It's been a drama filled week for members of the San Diego City Council both in front of and behind the cameras.

On Tuesday, the council failed to compromise on a framework to regulate the Airbnb business. The finger pointing was harsh and loud, and mostly aimed at Councilman David Alvarez for his change of heart on the issue. Alvarez was one of the signatories in the "Four Council Member" effort to regulate the industry, but on Tuesday decided he wasn't going to support that original plan.

That meant all efforts to establish the framework would be defeated 5-4.

If the recommendations of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Unity Reform Commission (URC) are eventually approved and enacted, will the Democratic Party be “united”? Although fissures always exist within political parties, it appears that the Democratic Party’s coalition has not been this fragile since the Vietnam War. While the Vietnam War eventually ended, it is not clear whether the URC’s proposed reforms will be sufficient to appease Bernie Sanders supporters.

I have a confession: I was born an independent, and I'm pretty sure the majority of Americans were too.

Whether it is here in the United States or over in Germany and Britain, there have always been and always will be partisans. But based on voter registrations and the general frustration toward Washington and our state houses, more and more voters are beginning to understand what being an "independent" is all about.

Many people woke up this morning to the news that Democrat Doug Jones won the special election for US Senate in Alabama. Jones won with 49.9 percent of the vote, while Moore took 48.38 percent. The write-ins made a big difference in the race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8uf7O5SbM8

Video Source: CBS News

The congressional budget has been received with mixed responses, and one of the most controversial changes has been a failure to renew funding for CHIP.

Some days I turn on the TV to catch a few segments of “Morning Joe,” the morning political talk show on MSNBC.  I tuned in last week for a roundtable discussion of a new poll done by Harvard’s Institute for Politics.

The survey looked at political sensibilities and views of millennials — who the poll says are fearful about the future — all of whom will be of voting age in 2018.

Before a packed audience at Golden Hall at Civic Center San Diego, the San Diego City Council failed to provide a workable framework to regulate the Short Term Housing Rental market.

At 8:15 p.m., and after more than 11 hours of testimony and debate, a motion to pass the Bry-Zapf plan failed by a vote of 5-4. Those voting against were Council Members Sherman, Cate, Kersey, Ward and Alvarez. Council Members Bry, Zapf, Cole, and Gomez voted for the plan.

The Federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Jeff Sessions is hampering the ability of minor parties to get their candidates on the ballot.

The Libertarian Party of New York (LPNY) first brought this problem to the attention of the DOJ in 2013, but to no avail. With the DOJ’s approval, a New York Federal court ordered the 2014 and 2016 separation of the petitioning periods for federal and state minor party candidates (bifurcation).

The strategic plan and a high-level architecture to attack poverty in 21st century America begins with three solution sets:

First, tell the truth.

Official government numbers sadly underestimate the problems of poverty in America. If we can’t get the numbers right, we will never get the policies and programs right.

Over the years, many a prominent politician has said, to paraphrase, “I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I can count votes.”

Such is the case with President Donald Trump, and it may be the bottom line reason he has decided to openly endorse Judge Roy Moore for the United States Senate.

While politicians from both sides of the aisle have been falling all over to distance themselves from, or flat out reject the Moore candidacy, Trump is in fact, truthful and pragmatic.

Let’s first take a look at what is obvious.