ELECTIONEDITION
vot ing guide avail abl e inside
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Covering the San Diego City College community since 1945
Volume 74, Issue 5 | March 2, 2020
Pr epping f or t he Pr imar ies Aquick guidetotheupcomingelection B Y M ARL ENA H ARVEY Staff Writer his year, the Califor nia pr esidential pr imar ies will be held in Mar ch instead of June. Unlike in 2012 and 2016, the 2020 pr imar ies will give Califor nia voter s the ability to cast their votes thr ee months ear lier. Gover nor Jer r y Br own signed a new bill into law that allows Califor nia?s over 200 million voter s mor e access in deciding their par ties? candidates, wher e as in 2016 Hillar y Clinton and Donald Tr ump wer e alr eady the pr esumptive nominees of their par ties by the time the Califor nia pr imar ies took place. This bill, known as the Prime Time Primar y Act, is designed to give Califor nia voters more say on issues that directly affect Califor nia residents, such as immigration. The Prime Time Primar y Act will be pushing up congressional primar y elections to the same day as the presidential primaries on March 3. ?I?m ver y happy the (Califor nia) primaries are being held ear lier," dance major Devin Mayor said. "It makes me feel like I have more of (a) voice.? Ber nie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, Eliza-
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beth War ren and Amy Klobuchar are among the cur rent Democratic nominees. President Donald Tr ump registered for reelection the day of his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017. The ninth Democr atic pr esidential debate was held on Feb. 19 in L as Vegas befor e another took place on Feb. 25 in Char leston, South Car olina. Another is planned in Phoenix in Mar ch. The Voter I nfor mation Guide is available to r egister ed voter s by contacting your county elections office, or by visiting the website at voter guide.sos.ca.gov. Additionally, the Califor nia voter s hotline can be r eached at (800) 345-VOTE. L ate voter s who did not make the Feb. 18 deadline can r egister to vote on the day of, although long lines and wait times ar e expected. The last day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot is Feb. 25. Califor nia militar y and over seas voter s can r egister to vote and r equest an absentee ballot by visiting r egistertovote.ca.gov, and ballots can be mailed, faxed or emailed to the voter ?s location. Although pr oof of identification is not r equir ed to be shown for Califor nia voter s, the Secr etar y of State?s website r ecommends fir st- time See ELECTION, page 2
Voter s ar r ive to cast ear ly ballots befor e the Pr imar y Election at the Registr ar of Voter s office in Kear ny Mesa. Polls will be open until 8 p.m. on Mar ch 3 and voter s can r egister day-of to cast a ballot. Photos by Vicky Pineda/ City Times
CITYNEWS
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sdcitytimes.com| March 2, 2020
BALLOTMEASURES
Ballot Measure A
Keep in mind:
Amends the existing San Diego County General Plan to requirevoter approval of housing development projects that increase residential density in rural and backcountry areas. Voting it down will maintain business as usual.
Voting YESmeans supervisors could quickly approve construction of newhouses on open lands all over San Diego County. But this could interrupt many critical wildlife corridors, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and endanger public safety in the highest fire risk zones in the county.
Ballot Measure B Authorizes the development of the Newland Sierra Project which would include 2,135 homes, a school site, 81,000 square feet of retail space, 36 acres of parks and 1,209 acres of open space.
Those who oppose Proposition Bargue that the Newland Sierra Project will not provide low-budget homes to the community, the location is in a high fire zone and will make traffic worse on the I-15.
Thedevelopment wouldbelocatedwest of Interstate15, about fivemilesnorthof downtownEscondido.
Ballot Measure C Measure Cwould raise thehotel roomtax based on the proximity to the San Diego Convention Center. Its purpose is to provide convention center renovation, provide for homeless needs and road improvements.
It has loopholes, according to Michael McConnell in an interviewwith the Union-Tribune. He points out it might provide funding for homelessness and roads, but it will mostly bededicated to the convention center.
Ballot Measure D To ensure an independent voice outside of the city council for city issues. An audit committee, not the mayor, would offer at least three nominees for thecity council to consider. Once selected, theauditor is limited to two five-year terms.
