January 2015

Friends of Ocean Beach Library Gear Up Campaign to Get Branch Back on City Expansion List

January 21, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

The Friends of the OB Library are not happy. They’ve been working to get the local branch back on the city’s library expansion list for awhile now, but the recent news that the Ocean Beach Library is not on the list was upsetting to many of them.

So, the committee of about a dozen OBceans, with women outnumbering men 6 to 1, headed by Judy Collier, decided at their monthly meeting yesterday, Jan. 20, to gear up their campaign. They will continue to push their petition …

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Town Council Prez Urges OBceans to Come Out to Meet Councilwoman Zapf

January 21, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

Newsom Cites Spike in Numbers of Travelers in OB and Spike in Complaints About Them

Gretchen Newsom is urging OBceans to come out to the next OB Town Council meeting next week and meet the new Councilwoman for Ocean Beach – Lorie Zapf – elected last year.It will be held on Wednesday, January 28th at the Masonic Center.

She has real concerns these days about a spike in the numbers of travelers in Ocean Beach lately. Newsom is the president of the OB Town Council, recently elected to a 2nd term. And she is no stranger to working with homeless …

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Extreme Weather Watch: 2014 Hottest Year on Record

January 21, 2015 by John Lawrence

By John Lawrence

It’s official: NOAA and NASA have confirmed that 2014 was the hottest year on record. Despite the fact of Arctic cold winters on the US east coast, the average earth surface temperature was the hottest on record. Those cold temperatures were more than made up for elsewhere.

The fact that the three hottest years on record are 2014, 2010 and 2005 points in the direction that climate change is indeed a reality, a reality that is only getting worse as time goes on. The 10 warmest years have all occurred since 1997, …

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Humans Have Brought World’s Oceans to Brink of ‘Major Extinction Event’

January 21, 2015 by Source

But ‘proactive intervention’ could still avert marine disaster, researchers find

By Deirdre Fulton / Common Dreams

fish circle Marine wildlife at all levels of the food chain has been badly damaged by human activity, says a new report that urges immediate and “meaningful rehabilitation” if we are to avert mass extinction in the world’s oceans.

“We may be sitting on a precipice of a major extinction event,” Douglas J. McCauley, an ecologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara and an author of the study, told the New York Times.

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OB’s PopUp Picnic from Saturday, Jan 17th – Photo Gallery

January 20, 2015 by Staff

Folks with the OB Town Council organized a “PopUp Picnic” last weekend – and it was a total success. It all came down near the famous OB SeaWall around noon on Saturday, Jan. 17th.

Some saw it as a chance to “take back” the end of Newport Avenue, others saw it just as a chance to have fun with neighbors and others who care about OB.

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The War on Hen-Pecking

January 20, 2015 by Source

All states should follow California’s example and make egg producers treat laying hens better.

By Jill Richardson / OtherWords

Chickens had plenty to celebrate on New Year’s Day. Supposedly.

After a long wait, California’s 2008 ballot measure to improve conditions for laying hens finally went into effect. Instead of living in cramped cages that give each bird less room than a sheet of paper, the birds are going to get enough space to lie down, stand up, stretch their wings, or turn around.

That’s still not very much space. And it’s certainly not “Chicken Disneyland,” as egg producer Frank Hilliker told UT-San Diego.

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Taking Back the Streets and Their Stories, Thousands Reclaim MLK Day

January 20, 2015 by Source

New York Marchers

In year that saw renewed calls for racial justice, over 50 nationwide demonstrations held to ‘desanitize’ the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

By Lauren McCauley / Common Dreams

Thousands of people took to the streets on Monday rebuking what they say is the “sanitized” version of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and calling to restore the legacy of a man whose protests, like their own, were never “convenient.”

The nationwide actions marked the birthday of the civil rights leader in a year that saw renewed calls for racial justice in the face of persistent inequality, discrimination, and police targeting of communities of color.

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350.Org’s High Water Line in Mission Beach

January 20, 2015 by Source

Excerpt from Doug Porter’s column at San Diego Free Press:

Volunteers with the local chapter of 350.org fanned out in Mission Beach yesterday, using chalk to mark off where predictions of sea level rise fueled by climate change will cause flooding in the coming decades.

They sought public input by getting petition signatures for a strong, enforceable City of San Diego Climate Action Plan.

