May 2014

Green Party Candidate for Governor – Luis J. Rodriguez: Imagine a New California

May 21, 2014 by Source

It’s about time we had new ideas, new imaginations, and an encompassing and inclusive governance.

luisjrodriguezBy Luis J. Rodriguez

I am not a career politician. I won’t accept corporate donations. I am not a Democrat or Republican. And I’ve been blocked from print or airtime in the major media. Still, I’m running a serious independent campaign to be governor of the largest state in the union, one of the 10 largest economies in the world, with the third largest agricultural business anywhere.

I say it’s about time.

California has been governed by politicians, business people, accountants, actors, and,..

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Say “No” to Mayor Faulconer’s Library Budget Shell Game

May 20, 2014 by Anna Daniels

Power not budgetsLibrary materials budget reduced by $500,000 to pay for pilot after-school program

By Anna Daniels / San Diego Free Press

Update: San Diego Citizens packed the council chambers last night – Monday, May 19th- in a three hour budget hearing. Members of the Library Organizing Project testified against the proposed raiding of the materials budget to pay for an after school homework program. They also raised concerns about proposed library open hour schedule.

All libraries will close at 7PM, which is restricts program activities in the evening for working people. …

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Orca Profiles in Captivity: No. 10 of the San Diego 10

May 20, 2014 by Source
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(Ten in a series)

By Cara Wilson-Granat

This is the tenth and final article in a series of ten in which we have met all of the San Diego 10 orcas and heard from advocates who continue to be one of the voices of these imprisoned voiceless, never stopping until the whole world listens.

This week’s Advocate is Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego.

Prisoner #10: Makani

Age: 15 months old

Born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013, Makani made his debut in Shamu Stadium, SeaWorld San Diego. Guided by his momma and big sister, the baby swam immediately to the surface just seconds after he was born to take his first breath. Makani, (his name means “Wind” in Hawaiian) was the fourth calf born to mother …

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Reader Rave: “Good Neighbors in OB Act in the Face of a Bad Purpose”

May 20, 2014 by Source
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A Conclusion to “Good Neighborhood/Bad Neighbors”

Editor: In March we published a Reader Rant entitled “What to Do With Bad Neighbors in a Good Neighborhood?” by an anonymous local resident. That resident – Daniel Bille – has since made himself known publicly – and here is his story.

By Daniel Bille / Special to the OB Rag

It was the first Thursday night in May and our lives returned to normal. For months, we had grown a sense of foreboding and dread every night when the sun went down but especially when Thursdays arrived.

For reasons we can only guess, Thursday was the night the renters next door preferred to get drunk early and fight each other or, worse, keep us awake all night with their noise.

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Dumanis, Schall and Dronenburg: Three Bad Apples Needing to Be Voted Out of Office

May 20, 2014 by Doug Porter
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The Fifth and Final Installment of
A Progressive Procrastinators 2014 Primary Guide

By Doug Porter

ISometimes it becomes necessary to take a stand, using the power of the ballot box to say ‘enough!’ This is one of those times.

In the upcoming June 3rd primary there are three incumbents who I believe ought to be voted out of office: District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, County Assessor/Clerk/Recorder Ernest J. Dronenburg, Jr. and Superior Court Judge Lisa Schall.

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Bar 1502: Did You Know the New Noodle House is Open?

May 19, 2014 by Matthew Wood
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By Matthew Wood

It’s just after noon on Friday afternoon and Steven Yeng looks nervous.

The man who opened the wildly popular OB Noodle House is standing in the middle of his new creation, Bar 1502, and the place – which opened less than a week before – is half empty during the normal lunch rush.

“I don’t think people know we’re open,” he says.

It’s hard to imagine being able to walk into Noodle House and get a table. At the original location, on Cable Street just north of Voltaire, the wait is almost always an hour-plus can grow to more than two hours.

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Peninsula Planners Get Informative Earful from Councilman Harris’ Aide

May 19, 2014 by Source
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By Tony de Garate / Special to the OB Rag

With just seven months remaining on his interim term on the San Diego City Council, Ed Harris intends to be “hands-on when it comes to planning issues” and “make constituent services” his No. 1 goal, an aide said last week.

Harris was appointed to the City Council last month to complete the term of now-Mayor Kevin Faulconer. His representative, Rollin Bush, introduced himself May 15 at the monthly meeting of the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB).