If it fails, the concern is the mayor could havetoo much influenceover the selection of a key oversight position that has not been filled in nearly 18 months.
MAYORCANDIDATES BARBARA BRY(D)
GITA APPLEBAUM SINGH(D)
- Councilmember votedtothecity council for District 1in 2016 andcurrentlyserves asthecouncil'spresident protem. - Bry views herself asaproblemsolver, not apolitician, and wouldliketoseemoretransparencyin theoperationsof city government. Platformincludes: - Local neighborhoodsandtheregulationof short-term vacationrentals. - Homeless andtheir healthneeds. - Climatechange.
- Family nursepractitioner andCEOof LaJollaIntegrative Health andCharter Academy. - Never held apolitical office, but didrunfor mayor in 2016. Platformincludes: - Providecleanwater. - Createaffordablehousingandrent control. - End humantrafficking. - Reducesocial and economic disparities for thecityof San Diego.
Endorsements: former council member and environmental leader Donna Frye, Save San Diego Neighborhoods and Father Joe Carroll
Endorsements: N/A
RICH RIEL
TODDGLORIA(D) - Assemblymember andformer city councilmember Platformincludes: - Morefundsput towardmental healthandimplementinga housingprogram. - Expand thetransit routestoreachall areasof San Diego. - Implement aclimateactionplan that will set goalstoreduce greenhousegas emissions. Endorsements: Governor Gavin Newsom, former Governor Jerry Brown, San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris
TASHA WILLIAMSON(D)
- Formerly workedfor theSanDiegoHousingCommission and ContrastsBrothers Development Corporation. Platformincludes: - Lower thecost of housinganddecreasetherateof homelessness. - Addressinfrastructurebyputtingmorepeopleonthe street workingandless peopleinmanagement positions. - Tackletheair quality issuethat hasbeencausingillness toSanYsidroresidents. - Proposalsincludeahiringfreezeonall city employees makingmorethan$100,00 ayear andall newly hiredcity employees enroll in Social Security. Endorsements: N/A
- Non-profit executive. - Community activist. - Believesthat thepeopleof color areunderrepresentedand lookstochangethat. Platformincludes: - Build housinginsteadof shelters andtransitional homesto fixthehomelessnessproblem. - Alter thestructureof thepolicedepartment bydoingaudits of every officer startingwithSan DiegoPoliceChief David Nisleit, whosheplansonreplacingif elected - Giveraises tocity employees.
SCOTT SHERMAN(R) - SanDiegocouncilmember Platformincludes: - SolveSanDiego?saffordablehousingcrisisby softening regulationsandreducinggovernment fees, instead of buildingmoresubsidizedhousingwithincome restrictions. - Addresscity's homelesscrisis. Endorsements: San Diego County Gun Owners and The Lincoln Clubs
Endorsements: N/A
CITYATTORNEYS CORYBRIGGS
MARA ELLIOTT
- Aimstotakeback thecityattorney'sofficetofocusonbeing astraight-upregular lawfirmthat givesthebest possible advicetothemayor andthecity council. - Standstoprotect SanDiegoresidents?quality of lifeby assistingcommunityplanninggroupstounderstandhowthe rulesaffect projectsin their neighborhoods. - Corevaluesincludebeingfully transparent, alwaysacting lawfully andconsistently strivingtoreinforcethepublic's trust inthegovernment. Endorsements: N/A Campaign website: corybriggs.com
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PETEMESICH
- Launchedagunviolencerestrainingorder programand fightsfor victimsof domestic violence. - OpposesICEarrests, defendsDREAMersandisagainst President Trump'sMuslimban. - Wantstoprotect taxpayer dollarsfromspecial interests, cut down lawsuitsthat impedethePureWater Project, and savedollars for programs for thehomeless, water quality andneighborhood infrastructure. Endorsements: San Diego City Firefighters Organization, San Diego Police Officers Association, San Diego Deputy City Attorneys Association, San Diegans Against Crime and Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest Campaign website: maraelliott.com
Volume74, Issue5 | March2, 2020 PublishedasTheJay Sees(1945-1949), Fortknightly (1949-1978), City Times(1978-present). Incorporatingnewspapers Tecolote, Knight Owl &Flicks.