From KPBS:

After New York’s HighWaterLine art project, San Diego’s Mission Beach was one of several communities across the country holding similar events. San Francisco, New York and Miami also used art to address climate change.

Researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography predict a combination of high tides …

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Despite Disappointing Turnout, 100 San Diegans March 4 Miles for Justice

January 20, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

By Frank Gormlie

It wasn’t a massive turnout here in San Diego Monday for the 4 Mile March – far from it – but you can’t get away from the fact that one hundred San Diegans did march four miles for social justice in an effort to rekindle Martin Luther King’s militancy on his celebrated birthday.

San Diego joined a list of at least 30 other cities nationwide that also had “4MileMarches”. A small crowd of around 140 gathered at the City Heights park next to its library – about a quarter African-Americans – , …

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OB’s People’s Food Expansion Plans Put on Hold

January 19, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

Organic Store Had Agreement With “Tiny” of Tiny’s Tavern Before His Recent Passing

By Frank Gormlie

The expansion plans of Ocean Beach’s largest employer, the famous OB People’s Organic Food Market, have been placed on hold due to the unfortunate and untimely death of “Tiny”, the owner of Tiny’s Tavern.

The market co-op, which is a mainstay on Voltaire Street in OB, has just recently purchased the two parcels of land directly to the store’s east, one containing a duplex and the other containing Tiny’s Tavern.

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San Diego’s #4MILEMARCH – Today – Monday, January 19

January 19, 2015 by Source

San Diego’s #4MILEMARCH
Monday, January 19, 2015 San Diego, Ca –

From Press Release of United Against

Please join United Against Police Terror – San Diego, ACTIVIST SAN DIEGO San Diego Branch of the ISO with the Coalition Against Police Violence for San Diego’s #4MILEMARCH.

The 4 Mile March will take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the rally will start at 1:00pm at the City Heights/Weingart Library and Performance Annex 3795 Fairmount Ave, San Diego, California 92105 ending at Malcolm X Library at 5148 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92114

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We Need Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Fierce Urgency of Now”: Beyond Our Current Failure of Imagination

January 19, 2015 by Jim Miller

By Jim Miller

It’s the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and we will be greeted, as is the case these days, with lots of empty gestures and vanilla rhetoric that erases the radical nature of King’s legacy and neuters the impact of his ideas. As I have noted in years past, King was not a moderate whose only idea was that we should all just get along and respect each other. He was a provocative thinker and activist who challenged the core values of our society both then and now.

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“PopUp Picnic” Planned for Ocean Beach Seawall – Sat. Jan. 17th

January 16, 2015 by Staff

Some folks associated with the OB Town Council have planned a “PopUp Picnic” to be held down at the end of Newport Avenue, near and around OB’s famous SeaWall, the Veterans’ Plaza and grassy area, this Saturday, January 17.

They see it as a “way of taking back the SeaWall for families, community members, and people that Respect OB.”

There’s a facebook page on this …

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“The solid citizenry of Ocean Beach are aroused.”

January 16, 2015 by John Lawrence

Complaints About Homeless Have Echoes

By John Lawrence

The solid citizenry of Ocean Beach are aroused. For some time now, there has been a virtual state of war existing between businessmen and merchants, on the one hand, and homeless on the other. The growing homeless community in OB has been met with growing alarm on the part of the established citizenry.

Those with Establishment interests want to drive the homeless out of OB …

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Ocean Beach Business and Development Update

January 16, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s one of our irregular updates on Ocean Beach construction and development.

CJ Catering Moving Into Former Voltaire Street Bakery – Some good news for those with a sweet tooth,

CVS Opens in Former Apple Tree

In the Meantime New Apple Tree on Newport Makes Progress

Saratoga Condos to Open February 1

New Poles at Site of Future Sunset Plaza

Fourth 3-Story Behemoth on West Pt Loma Makes a Fine Blocked View

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In Deep: Sea-Level Rise and San Diego

January 16, 2015 by Source

OBceans Take Note: Group Will Mark Off New High Water Level Mark in Chalk in Mission Beach on Monday, Jan. 19th

By Bill Avrin / San Diego 350.org

As we burn more fossil fuels, and thus pump more heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we are changing every aspect of earth’s climate system. One of the many consequences is that the sea is rising.

