Other items in today’s column include:
*34 Jewish Members Constitute 6% of Congress
*Twenty-Nine San Diegans Among 353 Californians Who Immigrated to Israel in 2020
*In Brief
*Save San Diego Neighborhoods Accuses Campbell of lying about short-term rentals
[Names in boldface type are those of known members of the Jewish community]
SAN DIEGO — Sworn in today (Monday, Jan. 4) as the 3rd District San Diego County Supervisor, Terra Lawson-Remer laid out an ambitious agenda for herself that included “an evidence-based” campaign against COVID-19, extending a financial “lifeline” to small businesses and workers in San Diego County; implementing a climate action plan; promoting racial justice; fighting homelessness; developing affordable housing; protecting the coastline; guarding against pollution-promoting urban sprawl; lessening the threat of wildfires; providing care for seniors, children, adults with mental or behavioral issues; assisting immigrants; and supporting the arts.
Lawson-Remer was sworn via Zoom by Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and U.S. Appeals Court Judge M. Margaret McKeown of San Diego. Atkins had Lawson-Remer repeat the first part of the oath after her, and then McKeown took over to complete the process. Similar ceremonies were held for newly elected Supervisors Nora Vargas (1st District) and Joel Anderson (2nd District). Lawson-Remer, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Kristin Gaspar. Vargas, a Democrat, succeeds Republican Greg Cox, and Anderson, a former Republican state senator, succeeds Republican Dianne Jacob. Both Cox and Jacob were termed out.
Until today, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors had been controlled by Republicans. But with Lawson-Remer and Vargas joining with continuing Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Democrats will control the Board by a margin of 3-2. Besides Anderson, the other Republican on the board is continuing Supervisor Jim Desmond. The first meeting of the new board will be Tuesday, January 5th, when, as a result of the new alignment, Fletcher is expected to be elected as chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
During her remarks, Lawson-Remer, a single mother, noted that the coronavirus pandemic had sidelined many people’s activities, including those of her 18-month old daughter Eevakai who, she said, is struggling with a learning/ communications disability.
She called for “a green future” that would lead to zero carbon emissions, while creating new jobs for San Diego County residents.
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34 Jewish Members Constitute 6% of Congress
Pew Research Center reports that Jews constitute 6 percent of the 117th Congress, with eight members of the U.S. Senate and 26 members of the House of Representatives. The Center noted that Jewish members “make up a larger share of Congress than they do of the general public 6% vs. 2%)” while “the shares of most other non-Christian groups analyzed in this report (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Unitarian Universalists) more closely match their percentage in the general public.” Pew reported that “nearly nine-in-ten members of Congress identify as Christian, compared with two-thirds of the general public (65%). Congress is both more heavily Protestant (55% vs. 43%) and more heavily Catholic (30% vs. 20%) than the U.S. adult population overall.
In their self-identifications, San Diego County members of Congress included two Catholics (Mike Levin and Juan Vargas), one Lutheran (Scott Peters), one Orthodox Christian (Darrell Issa) and one Jew (Sara Jacobs).
Besides Jacobs, the other 25 Jewish members of the House of Representative, by state, are: CALIFORNIA —Adam Schiff, Brad Sherman, Alan Lowenthal; FLORIDA – Lois Frankel, Ted Deutch, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz; ILLINOIS–Jan Schakowsky, Brad Schneider; KENTUCKY–John Yarmuth; MASSAHUSETTS — Jake Auchincloss; MARYLAND – Jamie Raskin; MICHIGAN — Elissa Slotkin, Andy Levin; MINNESOTA — Dan Phillips; NORTH CAROLINA —Kathy Manning; NEW JERSEY –Josh Gottheimer; NEW YORK — Lee Zeldin, Jerrold Nadler, PENNSYLVANIA — Susan Wild; RHODE ISLAND–David Cicilline; TENNESSEE — David Kustoff, Steve Cohen; VIRGINIA–Elaine Luria; WASHINGTON–Kim Schrier. All are Democrats, except Kustoff of Tennessee and Zeldin of New York, who are Republicans.
In the Senate, the self-identified Jewish members are Dianne Feinstein of California, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Ben Cardin of Maryland; Jacky Rosen of Nevada; Chuck Schumer of New York; Ron Wyden of Oregon, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. All are Democrats except Sanders, who lists himself as an Independent but who caucuses with the Democrats.
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Twenty-Nine San Diegans Among 353 Californians Who Immigrated to Israel in 2020
Nefesh B’ Nefesh, which assists North American Jews to immigrate to Israel, reported that 353 Californians made aliyah to Israel in 2020, with 29 of them coming from San Diego. Altogether there were 3,168 North Americans who made the move.
Since January of 2020, Nefesh B’Nefesh Olim (immigrants) have most often hailed from New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Ontario, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas,” according to a news release from the organization. “Altogether in the past year, 811 families chose to move their lives to Israel, along with 1032 singles and 332 retirees. There were 61 physicians and altogether 198 medical professionals who arrived in Israel in the last year, most of whom joined the frontlines in Israel’s fight against the coronavirus, and 390 young men and women who stepped off the plane with the desire to serve Israel as lone soldiers. In addition to the Olim who arrived throughout 2020, Nefesh B’Nefesh received 6704 Aliyah applications (in contrast to 3035 in 2019) marking a 126% increase in interest in Aliyah.”
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In Brief
*Former Congressman Max Rose (D-N.Y.) has decided against running for mayor of New York City. Another dozen candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.
*Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon, was subjected to an arson attempt last Wednesday night by someone who set the front door alight. Crime Stoppers has offered a $2,500 cash award for information leading to an arrest.
*In interviews leading up to tomorrow’s U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia, Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff has been making a point that incumbent Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler has been seen on the campaign trail with Charles Doles, a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan who remains active in white supremacist organizations. Loeffler, who had posed for a picture with Doles during a campaign rally, subsequently repudiated him.
*Political activist and former San Diego mayoral candidate Tasha Williamson is resting at home following being treated at a hospital for COVID-19, during which she had to be administered oxygen, reports Ken Stone of Times of San Diego.
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Save San Diego Neighborhoods Accuses Campbell of lying about short-term rentals
The movement to recall San Diego City Council President Dr. Jen Campbell has issued a statement from the Save San Diego Neighborhoods Organization stating, “Jennifer Campbell has betrayed the voters off District 1. She lied abut a variety of issues to get their votes, including short term rentals. As they say, actions speak louder than words. Jennifer Campbell is in the pocket of the special interests — land speculators, developers, billion dollar corporations and their lobbyists. She’s not working for the people of San Diego.”
Elaborating on the short-term rental controversy, the organization stated in an email blast, “In 2018, during her campaign for City Council, Jennifer Campbell met with the SSDN Board. She told the Board she agreed with and supported SSDN’s position ‘100%’ She said short term rentals were ‘illegal, as Mara Elliott has said, and do not belong in residential zones’ and ‘I will fight to enforce the existing municipal code.’ She also answered the SSDN candidate survey, saying she believed “0” was the appropriate number of short term rentals in residential zones. Councilmember Campbell has now admitted she has been ‘working since she was elected’ with Expedia to legalize short term rentals in San Diego residential zones. She intentionally hid — and lied — abut the existence of her proposed STR legalization ordinance from her constituents. This level of duplicity and cold manipulation is simply stunning.”
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com