- Former SanDiegodeputy city attorney prosecutor, transportationadvisory attorney andformer criminal defenseandcivil litigationattorney. - Main priority istoprosecutecriminalsfirmly but fairly, work onsafe, compassionatelong-termhomelesssolutions, and makepathstoredemptionfor minor lawbreakers. - Aimstohaveanefficient taxcollectionfor recreational marijuana, focusesonshort-termvacationrental solutions andprotectingtheenvironment, privacy andcommunity character. Endorsements: N/A Campaign website: petemesichforcityattorney.com
Duringthespring2020 semester, City Timeswill publishonlineregularly, or as newsbreaks, on sdcitytimes.comasof Monday, Feb. 3. CityTimes will publishamonthlyprint edition throughout thespringterm. Legend magazinewill publishoncein April.
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CITYNEWS
sdcitytimes.com| March 2, 2020
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SDCCDBoar d of Tr ust ees hol ds it s pr imary el ect ion Twoof thecurrent boardmembersarerunningagainst twonewcandidates B Y M E L I SA CAB E L L O -CUAH UTL E will also have their pr imar ies Managing Editor on Mar ch 3. Two curr ent boar d memnbeknownst to ber s ar e up for r e- election: many students, the Ber nie Rhiner son and Mar y San Diego CommuGr aham. They ar e r unning nity College Distr ict against Alex L oupe and Mike Boar d of Tr ustees is r esponsiPalomba. ble for the management and Rhiner son got his B.A. and over sight of the entir e distr ict. I t is the job of the tr ustees M.P.A. fr om SDSU and has to appr ove the annual budget been on the boar d since 2012. and addr ess student, faculty ?I am ver y passionate about the impor tance of education in and facility issues. Mor eover, they ar e involved our society ? I saw fir st-hand in the final hir ing of college how education can change pr esidents, and they ar e also people?s lives,? Rhiner son the ones the chancellor r e- said. The second member going por ts to. With the r etir ement of for r e-election is Gr aham, who Chancellor Constance Car r oll has been on the boar d since coming next year, the boar d 2008. She ear ned her B.A. will appoint a sear ch commit- fr om UC River side and her tee, who have a final say on M.F.A fr om SDSU. Besides being on the boar d, she also the next distr ict chancellor. Cur r ent boar d member and has exper ience in community r e- election candidate Ber nie colleges as a faculty and staff Rhiner son said that it is their member at Cuyamaca College. The thir d candidate is job to be ?active in advocatPalomba, who is an SDSU ing? for money in Sacr amento student pur suing a degr ee in and Washington, D.C., as well business administr ation with as to make sur e the commua minor in political science. nity is well r epr esented. Palomba seeks to use his fir stAlongside pr esidential pr imar ies, the Boar d of Tr ustees hand knowledge of being a curr ent student to addr ess the
needs of other students. He aims to r emove bar r ier s of entr y by r educing excess cost and emphasizing the fiscal r esponsibility of students. The four th candidate is L oupe, who is listed as a car etaker for San Diego Unified School Distr ict. L oupe has minimal campaign infor mation available. ?The official r equir ement (for becoming a boar d candidate) is that you need to be 18
ballot and must specifically r equest one thr ough sdvote.com. Register ed voter s then fill out a Nonpar tisan Ballot Cr ossover Request For m and email it to the Registr ar of Voter s at votebymail@sdcount.gov. No-par ty-pr efer ence voter s who want to vote in the Republican, Gr een or Peace of
Fr eedom par ties must r er egister to vote again with those par ties. Register ed Republicans can only vote in the Republican pr imar y. For fur ther infor mation r egar ding the pr esidential and congr essional Califor nia pr imar ies, Califor nia r esidents can visit sos.ca.gov.