On January 19, San Diego 350 will stage a simple action to help make people more aware of what rising seas mean to San Diego right now, as well as in the future. We’re going to Mission Bay, which is pretty much ground-zero for sea-level rise in our county, to mark out where the high-water line is likely to be in about thirty years.

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The Ocean Beach Library Was on the Original Expansion List

January 15, 2015 by Anna Daniels

Veteran Librarian Advises OB on How to Proceed to Get OB Back on the List

By Anna Daniels

Here’s some historical info that may be helpful in presenting your case to Councilwoman Zapf, Mayor Faulconer AND new library director Misty Jones:

“In 2002, the City Council approved a program to build or improve 24 libraries throughout San Diego, including a New Central library.”

Ocean Beach was on that original expansion list.

As recently as 2008, Ocean Beach appeared on a list of City of San Diego & CCDC Projects. The construction costs were $10,186,500 for an expansion to 15,000 square feet.

In 2010, over $2M in capital improvement funds were (I vaguely remember) used to fix the roof and other maintenance.

Thirteen years have passed and why is Ocean Beach (and so many other branches) on hold?

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Reader Rant: ‘OB public restrooms are a disgrace.’

January 15, 2015 by Source

By Matthew Smith

I was wondering if the OB Rag had ever done any investigation into the horrible state of the public bathrooms at the OB beaches?

I regularly visit the beaches and each day Parks and Rec staff clean the bathrooms at 7 o’clock or 8 o’clock in the morning – every morning. There are two toilets in the main lifeguard tower bathroom and two more in the bathrooms on the beach near Brighton Ave. I’ve only seen the men’s bathrooms so these are the ones I’m asking about.

Every single day by noon all four toilets are clogged and unusable. This happens every day.

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Where is the Infrastructure Planning for San Diego’s Vulnerable Coastline?

January 15, 2015 by Source

King Tides Expected to Return to Coast Jan. 19-21

By Jeffrey Meyer / San Diego 350.org

human wave A few weeks ago, San Diego coastal cities were given a stark reminder of the threat to public safety and our $15 billion a year tourism industry by increasing tides and coastal flooding. With this problem becoming more severe, year after year, the lack of substantive coastal infrastructure planning can become a countdown to disaster.

The latest combination of high astronomical tides and elevated surf caused strong rip currents and some flooding at low-lying areas along beaches. Known as king tides, they are expected to return to our coastline on January 19-21 and February 17-19. They have become a harbinger of damage to our coastline as we confront increasing sea levels during this century.

The warnings have been clear and consistent. …

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OB Library Expansion Not in City’s Construction Pipeline Despite Promise Over 10 Years Old

January 14, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

In a kick to the gut to OB supporters of an expansion of the Ocean Beach library, San Diego just announced the next two “waves” of construction and expansions of libraries across town – and they do not include the OB branch.

This despite the promise by the city to expand the current and historic OB library into a two -story building complete with a courtyard. The city even purchased property next door in anticipation of the planned expansion. Architects were hired and models and plans of the new library were shown to members of the OB Planning Board. The plans included retaining the main historic building. This was back in 2003.

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Reader Rave: Residents, Students and Point Loma Planners Clean-Up Future Park

January 14, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

By Jon Linney

On Saturday January 10 we cleaned up the future walk-in park site at Avenida de Portugal and Scott Street. Gone are the dead acacia trees and tumbleweeds that represented a fire hazard. Gone are the cans, bottles and other urban trash. Now absent are the years of construction debris: steel girders, cinder blocks, blocks of concrete, dumploads of gravel and once-molten asphalt.

A dangerous blind curve along Canon Street is now much more visible thanks to our tree pruning. Water has been taking its toll on the park site. The cleanup also involved smoothing the surface to slow or stop the erosion while money is raised and planning done to develop the park.

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Policing the Police: San Diego’s Problems

January 14, 2015 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter

As police departments nationwide are facing increasing scrutiny, local law enforcement agencies are finding themselves under the spotlight.

A news story based on internal documents obtained by the local NBC affiliate on use of force reveals the San Diego Police Department documented 16,238 incidents in which an officer used force in 2014.

A report in Voice of San Diego calls points out what I think are questionable “crime prevention” practices by the County Sheriffs Department at the Lemon Grove trolley station.

And then there’s the promise of a soon-to-be-released report from the Police Executive Research Forum under contract by the US Justice Department on SDPD practices instituted in the wake of several years of scandals and lawsuits regarding sexual misconduct.

