I’m off to New York for five days. I’ll give you a full report next week!

While some recent newspaper articles and blogs on Councilmember Carl DeMaio have been fair and balanced, a lot of them have been incomplete. While Carl and I disagree on issues, including my strong support for labor unions, there always seems to be a lot missing in these profiles on DeMaio. So I’m going to tell you some things about him that you will not see anywhere else.

Carl DeMaio had a difficult and challenging childhood. For about six years, he witnessed the fight of his courageous mother who died of cancer when he was 13 years old. His father left the three children and Carl’s grandparents could only take his younger brother. Carl became a ward of the state and was taken in by a Jesuit priest.

Carl succeeded in school and became a smart businessman in Washington, D.C. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, far from it. Carl, who is now 34 years old, accepted that he was gay and came out to family members and friends when he was 26. DeMaio has never really led the usual gay lifestyle and is totally focused on his business. In San Diego, Carl soon made a name for himself as a civic leader. When it comes to government reform, Carl has been an active Republican and a fiscal conservative but a strong believer in the “GOP Big Tent” Barry Goldwater philosophy. Carl publicly came out in a 2007 San Diego Magazine article, and for the first time in his life he has begun to discover and learn more about the GLBT community.

DeMaio is also proud that he is the first Italian-American to be elected to office in San Diego since the 1930s. He was honored to be asked to light the Christmas tree in Little Italy last year and has been invited to speak before Italian-American civic organizations. He would also like to see the Annual Columbus Day Parade and Festival brought back.

Here are some things you probably didn’t know about District 5 Councilmember DeMaio: He is a strong supporter of Mama’s Kitchen and raised $2,000 for gas cards to provide nutritional meals to people affected by AIDS and other critical illnesses; he was the only elected official to attend North County Pride and the first annual Latino community and family event on World AIDS Day 2008 in Sherman Heights; he purchased toys for children during the holidays, is collecting baskets for the annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt (more than 500 children showed up last year), spent Thanksgiving serving food for the homeless and those living with cancer and HIV/AIDS, spoke and gave his personal support before 300 people in the recovery community, toured the Barrio Station, met with its executive director Rachel Ortiz and is working to get funding for its youth programs – and the list goes on.

Among Councilmember Carl DeMaio’s community development block grants are: Being Alive, $5,000; Townspeople (housing for HIV/AIDS families), $45,000; St. Vincent DePaul (for the homeless), $10,000; Urban Youth Corps, $25,000; Home Start’s Transitional Maternity Group Home, $20,000; Second Chance, $10,000; Union of Pan Asian Communities, $36,000, etc. Before he was elected, I stated that Carl DeMaio, unlike Calif. Sen. Christine Kehoe, former-City Councilmember Toni Atkins, Councilmember Todd Gloria, did not have a gay activist background. Indeed, David Rolland, City Beat editor, said it best: “DeMaio didn’t gallop into City Hall on a gay horse; he ran on a platform of taxpayer advocacy and government reform.”

To those gay, radical, left-wing crazies who attack DeMaio and say he doesn’t belong in our community, I say to you: No one has the right to say who is – and is not – welcomed. Our community welcomes and grows through our GLBT diversity. For those who say DeMaio reminds them of former-City Attorney Michael Aguirre, I will take a page from a famous vice-presidential debate. I know Michael Aguirre. Michael Aguirre is a good friend of mine and Carl DeMaio is no Michael Aguirre. Like any public official, I urge you to get to know Carl DeMaio and make up your own mind on this man, who has been in office only for a hundred days

Word is that Stampp Corbin, president of the GSDBA Foundation, is up for an appointment by the Obama administration. Two of my longtime friends in Washington, D.C., are now working in the White House and tell me it’s more gay than in the Clinton presidency!

Will Assemblymember John Perez become the first openly gay speaker of the State Assembly? That’s the rumor in some circles in Sacramento.

I had a great dinner at Bite this past week with District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. While Bonnie admits that state leaders are urging her to run for attorney general and other local civic leaders are pushing her to run for mayor, she is totally focused on her re-election.

The Barrio Station 39th Anniversary Benefit Dinner drew about 800 people and, as usual, everyone was there because of their love and respect for Latino icon Rachel Ortiz. But girlfriend, get an updated picture in the program! (We have aged gracefully.) I was honored to be one of the five official hosts along with City Council President Ben Hueso, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez, Councilmember Todd Gloria and the International Longshoremen’s & Warehouse Union Local 29 Political Action Representative, Jerry Shipman. Metropolitan Community Church Rev. Dan Koeshall and I ran into the legendary Herb Klein at the Hob Nob Hill Restaurant. The press secretary to former President Richard Nixon was the usual gentleman he is, and I told him he was looking great.

There are strong rumors that San Diego Unified School District Board President Shelia Jackson is thinking about taking on Donna Frye for Democratic support in the District 4 County Supervisor race.

There was an outstanding commentary in the Union Tribune’s most read Sunday edition (Dialog front page) concerning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by Retired Army Col. Stewart Bornhoft and former Marine Sergeant Bob Lehman.

San Diego’s “Gay Academy Awards” since the 1970s, yes the annual Nicky Awards, will return to the North Park Theatre on Sunday, June 14. This year, producer Michael Mack promises to make the award ceremony more exciting and entertaining than last year! The 2009 Board of Governors will be having its first meeting this week. This year’s Nicky Awards will benefit The San Diego LGBT Community Center and the programs of the Imperial Court de San Diego. For more information, call 619-602-9453 or 619-692-1967.

There is lots of buzz going around over the upcoming world premiere of the play “Dear Harvey” at the Diversionary Theatre from April 18 to 25 – before it goes to Hollywood, San Francisco and New York, etc. Outstanding playwright Patricia Loughrey spent a few years interviewing Harvey Milk’s friends, family and activists whose life he changed. Another gifted artist Dan Kirsch is the director. I got to read some of the script, and I predict that this play will be a smash hit. Since “Dear Harvey” will have a limited engagement here in San Diego and the interest, excitement and buzz is all over, you better get your tickets today, before they sell out. Tickets are $24 ($4 off for groups of 10 or more). For more information, call 619-220-0097 or visit www.diversionary.org.

The award-winning restaurant, California Cuisine, has been a San Diego landmark for outstanding dining for more than 25 years. The restaurant has recently gone through some exciting changes under the general management of handsome, young and hip Robert Romano. Romano has created three different atmospheres at the restaurant: first, the artist main room, then the CC Lounge followed by the beautiful patio. Last week, Councilmember DeMaio, City Commissioner Bruce Abrams and I decided to check things out. We all agreed that California Cuisine remains on all of our top favorite restaurant lists. So here are our combined recommendations: veal sweetbreads, lobster bisque (best in the city), Scottish salmon, free-range chicken breast and my favorite grilled filet mignon. We have always had nothing but the very best dining experiences at California Cuisine. In these ever-changing, difficult economic times, do check out their fabulous CC Lounge, all night on Thursdays, where tapas plates are all half price from 5 to 7 p.m. and go for $4 to $5. And their deserts are also to die for. Todd Atcheson is certainly a five-star executive chef. And for those who have been there before, be sure to revisit California Cuisine with its new fresh look! California Cuisine is located at 1027 University Ave. For more information, visit www.californiacuisine.cc or call 619-543-0790.