Bush outlined a few priorities …

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San Diego Burning: the Facts We Hate

May 19, 2014 by Jim Miller

pendleton fire cc license

By Jim Miller

It was a little bit of hell on earth. With searing heat in the triple digits replacing May gray and fires sprouting up all over the county, San Diego’s mellow vibe turned menacing last week.

As many of us, this author included, worried about the safety of friends and family members in harm’s way, it was hard not to be struck by a painful sense of déjà vu. We’ve been here before—three times in a little more than a decade. But not everybody felt that way.

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A Progressive Procrastinators 2014 Primary Guide – Part Four: the San Diego City Council Candidates

May 19, 2014 by Doug Porter
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By Doug Porter

Today’s guide provides thumbnail sketches of people running for city council in San Diego. In most instances you’ll find a link for the campaign website right underneath their listing providing much more information about the candidate.

This year all the even-numbered City Council seats are up for grabs. The seriously competitive races are in Districts 2 and 6.

Should the Democratic candidates prevail in those contests their party will maintain a veto proof majority on the council. Unless there’s some polling that I don’t know about, Myrtle Cole (District 4) and David Alvarez (District 8) should win handily.

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Lessons from Wildfires of Yore – the Perennial Blame Game: Who Started the Fires?

May 18, 2014 by Frank Gormlie
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Editor: This article was published by the OB Rag right after the 2007 fires in San Diego County – and today, it has an eerie ring of familiarity. It was part of a series we ran about wildfires. We stated then:

Blaming arsonists for Southern California wildfires has always been a great game for politicians and the mainstream media.

By Frank Gormlie/ Nov. 11, 2007

Before the Wildfires of October 2007 were through burning, the blame game had begun. TV news crews speculated on the causes during those first few days when it seemed the whole world was on fire. Early on, immigrants were the cause, then definitely arsonists, then the homeless, then it was little boys playing with matches. There were so many fires … in the space of just a few days, that there just had to be some kind of conspiracy out there, lighting these fires!

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Quigley Complex on Long Branch Up for Condo Conversions

May 16, 2014 by Frank Gormlie
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The owner of the Quigley complex on Long Branch Avenue has applied for a map waiver from the City in order to convert the four units into condos.

A notice has been sent out informing us that an application has been filed with the City of San Diego for a “Process 3 Map Waiver” in order to convert 4 residential units into condos on the .092 acres of the site.

The “Quigley complex” – so-called because the 3-story innovative building was originally owned and designed by Rob Quigley – is right in the mid block on the south side at 5151 Long Branch.

When the complex sold in 2011, here is what we reported:

 Although originally built in the mid-seventies and since re-stuccoed, this 3-story building is quite unique, as it was designed and constructed by Rob Quigley, San Diego’s famous architect. Quigley is more known for designing San Diego’s new central library currently being built downtown.

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Orca Profiles in Captivity: No. 9 of the San Diego 10

May 16, 2014 by Source
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(Nine in a series)

By Cara Wilson-Granat
This is the ninth in a series of ten in which we meet one of the San Diego 10 orcas and hear from an advocate who continues to be one of the voices of these imprisoned voiceless, never stopping until the whole world listens. After reading about Prisoner #9, Kalia, please scroll down this article and “meet” one of the top San Diego 10 Prisoner Advocates! This week’s Advocate is Liz Jacobelly.

Prisoner #9: Kalia

Age: 9 years

Her name means “Beauty” in Hawaiian, and this lovely nine-year-old orca lives up to her name completely. Born at SeaWorld San Diego on December 21, 2004, her mother is Kasatka and her father is Keet. (Kasatka is featured in #2 of our San Diego 10 series, and Keet is featured in #5 of this series.) Kalia’s claim to fame is that she is also known as Great Grandbaby Shamu, …

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SeaWorld News: Park Plans for the Middle East while Attendance and Revenues Fall

May 16, 2014 by Staff
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Company Refuses to Acknowledge Impact of Anti-Captivity Campaigns for Orcas

U-T San Diego writer Lori Weisberg ran a very interesting story on Wed., May 14 filled with news from SeaWorld – one of the U-T’s favorite anchors for San Diego tourism. While not mentioning boss Papa Doug Manchester’s enthusiasm for tourists to have reasons to fill his hotels, Weisberg wastes no time in getting to the real news from the company that owns 11 sea-theme parks across the country. Attendance was down the first quarter of this year by a whooping 13%.  Weisberg reported:

“the company’s quarterly earnings report … revealed, as expected, that attendance at SeaWorld’s 11 theme parks dropped 13 percent, to a little more than 3 million visitors, …”

This bad news for the company is accompanied by the concurrent news that revenues were also down by 11%.