Those stories are largely looking at the problem from the “top down,” based on information gleaned from departmental reports and interviews with officials.

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Redefining the American Dream

January 14, 2015 by John Lawrence

By John Lawrence

The American Dream is the ideological underpinning of the middle class. Now that the middle class is disappearing, it no longer makes sense as historically defined.

Thom Hartmann (Rebooting the American Dream) and Hedrick Smith (Who Stole the American Dream) have defined the American Dream as a good job at good wages plus benefits. They bemoan the fact that this has pretty much gone by the wayside in today’s world.

Well, it’s time to get over it because the conditions that gave rise to middle class prosperity in America from 1945 to 1980 are not coming back.

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Local News: Ocean Beach and Point Loma

January 13, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

Hats for Sale to Help Kyle Witkowski’s Family – Hats are now on sale in OB to help Kyle Witkowski’s family.
Sunset Plaza Construction – World Oil’s Sunset Plaza at Sunset Cliffs and Voltaire …

Tiny of Tiny’s Tavern Has Stroke – Tiny of Tiny’s Tavern passed away after suffering a stroke on Wednesday, Jan. 7th;

The Widder Curry Gets Her Cutting Board – Judi Curry finally got her Chicago Cutlery breadboard!

Study of Deaths From Sunset Cliffs – there’s been an average of 4 deaths per year since 2008.

Progress at the New Apple Tree Market on Newport

More Homeless Discussion In Local Media – Gretchen Newson – prez of the OB Town Council

What Do You Think About Trying to Get OB Named as National Surfing Preserve?Please let us know in

Paddle Out Jan 17 for Legendary Surfer Barry Ault

New Bike Racks on Santa Monica Ave Near Rec Center

OB Historical Society – “Tales from the Trail: SD’s Rich Outdoors History” – Jan. 15th

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Ocean Beach Planning Board Annual Election Set: Candidate and Voter Requirements

January 13, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

The Ocean Beach Planning Board will hold elections for the 2015-2017 term on Tuesday, March 10, 2015. Polls will be open 4-7 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Recreation Center at 4726 Santa Monica Avenue.

Mail-in ballots are available upon request (see Voter Information below).

Seven of the Board’s 14 seats will be up for election, one from each of the seven districts in the OB Community Plan Area (map). Board members are elected to 2-year terms, and seats open are staggered every other election.

In addition, there is second seat open in District 4 – but because that seat’s term doesn’t expire until March 2016, it is not being filled this election. In the past, however, the Board would simply add a vacant seat to the ballot but with an explicit expiration date for one year.

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OB Community Plan Likely to Go to Coastal Commission in March

January 13, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

The much anticipated final review of the Ocean Beach Community Plan by the California Coastal Commission has been on the minds of OB planners and OBceans for months now.

Now it is known that the Commission is scheduled to meet in San Diego on March 11 to 13. It is speculation, but it is likely that is when the last stop for the OB Plan will be. Their agenda for that meeting has not be made public. …

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“Death with Dignity” Focus of League of Women Voters

January 13, 2015 by Judi Curry

“If You Like Sleep, You’ll Like Death Even Better”

A summary of the League of Women Voters meeting on “Death with Dignity”

The LWV has scheduled 9 different discussion places for the “Death with Dignity” topic.

On January 12th the discussion was held at the Point Loma Library. The turn-out was disappointing to me – three men and nine women, plus the three female moderators. The discussion, although slow at first, was interesting as the small audience began to participate. The moderators were Nancy Witt, Shirley Walkoe and Jeanne Brown.

Jeanne led the discussion by handing out a statistical page of Assisted Suicide Laws by State. We found out that three states have passed legislation permitting physician-assisted suicide: – Oregon, Vermont and Washington. …

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“Civita” Is the Largest Project in the Continued Destruction of Mission Valley

January 12, 2015 by Frank Gormlie

Part 2

By Frank Gormlie

In mid-October I wrote about how four large residential and commercial development projects and a handful of smaller ones slated for Mission Valley will complete the destruction of San Diego’s once lush green valley. Here, I begin to focus on the individual projects.

“Civita” roughly translated is Latin for citizenship, and it’s the name of the largest, most massive Mission Valley development going in right now – with perhaps a third already completed or being currently built. Once you step back and realize it’s scope, Civita is at once a horrifying and amazing place for all its audaciousness.

