Author: Staff

The issue that San Diegans should have the right to vote on creating a municipal utility — even if the idea is not good — is reverberating around our fair city. And reporter Paul Krueger is promoting this view.

Just yesterday, June 13, Krueger’s letter to the editor in the San Diego U-T was published. He had written it in response to their article, entitled,”San Diego City Council shoots down effort to put municipal utility on the November ballot” published on the 11th.

Here’s his letter, followed by a statement from Power San Diego, the group that wants to fire SDG&E.

I don’t trust our mayor and city council to oversee a municipal utility, and would vote “no ” on a ballot measure to oust SDG&E and establish a government utility.

Here’s a brief outline of the city’s new $5.8 billion budget for the next fiscal year, passed unanimously by the council on Tuesday, June 10. A final vote will take place before the end of the month.

Also, Mayor Gloria vowed to sign the spending plan without changes. It reverses many of  the cuts proposed by the mayor in April that critics said would have disproportionately impacted low-income neighborhoods, homeless San Diegans and people of color.

The final budget includes:

The County still has an advisory up for Dog Beach in OB. They advise that bacteria levels exceed health standards and that people and dogs should avoid water contact in the advisory area. It’s been on since June 6. The advisory covers the San Diego River outlet to 300 yards south.

There’s also an advisory for a part of Mission Bay —  for the North Cove of Vacation Isle and 150’ each side of the southern drain. This has been on since May 30, 2024.

Don Carter. A local musician – loved by many.

A local birria specialist opened its second restaurant in the Midway District. Mike’s Red Tacos threw its doors open at 3365 Rosecrans Street Suite D. The eatery was born out of owner Mike Touma’s passion for birria; a native San Diegan, Touma went on a personal eating quest on both sides of the border in preparation to launch his birria-focused food truck back in 2021.

A Clairemont area storefront followed in 2022, and now Mike and his wife Leona just unveiled their new 2,100-square-foot Rosecrans Street restaurant in the Loma Square shopping center.

UPDATE: the body was found at the bottom of the stairs on Ladera Street.According to Times of San Diego, a person was found dead shortly before 10 a.m., today, Monday in the 700 block of Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

The City of San Diego has notified the public that the City Council will hear an appeal of the decision to approve a 223-dwelling-unit, seven-story building at Perry’s Cafe on Tuesday, June 4th in Council Chambers.

15% of the units in the huge project will supposedly be affordable. At the edge of the interchange of two major San Diego freeways, Perry’s Cafe has been a mainstay for decades and sits within the Old Town planning area and in District 2.

First of all, did you know the city had approved this project? We did not. It flew by below our radar.

Here are more details:

It’s getting intense, this controversial confrontation between supporters of County Supervisor Nora Vargas and those who back Brigette Browning, the leader of the San Diego Labor Council. Even today’s U-T op-ed page was devoted to the controversy, with both sides sharing their view.

Now, we at the Rag and at the beach have our own problems with Brigette Browning — more on that at another time.

Part of the current flare-up is over the fact that Cindy Chavez has been passed over for the top job in the County, and the Labor Council supports her.

A very interesting article by Phillip Molner at the Union-Tribune yesterday described why so many people have stopped buying vacation rental homes in San Diego. (It’s only for subscribers, so there’s no link.)

Here’s Molner’s main points:

Overall, interest rates and home prices are so high in San Diego that even vacation rental buyers have fled.

This Saturday, May 18, is the 77th Ocean Beach Kiwanis and OB Woman’s Club Children’s Kite Festival!

It’s all happening from 10 AM to 3 PM at Robb Field – and it’s for all ages and is free!

Officially Robb Field is located at 2525 Bacon Street, San Diego, CA 92107.

It’s all family oriented, you can make and decorate your own kite, cuz there’s free materials, and instructions, and help with kite making. Get instruction from some of the best kite fliers around.