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Hacker Responsible for “Fire in Your Pants” on San Diego County Emergency Website

May 16, 2014 by Source
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By Gail Powell

The New York Daily News is reporting that the County of San Diego Emergency website is warning about “fire in your pants.”

But the incessant heat and wind that has caused a state of emergency to be declared in the San Diego area didn’t cause county workers to err. ”

A hacker managed to insert the silly message on the county website and app,” said the NY Daily News article.

Shocked visitors to the San Diego County emergency website were told that a devastating blaze threatening hundreds of homes was located “in your pants. ”

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A Progressive Procrastinators 2014 Primary Guide – Part Three: Saying ‘Yes’ to All State and Local Ballot Propositions

May 16, 2014 by Doug Porter
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By Doug Porter / San Diego Free Press

There are five ballot measures covered in today’s column; two-state wide issues and three local topics. State propositions 41 and 42, along with city proposition A, are no-brainers, righting wrongs and fixing stuff that obviously needs to be fixed.

So we’ll start with what I think is the best reason for San Diego voters to get motivated to go the polls: Propositions B&C. They are about a small issue with much larger implications.

Actual endorsements will be in another article, though I doubt you’ll have much trouble figuring out which way I personally lean. Last time we took a look at federal and state legislative contests.

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“No Drones Days of Action” Are Here in San Diego – the Capital of Drones

May 15, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

From “No Drones Days of Action”

San Diego is the US capital of spying and killer drone production. No Drones Days of Action starts on Thursday afternoon with street action and evening Overpass Light Brigade messaging; winding up on Saturday with a general assembly at the Church of the Brethren/Friends Center campus. THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY to help move this nation away from empire and toward a better future.

Thursday May 15·

  • 4-7 PM – San Diego Veterans for Peace Demonstration: Federal Building, Front and Broadway, downtown San Diego; Street Theater staged aerial “drone attack” by Artful Activist San Diego
  • 8 PM – 9:30 PM – Overpass Light Brigade, light/sign demonstration at Clairemont Drive overpass at I-5 freeway

Saturday May 17

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Memory Against Forgetting: The May 1970 Peace Memorial at UCSD

May 15, 2014 by Source
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Editor: the following is based on a speech delivered by the author, Niall Twohig on last Friday, May 9th, in front of a group of fifty gathered in Revelle Plaza at UC San Diego to unveil The May 1970 Peace Memorial. The Memorial is dedicated to George Winne, who immolated himself and died as a protest against the Vietnam War in May of 1970, plus it’s dedicated to those students who carried on the May 1970 Student Strike.

By Niall Twohig

Why a memorial for May 1970? Why a memorial for peace? Why now?

To suggest some answers, I want to ask you, the reader, to take an imaginative leap back in time to May 1970.

In order to make this leap, we have to remember that the U.S. was waging an unpopular proxy war in Southeast Asia, made all the more unpopular after the invasion of Cambodia at the end of April.

If we found ourselves transported to May 1970, this would be all too apparent. We would see the images?the aerial views of bombs upon bombs pulverizing the Vietnamese countryside, images of GIs burning huts, footage of badly burnt villagers running from the firestorm of napalm, photos of rows upon rows of mutilated bodies scattered in the fields and anonymous soldiers packed away in coffins draped in stars and stripes.

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The Widder Curry: Sarah Boot on Our Streets and Height Limits

May 15, 2014 by Judi Curry
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Editor: The other day the Widder Curry caught up with Sarah Boot, candidate for the District 2 City Council seat and explored two issues that mean a lot in southern OB and that area of Point Loma where the Widder lives. See our earlier interview with Boot last month here.

By Judi Curry

For those of us living along the Sunset Cliffs corridor, I have a question for you. When was the last time you were able to leave your home and go directly to the Highway 8 on-ramp without being detoured around Ocean Beach? Yesterday it took me over 10 minutes to get to the freeway because of the streets that were blocked off – again – and detour signs were everywhere.

