Early start for some

Traditionally the day after Labor Day has been the launching of the election season, but the run for the U.S. presidency has changed that this time around. There has already been early electioneering from city council candidates on up the ladder. Some wannabe electeds have already waffled on issues at least once. Electeds smile all the time now and say they feel your pain while coming up with ways to spend your tax $$$. Projects that were promised in a previous election suddenly have a life. Only San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has it made. He won handily by more than 53 percent in the primary. Surfside City hizzoner David Drucker may choose to retire from politics when his term ends. In Solbeach, Dave Robert’s mayorship and term will end this year and he’s already declared for re-election. Flower Capital Mayor Jerome Stocks and Deputy Mayor Maggie Houlihan will face formidable competition. Stocks aced out Houlihan for the mayorship this year. Candidates include Leucadia’s active community volunteer Rachelle Collier; E Street Cafe co-owner and freelance columnist Bob Nanninga; businessman and past prexy of Downtown Encinitas Merchants Assn. Doug Long; Joe Sheffo, a former North County Times editor; and Judge Anthony Brandenburg from Olivenhain. Palaver around the water cooler is that longtime elected Jim Bond will not be on the ballot. C’bad Mayor Bud Lewis in his 20th year as mayor has indicated his current sixth term is his last when it runs out. O’side Councilman Rocky Chavez is stepping down as chief education officer of the charter School of Business & Technology to challenge Mayor Jim Wood. O’side elections have always been spirited to say the least, and this one izzn’t likely to be different.

Active outfit

Freda Silveira, director of the supercharged Solbeach Chamber, has announced its sundowners for the rest of the year. These include Solbeach Historical Society, Aug. 6; Beach Grass Cafe, Sept. 3; Mini Business Expo, Oct. 1; The Fish Market, Nov. 5; and IronStone Bank, Dec. 3.

Vons expanding?

Cardiff-by-the-Sea Town Council Report has an item in its July issue about the possible expansion of Vons market on Santa Fe Drive and an overall remodel of that bizness center. Current major tenants include a Rite Aid and Downey Savings branch. Should the expansion become a reality, how will additional traffic impact the proposed Hall park?

More media layoffs

Major print media continues to downsize and media mites are wondering when it will end. L.A. Times has announced it will chop 250 more jobs, 150 of them in editorial, the folks that gather and bring the news to you. Earlier McClatchy Newspapers, the No. 3 chain in the nation, announced 1,400 jobs would be axed. No secret that radio, TV and other sources get their news primarily from the print media. Who will do the heavy lifting for them when reporters go the way of the manual typewriters and linotypes?

Parking woes

Like all other communities, Rancho Santa Fe has parking migraines. The Association is wrestling with new time restrictions for short- and long-term parking.

Time for action

For the umpteenth year, inept state electeds from the Governator on down have ignored the budget deadline until the state runs out of dough to pay employees. Then they approve a budget that is a fiscal mess and filled with smoke and mirrors. Electeds have time for taking junkets all over the universe, to run around campaigning and initiating laws that are costly to taxpayers — but no time to work on a budget. Solution? Prohibit them from collecting a per diem after June 30 and dock every one of them a hefty late fee from their personal funds for every day past the deadline. Instead of ratting out on Thursdays, why can’t they devote Fridays to budget workshops? Time to tell them “Enuff already.”

Ruff times ahead for

java drinkers

Imagine having to revert to drinking standard, black coffee after being weaned on all sorts of pricey lattes. According to the Wall Street Journal, Starbucks, the leader of exotic coffees, will close another 500 outlets in addition to those already axed. Worldwide, Starbucks is reported to operate 11,000 coffee houses.

Seals lose another round

Seals that have invaded a children’s pool and beach in La Jolla are facing eviction. Dedicated as a safe kids swimming area by a donor in 1931, the site has been encroached on by marine mammals and a group has been fighting in the courts to allow them to remain. Recently, a panel of the 9th District Court of Appeals supported a judge’s ruling that the seals gotta go.

One liners

Delta Air Line passengers flying out of LAX soon will be able to zip past the long security lines by going through a system that uses fingerprints and eye scanners that are retained in a national databank... KPBS, San Diego’s public broadcast station, is suffering from a severe downturn of corporate and public donations and is axing additional top level staff ... A judge has ruled the controversial Minutemen organization has the right to clean the shoulder of I-5 south of the San Onofre Border Patrol check station under the Adopt-a-Highway program and the First Amendment ... Solbeach electeds will receive a monthly raise in salary from $593.82 to $712.58 after the next election ... The fourth annual Professional Bull Riders competition is scheduled for July 26 and July 27 in the fairgrounds arena following the races that day ... A group has asked the court to nullify the gay marriage measure on the November ballot on the grounds some signers on the initiative were misinformed ... New Surf City signs at north and south Camino del Mar entrances have been erected ... The late George Dose, active Solbeach community leader in the 1950s, would be proud to see that the monument he helped to finance in memory of his son who was killed in Europe during World War II has been given a prominent location in the plaza square.

Hasta la Vista