Month: July 2020

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican / July 21, 2020

The President of the United States and his Secretary of Education have demanded schools open with in-person classes five days a week. Many parents are not confident their children will be safe and significant numbers of teachers are profoundly frightened. How does the rhetoric square with credible scientific evidence concerning the Covid-19 pandemic?

President Trump has tweeted,

“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”

By Judi Curry

You do not have to be a resident of the Point Loma or Ocean Beach area to know that there are many problems facing us at this time. A few examples might be the steady traffic of cars on Sunset Cliffs during the sunset hours; the new stop sign at the corner of Pt. Loma Ave and Sunset Cliffs; the incessant noise from firecrackers being shot off at all hours of the day and night; the steady stream of emergency vehicles answering the calls for service from people jumping (or falling) off the Cliffs, etc.

We are having an influx of homeless people looking for refuge not only on the beach, but in driveways, under cars, and, in many more cases, in backyards where gates are being left open.

Should I go on? The parking lots on Sunset Cliffs seem to be open 24 hours a day for loud parties,

By Sara Sidner and Jason Kravarik / CNN / July 21, 2020

Nearly 12,000 New Cases in One Day

California looks set to surpass New York as the state with the most cases within days, according to numbers from Johns Hopkins University. It has recently been reporting about 9,000 new cases each day for a total of 397,870 on Monday.

New York, meanwhile, has been adding a little more than 700 cases a day in the last week. Its total number of cases Monday was about 404,000.

It was the first state to impose a stay-at-home order on March 19. Less than two months later, on May 8, the numbers had fallen enough that the state started the first phase of reopening.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told his citizens,” You have bent the curve.” But then Memorial Day came around.

By David Smith / The Guardian / July 21, 2020

Donald Trump has vowed to send federal officers to several American cities led by Democrats in what critics say is an attempt to play the “law and order” card to boost his bid for re-election.

The president’s threat came after a federal crackdown on anti-racism protests in Portland, Oregon, that involved unmarked cars and unidentified forces in camouflage.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump identified New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland as places in need of federal agents, describing those cities’ mayors as “liberal Democrats”.

“We’re sending law enforcement,” he said. “We can’t let this happen to the cities.”

By Geoff Page

The Midway-Pacific Planning Group held the largest planning board meeting this reporter has seen in over three years- and it was on-line. Approximately 65 people attended the meeting using the ubiquitous Zoom software. The meeting went well and there were none of the hacking attacks that Zoom users have experienced in the past, such as the OB planning board experienced.

The reason for the crowd was information about the redevelopment possibilities for the city property that includes the sports arena and lots of land around it. The current Salvation Army Store is the easternmost parcel of the property. To the west, and north, the boundary is Hancock Street.

At this month’s Ocean Beach Town Council meeting, the Board will be hosting Councilmember Dr. Jen Campbell for a discussion about the recently announced Short Term Rental agreement with UNITE HERE Local 30 and Expedia.

You’re invited to join them on Facebook Live, Wednesday July 22 at 7:00 pm, for an interactive Q&A and the opportunity to leave comments and suggestions. If you have a specific question for the Councilwoman, share it with the OBTC at info@obtowncouncil.org.

Campbell initiated a deal with Expedia and Unite HERE in June, when they signed an agreement. You can read the Memorandum of Understanding here.

so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens

–“The Red Wheelbarrow,” William Carlos Williams

By Jim Miller

So much depends on the first step out of bed, the first sip of coffee, holding the morning silence for as long as you can. The chair where you sit, the angle of the morning light, letting the moment unfold on its own. Don’t look at the phone, don’t turn on the radio or TV, never start staring at screens. Morning is only morning when you own the time, when you wake up on your own terms and don’t give your day away before you’ve even started to live it.

And Not a Sign of Government in Sight

Reader Rant by OB Joe

Living on the outskirts of Ocean Beach, I wanted to see for myself what was happening down on the beach and see how people were coping with the new restrictions and renewed dangers from COVID-19. So I drove by the beach going down Newport Avenue and then onto Abbott Street.

I was not ready for what I witnessed.

Shock and awe, is the only thing I can say. I was shocked at how cavalier everyone was taking it, not wearing masks, not practicing social distancing. People walking down the sidewalks, past bars trying to be restaurants, people crowding each other.

Federal officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and Department of Homeland Security have stormed Portland’s streets as part of President Trump’s promised strong response to ongoing protests. These officers drive around in unmarked vehicles, storm out in camouflage uniforms, with no name-tags and a generic “police” patch, grab American citizens right off the streets, cover their heads without explanation – clearly gestapo tactics.

It’s becoming so out of control in Portland that local political leaders have called for the federal agents to leave town. Those calls intensified since agents severely wounded a peaceful protester on Saturday, July 11.

By David Helvarg & Jason Scorse / The Hill / July 15, 2020

The House Democrats’ report, “Solving the Climate Crisis,” is the most comprehensive response to the climate emergency in the history of Congress and no doubt was closely read by the Biden campaign before the release of their plan. The Democrats have taken up the mantle for what was once a bipartisan issue, reminiscent of the McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Acts of the early 2000s.

Unlike the original 2019 outline of the Green New Deal, this report takes coastal and ocean issues seriously. There are significant policy recommendations for electrifying U.S. ports, expanding offshore wind power and promoting living shorelines — like green infrastructure — in coastal areas, both to sequester carbon dioxide and promote climate resilience.

Young adults between the ages of 18 through 34 now make up 44% of positive COVID-19 cases in California. The figure is up from 29% compared to one month ago. The age group represents the largest share of COVID-19 cases in the state.

In San Diego County, the age group 20 through 39 makes up nearly 45% of positive cases.

The new data is based on numbers provided by the California Department of Public Health. The marked increase in positive cases in these age groups coincide with the reopening of many businesses, including bars and restaurants in the state and San Diego.

A nationwide general strike has been called by a raft of labor unions and racial and social justice groups in support of Black Lives Matter for this upcoming Monday, July 20. Called “Strike for Black Lives”, it’s expected that tens of thousands of working people in 25 cities will walk off their jobs as part of a nationwide walkout to confront systemic racism in America.

Fast-food, nursing home, rideshare and other workers will go on strike Monday and will be joined by thousands more who will walk off their jobs for eight minutes, 46 seconds to remember George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and other Black people killed by police.

The protests represent actions to demand corporations and governments do something to confront what’s called the “triple threat of white supremacy, public health emergency, and broken economy.” Some of the sponsoring organization include: