Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
Sweetwater scandal: Ed Brand’s claims contradicted
One other thing... Dr. Brand testified that... “He [Brand] said that within the first six to eight days of his arrival, [Bertha] Lopez, [Pearl] Quiñones, and John McCann asked him to solicit campaign donations from SGI President Rene Flores and Jaime Ortiz, the company’s bond manager.” Yet, Rene Flores says... "I want to say something very quick. Dr. Brand in December asked me to give an additional $20,000 to both John McCann and Jim Cartmill..." So, are we to infer that Bertha Lopez didn't ask you to go solicit funds for her, and she is just an innocent bystander in your schemes? Is it possible you are being untruthful?— June 3, 2013 11:02 p.m.
Sweetwater scandal: Ed Brand’s claims contradicted
“If I knew what I know when they asked me to come back [as superintendent of the Sweetwater school district], I wouldn’t have done it.” (Edward M. Brand) Nobody's holding a gun to your head Ed. Do a favor to yourself and the rest of us as well, and just leave. Just walk away. You have more money for having put in the time you did, but anytime you feel like you have taken enough, just go. Ah, but you won't. So, that only makes your own words a lie. You're in it for the money. John McCann got you the gig, and in a little over a week, he got you to go hustle up "twenty large" in campaign money as repayment. “I want to say something very quick. Dr. Brand in December asked me to give an additional $20,000 to both John McCann and Jim Cartmill..." (Rene Flores) You two ought to be ashamed of yourselves.— June 3, 2013 10:53 p.m.
Sweetwater scandal: Ed Brand’s claims contradicted
And to think that they recently released only a part of the GJ testimony. Stay tuned to the next exciting episode of "As the Slimeballs Twist and Turn." Will John and Jim turn on Ed? Will Bertha be able to prove her innocence? Has Pearl given up all hope of redemption? And, will Arlie stop living in denial? Tune in tomorrow to find the answers to these and many more questions. As the Slimeballs Twist and Turn is sponsored by Donovan License Plates, Folsom Rock Crushers, and the Alcatraz Swimming Club.— June 3, 2013 9:52 a.m.
Sweetwater scandal: Ed Brand’s claims contradicted
"I disremember."— June 3, 2013 9:37 a.m.
Sweetwater scandal: Ed Brand’s claims contradicted
"So McCann, having given away the store to Gandara when Gandara could have been removed for cause, brings back Brand. McCann then thinks that Brand must owe him, so Brand needs to find a way for McCann's campaign debt to disappear..." This comment by you triggered a thought. Since we all know John McCann has aspirations to get back on the City counsel, and/or the Mayors office, it would make sense for him to cozy up to Edward M. Brand so that Brand's connections to the construction companies would continue to be a highly valued source of donations to John's future campaigns. John doesn't seem the sort to directly ask vendors for money, but if some other influential person would, I doubt he would turn it down.— June 3, 2013 9:36 a.m.
Grand Jury investigation transcripts for South Bay school districts released
No, he won't. My money is on his wanting to "get fired," so he can collect a severance package. Something about two birds and a stone.— June 3, 2013 9:26 a.m.
Is college worth it?
I agree with Joaquin... a college education is more than about the money.— May 30, 2013 1:57 p.m.
Grand Jury investigation transcripts for South Bay school districts released
To think that Bonifacio "Bonny" Garcia was being paid a small fortune for his monthly retainer, plus another small fortune for his monthly billings to the school district for being their General Counsel. As general counsel his job should have been to protect both the superintendent and the board members from themselves. Yet, instead of providing them with advice about their reporting obligations, he actually becomes one of their biggest financial supporters, both with campaign contributions and... "... People come in, food, drink, whatever. Um, they do that. That's in addition to, um, you know, whatever, um dinners, or, and in many cases ball games, um, or events that give a business person an opportunity to spend time. Not talking business, but spending time with the client....you really want your client to be your friend..." Bonny KNEW these were gifts, and he also KNEW that these gifts needed to be reported on the 700 Forms. He also KNEW that once the gift amounts from any individual giver reached the legal maximum limit that there would be issues with legality as well as required recusals from various votes taken at board meetings. Did Bonny give such advice? We have to either assume he didn't, or else he did and the superintendent and board members just didn't follow it. No matter what, it sure looks like he just piled on his own gifts to ingratiate himself to the superintendent and members of the board so he could keep his Fortune 500 job.— May 30, 2013 10:03 a.m.
Grand Jury investigation transcripts for South Bay school districts released
"Um, as you work with people over a long period of time, you develop a relationship with folk and there are folk you like and folk you don't like. And you want to support your friends in terms of especially breaking bread, or, um, spending--spending time with folk." If that isn't the most slime-ball response for an attorney to use to describe his relationship with each of the five various members of the school board. "and there are folk you like and folk you don't like." So, Bonny! Just what did you do to the ones you didn't like? Pull up a few campaign signs of theirs during the election? Maybe put signs of those you supported right into the very same hole?— May 30, 2013 12:26 a.m.
Grand Jury investigation transcripts for South Bay school districts released
Get all the rest you can Ms. Luzzaro. Everyone is in for the long haul, and you need to keep your strength up.— May 30, 2013 12:18 a.m.