U
Voters Continued frompage1 voter s br ing at least one for m of identification when voting at the in- per son polling places. Those who ar e r egister ed under no par ty pr efer ence will not r eceive a Democr atic
Tr ust ees Mar y Gr aham (left ) and Ber nie Rhiner son (r ight ) ar e r unning for r e-elect ion. Phot o pr ovided by SDCCD
year s old and live in San Diego, pr etty much anyone can do it,? said Rhiner son, who believes a candidate should also have exper ience. ASG Pr esident Oscar Rendon says a boar d member should under stand ?the str uggles that community college students face.? The City ASG pr esident is in r egular communication with the boar d, alongside r epr esentatives fr om Mesa and
Mir amar colleges. ?I am the voice for the students,? Rendon said about his involvement with the boar d. The monthly boar d meetings ar e public, and students can attend and addr ess the boar d. The pr imar ies will take place on Mar ch 3, with the gener al elections taking place in November. Uyen Pham and Alexander Gomez contributed to this report.
Proposition13 Public Preschool, K? 12, and College Health and Safety Bond Act of 2020 If passed, this proposition authorizes $15 billion in bonds for public education, $2 billion of which are designated to community colleges for construction and renovations of facilities and the remaining $13 billion allocated to pre-schools, K-12 schools and public universities. The proposition is endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Democratic Partyand the Los Angeles Times. It is opposed by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Keep in mind: The bonds will be repaid by the state general fund with the amount of $740 million a year for 35 years. In total, $26 billion in bonds will be repaid after $11billion in interest.
Const r uct ion cont inues on t he Cit y College campus behind t he S building. Phot o by Isaac Limon/ City Times
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CITYNEWS
sdcitytimes.com| March 2, 2020
DEMOCRATICPRESIDENTIALCANDIDATES MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
AMY KLOBUCHAR
JOEBIDEN
- Former three-termNewYork City mayor. - Completelyself-fundedand refusestoaccept outside donations. Platformincludes: - Createanall-ineconomy by bringingjobsandincreasingthe federal minimumwage. - Reformthestudent loansystemandmakeeducational opportunitiesandapprenticeships moreaccessible.
- MinnesotaDemocratic senator. - First 100 daysof her presidency wouldinclude healthcarefor all and everyone18 yearsand older automatically registered tovote. Platformincludes... - PuttingtheUnitedStatesback intotheInternational ClimateAgreement. - SuspendingPresident Donal Trump?seffortstoeliminate theAffordableCareAct?sprotection. - Rebuildingtherelationshipswithalliesandrestorethe standingof theU.S. intheworld. - Prioritizecybersecuritytoprotect American infrastructurefromcyberattacks. - Protectionfor DACA, TPSandDeferredEnforcement Departure.
- Former senator from Delaware. - Former vicepresident under President Barack Obama. - Awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedomby Obamain 2017. Platformincludes: - Createunionjobs, invest in infrastructureas well as toexpand andimprovetransportationsystems. - Givingeducatorsthe?pay anddignity they deserve? and invest money tomodernizeeducation. - Reducegreenhouseemissionsandspeed thetransitionto low-carbonshippingaviationandelectric cars.
Endorsements: California U.S. Representatives Harley Rouda and Juan Vargas, Mayor Mary Salas of Chula Vista, and Mayor Serge Dedina of Imperial Beach. Campaign website: mikebloomberg.com
TULSI GABBARD - Servedascongressmember for the2ndDistrict (2002-2004). - IraqWar veteran. - Youngest public official inthe state?shistory. Platformincludes: - "KeepFamiliesTogether Act" - Medicarefor All - Forcingregimechanges inforeigncountries. - Freecommunitycollegefor all andgraduatestudiesfreefor those makingunder $125,000 ayear. - Endingcorporatewelfare. - Increasingtaxesfor thewealthy. Endorsements: Former Senator Mike Gravel and former Congressperson Dennis Kucinich Campaign site: tulsi2020.com
PETEBUTTIGIEG - Former mayor of SouthBend, Indiana. - Built hiscampaignaround generational change. - Doesnot support Medicarefor All, but hashisown planwitha public optionontheAffordable CareAct marketplace. Platformincludes: - Carbontaxandclaims hewouldspendbetween$1.5 and$3 trilliononclimatepolicies, aswell asincreasefundingfor HBCU?s andHSI?sby$25 billion. - Universal backgroundchecksfor gunownership andwantstoban military-styleassault weapons. - Proposestoreducegreenhousegasemissionsandspeedthe transitiontolow-carbonshipping, aviationandelectric cars.
