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
Unreasonable search of Olympian High School students?
There is certainly enough blame to go around. The Sweetwater crimes have grown and compounded. There are multiple Brand-scams operating simultaneously. Meanwhile, the students lose out and the taxpayers are taken to the cleaners. Please don't forget that in spite of their protestations, the County Board of Education is culpable in failing to exercise their legal duty to oversee the school districts in their jurisdiction. They are especially charged with the responsibility of fiscal oversight of the districts in their jurisdiction. Many have called for forensic audits going back decades...why the inattention from the County? They have all picked up their fiddles, too, and dancing to Ed's tunes. Surely the State Department of Education, if not the Attorney General, have some responsibility as well. Why are their hands still in their pockets? The FBI should be interested in the misallocation of Federal Funds and the release of protected student record data to SBCS to use to promoting enrollment in Alliant U, a private, high-priced so-called university -- certainly not a good demographic match for the students who are to be served by the Federal grant-funded neighborhood project. The FBI should also be interested enough to follow the money trail in the failed real-estate schemes that has put property the district once owned and still owes buckets of money on, in private hands. Oh, there is so much of 'interest' in Sweetwater. The board fiddles and Sweetwater implodes.— October 11, 2013 9:51 a.m.
Unreasonable search of Olympian High School students?
It is bullshit in spades. Why think that Cartmill is any different from the other perps? He may have played the role of the all-so-holy one, but so did Elmer Gantry. Don't forget Cartmill too is under indictment. Tick Tock, Tick Tock....February trials approach. In the meantime, Ed will likely continue his aberrant behavior, 'connecting the dots' to flush out and persecute anyone who crosses him and his schemes. He is behaving like a cornered rabid animal. Sad to say, he is spending our tax money to connect those dots. Just received my property tax bill. Take a look at the money we spend to fund the SUHSD, in addition to our state tax money that comes back to fund attendance. Que lastima!— October 6, 2013 6:17 p.m.
Unreasonable search of Olympian High School students?
Ed's Gestapo at work. For shame! I do hope the ACLU and other authorities with an ability to investigate such persecution by harassment are taking a serious look. By the way, take a look (Saturday's Los Angeles Times story) at the recent judge's ruling about the secrecy practices of the Los Angeles Stadium Commission. He called out the Commission for failing to deliberate in public, as is required by the Brown Act, and for doing way too much of the public's business in closed session. Ring any bells?— October 6, 2013 9:42 a.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
They got Al Capone for tax evasion. The devil is in the details, and that is why Fast Eddy is so reluctant to show anyone the financial books. Here's a reminder, they are the records of how he is spending our money.— September 27, 2013 12:50 p.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
My take is that unless the FBI enters the picture, Ed is ensconced in his king's throne until and unless the current Board is unseated or replaced with trustees who have the best interests of the students and the public...Only the Board can fire Fast Eddy and the majority seem to think he is doing just fine.— September 26, 2013 6:27 p.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
It appears the Brand Gestapo is in full assault mode. My GOD, what is going on here????. While Ed demands that employees use personal computers to access District email , he refuses to provide the public with the District records and documents TO WHICH THEY ARE ENTITLED, even when the Public Records Act is cited. Anyone see the irony here? He is deranged and behaving like a cornered rabid dog.— September 26, 2013 1:43 p.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
Dumanis likely believes that the indictments and approaching trials are enough. It took much investigation to get to that point, and that was relatively 'easy' because the major evidence was the Form 700s (Statements of Economic Interest) that the indicted officials perjured themselves on. Those who gave the indicted trustees gifts that were not reported by the indicted trustees were relatively easy to identify. I am not implying that the indictments were easy to come by, but they were likely the most logical places to start because the evidence was in individual's calendars and email accounts and some public records. Trying to follow the yellow brick road in Ed Brand's land of OZ is likely much more difficult because there is so much bobbing and weaving and covering of tracks and speaking with forked tongue. Ed is slippery and so are his henchmen...they are not simpletons on the take, as it appears those who were indicted trustees and their benefactors seem to be. I think the way to get Ed and Co is through Federal law: misappropriation of Federal $$, violation of FERPA, etc. The State of CAlifornia seems to be weak in the enforcement department, and alas, there is no Brown Act patrol or posse to keep them on the straight and narrow. And we know that the County Board of Education is in Ed's pocket. Who is going to order up a Forensic Audit? It is the role of the County Board of Education to make sure School Districts fiscal operations are aligned with State Law, but they have no interest in rocking Ed's boat. Individuals who believe they have been threatened have a heavy burden of proof, and Ed knows that. I hope I am wrong. Keep complaining and making noise about the travesty to whichever authorities will listen and take the call. We have to keep hammering, but I don't see Dumanis taking up any more time with SUHSD....at least they are posed to prosecute those who are indicted and I do hope they are not cutting any deals. We need the Trustees to be convicted of FELONIES because with felony convictions, they cannot serve as trustees!— September 25, 2013 4:09 p.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
In a civilized school district, officials would welcome well-informed members of the community to the Bond oversight meetings, which are actually intended to keep the citizenry informed about the progress of implementation of the projects and spending of THEIR tax money. Officials would also HOPE that members of the public would attend the public board meetings and provide input as to the conditions and affairs of the district. However, in our corrupt and despotic school district, members of the community who attempt to be informed and participate in the process are disrespected and bullied by the Superintendent's private investigators who are charged with 'connecting the dots'....what exactly is it they have done to deserve such ire from the person who is paid a huge salary with PUBLIC money and supposedly entrusted to implement the programs? In a civilized school district, interested and informed members of the public are welcomed and even encouraged to participate in the process. Let's all work together to make SUHSD a civilized school district. We can THROW THE BUMS OUT and should be working NOW to organize to make sure Ricasa, Cartmill, and McCann are never again elected to public office. What we have now is a true dictatorship with a truly evil and vindictive despot and his Gestapo henchmen. This is shameful beyond belief.— September 25, 2013 2:37 p.m.
Sweetwater school board questions funds for investigators
Quite a puzzlement indeed. I must wonder why Fast Eddy hired ESI if he believes that employees should be investigated....that is what Shinoff and his legal pals do within the context of EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT LAW.. At least, one assumes that Dan and his legal investigators fully understand individual rights, and perhaps were unwilling to do Ed's bidding going after community members and others in such a shady manner. I smell another Brand rat trying to intimidate not only employees but members of the public whose tax money Brand is frittering away. We already know Ed does not believe in the Brown Act, and it is becoming apparent that he does not understand or care to honor our rights as taxpayers and citizens.— September 25, 2013 6:11 a.m.
Chula Vista parents protest switch to Common Core State Standards
In RE: agenda for Monday's SUHSD board meeting: 1) an item under contracts for South Bay Community Services in the amount of $15,000; 2) contract with ESI International for approximately $150,000 (ESI has many 'arms' but it is likely that is the money for the unspecified investigations; 3) an item to compensate Trustee McCann for his absence from the August 19 meeting 'due to illness' AND....drumroll please..... 4) a Closed Session item to evaluate the 'superintendent'.... NOW...is the any opportunity for the public to have their legal right to public comment about THAT before they go into closed session for the stated purpose of evaluating Fast Eddy as Superintendent?— September 22, 2013 2:41 p.m.