I.B.
Voters' Guide
Public buildings
for the elite only
By Ed Kravitz
ekatsdrp@yahoo.com
T
wo years ago, I tried to potential to save the Coronado
get use of the Branch Railroad and what it
Community Room or could mean for Imperial
the Dempsey Holder building Beach's economy.
and was turned down by for-
mer City Manager Barry that the rail project was against
Johnson.
Last February, I enquired I was told that it was because I
about use of the Community was not a 501(c) non-profit
Room or Dempsey Holder organization. The subject is
Whatever happened
to the I.B. Sun?
Ed Kravitz
ekatsdrp@yahoo.com
I
n a never-ending battle to
win elections and main-
tain power, the inner cir-
cle of the secret political
machinery set up its own
newspaper several years ago.
The late Walter Trook had
dreamed of doing an arts, the-
atre and culture newspaper
and went to former appointed
Building and was told that I
could not use it to hold a pub-
lic workshop regarding the
The first time, I was told
the city policy. Last February,
city councilman Steve
Haskins and asked for fund-
ing.
Haskins questioned
Trook's ability to produce a
newspaper and suggested that
if he would produce his
newspaper and be successful,
Haskins would fund Trook's
dream project. Trook sold his
soul.
The Imperial Beach Sun
was born. Although Haskins
relevant to our community's
past and it's future.
You would think that our
local leaders would want to
know as much as possible
about such an important sub-
ject. Unfortunately, our city
officials sold their souls and
our future to David Malcolm
and Greg Cox regarding the
railroad issue. Now they can-
not change their position, even
SEE ELITE, PAGE 5
put up the money, Trook reg-
istered the business as a sole
proprietorship with the
County Recorder's office.
Although it had the feel of
a neighborhood newspaper,
the secret driving force was a
political action committee
apparently run by Michael
and Deborah Carey.
It carried stories about the
need for redevelopment,
SEE THE SUN, PAGE 6
Perspective
Continued from page 2
all areas where Ms. Winter
and Ms. McCoy have not
abstained from voting.
Investigation will surely
show that there are more
issues within 500 feet of
Mayda or Patricia's financial
interests.
Our outgoing city attorney
McDugal has warned Winter
several times, in public ses-
sion, that she is in jeopardy of
being prosecuted for conflicts
of interest under FPPC rules.
Winter says she is in no dan-
ger and has no conflicts.
Good thing the District
Attorney is a Democrat too.
Don't get me wrong. I am
not trashing Democrats or
Republicans. This political/
development machinery the
the ladies on the council are
beholden to shows no prefer-
ence for Democrats or
Republicans - just greed!
Former appointed council-
man Dan Malcolm (cousin of
convicted former Port
Commissioner David
Malcolm) was appointed to
fill the seat of Diane Rose
when she became mayor.
Malcolm immediately started
promoting redevelopment in
our city. While he was still on
the council, Winter, McCoy
and Rose voted to give the
redevelopment project where
Wally's IGA is located to
Malcolm's company, Sterling
Development.
These ladies on the coun-
cil have pushed forward the
concept of redevelopment to
enrich their developer and
political friends at the public's
expense. Every resident
should read the handbook on
redevelopment available on
the Internet at redevelop-
ment.com before voting in
this election. Our residents'
Nov. 2004 - I. B. Voters' Guide - Page 3
live's work will soon be taken
away by high density devel-
opment and, yes, eminent
domain!
It only takes three votes to
re-institute eminent domain
and it's probably coming
soon - right after the election!
Imperial Beach is destined to
become an exclusive, high-
rent, gated community where
most of us cannot afford to
live. There are master plans
for developments which
have not yet been seen by the
public. The crowds at rede-
velopment public meetings
are filled with planted stooges
who mention into the public
record key components of the
finished master plan. When
those plans are revealed to the
public, the ladies can say they
made the decision based on
public input as prescribed by
the law.
These ladies on the coun-
cil, and the political/develop-
ment machinery to which
they are obligated, have
deceived the public, and will
continue to do so until the cit-
izens stop them.
Remember, when you
can't afford to live here any-
more, you won't be able to
vote here anymore either.
One of the biggest loom-
ing threats to Imperial Beach
is proposed development of
the Chula Vista Bayfront.
Besides the impacts to
wildlife (which will be devas-
tating, according to the biolo-
gists) impacts to traffic flows
on Palm Ave and Interstate-5
are being ignored by our local
leaders.
Officials from Caltrans
and the California Highway
Patrol are on record at
bayfront meetings saying that
infrastructure does not exist
for such high density devel-
opment to occur at the Chula
Vista Bayfront.
When it is completed, traf-
fic backups for morning rush
hours will block freeway
SEE PERSPECTIVE, PAGE 4