Month: October 2015

By Phillip Smith / AlterNet

The California Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform, also known as ReformCA, has filed a draft marijuana legalization initiative with state officials, the group announced Sunday.

The long-anticipated move means the campaign best-placed to bring legalization to the Golden State can finally get underway.

The Control, Regulate and Tax Cannabis Act of 2016 would allow people 21 and over to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana and it would set up legal marijuana commerce overseen by a pair of new state agencies, the California Cannabis Commission and the Office of Cannabis Regulatory Affairs.

Editor: Since this article appeared, the Pentagon has changed its story. Now it says that air-strikes were called in by Afghan government soldiers.

By Nadia Prupis / Common Dreams

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on Sunday called the U.S. military’s Saturday airstrike on its charity hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan a war crime and announced it was withdrawing all staff from the beleaguered area.

MSF said 22 people, including medical workers and patients, were killed in the bombing, which occurred around 2:10 am local time and reportedly lasted for at least half an hour.

The OB Planning Board is meeting tonight, Monday, October 5th.

They usually meet on the first Wed. of every month. But due to scheduling problems, the Board will meet in the Crafts room at the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Ave., at 6pm.

By Matthew Wood

Dozens of teachers, students and parents braved the rain this morning – Monday, Oct. 5th – to protest the loss of two teachers at Ocean Beach Elementary School.

Kindergarten teachers Amie Frank and Katy Amberg will be reassigned to different schools in the San Diego Unified School District.

By Jim Miller

Last week over at the San Diego Union-Tribune, Logan Jenkins had some fun pondering what might happen if the “Dems go dark” this upcoming mayoral election. His conclusion? It would push Faulconer to the top-tier of Republican candidates for Governor in 2018:

And, it should be deduced, a cakewalk sweetens Faulconer’s prospects in Sacramento.

In 18 months or so, Republicans will be looking for a governor candidate who can appeal to Latinos and independents as well as the conservative base. The Democrats have a long electable bench. Republicans? Not so much.

If Faulconer is re-elected by a landslide in a major Democratic city, he’s going to rise to the top tier of the GOP’s A+ list.

October Events in OB or at the Ocean Beach Green Center

From the good folks at the Ocean Beach Green Center, located at 4843 B Voltaire Street, Ocean Beach 92107 – oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com 619.225.1083

Climate Mobilization Coalition Meeting

Every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. – October 10th, October 17th, October 24th, October 31st Ocean Beach People’s Cooperative Community Room, 4765 Voltaire Street, 92107. Come help plan for the upcoming Climate Action events. Contact: oceanbeachgreencenter@gmail.com

October 16th Friday 7 p.m. Film Night “Queen of the Sun”

QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from award-winning filmmaker Taggart Siegel, director of REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN . Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Free of Charge :-)

Teachers at OB Elementary are reported to be organizing a picket line at the school, Monday morning, October 5th, to…

Editor: October 2nd of 1968 – the day of the massacre in Mexico City by the Mexican government. Every Mexican with a social conscience remembers that fateful and murderous day. Gringos – Americans need to remember that day as well for our government’s collusion in what happened and the cover-up afterwards.

The following was published a number of years ago, but obviously, is still very, very pertinent for all of us today and tomorrow and everyday until those responsible are brought to justice.

Public Meeting at Liberty Station – Tuesday, Oct 6

Point Lomans are mobilizing against new airline flight paths being proposed for Lindbergh Field by the FAA.

Opponents of the changes say that the new flight paths would take most planes over Point Loma for a second time. Currently, most planes take-off from Lindbergh going west and fly over the Peninsula – but then take a U-turn south of the Point and continue east.

Maps made public either via the media or opponents show that their concerns are valid.

Point Loma residents crammed a September 11th community meeting with their complaints. Casey Schnoor of Hill Street has website against the FAA changes that includes an online petition – noplanenoise.web – and of this writing has nearly 2400 signatures.

Gov. Jerry Brown just signed a bill on Wednesday, September 30th, that makes it a lot more fair for the average Californian fighting a traffic ticket.

Drivers who have been ticketed but who want to challenge the ticket, can now do so without having to initially pay the fees. The law goes into effect immediately.

Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), who introduced the bill, said:

“The system was broken. Is it reasonable or fair to require the poor to pay a huge fine before getting a hearing? I say no, and I’m grateful the governor agreed.”

Mike Herald of the Western Center for Law and Poverty, which pushed for the measure, SB 405. stated:

“By allowing people to have their day in court without having to pay the ticket first, fewer people will get their license suspended and end up in dire straits.”

By Terry Ratner / Special to the OB Rag

I’m a risk taker.

I’m brave to the point of being reckless at times.

When I shoot, I get totally out of myself.

by Malcolm Beith / The News

Clouds loomed as night closed in. By the hundreds, the students streamed into the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. A little past 5:30 p.m., some 10,000 students – not to mention hundreds of workers, farmers and others attending in solidarity – had gathered in the square. Rain splattered down.