Month: September 2020

Jacob Aere at KPBS has just written how Airbnb and its hosts are opposed to Councilwoman Jen Campbell’s proposal for short-term vacation rentals. Campbell, Expedia and the UNITE HERE labor union came up with a so-called Memorandum of Understanding back in July.

Airbnb’s senior public policy manager, John Choi, said Airbnb was not part of the discussion, and the agreed upon changes will eliminate critical revenue streams for Airbnb hosts during an especially difficult year. Aere quoted Choi:

“Our hosts have overwhelmingly expressed serious concerns that the proposed 0.7% cap on the number of city-wide vacation rental licenses will eliminate a critical source of income at a time where they need the income more than ever.”

By Geoff Page

The highlight of Ocean Beach Town Council meeting Wednesday evening, September 23, was the appearance of the two mayoral candidates, Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria. How to describe the difference between the two? Kind of like buying a used car.

Gloria would be the used car salesman all smiles and glad handing, diverting questions about how well the car runs to all the cool cup holders inside the car. Bry would be the private owner selling her car and telling you about every nick and wart because she feels that is the right thing to do. Folks should consider buying Bry’s car.

This was not a debate, as Mark Winkie, the council president explained at the start

By Thomas Ultican / Tultican / Sept. 20/ 2020

Unlike 2018, fewer of the wealthy class appear to be spending so freely to control California school policy, but their spending still dominates campaign spending.

Large amounts of money are being spent in an attempt to regain political control of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and there appears to be a concentration of money directed at key county school boards. They are also spending liberally on California state senate and assembly races.

With only one of the police officers involved in the police murder of Breonna Taylor of Louisville indicted – and not for her murder but for shooting into a different apartment – angry protests broke out, once again, coast to coast, in American cities.

From Louisville to Atlanta, to New York City, to Washington DC, to Chicago, to Los Angeles and even to San Diego, thousands of young people marched and demonstrated in the streets.

127 people were arrested overnight in Louisville and two police officers were wounded. Two reporters were among those arrested.

Ten people were arrested near police headquarters in downtown San Diego during the protest Wednesday night. The rally had involved hundreds and began around 7 pm near the corner of 8th and B streets, and protesters marched along Broadway. Around 10:15 p.m San Diego Police declared it an unlawful assembly because of “acts of violence and vandalism … in front of (police) headquarters.” Apparently, someone tried to lower the flags outside the station but officers thwarted that move.

From Public Power San Diego

Mayor Faulconer’s last-minute decision to proceed with a new franchise agreement will result in a multi-billion dollar giveaway of a key City asset, at a time when the community is reeling from multiple crises and has failed to consider better options, Public Power San Diego (PPSD) said Wednesday, Sept 23.

“Everyone with eyes open sees tourism and other industries collapsing, with tens of thousands losing their jobs, all while the need to address the climate crisis grows ever more urgent,” said Craig Rose of Public Power San Diego, which advocates for the creation of a non-profit publicly owned utility.

“The City Council must insist on careful consideration of its options, including a public utility, instead of this giveaway that would lock us into paying the highest utility rates in California for 20 years.”

PPSD urges the city council to reject any franchise deal on the proposed terms and instead begin immediate planning and transition toward a public utility.

Originally posted Sept. 24, 2020

From what Trump declared on Wednesday, we should all be memorizing the definition of a coup d’etat. When asked by a reporter at a White House press conference, Trump refused to say he would commit to a “peaceful transfer of power,” if he lost the election. Get rid of the ballots, he said, there won’t be a transfer, just a “continuation” of his power.

Coup d’etat is French and according to Wikipedia:

“A coup or coup d’état is the removal of an existing government from power, usually through violent means. Typically, it is an illegal, unconstitutional seizure of power by a political faction, the military, or a dictator.”

The Urban Dictionary shortens the definition:

“The overthrow of the current establishment, by dissidents within the government.”

So, just what did Trump say? His wording was jumbled but clear as day. He said:

by Ernie McCray

One of my favorite athletes is Caster Semenya.

As a former half-miler I love the way she comes off that last 200, so strong, yet relaxed, at a pace the other runners totally lack.

As we used to say: “She can step, Jack!”

But people in the world of track have barred her from running track – unless she undergoes surgery or takes drugs to regulate her high testosterone levels – to “level the playing field,” not taking into consideration that, no matter how they feel, Caster Semenya is still a woman.

Join the Ocean Beach Town Council for their Monthly Public Meeting. This month, the OBTC is hosting San Diego Mayoral candidates Barbara Bry and Todd Gloria.

Join them on Facebook Live, Wednesday September 23rd at 7:00 pm, for an interactive Q&A and the opportunity to leave comments and suggestions.

By Geoff Page

The first item of note about the Midway-Pacific Highway Planning Group is a special meeting that will be held Wednesday, September 23, on-line at 3:00, to decide if “the CPG wish[sic] to take action to support the selection of Brookfield for the Sports Arena Development.”

The decision to have this special meeting was made at the Midway group’s regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 16. In order to provide as much notice as possible, the meeting announcement was e-mailed in the early afternoon the following day.

Because the group does not have a website yet, distribution appears to depend on email lists. The link to the meeting is on the emailed agenda and is open to anyone who wishes to attend. Here is the link: https://legaltechmg.zoom.us/j/94032280361.

Brookfield and Redevelopment of the Midway

I woke up this morning in a funk. Maybe it was the subconscious acknowledging Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s death, and how Donald and Mitch were plotting to replace her before the poor woman’s body was even cold, and how it looks likely that they will force someone onto the Supreme Court that will undo everything RBG did.

Or maybe I’m just funky because of pandemic fatigue. Tired of being isolated; tired of staying at home, not being able to non-restrictively hug family members and good friends and visit them in their actual homes. I’m tired of not being able to fully play with my grandchildren. I’m tired of having to walk on the other side of the sidewalk or street when passing strangers.

But I’m also real tired of the anti-maskers, the people who refuse to wear masks or practice social distancing. Did you know some of them started to clamor to have businesses open up way back in April? April!

I’m tired of people burning masks;

A fish farm is being proposed off Ocean Beach. Okay, it’s not directly off OB but 4 miles out (see map). The research institute connected with SeaWorld, Hubbs, and a corporation from Long Beach have proposed the first open-ocean fish farm in federal waters off the southern California coast.

Hubbs Research Institute and Pacific6 Enterprise want to build the Pacific Ocean AquaFarm and earlier in September, they submitted a federal permit application for the project.

The proposed farm would be about 4 miles offshore and west of San Diego’s beaches. Hubbs and Pacific6 claim it would generate 5,000 metric tons of sushi-grade yellowfish annually and create about 75 jobs.

By John Riedel

For centuries, Mission Bay was utilized by the bird populations of Southern California and along the Pacific Flyway as habitat, and by our region’s indigenous Kumeyaay communities for survival. But a great deal has changed in the bay since the arrival of Europeans, particularly in the last several decades.

The post-war 1940s and 1950s brought dredging and a wholesale, man-made redesign and reimagination of Mission Bay as a water park for the region’s swelling population. At the time it was considered progressive, popular policy to provide a manicured place for residents to play and recreate along the bayfront.