OB Rag Refutes Mayor Gloria’s Tent Count at ‘Hot Lot’

The OB Rag is refuting Mayor Gloria’s count of the number of tents at San Diego’s official homeless encampment, otherwise known as the city’s “first safe sleeping site” or “hot lot.”

Last Wednesday, August 2, the Rag posted reporter Geoff Page’s account of his “revisit” on Tuesday, Aug. 1 to the city operations yard at B and 20th. He wasn’t allowed inside — as no media have — so had to rely on views of the encampment from the hill just to its east. Page reported that there were 55+ tents altogether.

Then Mayor Gloria announced on Thursday that as of Wednesday night, August 2, 111 people slept at the site and were staying “in 93 tents,” as reported by the Voice of San Diego the next day, the 4th.

That same day — Thursday — “Ted Net” tweeted on “X” that the city was reporting 93 occupied tents, but he was “counting different” and posted 3 photos taken before noon that day, also from the hill. Ted didn’t provide a number, but using a magnifying glass on his photos, this writer counted 76 tents.

So, Gloria reported 93 tents were occupied and the Rag is saying the photos show 76 tents. (It’s unclear if they all are occupied.) In the grand scheme of things, a difference of less than 20 is not that big a deal. But why lie about it, or misrepresent it? Or miscount it?

We doubt if Gloria went there and did the actual count himself and he must have relied on somebody else. Was it Rachel Laing, his PR person? If not Rachel, who did the official count and who relayed the number to Gloria? Were they just rounding up? The number is “93” which doesn’t sound like anybody rounded up. It’s a specific number, 93. We count 76 at most. Why the dif?

At this point, the Rag has more credibility than Mayor Gloria. This shows it.

Dear reader, look at Ted’s photos – how many do you count?

Southern main section.

North section.