Month: April 2015

According to a review of OB Rag records, there’s been an unprecedented sell-off of apartments in Ocean Beach over the last 4 years. This has included the transfer of nearly $38 millions and involving nearly 160 units.

Since the summer of 2011, there’s been nearly 20 of these transactions – the sale and purchase of multiple-unit properties in the OB village. There’s been at least ten since January 2014 and 3 this year already.

Editor: The following is the response in the form of a letter to Councilwoman Zapf by the Ocean Beach Town Council to Mayor Faulconer’s Draft Budget.

April 27, 2015

Dear Councilmember Zapf,

At our most recent public meeting we were made aware of a list of Ocean Beach-related priorities within the Mayor’s FY2016 draft budget. While we are pleased to have additional hours at the Rec Center, and increased funding for our Fire Station, the community was disappointed that there was no proposed funding for some of our most treasured infrastructure. The Life Guard Station and the Ocean Beach Library were noticeably absent from the draft budget. Earlier this year, we were elated to see these items listed in your Budget …

Editor: The following letter was originally sent to Councilwoman Lorie Zapf by the OB Friends of the Library back in February of this year.

Here, the Friends’ President, Judy Collier, has resent the letter with the opening phrase, “what progress has been made since I sent this letter …?” We share it with you.

Dear Councilmember Zapf,

What progress has been made since I sent this letter on February 9, 2015? Thank you for your help and support.

The War in Vietnam Formally Ended 40 Years Ago Today

By Frank Gormlie

There is a direct connection between the OB Rag and the Vietnam War – which formally ended 40 years ago today when the National Liberation Front finally captured Saigon – the then-name of the capital.

Or I should say, there’s a direct connection between the OB Rag and the anti-war movement against the Vietnam War. I was a militant member of the anti-war movement on my campus at UCSD from 1968 to 1970 when I graduated – along with hundreds and even thousands of other students.

By Will Falk / San Diego Free Press

In the first essay of my Protecting Mauna Kea series, I made a mistake. I wrongfully described the ongoing, illegal American occupation of Hawai’i as an “annexation.”

Hawaiian friends of mine pointed this out to me and gave me a thorough history lesson. I was referred to documents, books, and websites that tell the truth. For the last several days, I’ve been reading everything I can on the subject.

Here’s a difference between Ocean Beach and South Mission Beach:

South Mission residents and property owners are opposed to a new 4,000 square foot lifeguard station currently being built by the City of San Diego – while OB residents can’t get funding for a new lifeguard station here.

The City began construction recently on the 30 foot facility in South Mission. Meanwhile, OBceans found out just recently that there’s no funds for the OB station in the current budget being proposed by Mayor Faulconer – who used to represent OB while on the City Council.

By Tony de Garate / Special to the OB Rag

The normally routine annual process of selecting officers has become a befuddling mess at the Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB). This became evident at their latest meeting, held on April 16th.

Like the other 40-plus planning boards that are sanctioned by the San Diego City Council to make recommendations on land use and quality-of-life issues, the PCPB hosts an election every March in which members of the community vote for board members. These board members then select officers for one-year terms in April.

By Norma Damashek

The city of San Diego has first-class universities, first-class biotech companies, first-class ethnic restaurants, first-class theater, first-class engineers, artists, and musicians. Also: Our city has first-class standing as a prototype of community-based planning.

Editor Note: The Civic San Diego Board of Directors is meeting today to discuss adoption of their Community Benefit Policy (Item 8).

Dear Civic San Diego Board Members,

In light of the dissolution of the redevelopment agencies, the City of San Diego has a responsibility to establish clear policies and standards for publicly subsidized community economic development. In October 2014, the Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods committee directed Civic San Diego to conduct a community outreach process.

Qualcomm Sucks Up To China

By John Lawrence

Qualcomm has been fined almost a billion dollars by China for violating its anti-monopoly law. China has the world’s most internet users and the largest smartphone market so Qualcomm has to tread gingerly with the authorities there since it doesn’t want to be booted out of the world’s most lucrative market.

The fine will knock 58 cents a share off Qualcomm’s earnings for the year. Qualcomm CEO Steven M. Mollenkopf thinks paying the fine will make Qualcomm better positioned to cash in in the future.

Report of Pt Loma – OB Democrats Meeting Sunday, April 26, 2015

By Lois Lane

This past Sunday’s meeting had a decidedly progressive tone, with a panel discussion on the topic of medical marijuana, and a presentation about the OB Rag.

The medical marijuana topic had some high-powered speakers – Terrie Best from the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access; Alex Kreit, Associate Professor and director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and Ebon Johnson, director of the Green Nectar Dispensary.

Cynara Velazques, a club member, served as moderator. The guidelines stated that the topic was past the “for/opposed” stage, and was meant to provide information about the current law. Some interesting highlights: …

Local Climate Mobilization Coalition meets at People’s Co-op every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. — Here’s Report of April 25th Meeting

By Colleen Dietzel / Special to the OB Rag

Since early February this year the Coalition for Climate Mobilization has been organizing a series of events to build the movement leading up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris in November. (See OB Rag coverage of March 15th event.)

The Climate Mobilization Coalition’s goal is a call to the United States Government to immediately commence a national World War II-style mobilization to transition the U.S. from fossil fuels to sustainable energy, including solar, wind and water.