnson, Director of the Green Nectar Dispensary. Cynara provided a historical overview and context on medical marijuana and access in San Diego. Mr. Alex Kreit noted that San Diego’s strict zoning and land use related to medical marijuana dispensaries narrowly limits access and …

May 6 – Support Our Libraries & Write Your Councilmember

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What does it mean when “America’s Finest City” happily spends $500k on consultants to sit around and talk about raising money for a football stadium but won’t spend money on librarians and books for its citizens?  – Editor If you can make it attend the Wednesday, May 6 City Council Budget and Government Efficiency Committee meeting at 9 am when the Library’s budget will be discussed. As the Council decides on the Library’s FY16 budget, your participation lets our elected officials see how strongly the community values and supports Library services. The Mayor’s budget calls for a $209,000 reduction in the Library’s materials and book budget. Now is the wrong time to reduce the book and materials budget. Library materials are in great demand. Check outs of books last fiscal year were just off an all-time high and 38 percent higher than just seven years ago. The proposed budget maintains Library hours. We believe hours should be added across the Library system. An important first step in that process would be adding 10.5 hours a …

Award Winning Documentary – Sustain San Diego

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Clubmember Andrew Waltz together with Lisa Bruhn are producers of Sustain San Diego a short documentary highlighting some of San Diego’s sustainable infrastructure efforts. The filmmakers participated in the OneDayinSanDiego.org documentary project (part of OneDayOnEarth.org) and were recently given a Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (LAIFF) Award. You can watch their film below. San Diego! Why it’s a great place to live – Leading the way in sustainable urban living. Features interviews with Todd Gloria, President San Diego City Council Jason Anderson, President CleanTech San Diego Alan Ziter, Executive Director of Naval Training Center Foundation Craig Howard, Director San Diego Architectural Foundation Rob Shupp, Director of Marketing & Communications, Metropolitan Transit System

Happy New Year to Pt Loma Dems and Friends

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It’s cold outside, this last day of 2014. We Southern Californians are dangerously spoiled. Our prolonged drought seduces us with limitless sunny play days, for which we pay with severe dangers to our food crops and water supplies. The beauty of our coast blinds us to the blight and poverty of the hidden trailer parks and the homeless camps that line our downtown streets at night, while we are tucked warmly away in our beds. We have so much work to do to make San Diego a city in which all thrive, that is a decent place to live, work, raise children and grow old. It is so easy to turn away from hard work toward the beautiful playfulness that beckons us from the gorgeousness of our hometown. Our civic attitude seems to be to go along to get along, until we wake up one day and we have become the frog in the hot water. The Belmont Park lease is a good example of that attitude. We must start to pay attention and to …

Dec 1 – State of the District Address

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Come along to hear about the issues in our district and to thank (club member) Ed Harris for the fabulous job he’s done giving voice to issues ignored for many years. When December 1, 2014 6:00 – 7:00 PM Where Dana Middle School (map) 1775 Chatsworth Blvd San Diego, CA 92107 Overview of Accomplishments and Engagement Since taking office last April, I have been working on quality of life issues and promoting community engagement.  Below are some of the highlights of that work: Community Engagement Attended 67 community meetings and events Hosted six community meetings in Bay Park, Point Loma, Bay Ho, Moraga, and Linda Vista on issues of homelessness, traffic calming, parking districts, and proposed development Hosted five community coffees/desserts Quality of Life Opened the Edward Tyler Cramer Park in Linda Vista Installed pedestrian safety upgrades in Point Loma and Ocean Beach Approved a budget for Fiscal Year 2015 that includes funding for Council District Two projects such as new street lights, a new Fire Station for Point Loma and the development of the Coastal …

Jun 16 – Council to Review Minimum Wage Proposal

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Last week a committee of the San Diego City Council approved a plan backed by Council President Todd Gloria that would provide five earned sick days and increase the city’s minimum wage. This proposal would help hard-working San Diegans make ends meet, since no one working full-time should have to live in poverty. On Monday, the full City Council will consider it for the first time. Please call the councilmembers to voice your support for this important effort to improve economic conditions and the quality of life throughout our region, or attend the City Council meeting on Monday, June 16, at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall (202 “C” St., 12th Floor, San Diego 92101). When you call the council offices, please use these “patch-through” phone numbers instead of their main numbers so we can track our progress: Councilmember Sherri Lightner, District 1: 619-320-6458 Councilmember Ed Harris, District 2: 619-320-6422 Council President Todd Gloria, District 3: 619-320-6401 Councilmember Myrtle Cole, District 4: 619-320-6437 Councilmember Mark Kersey, District 5: 619-320-6003 Councilmember Lorie Zapf, District 6: 619-320-6531 Councilmember …