For the last several years, the OB Rag has been intentionally increasing our coverage of the Point Loma community.
For example, the Rag sends reporters to cover the monthly meetings of the Peninsula Community Planning Board and of the Midway Pacific Highway Corridor Community Planning Board. It’s very important for Point Loma citizens to know what’s going on with these citizen planners. No one covers these meetings as consistently as we do.
And at least twice a month, we publish a round-up of Point Loma and OB news from a variety of sources – including our own. We consolidate your neighborhood news and put it all in one place, our online platform.
No one else does that. Not one other media outlet or platform or newspaper does that.
Plus we cover issues from the Peninsula community, from school playground issues, to new development projects, the creation of or redevelopment of parks, from parents and kids working to prevent the destruction of a popular, home-made dirt bicycle track, to the latest controversies, such as the recycling center and those new dockless bikes and construction projects that breach the 30-foot height limit.
Also, we dish out reviews of Peninsula restaurants written by experienced foodies.
We’re also now beginning to republish articles from the student press at Point Loma Nazarene University – a major college campus in the middle of Point Loma – in an effort to get the community up on their latest issues.
We also steadfastly cover what’s going on with Mission Bay – the great aquatic park at Point Loma’s doorstep – whether it’s landgrabs of public park or the redevelopment of portions of the Bay – we work to ensure Point Lomans are aware of the latest with this great public treasure.
But – you know what? We need help from our Point Loma readers. We hold two major fund-raisers a year, one in the summer and the other in the winter – and we always meet our goals. Yet, most of this crucial support – and we do have our bills – is from readers and supporters of Ocean Beach.
Okay, it’s the “OB RAG” – sure. But don’t let the name fool you. You know “The Village Voice” doesn’t just cover the Village. The San Diego Union-Tribune doesn’t just cover news about San Diego.
The free press isn’t free. Support your local free press. Please help us maintain our platform and news outlet for this community. We’re in our 11th year now and we want to maintain our coverage of the entire Peninsula.
Make a one-time donation – our PayPal button is at the top of this page – or become a monthly contributor – use the PayPal button. If you’re part of a business or group, take out an ad. (Contact us at obragblog@gmail.com ) Or send support to our Post Office Box:
OB Rag
PO Box 7012
Ocean Beach CA 92167
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I would never donate to a communist organization.
“Communism” is an un-obtained ideal. It’s the absence of the state, the government – and we sure haven’t seen that anywhere. Some people and countries and empires call themselves “Communist” and much of the US Media unblinkingly call countries like North Korea, China and Cuba “communist” – but they clearly are not if you use the simplest definition of communism.
Then there’s socialism. Socialism is simply the democratization of the economy and the benefits of society. Nope, we really don’t have that yet, although some places are creating a mixed social-capitalism framework or a capitalist-socialist thing.
But don’t be fooled. The USSR was never socialist. It was a huge capitalist enterprise where the state, the government and those who controlled the government owned the largest capitalist – the government. Called “state-capitalism”. That’s China today in a nutshell. Do you really think the head of a socialist country would rule for life?
North Korea of course is nothing near socialism. It’s an authoritarian dictatorship where nepotism rules.
Socialism is really just democracy spread into all corners of the economy and social framework. And it is an obtainable ideal.
Socialism could never work. Ask your friends in Venezuela. Redistribution of wealth under the guise of the good of all is just communism in a veil. We have the best system in the history of the world. Stop being so u grateful.
“We have the best system in the history of the world”…
Wrong.
Ever hear of the Iroquois?
You might start with the journalism from the economist, Mark Weisbrot, Ph.D UMich, for some perspective on Venezuela.
The majority of the people who live in PL do not share the politics of the rag. To ask them for donations is ridiculous. The rag offers one side to every story. I mean, if you think the people of PL like having hundreds of homeless people living in close proximity you are delusional. The politics and the policies of the left are tired and they do not work. They have never worked. The people in PL are your enemies by definition. They are the people who worked hard to achieve and now live a great life in a great place because of it. Your ideology seeks to take what they’ve worked for and redistribute it to people who do not deserve it.
You might start with the journalism from the economist, Mark Weisbrot, Ph.D UMich, for some perspective on Venezuela.
