Entries
NFL Head Steps on His Tongue; Chargers Denuded
In one of the most pathetically embarrassing interviews of recent times, Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, tells a Wall Street Journal editor today (Jan. 8) why we should all feel sorry for the owners of professional football …
Jobs Growth Disappointing but Unemployment Rate Drops
The U.S. economy added only 103,000 jobs in December; economists had expected 175,000. The unemployment rate declined to 9.4% from 9.8% in November, but that was a result of fewer people in the workforce. Many have stopped looking for jobs. …
Comparatively, Tech Workers Haul in Bucks in San Diego
If you are a tech worker wanting to rake in more money than your non-tech neighbor, San Diego is one of the places to be, according to a report by the TechAmerica Foundation. Five U.S. cities have the largest differentials …
Feds Thrash Wilkes's Plea for New Trial
The U.S. Attorney's office today (Jan. 5) answered Poway contractor Brent Wilkes's motion for a new trial for his role in the scandal that put former Congressman Randy (Duke) Cunningham in prison. Wilkes was convicted in 2007 of money laundering, …
Appeals Court Says Mount Soledad Cross Unconstitutional
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today (Jan. 4) that the cross on La Jolla's Mount Soledad since 1913 is unconstitutional, according to CNN.com. Three versions of the cross have been erected; the current 43-foot cross was set up …
Qualcomm Near Deal to Buy Atheros, Says NY Times
The New York Times is reporting today (Jan. 4) that San Diego-based chip maker Qualcomm is ready to buy Santa Clara's Atheros Communications, a semiconductor maker, for $45 a share, or $3.5 billion. The deal may be announced as soon …
Beau La Madrid Could Get Ten Years for Ponzi Scheme
Matthew "Beau" La Madrid and his brother Lance La Madrid pleaded guilty in federal court today (Jan. 3) to conspiracy and fraud charges. The two, along with several others, worked out of an El Cajon office. According to court records, …
SEDC Trying to Recover Money from Vendors That Handled Pension Plan
Southeastern Economic Development Corp. (SEDC), a smaller cousin of the all-powerful Centre City Development Corp., is trying to recover money from outside service providers that allegedly fouled up its 403(b) pension plan. A 403(b) is a tax-advantaged plan that has …
Detective "Vaguely" Recalls Threat against Kessler, Family
Daniel Vile, the police detective who, with the FBI, did a major study on alleged corruption by Little Italy powerhouse Marco Li Mandri and felon Paul (Joe) Mannino, in a deposition April 8 testified that he "vaguely" recalled a Mannino …
Sen. Harkin Cites Bridgepoint's Shocking Dropout Rate
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, has been holding hearings on the abuses of for-profit colleges, which have only 10% of university-level students but account for 44% of loan defaults. Harkin's research team is called the HELP committee. In a recent appearance …
Home Values in San Diego, Other Metro Areas Decline
Home prices in all 20 major metro areas decreased from September to October, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller data released this morning (Dec. 28). "The double dip is almost here," says S&P economist David Blitzer. "There is no good news …
For-Profit Colleges, Including Bridgepoint, Boost Lobbying
San Diego's Bridgepoint Education closed Thursday at $18.48. That's up from $15.26 on Dec. 1. According to Bloomberg News, for-profit colleges like Bridgepoint are boosting their spending on lobbying to thwart funding restrictions proposed by the U.S. Department of Education. …
Grantville Redevelopment Money Transfer Ruled Permissible
The Grantville Action Group, a group fighting redevelopment and eminent domain abuses, has lost a suit against the city, its redevelopment agency and the county. The Grantville group, which has long argued that its area is not blighted, filed a …
Half SD Households Can Afford Homes, but We're Still Expensive
As the housing bubble inflated amazingly earlier in the decade, only 7% of San Diego households could afford to buy a median priced home, says Kelly Cunningham, economist for the National University System Institute for Policy Research. Now that the …
Gin's Lead Indicators Inch Forward in November
The lead indicators of the San Diego economy, compiled by Alan Gin of the University of San Diego, edged up to 110.3 in November. They had been stuck at 110 for four straight months beginning in July. The indicators moved …
AT&T Agrees to Buy Qualcomm's Spectrum Licenses for $1.93 Billion
No. 2 U.S. mobile service provider AT&T this morning (Dec. 20) agreed to buy mobile television spectrum licenses from San Diego-based Qualcomm for $1.93 billion. The band covers more than 300 million people in the U.S., according to Reuters. AT&T …
Michell Told She Can't Lobby City for a Year
The Ethics Commission yesterday (Dec. 16) told Kris Michell, former top aide to Mayor Jerry Sanders, that she can't lobby her former City colleagues for a year after she leaves Sanders's side, which will be Jan. 14. Michell has been …
San Diego Unemployment Rate Remains in Double Digits
The San Diego County unemployment rate was 10.4% in November, compared with 10.3% in October and 10.4% a year ago, according to the California Employment Development Department. This compared with 12.4% for California and 9.3% for the U.S. in the …
Police Sorry They Brought Frivolous Lawsuits, Suing Their Lawyer
A superb story on KPBS.org demonstrates perfectly how San Diego operates. The story was written by Kelly Thornton of Watchdog Institute, which is affiliated with San Diego State University. Gist: the San Diego Police Officers Association has filed a malpractice …
Blackwater to be Sold as Similar Firm Fights Opposition in Ocotillo
Blackwater, the mercenary firm (now named Xe Services) that residents of East County's tiny Potrero thwarted, may be sold today (Dec. 17) according to the New York Times. The company wanted to put a large training center in Potrero in …