When I came home from my excursion to El Cajon, the detour signs were gone but the roads from Newport to Santa Cruz were so bumpy I thought my car would end up with flat tires. That, plus the steel plates all over the road only tell me that today will be the same way, and probably for weeks to come.

What about the streets in OB?

I discussed this problem with Sarah Boot, the 32 year old that will make a difference in San Diego politics. So what does she suggest for the roads of District 2?

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Letter From the Garden: Produce the World Around You

May 15, 2014 by Source

By Susan Taylor / San Diego Free Press

trug with toolsArtichokes are fun! They grow from a lovely, silver-green plant with fabulous long leaves. You can pick, steam and then eat them. Or you can let the choke stay on the plant till it erupts into a stunning purple flower that lasts a long time. My mother who wasn’t a native San Diegan took artichoke serving very seriously. She would prune off the sharp tips and outer leaves, cook them and serve them at dinner along with little Austrian bowls filled with warm melted butter.

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San Diego Fast-Food Employees Strike for Higher Pay and Better Rights On May 15

May 15, 2014 by Staff

San Diego joins 150-city strike as worker campaign spreads across the globe to three dozen countries and six continents

fightfor 15By Staff

The fast food industry is an issue that isn’t going away. Front line fast food workers in San Diego are living in poverty while working in a $200 billion industry. San Diego workers are calling for $15 an hour wages and the right to form a union without retaliation. Employees from McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger-King will be joined by the Interfaith Center for Worker Justice board members and community supporters on Thursday May 15.

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A Progressive Procrastinators 2014 Primary Guide – Part Two: Congressional and State Legislature Races

May 15, 2014 by Doug Porter
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Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you! — Pericles (430 B.C.)

By Doug Porter / San Diego Free Press

Today’s column provides thumbnail sketches of people running for legislative positions, both in Sacramento and Washington. In most instances you’ll find a link for the campaign website right underneath their listing providing much more information about the candidate.

There are thirty some-odd candidates running for five congressional, five state assembly and two state senate seats. The way voting districts exist at present tends to favor the incumbents, but California’s demographics are changing rapidly. So this election’s losing candidate in any particular race may well find him/herself with a much more favorable picture next time around.

Unless you’re a hard core politico, it’s hard to keep track of who’s who, especially in primary races, so we’re publishing this series to aid in your decision making process. Actual SDFP endorsements will be in another article, though I doubt you’ll have much trouble figuring out which way I personally lean.

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Million Dollar Condos Take Shape on OB’s Waterfront

May 14, 2014 by Frank Gormlie

Originally published May 14, 2014

The Saratoga and Abbott condos are definitely taking shape. The friendly on-site manager informed us that they hoped the condos will be ready by September – and p0tentially new residents to move in during November 2014.

The ten condos being built will go for around a million dollars a piece. We have heard that figure from two sources now. However, the condos may not be sold initially but instead rented out.

Whether rentals or for sale, the condo complex will certainly alter the waterfront of Ocean Beach.

The complex and the plans leading up to its construction certainly have a history that we at the OB Rag have been documenting.

Here is what we wrote in November 2012:

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A Progressive Procrastinators 2014 Primary Guide Part One: Top Statewide Contests

May 14, 2014 by Doug Porter
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By Doug Porter

There are so many decisions to make. My voting district’s mail-in ballot for the June 3, 2014 election has 26 choices to be made. Opening that envelope made me realize I could no longer put off writing this series…

The fictional (activist) fairy on my shoulder says,“Say it loud & say it proud! Voting is the most fundamental duty of every citizen. Do it for truth, justice and the American way.”

The pretend (procrastinator) demon on my other shoulder says “Ugh. I’d rather watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer re-runs.”

So here we go… Today we’ll take a look at the top statewide contests.

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News Around OB and the Peninsula – Mid May 2014

May 13, 2014 by Staff
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Tar Balls on Beaches Are From Natural Seepage

Beach walkers are seeing gooey black tar bars on the sand, and there is some concern that they’re from fracking or oil spills and are harming the ocean. …
Demo Against Gov. Brown on Fracking in San Diego

If you are concerned about fracking in California, Governor Brown is touring San Diego, today,Tuesday the 13th of May. ………. Come inside for details …

OB Kids Grand Prize Winners in Essay Contest Sponsored by City Library

Ocean Beach residents Clayton Halbert, 10th grade La Jolla High, and Chase Thomas, 4th grade Ocean Beach Elementary, were two of the 13 …

COME INSIDE FOR MUCH MORE ….

