Deejay Learns There Is Only Room for One ‘Mr. Rock ‘n Roll’ in Radio

It’s a people business.

* Mr. Rock ‘n Roll meets Mr. Lawyer.

Why isn’t Tony Maddox, the new afternoon disc jockey at KBZS (K-best), calling himself “Mr. Rock ‘n Roll” as he planned to when the station switched last week to an all-oldies format?

Because he got a letter from an attorney for a disc jockey in Los Angeles who’s used the name “Mr. Rock ‘n Roll” for two decades. Hinting heavily of a lawsuit.

The search of a litigation-proof moniker for Maddox continues.

* San Diego Councilman Ron Roberts says that his family’s cars have been broken into so many times that he should run a tab with his neighborhood glass installer.

The latest glass-smasher occurred the same day Roberts announced his support for the Police Officers Assn. initiative to put more cops on the street.

* The Legal Aid Society and the county Bar Assn. honor Mother Teresa at the 4th annual Martin Luther King Recognition Dinner on Saturday.

This despite some misgivings in the Legal Aid ranks about the anti-abortion, anti-contraception doctrine of the Catholic church.

“Remember we’re an agency that prides itself on being politically correct and sensitive to the political views of everyone,” explains Legal Aid executive director Gregory Knoll.

“There was some discussion regarding the Catholic view of anti-choice and Mother Teresa . . . . The fact remains she has devoted her life to the same constituency we also serve: the poor.”

* Sick humor.

Fatal shootings are now being called “General Dynamics’ exit interviews.”

* Coronado’s Jill Scott, the reigning Mrs. America, goes on “Hard Copy” tonight to deny that she’s a welfare cheat. She says she’s a victim of a smear campaign of mysterious origins.

* Ex-Rolodex Madam Karen Wilkening goes on the new Jenny Jones talk show out of Chicago on Feb. 10 (Channel 39). She’s teamed with a former madam from Nevada’s Cottontail Ranch.

Still in the works: An appearance by Wilkening on the Sally Jessy Raphael show.

Courting the Gay Vote

One facet of this year’s mayoral race is San Diego is sure to be ardent courting of the gay and lesbian vote.

For example, Peter Navarro, Councilman Ron Roberts and Supervisor Susan Golding all attended and spoke briefly at the recent installation dinner for officers for the Log Cabin Club, the gay Republican group.

But the rhetoric that has sufficed in the past to keep gay and lesbian voters happy--calling for police protection, decrying hate crimes, supporting the Gay Pride Parade and the Human Dignity Ordinance--may not be enough this year.

Michael Portantino, publisher of the San Diego Gay & Lesbian Times, says a major issue will be the need for a “domestic partners” ordinance that, among other things, would allow city employees to have their gay or lesbian partners covered by the city health insurance plans.

“We want to see candidates not just supporting the idea but pledging to lead the drive to get it passed,” Portantino said.

As popular as a domestic-partners ordinance might be in the gay and lesbian community, it does not take a political genius to imagine the negative reaction it might incur in other parts of socially conservative San Diego.

Roberts says he opposes domestic-partners because of the “cost implications” of adding people to city insurance plans.

Golding has heard of “significant legal and budget problems” where domestic-partners has been tried but wants to see a definite proposal before saying yea or nay.

Navarro, who is set to officially announce his candidacy this week, supports the idea of domestic-partners “in concept.”

Roberts gibes that to fund the program Navarro will resort to his all-purpose solution: fees on developers. The Navarro campaign promises a position paper later.

Departing Like a Winner

Quote of the week.

John Mamaux, emerging from a closed meeting of the Oceanside City Council where he had just been fired as city manager, was immediately asked by reporters what his plans are.

Without missing a beat, he answered:

“I’m going to Disneyland.”