It’s true that Point Loma used to be an arch-conservative community – but it has drastically changed. The majority of PL voters voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and PL actually became a light-blue voting area; sure there were pockets of red – but times have changed, Jake.
Well, let’s see. The federal government collects taxes. Taxes are used to support the military, the national highway system, law enforcement, provide disaster relief, review and approve medicines, inspect agricultural products, etc. Sounds a little socialistic to me. Do you want to do away with all of that? Think a purely capitalist society would take care of those things?
Bad example, and you know that’s a bad example so wha’t with the troll post?
A little more detail would be useful, what makes The Rag communist, or are you just name-calling?
Hey Jake,
If you don’t like it, then don’t come on the page. No one is forcing you to donate or read this so beat your feet and hit the street
Luckily, the OB Rag isn’t a communist organization.
But you’d read one.
We’ve been waiting for our George Soros check for like years.
Yes I would. I always keep my eye on my enemy and on the enemies of my country.
Ah, then you’re keeping an eye on t-rump, Jake, good for you.
The musical: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nS-QeM2ne8
You probably his Soros is a great guy.
Think
We just received a donation for $100 – thank you.
A few comments and a suggestions:
I can live with the sometimes over-the-top editorials. Every news organization has editorials and opinion pieces, although, many try to provide multiple perspectives. Editorials can on occasion serve a good public service as they afford the opportunity to call a spade a spade without compromising journalist ethics if you can’t otherwise publish a story as news. It is not an end-run around ethics but a legitimate way to convey an opinion (that may serve the public), but, still delineating it from the news. Nevertheless, even if you disagree with the overall bent of an organization’s editorials or opinions, you can at least be sure (mostly) that the news itself is based on facts and not tainted by agenda (I’ll leave biases alone since those are hard to unmesh). However, in my opinion, the OB rag has on occasion permitted editorializing of some its news stories. As well as not clearly distinguishing editorials or opinion pieces from actual news (although arguably less of a sin because it’s mostly obvious). I am not necessarily advocating balancing stories (which I disagree with as well, when, doing so creates false equivalences or done only for the sake of “balance”), but, keeping opinions (including snide remarks and hinted at motives that remain unproven) out of actual reported on news. Now, I get that this is as much of a community advocacy project as anything else, but, if you are asking for donations to help publish news, then, keep the advocacy and opinions out of the news. Again I am not asking for balance necessarily (I get the bent of the OB rag) but at least adhere to journalist norms (don’t mix editorials in with what ostensibly is news). This is only offered as my opinion and constructive criticism (and please don’t take this as questioning your ethics, I am not). See the following if you want an example: https://obrag.org/2018/01/midway-square-in-point-loma-sold-for-5-25-million/.
As far as reporting on wider issues, concerns, news, etc. for the whole peninsula (i.e. 92106, 92107, and part of 92110) please keep it up and thank you for doing it.
Suggestions: publish a budget or at least a listing of how the donations are/will be used. At least post X% will be used for journalists’ expenses (with examples) or maintaining and publishing this site (with some details), etc.
Toolpusher – thanks for the suggestions; actually a few years ago we did publish our budget for a fundraising campaign and we can do it again. (We’re really the proverbial shoebox organization.)
But again, a couple of things: we never believe a post is the final word on any subject or issue and we look to our readers to help with explaining or furthering the discussions – and many times they do.
The other thing is that we gave up trying to be solely a political rag – and years ago began trying to publish urber news for OB and then later for Pt Loma; we provide a platform for discussions – but we never see ourselves as providing a platform for racist, sexist or extreme right-wing views, including pro-Trump rants.
There’s an inherent bias in any and every news article in the mainstream press; you can see it by what they cover, how they cover it (and usually a total lack of follow-up or collective memory), – and there are real limitations to what the corporate press will cover.
So, at times we’ll present a news article with a different bent and perspective, partly gonzo journalism and partly straight.
We just received another donation of $50 with this comment:
“Change is good! Keep the Peninsula changing always for the better O.B. Rag. Sunshine and reporting on local issues is critical to a functioning democracy.”
Yet another $50 donation! Here’s their comment:
“8 yrs in 92107; 7 yrs now in 92106. Point Loman in an OBecian state of mind? Or OBecian physically residing in Point Loma? Whatever – Thank You OBRag!”