Endorsements: Mayor of St. Paul, Melvin Carter III Campaign website: amyklobuchar.com
TOM STEYER - Founder of NextGen America, anorganization dedicatedtofighting climatechange. Intendsto declareclimatechangea national emergency onday oneof hispresidency. - Founded the?NeedtoImpeach? movement and promoteshimself asabusinessmanwhocanchallenge Trump. - Hasreleasedover adecadeof taxreturnsandisoneof thewealthiest Democratic candidates. Platformincludes: - Pro-environment andpro-wealthtax, whileproposing newleft-leaningjusticesontheSupremeCourt. - Healthcarefor all. Endorsements: DNCmembers Gilda Cobb-Hunter and Jeff Berman Campaign website: tomsteyer.com
Endorsements: AndrewKim, Annie Kuster and Anthony G. Brown Campaign website: peteforamerica.com
TheRepubl icanpresidential candidatesfor the2020El ection: Incumbent President Donald Trump: - Filedfor re-electiononJanuary 20, 2017, theday of hisinauguration. - Focusedre-election campaignontheeconomy, jobs, immigration andforeignpolicy - In Alaska, Minnesota, andMaine, thepresident ran unopposedandiscurrently leading inthedelegatecount. Campaign website: donaldjtrump.com
Bill Weld: - Americanattorney andbusinessman servedas the68thGovernor of Massachusetts (1991-1997). Campaign website: weld2020.org
Roque De La Fuente: - Real estatedeveloper borninSan Diegopreviouslyran for president andthesenate. Campaign website: rocky2020.com
Endorsements: Senator Dianne Feinstein, the International Association of Fire Fighters and theNational Association of Government Employees Campaign website: joebiden.com
ELIZABETH WARREN - U.S. senator from Massachusettssince2013. - Formerly alawschool professor specializingin bankruptcylaw. Platformincludes: - Universal background checks, requiringindividualsto obtainalicenseprior tobuyingagun. - Banningfrackingnationwideandpayingfarmers toadopt new climatefriendly practicesalongwithrightsfor farmers and landowners. - Medicarefor All - Citizenship for DACArecipients - Repeal asectionout of federal lawthat incarcerates parentsandseparatedchildrenfor illegal border crossing. - Nofundingtoward thewall. - Bringingthetroopshomeandcut thedefensebudget. Endorsements: Former chair of the state?s Democratic Party Kathy Sullivan, State Senator Kevin Cavanaugh, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in Massachusetts, former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro Cmpaign website: elizabethwarren.com
BERNIESANDERS - U.S. senator. - Served16 yearsas Vermont?s congressmember inthe Houseof Representatives. Platformincludes: - Focusingonshrinkingthethe gapbetween upper andlower classes. - Promisesto?giveworkersandownershipstakeinthe companiestheywork for, break upcorrupt corporate mergersandmonopolies, andfinally makecorporations paytheir fair share.? - Medicarefor All. - Guaranteedtuitionanddebt-freepublic collegesand universities. - WorkingtoexpandDACAfor theimmigrantswhoare seekingapath tocitizenshipandreformimmigration enforcement. - SafeAmericafor All, campaignpromisestodismantle cruel andinhumanedeportationprogramsandreunite familieswhohavedealt withseparations. Endorsements: U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico Carmen YulĂn Cruz, Cardi B, Miley Cyrus and WillowSmith Campaign website: berniesanders.com *Some candidate endorsements were not included dueto space available.
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