Escondido is “one of the most responsive and caring of communities” in its approach to social service programs for the needy and homeless, according to Mel Takahara, an administrator with The Salvation Army in the city. Takahara presented a brief overview of the historical development of social services in the U.S. and in Escondido to [...]

Mayor Sam Abed held firmly to his positions, some of which are controversial, but took a friendly stance in speaking before the March 12 Club meeting. He told the approximately 50 people in the audience at the East Valley Community Center “we all want a better Escondido – let’s work together on the issues we [...]

State legislators should take a close look at the relationship between community mental health programs and prisons as they craft a solution to California’s budget deficit, a former Assembly member told Escondido Democrats February 12. Former State Assembly member and 2012 candidate for State Senate Lori Saldaña provided EDC members with a history of California’s [...]

Members voted to conditionally approve the EDC 2011 Annual Plan prepared by the Club executive board and presented by President Paul McNamara at the January 8, 2011 meeting. However, the process is not complete. Member comment on the plan is encouraged. Read the plan and send comments to President@EscondidoDems.org Discussion of comments and a vote [...]

Following a two-hour candidate forum in which all 11 candidates for Escondido Mayor and City Council participated, and which was attended by more than 100 people, Club members voted to endorse Jason Everitt for City Council and to rate Tom D’Agosta “acceptable” for Mayor. Members also rated Council candidates Carmen Miranda and Richard Barron “acceptable.” [...]

A resolution encouraging the City of Escondido to prioritize local jobs was presented to Club members at the August 14 meeting. The resolution, drafted by Jason Everitt and Chris Nava, urges the City to establish a local employment program “to encourage hiring and retention of Escondido residents for the work to be performed under public [...]

EDC will take action “to get the City Council out of the immigration business” as President Paul McNamara put it, following authorization from members at the July 10 meeting. In making the motion to allow the Club to get involved, member Dan Buse said “no person should be afraid to contact the police department.” Three [...]

Andrea Guerrero, an immigration law expert from the American Civil Liberties Union who spoke to EDC at its June 12 meeting, told the group that efforts to control illegal immigration into the United States are compromising civil liberties and rights of both immigrants and U.S. citizens. Guerrero also said that the agencies enforcing immigration laws [...]