TEACHERS SAY 'SEE YOU IN COURT' AS TRUMP TRIES TO ABOLISH DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
"We won't be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities to pay for tax cuts for billionaires," said the head of the nation's largest labor union.
By Brett Wilkins, Common Dreams
March 20, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday afternoon directing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin the process of shutting down the Department of Education.
EGG PRICES STILL RISING RAPIDLY AMID AVIAN FLU OUTBREAKS; JUSTICE DEPT. LAUNCHES PRICE GOUGING INVESTIGATION
By G. A. McNeeley
Photo courtesy of Brian McNeeley
March 19, 2025 (Washington D.C.) — The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise by more than 40%, on top of already steep price rises in 2024. While egg producers blame bird flu outbreaks, the Justice Department this month announced an investigation into whether egg producers might be sharing information and engaging in price gouging, ABC News reports.
President Donald Trump’s campaign platform including a pledge to bring down inflation including egg prices, but so far, prices continue to skyrocket. Now, the administration is offering its first details on its plan to fight avian flu and ease costs.
CONGRESS AVERTS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, BUT ACTION CAUSES DIVISION WITHIN POLITICAL PARTIES
Stopgap funding measure signed by President Trump; California’s Senators voted no
By G. A. McNeeley
March 18 2025 (Washington D.C.) — Congress avoided a government shutdown on March 14, just a few hours before the funding deadline. The stopgap measure to fund the government until September 30 was signed by President Donald Trump on Saturday.
The stopgap would fund government operations through the remainder of this fiscal year, but it would also slash non-defense funding by roughly $13 billion and increase defense spending by about $6 billion over current budgets (including billions for deportations, veterans’ health care and the military).
Many Democrats, including California’s Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, opposed the measure due to the non-defense cuts and because Republicans refused to include language in the bill putting guardrails on Trump and Elon Musk’s ability to continue dismantling the federal bureaucracy unchecked. The Democrats also advocated for a shorter, four-week stopgap to keep the government running on current funding levels in an effort to buy more time for appropriators to strike a deal on a bipartisan funding package. Republican leadership interest in those negotiations diminished weeks ago.
SUPERVISORS WEIGH OPTIONS TO ADDRESS UNSAFE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS TO REDUCE FIRE DANGER
By Karen Pearlman
Photo via San Diego County Sheriff: Homeless encampment fire in Santee, February 2025
March 14, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) -- With an estimated one out of every five fires in San Diego County started in encampments where homeless individuals congregate, San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson has said enough is enough.
“Nobody has a right to burn my constituents’ homes down, whether they intend to or not,” Anderson said, two days after the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to update the county’s Unsafe Camping Ordinance. It would apply to property that the county owns or leases and specified areas such as parks, open space and certain public works facilities.
At their meeting on Tuesday, March 11, the supervisors voted 4-0 to empower appropriate authorities “to ensure public safety and do more than just cite repeat offenders,” Anderson said. A final draft ordinance is expected to be presented by county staff to the board in about two months, when a final vote will take place.
TWO JUDGES ORDER FEDERAL AGENCIES TO REHIRE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF WORKERS FIRED IN DOGE PURGE
By Miriam Raftery
Photo by Anne Meador: Federal workers protest at Capitol (CC by NC-ND)
March 14, 2025 – Two federal judges have ruled that the Trump administration’s mass firing of federal workers was illegal. Both judges ordered thousands of probationary fired workers rehired, at least temporarily, though the two rulings differed on the scope of agencies affected. Combined, the two rulings order that 18 agencies immediately rehire those fired, affecting a broad range of jobs from national park rangers to Veterans’ Administration workers and many more.
The judges also issued scathing rebukes of the purge of agencies done by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and accused the administration of lying when it claimed the firings were based on performance issues, since many of the laid-off workers had extremely positive performance reviews.
U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup in San Francisco called the mass terminations a “sham.” He stated in open court, “It is sad, a sad day, when our government would fire some good employee and say it was based on performance when they know good and well that’s a lie. That should not have been done in our country.”
ACTIVISTS TO HOLD EMPTY CHAIR TOWN HALL MARCH 23, AFTER REP. ISSA REFUSES CONSTITUENTS’ REQUESTS FOR MEETING
LIVESTREAMING UPDATE: For those unable to attend in-person, here are platforms where organizers plan to livestream this event:
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/indivisiblencsd/
- TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@indivisiblencsd
- Youtube Live - https://www.youtube.com/@IndivisibleNCSanDiego
- Twitch.tv - https://www.twitch.tv/indivisiblencsandiego;
By Miriam Raftery
March 14, 2025 (Escondido) – After weeks of rebuffed requests for Congressman Darrell Issa (R-48)to hold a community townhall to discuss constituents’ concerns, activists have scheduled an “Empty Chair Town Hall” at the California Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, March 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event, hosted by Dr. Allison Gill from the "Mueller, She Wrote" podcast, will provide constituents with the opportunity to voice questions and concerns they would typically address directly to their congressional representative, particularly regarding potential cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and Veterans Services.
Following recommendations outlined in the "Indivisible Guide" (indivisible.org/resource/guide), this Empty Chair Town Hall is part of a nationwide effort encouraged by Indivisible National during the congressional recess from March 13-23.
"When our elected officials refuse to engage with their constituents, democracy suffers," said Pamela Albergo of Indivisible North County San Diego. "Rep. Issa hasn't held a town hall since 2017, but the concerns of his constituents haven't gone away."
GUHSD BOARD REFUSES TO RECONSIDER MASS FIRINGS, DESPITE PICKETING, PROTESTS, AND ANGRY CROWD AT MARCH 11 MEETING
By Alexander J. Schorr
Photo, left, via Grossmont Education Association: angry crowd turns back on Acting Superintendent Sandra Huezo and the GUHSD board
READER’S EDITORIAL: YES, IT’S TIME TO BLOCK DESTRUCTIVE BUDGET
An open letter sent to California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff
By Chuck Brown, Spring Valley
March 13, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) - The House passed legislation to fund the government through Sept. 30 and thereby avert a shutdown at the end of this week.
EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL MAJORITY VOTES TO SUPPORT ‘PIG IN A POKE’ IMMIGRATION BILL IN CONGRESS
By Miriam Raftery
March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – Four members of El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to send letters of support for H.R. 1680 to its author, Colorado Republican Gabe Evans, and ask local Congressman Darrell Issa to co-sponsor the bill--even though the text of the bill has not yet been released.
The only description on the Congressional website states that the measure will “amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to expand the prohibition on State noncompliance with enforcement of the immigration laws, and for other purposes.” But according to Congress.gov, no text of the bill has yet been submitted to the Legislative Analyst. So we don’t know how the bill would affect immigrant enforcement locally, nor what “other purposes” might be included.
Two members of the public spoke, both opposed to the action.
Rebecca Branstetter called the bill “a pig in a poke” since there’s no text on the Congressional website yet. “If we can’t read and understand the text of the bill, we can’t know what Council is asking for in its letter to Darrell Issa.” She asked that the measure be tabled until text is available for residents and Councilmembers to review.
EL CAJON BANS SALE OF VAPING DEVICES DISGUISED AS OTHER PRODUCTS
By Miriam Raftery
March 12, 2025 (El Cajon) – By a unanimous vote, El Cajon’s City Council yesterday voted to adopt an ordinance prohibiting the sale of vaping or e-cigarette devices disguised as other products.