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Notes From the Left Coast: California Democrats Need to Raise the Bar on Budget

January 12, 2015 by Jim Miller

By Jim Miller

Last week Eddie Kurtz of the Courage Campaign published a provocative column in the Sacramento Bee in the wake of Governor Brown’s triumphant release of the upcoming budget for the state.

Rather than praising Brown and the state Democrats for being a model for the nation, as many in Democratic circles have been doing, Kurtz took the opportunity to raise the bar of our expectations as he pointed out that …

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“Steal Heaven” at the San Diego Rep Is a Must See

January 12, 2015 by Ernie McCray

By Ernie McCray

This New Year, 2015, was already moving along nicely for me, but it shifted into high gear the other night when Maria and I went to see the San Diego RepertoryTheatre’s “Steal Heaven,” a play written by one of my favorite theater artists, Herbert Siguenza. This multitalented actor, playwright, director and producer is a founding member of Culture Clash, a performance group known for its rich satirical look at the world and its politics – from a Chicano perspective. I’ve loved everything they’ve ever done.

Siguenza’s “Steal Heaven,” was right in line with all his good work and it was just what I needed as I look forward to, hopefully, a long future of trying to change this world into a more civil home for human beings. I know, good luck with that, Charlie, but it’s what I wake up every morning to do.

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sealintheSelkirks April 19, 2024 at 4:26 pm on OB Planners’ Project Review Committee: 20 Units at 4705 Point Loma Ave., — Wed., April 17In 1974 I lived in a studio on Strandway between Liverpool Ct. and Lido Ct. in MB. A converted 1-car garage with a tiny bathroom...
kh April 19, 2024 at 3:41 pm on Reader Rant on the New Warehouse Plan for San Diego’s Unhoused CitizensI think in the interest of expediency, we should sign a lease without due diligence. And then later when we find out we can't use...
kh April 19, 2024 at 3:36 pm on 2 New Projects Proposed for West Point Loma Boulevard in Ocean BeachStrawman, if you transfer title to your children and they actually live there, they will be protected by Prop 13.
kh April 19, 2024 at 3:34 pm on 2 New Projects Proposed for West Point Loma Boulevard in Ocean BeachAre you suggesting that investor-driven real estate speculation doesn't contribute to higher housing prices?
kh April 19, 2024 at 3:32 pm on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingMeh. City staffers live on these awards and back pats. We need to give them more awards. They would whither and die without these meaningless...
Sam April 19, 2024 at 3:27 pm on 2 New Projects Proposed for West Point Loma Boulevard in Ocean BeachTo what end? This will not bring down housing prices and you still won't be able to afford to buy.
kh April 19, 2024 at 1:11 pm on 2 New Projects Proposed for West Point Loma Boulevard in Ocean BeachAre you seriously trying to equate the tens of thousands in annual Prop 13 benefits some receive on their investment properties with the $9 writeoff...
sam April 19, 2024 at 1:10 pm on Reader Rant on the New Warehouse Plan for San Diego’s Unhoused CitizensThis lease was negotiated by the staff at the Real Estate Department, who clearly had no issues agreeing on terms, with the approval of management....
chris schultz April 19, 2024 at 11:49 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingSANDAG spending a billion over the next 4 years for bike lanes is mind boggling.
paul krueger April 19, 2024 at 11:44 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingExcellent and very revealing research! Thanks for sharing!
Paul Krueger April 19, 2024 at 11:43 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingHere's a link to the city's news release on it's nomination for the 2024 "Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability": https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/2024-04-16-city-of-san-diego-a-top-10-finalist-for-2024-ivory-prize-for-housing-affordability.pdf
Kate Callen April 19, 2024 at 11:40 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingThe good people at Ivory Innovations are in the pocket of Ivory Homes, the largest home builder in Utah. The Ivory Family is one of...
chris schultz April 19, 2024 at 11:40 am on 2 New Projects Proposed for West Point Loma Boulevard in Ocean BeachDo you help your kids? Even after they're grown? Should taxation be randomly F the person who worked for what they have? If I helped...
paul krueger April 19, 2024 at 11:22 am on Why San Diego Should Not Be Awarded Anything for Its ‘Bonus ADU’ Program — Not One ADU Unit Has Been Built as Low-Income HousingThanks very much for posting this detailed info!