Category: California

In a huge spread in it’s “SD In Depth” section of the Sunday paper on April 19th, the U-T San Diego announced its “Five Ways to Conquer Drought” in large headlines. This drought relief was accompanied by shorter op-ed pieces and a decent map of “Our Water Infrastructure”.

Yet, after a perusal of all 4 newspaper-sized pages devoted to the drought and water, there was not one word about “fracking” – not one word – in fact, neither “fracking” nor big oil were even mentioned in any of the articles. The U-T has ignored the threats posed by fracking and is trying to turn us away from this horrible destruction, a threat posed …

Junco’s Jabs by Junco Canche

By Jim Miller

Last week was Tax Day and with it came the annual ritual of bemoaning our ever-rising taxes and complaining about the endless growth of big government.

Indeed just a few days after Tax Day, I gave a talk at a local college on the history of income inequality and workers’ struggles in which I made a comparison between the stark odds workers face today in the Fight for $15 with the similarly steep hill they faced 100 years ago before the rise of the American Labor Movement and the reforms that came with the New Deal.

As is usually the case, however, a few folks in the audience just could not get their heads around the idea that it was not all government’s fault.

by Dan Bacher

The mainstream media, state officials and corporate “environmental” groups have for years tried to portray California as the “green” leader of the nation.

In reality, California suffers from some of the greatest environmental degradation of any state in the nation, since corporate agribusiness, the oil industry and other big money interests control the majority of the state’s politicians and exert inordinate influence over the state’s environmental policies.

Big Question: Will New Owners Keep 97-Year-Old Cottages or Is Another Huge Condo Complex Coming In?

9 Units and Empty Lot on 5100 Block of Muir Sold

A 3-lot piece of Ocean Beach – totaling nearly 10,000 square feet – a half block from the beach on the 5100 block of Muir – has just been sold for $1,325,000.

The 3 lots on the last block of Muir Avenue, 5137, 5141 and 5153 – an empty lot – include 7 buildings, occupying a total of 9,943 square feet (448-043-21, 22 and 23). Overall, the property consists of 8 one-bedroom units plus one studio:

Editor: The launch of the San Salvador, the replica of Cabrillo’s ship being built alongside Point Loma, – originally scheduled for mid-April – as been postponed. Here, our Judi Curry continues her focus on the many volunteers who helped to build the ship. Cabrillo himself and what he and the Missionaries wrought here in San Diego is still controversial and the subject of a debate on our website.

By Judi Curry

Last year I did a story of the women volunteers working on the San Salvador. If you are not familiar with the San Salvador, it was the flagship of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542 when he sailed into San Diego Bay. Cabrillo, who sailed from Portugal, was the first European to explore San Diego Bay and the coast of California.

By Norma Damashek

We need it like a loch im kopf. A hole in the head. It’s what people in the old days would say about a bad situation. It’s what I say about Civic San Diego –the reincarnation of our former downtown redevelopment agency.

We need Civic San Diego like a hole in the head. It’s time to get rid of it.

A quick backtrack: It’s been three years since redevelopment agencies throughout California were terminated and instructed to wind down their uncompleted redevelopment projects and make good on their financial obligations. Other cities complied by doing the job in-house, under public supervision.

Open Letter By Herman Baca – President of Committee on Chicano Rights

April 8, 2015

As the Chicano community and the Chicano Park Steering Committee (CPSC) prepares to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of historic Chicano Park, Ms. Tommie Camarillo, Chairperson of the CPSC, and longtime Chicana activist has raised issues of the U-T’s historical negative reporting of the Chicano community.

Ms. Camarillo responded to a 3-29-15 U-T article on Barrio Logan and accused the U-T reporter of not doing his homework, research and history on Barrio Logan.

Californians want immediate action from their government

The citizens of California will not take the drought seriously until they see that their government is taking the drought seriously. Until government at all levels – from the state to the smallest township – shows Californians that it is enacting measures to immediately deal with the drought – now in its 4th year – people in this state won’t face up to the drought themselves.

And until government enacts these 5 measures – at a minimum – , government is not taking the drought seriously: …

By Jim Miller

California’s epic drought has finally made its way to the front page. Last week, Jerry Brown signed an executive order mandating the first-ever water restrictions in our state.

At the press conference announcing the move Brown observed that, “People should realize we are in a new era. The idea of your nice little green lawn getting watered every day, those days are past.”

Psst: Don’t call it Cali.

By Laura Beck / Cosmopolitan

Yes, the rules are a little different based on your exact location — California is a large and varied state — but these are some things that are true for all of us.

1. We don’t get seasonal moodiness. Because there are no seasons! Want to hit the beach in October? Great! That’s the perfect time to do it in San Francisco! (Just don’t forget a jacket, mittens, a scarf, and your wooliest hat.) (And maybe some rain boots, depending on the fog situation.)

2. Like, all the songs are written about us. All of them. Whether you’re Katy Perry, Too Short, or the Beach Boys, you’ve probably got a

Video: The San Diego March for Ayotzinapa

By Horacio Jones / San Diego Free Press

When I heard that the families of the “normalistas” were coming to San Diego I was keen to do a story on their caravan. Ever since I heard about the kidnappings I felt compelled to do whatever I could to support their cause against the “narcos” and the Mexican government.

I feel that the only way things will change in Mexico is through the grassroots efforts of people like these who are tired and disgusted with the current state of Mexican politics.