Year End Review of 2008

By Daniel Muñoz

When we look back at the year 2008 we can sum up the year as an ‘Economic meltdown.’ The economy dominated the news from the start of the year to the end as every day passed a new story came out about the deteriorating economy.

While the economy dominated the news it wasn’t the only major story of the year. Barack Obama made history as the first black American elected President of the United States. The theme for the Obama campaign was a message of “change,” that was accompanied with the chant “Si Se puede.” Obama enthralled the voters and inspired millions around the world.

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The quest for Latino votes put the candidates in front of a population that’s disillusioned about federal polices, untrusting, hungry for explanations, and more results. Laura Araujo, right, and Isabel Olivieri take photographs of themselves with a cut out figure of presumed presidential candidate for the Democratic Party, Barack Obama at the NCLR confernce. Both are from Tijuana, Mexico. Photo - David Maung.

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Obama carries the hope and the future of the United States on his shoulders as the country looks to him to bring about the promise of change. In the meantime the Presidency of George W. Bush is being characterized as possibly the worst in the history as the failures of his administration continue to mount and he will be remembered for a shoe throwing incident by a member of the Iraqi media.

The other stories of 2008 included immigration while still relevant; more importantly, had diminished as a divisive issue and no longer dominated the conversation when it came to Hispanics. The topic of the year was about the Hispanic vote. The drug war across our border was another prominent story line, along with the local issues and politics. All these stories and more were covered by La Prensa San Diego but as always we saw the stories through our Brown Eyes - from a Hispanic perspective. With that said we take a look at the year 2008 through word and pictures as it was seen through the pages of La Prensa San Diego.

The 2008 year started out on a sour note. The economy was in a recession but the economist weren’t calling it a recession just yet that would come later in the year. While we had hoped that 2007 would be as bad as it could get, that the economy had bottomed out, we would soon find out that we had no clue to how bad it was going to become. As a community we were looking for relief from all the negative news that would propel us into the year 2008 which the San Diego Charges did as they completed a successful regular season and were headed toward the playoffs.

The race for the Presidency was coming to a conclusion as the state Primaries were getting underway. On the Democratic side Hillary Rodham Clinton was still the front runner. First term Senator Barack Obama was making his move to become the Party’s nominee borrowing the “Si Se Puede” rallying cry as his campaign gathered steam. Hispanic Bill Richardson was still in the race but his campaign never really did catch on, but it was significant that Richardson was in the race for Democratic nomination.

Primaries had been moved up with the States jockeying to be major players in this year’s election. California had moved their Primary up to February 5, which was to be called super Tuesday with 22 states moving their Primary to that same date. As the California Primary got closer there would be much courting for the Hispanic vote and endorsements. The irony with all the States moving up their Primary date proved to be self defeating and it was the States with the later Primary dates who enjoyed the spotlight of a close campaign between Clinton and Obama.

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Special forces were depolyed to the border cities by Mexican President Felipe Caldaron. The federal troops were a welcome site but they did little to curb the violence and killings that escalated throughout the year.

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Meanwhile locally the City of Chula Vista was starting to experience troubles with the Gaylord project on this city’s bay front. Competing interest were pulling at the fabric of the deal that would eventually lead to the demise of the project. A coalition of local trade associations, builders, contractors, and workers, were pushing the Chula Vista City Council to adopt an ordinance that the coalition said will “promote competition and equal opportunity” in the construction of a hotel and convention center at the bay front. This was the beginning of the end to this project with Gaylord pulling out of the project all together at the end of the year.

In the first month of 2008 we also reported on the continued violence in Tijuana with the drug cartels and the escalating violence within that city. This would be an ongoing theme throughout the year as the killings in Tijuana would only get worse.

That was how the year started. The top news stories were about the elections. The first Tuesday in February was all about Super Tuesday. With the early Primary making it a long season of campaigning.

For the rest of the story, please follow this link:

Stories

Will the Border Wall Stand?
By Kent Paterson
As the Bush Administration enters its final weeks, pressure is building to halt construction of the Department of Homeland Security’s unfinished US-Mexico border wall. The controversial project, which was originally slated to be completed by December 31 of this year, is the target of reinvigorated opposition from border residents, elected officials, indigenous communities, human rights activists, and environmentalists. Buoyed by changes coming to Washington, border wall opponents are stepping up their lobbying of President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team to ensure the fencing is halted and even reversed.

México del Norte
Por Jorge Mújica Murias
El voto que falta
“Yo abriré las puertas del gobierno y les pediré que participen en nuevamente en su propia democracia”, dice el lema al principio de la página de Internet, y la firma un tal Barack Obama.

Alertan por Destrucción de Sitios Arqueologicos a Cambio de Campos de Golf en Ensenada
Magnate Texano Busca Privatizar Playas Mexicanas en Baja California
Exigen Mexicanos a Gobierno Federal Respetar Punta Banda
Por Sergio Flores
ENSENADA, Baja California - Un total de 8 sitios arqueológicos en 107 hectáreas costeras, así como flora endémica, desaparecerían para dar paso a campos de golf con una inversión de 7.5 millones de pesos que invertirá el magnate texano Hill Red McCombs, en Punta Banda, al sur de Ensenada en Baja California Norte y todo cambiará, hasta el nombre del lugar que será denominado “Punta Brava”.

Consulado General de México en San Diego Advierte Sobre Fraudes Al Público en el Trámite de Importación Definitiva de Automóviles a México
El Consulado General de México informa que se han detectado ciertas irregularidades en el procedimiento de importación definitiva de automóviles de EEUU a México, como la presentación en la Aduana mexicana de documentación falsa relativa a la importación definitiva de automóviles. Además de decomisar el vehículo, las autoridades presentan cargos en contra de los connacionales por portación de documentación falsa.

LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Luisa Fernanda Montero
El futuro es un compromiso de todos
Antes de cerrar el año que se despide, es justo y necesario que —como comunidad— hagamos un balance de lo que para nosotros significó este 2008.

City of San Diego Hosts 35th Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program
The City of San Diego’s Environmental Services Department will host the 35th Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program beginning December 26, 2008 and running through January 23, 2009. This year’s program will offer 16 drop-off locations, available to City residents only, as well as curbside pickup for those customers with curbside yard waste collection.

UCSD Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Information Meeting
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (Osher Institute) at the University of California, San Diego, will hold a Member Information Meeting on Saturday, January 10, 2009. Refreshments will be served at 9:30 a.m. followed by a presentation starting at 10:00 a.m. on the UC San Diego Extension Campus in the Rubinger Center, Building “D” located at 9600 North Torrey Pines Road and Muir College Drive. Free parking is available adjacent to the UCSD Extension Campus. Winter quarter classes begin Tuesday, January 20.

Southwestern College to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2nd Annual Scholarship Breakfast to be held on January 13th
WHAT: Southwestern College (SWC) African American Alliance is proudly hosting the 2nd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast. The event will feature keynote speakers: Tony Young, San Diego City Councilmem-ber, 4th District and SWC Alumni Inez Odom, SWC Telemedia Instructor, who was instrumental in developing the documentary, Eye on the Prize. The keynote speakers will articulate their views on “Keeping the Dream Alive.”