A few noted items from the past week…
Bejarano Drops Bid for SD County Sheriff… If you missed it, we called the news first, then confirmed it right here at the FlashReport on Tuesday.
With the leading fundraiser now out of the 2010 race, the remaining candidates are former Sheriff Lt. Jim Duffy, appointed Sheriff Bill Gore, former Assemblyman Jay La Suer, and former Sheriff Sgt. Bruce Ruff. On Thursday, Duffy scored the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association endorsement. The next several months will be fun to watch.
Here’s the FR post from Tuesday.
The Money Story in the Hollingsworth Senate Seat… Also from yesterday, I say here’s the bucks in the bank "if" Joel Anderson runs; Jon Fleischman says "How quaint, he IS in." Either way, here is the information.
Airport Authority High On the Hog — Again… Rob Davis of VoiceofSanDiego has the not-surprising news – Airport Officials Continue Flying (and Dining) In the Lap of Luxury
The Rest of the Story… Joe Sheffo, vice president of the San Diego Young Republicans and president of the Encinitas Taxpayers Association, headlines the FR main page Saturday with a great guest commentary on our future as a nation. Who will author our destinies? Worth the read, here.
Shoulda-Been Quote of the Week… When it was announced a few days ago that San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders had hired one-time Union-Trib reporter Alex Roth, a current UTer asked spokesman Darren Pudgil why Sanders hires so many of the paper’s former reporters. He statesmanly answered, "That’s by coincidence. We certainly haven’t targeted former U-T reporters." Yet, I gotta think that Pudgil very badly wanted to say, "Well, that’s because the UT has so many former reporters."
Granola Can be Free Market, but maybe not Free Range… When I think of grocery stores like Whole Foods, some things come to mind, but Ayn Rand hasn’t exactly been one of them. Yet, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Markets, uses free market principles to address the health care debate in a Monday WSJ piece:
"Rather than increase government spending and control, we need to address the root causes of poor health. This begins with the realization that every American adult is responsible for his or her own health."
It’s a must read. Not surprisingly, a few left-leaning folks are a tad outraged, urging no more sprout and wheat germ buying at Whole Foods.
For a store near you, click on the link. Yes, the first one on the list is in Berkeley, but don’t let that scare you.
Have a great week!
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August 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Great granola quote. I’ll tell that to my doctor next time he recommends a procedure to fix me – I’ll just fix my hernia or set the bone myself. I’m already doing my own chemotherapy. I call it Happy Hour. ;-)
August 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Barry:
Longtime San Diego Union-Tribune politics and local government
reporter GERRY BRAUN also joined Mayor Jerry Sanders’ staff
last year… as director of special projects.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Thanks, Jim, yes. And after Gerry, it was Rachel Laing and now Alex Roth, by my count. Thus the question posed to mayoral staff about why so many.
August 16th, 2009 at 12:00 am
Here’s what I wrote recently about reporters switching to government — and an article that lists additional San Diego area media career changers.
San Diego press folks finally figuring it out – they’re switching to work for government
RIDER COMMENT: Normally when I conclude a speech on local politics, I ask the audience what’s the ONE thing that they should take with them out of the lecture – what ONE piece of advice could turn their lives around.
Someone eventually comes up with the right answer – “get a government job.” More specifically, get a San Diego CITY government job.
I give the same advice to media folks at the conclusion of an interview or press conference. Given the tenuous nature of their occupational job security, coupled with their stagnated compensation, such advice fits them particularly well.
As the article below demonstrates, it looks like many media pundits have indeed heeded my advice and become government employees at an accelerating rate – even more than I realized. After years of covering stories that show the stark contrast between public and private sector employment, many reporters have fled to (or been laid off and gone to) government jobs.
I’m worried that such a career pattern might give reporters cause to hesitate in doing investigative journalism, delving into our politicians’ antics. I doubt such a potential conflict is a major factor, but the number of press folks switching to public “service” is unsettling.
It also means that when the press wants info from government, it’s often their former co-workers that they deal with – which is a little too chummy for objective media coverage.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Trend-Reporters-Turned-Pols-52687452.html
Another S.D. Journalist Goes Into Politics
San Diego has experienced a noticeable shift of journalists entering the world of politics
By RON DONOHO
Fri, Aug 7, 2009
Next time you read a byline in a local newspaper or magazine, or watch an anchor on a nightly TV newscast, take note: Those people may soon be your public servants. Over the past few years, there’s been a steady march from the field of journalism into politics.
On Monday, Tim McClain is expected to begin working as a legislative assistant/press secretary for San Diego County District 4 Supervisor Ron Roberts. For the previous dozen years, McClain was the editor of “Metropolitan” magazine and appeared on “Editors Roundtable” on KPBS.
What’s it like to go from asking the questions to answering and/or avoiding them?
“I love journalists and writers — I’ve always been a big defender of what they try to do,” McClain said. “And I’ll help them do their jobs from this side of the fence.”
Last month, San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald (District 7) hired former KGTV weather reporter Geni Cavitt to be her director of communications. You might recall Emerald was the “Troubleshooter” consumer reporter for 10News.
Within the last year, San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders snatched up San Diego Union-Tribune writers Gerry Braun and Rachel Laing to be director of special projects and deputy press secretary, respectively.
District 6 City Councilwoman Donna Frye has also double-dipped at the Union-Tribune. Former reporters Mark Sauer and Chet Barfield are now her district representatives.
Former U-T reporter Tony Manolatos was grabbed to be the director of communications for District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer. District 1 County Supervisor Greg Cox has the U-T’s Luis Monteagado as his spokesman. And the director of communications for the past couple years for District 5 County Supervisor Bill Horn is former KFMB-TV anchor John Culea.
And now, I’d like to announce I’m running for president … not.
Ron Donoho is a regular contributor to NBCSandiego.com and a contributing editor to sandiego.com. His Web site (sandiegoDTOWN.com) is dedicated to news, sports, culture, happy hours and all things downtown.