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Reminiscences About Ocean Beach

May 13, 2014 by Source
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Editor: For some reason, we recently received emails from two guys who used to live in OB and are willing to share their reminiscences about the town. Both Greg Koerwitz and Steve Bright give us some of their memories which give the rest of us some appreciation for the depth of passion that’s out there about our little village by the sea.

Greg Koerwitz wrote:

I recently read an article in your publication on the web site by the Scripps scientist on the certain sea rise expected in years to come and had to look at some of the pics on the site.

I lived there in 1966 to 1968 in an apartment for $90.00 a month that was only a few years old at the time and this was only a half block from the beach.

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Orca Profiles in Captivity: No. 8 of the San Diego 10

May 13, 2014 by Source
Thumbnail image for Orca Profiles in Captivity: No. 8 of the San Diego 10

(Eighth in a series)

By Cara Wilson-Granat

This is the eighth in a series of ten in which we meet one of the San Diego 10 orcas and hear from an advocate who continues to be one of the voices of these imprisoned voiceless, never stopping until the whole world listens.

After reading about Prisoner #8, Ikaika, please scroll down this article and “meet” one of the top San Diego 10 Prisoner Advocates! This week’s Advocate is Heather Heffernan.

Prisoner #8: Ikaika

Age:12

Ikaika (whose name is Hawaiian for “Strength”) was born at SeaWorld Orlando on August 25, 2002. His mother is Katina and his father is Tilikum (the featured orca in the movie, Blackfish).

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12 of the Biggest Myths About Marijuana Debunked

May 13, 2014 by Source

marijuanamadness4The arguments against legalization simply don’t hold up.

By Owen Poindexter / AlterNet

For decades, cannabis opponents controlled the messaging around the popular plant and cultivated any number of lies about its effects. This built up a powerful stigma against marijuana, the effects of which have not worn off. The racist, expensive and failed U.S. war on drugs continues to rage on. The criminalization of cannabis users and distributors remains a top priority in that war. The government stubbornly classifies it as a dangerous Schedule I substance with no medical value, despite stacks of evidence to the contrary.

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Pilots Come Clean: Drone Warfare Is Riddled with Tragic, Bloody Errors

May 12, 2014 by Source
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Imagine if the drone wars going on in Pakistan and Yemen had a human face all the time.

By Pratap Chatterjee / AlterNet – Tom Dispatch

Enemies, innocent victims, and soldiers have always made up the three faces of war. With war growing more distant, with drones capable of performing on the battlefield while their “pilots” remain thousands of miles away, two of those faces have, however, faded into the background in recent years. Today, we are left with just the reassuring “face” of the terrorist enemy, killed clinically by remote control while we go about our lives, apparently without any “collateral damage” or danger to our soldiers. Now, however, that may slowly be changing, bringing the true face of the drone campaigns Washington has pursued since 9/11 into far greater focus.

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Overfishing to Blame for Sardine Shortage and Starving Sea Lions

May 12, 2014 by Frank Gormlie
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Last year an unprecedented number of sea lion pups were admitted to rehabilitation facilities, emaciated, dehydrated and very underweight for their age and NOAA failed to recognize that the sardine fishery had anything to do with the scarcity of sardines, which feed the pups.

From EcoWatch – Nation of Change / May 12, 2014

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just announced a lack of Pacific sardines is a “likely contributor” to the “Unusual Mortality Event” (UME) that occurred last year where more than 1,600 California sea lions were found stranded and malnourished along the Southern California coastline. The big story, however, is the one NOAA is not telling us.

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Clear Channel Responds to Political Pressure, Quashes Billboard Ads for Judicial Candidate

May 12, 2014 by Doug Porter

carla posterBy Doug Porter / San Diego Free Press

Four Billboards paid for by former prosecutor Carla Keehn in support of her candidacy for San Diego County Superior Court Seat 20 were summarily removed on Friday by the Clear Channel Outdoor corporation just two days after being erected.

The candidate says the company “received pressure to take the billboards down and they would not tell me from whom the pressure came.” This action is consistent with earlierassertions made by Keehn about surreptitious efforts by incumbent Judge Lisa Schall and/or her supporters to deny or withdraw endorsements for the challenger.

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