Month: December 2021

New trolley extension to San Diego International Airport would open up future extensions to Point Loma, Liberty Station and beach communities

By Lauryn Schroeder / San Diego Union-Tribune / Dec. 17, 2021

A Metropolitan Transit System study released Thursday, Dec. 16, has determined that the long-desired extension trolley to the San Diego International Airport is possible and can be completed within the next decade. According to a press release issued by the Metropolitan Transit System, or MTS, transportation experts from the international consultancy company Mott MacDonald presented multiple construction options to the MTS board of directors as part of its preliminary feasibility study.

By Michael Blood / Yahoo News / December 17, 2021

Leading California cannabis companies warned Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday that the state’s legal industry was on the verge of collapse and needed immediate tax cuts and a rapid expansion of retail outlets to steady the shaky marketplace.

The letter signed by more than two dozen executives, industry officials and legalization advocates followed years of complaints that the heavily taxed and regulated industry was unable to compete with the widespread illegal economy, where consumer prices are far lower and sales are double or triple the legal business.

By Paul Krueger

A new definition of “affordable housing”: $2,000 monthly rent for 480 square foot, 1 bedroom/1 bath ADU.

Building industry consultant admits it’s “absurd, from the stand-point of affordability.”

The permit application for a multi-unit rental complex on a single-family lot confirms that two of the apartments will be reserved for an affordable rental program administered by the San Diego Housing Commission.

In return for that set-aside, the city gave the developer a two-unit “bonus.” Instead of building just four units, he and his investors can cram a total of six rental units on this average-size residential lot in San Diego’s Talmadge neighborhood.

by Ernie McCray

Just for fun, on a kickback lazy kind of day, I responded to the 15 questions Stephen Colbert, of the Late Show, likes to ask his guests.

Like what’s the best sandwich? And the answer to that, of course, is a BLT.

Exercise worth it? Yes-siree.

What number is Stephen thinking of? I have no guess because numbers are from zero to infinity.

Apples or oranges? I like both but I’m partial to fruit that sounds crunchy when I take a bite – generally.

Submitted by Gilbert Field

The “Compassion Campaign” of the San Diego Veterans For Peace is again giving out free sleeping bag sets to the many homeless folks downtown who have no sleeping gear whatsoever. Each set consists of a new Coleman polyester sleeping bag and a nice nylon stuff sack to put it in when the client wakes up each morning.

Three (3) outreach trips took place in the last two weeks and they gave out 60 bag sets to folks who they personally confirmed had nothing at all to sleep under in these colder temperatures. Another outreach trip is scheduled soon, and they hope many, many more trips downtown at night will follow this winter, based on the continued support of the generous folks in San Diego.

The new trolley does not go to the beach or La Jolla. What it does do is to impact surrounding neighborhoods.

By Michael Pallamary / Op-Ed San Diego Union-Tribune / December15, 2021

I relocated to San Diego in 1976 to work on what was then a political hot potato — engineering the so-called “Tijuana Trolley.” I moved here because of my expertise as a railroad engineer, in Boston, where I was responsible for the field engineering and layout of many essential elements of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, one of the nation’s oldest rapid transit systems dating back to 1897.

By Kathy Blavatt

Happy birds make for a Happy Holiday Season. Pelicans, seagulls, and cormorants dance among the shore-break, diving and feasting on critters in the floating kelp.

Ocean Beach’s front yard is an ocean garden full of kelp, seaweed, and seagrass. Like any garden, it is brimming the small critters hiding and feasting on the plants. The larger animals eat them and so on. The food chain continues.

Our deeper water kelp bed forests are vital to the health of the ocean and animal life.

Residents on Abbott Street in OB have been complaining for a long time about broken and non-working street lights. At least for a year.

Neighbors are worried about crime and accidents at night on the darkened street.

Take Jon Carr, for instance. The Abbott Street resident and former vice-president of the OB Town Council (and former Rag writer) told News8 that he’s filed many complaints on the city’s “Get It Done” app and has written Councilmember Campbell’s office about his complaints and concerns. He’s been told more than once that they’re ‘get back’ to him.

The street light at the intersection of Newport and Cable found no shelter. Photo by Cassidy Elyse, reposted from Social OB facebook.

On Wednesday, December 15, the volunteer San Diego Redistricting Commission decided by a 7-2 vote on the final map of the city council boundaries (which we previewed the other day).

The big, “dramatic” changes for District 2 are that Pacific Beach joins District 1, and District 2 takes the eastern half of Clairemont and Old Town. Unless something happens – like a comet – this will remain and be official for the next ten years. Although, the city is now in a 30-day period where residents can raise objections before the map becomes official.

Other changes:

By Edwin Decker

Dear Ed, I have 3 or 4 friends that are Grammar Nazis. If I dare spell, “there” as “their,” they’re there to call you a dumb ass. Obviously, I know the difference. I’m just texting or emailing quickly and not thinking. And half of these people end up having terrible grammar themselves. Ok, maybe they have good spelling, but they’ll write, “How are you!!!!” which makes me want to respond, “You should end that sentence in a question mark, not an exclamation point. And why multiple exclamation points? Is a piano falling on your head?” So my question is, Do any spelling and/or punctuation things get to you?

Josh Board
Movie Reviewer
KOGO 600 AM

Editordude: “Save Our Access,” the group that brought the lawsuit to block the implementation of Measure E, the lifting of the 30-foot height limit in the Midway District, responds here to the recent court ruling in their favor.

Regarding the 30′ Height limit lawsuit

Save Our Access brought the lawsuit because of how the city asked the public to lift the 30′ height. Established law says that an Environmental Impact Report must be made that includes public participation when major changes to a neighborhood plan is made. The city failed to do that.