Civil Rights

Midterm Voters Rejected One-Party Rule and Created Most Diverse Congress in U.S. History

November 14, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

What happened one week ago cannot be over-stated. Yeah, those mid-term results – whose vote totals are still coming in. And despite pundit declarations there wasn’t a “blue wave”, Democrats continue to be declared winners.

Yet, we must underscore and duly acknowledge the two huge things that happened last Tuesday. A majority of American voters rejected the one-party rule we’ve had these last two years, at least on the Federal level, – and in the process created the most diverse Congress in history. Or vice-versa.

The results were devastating to Trump. That’s why – the very next day – he blasted the mid-term news off the front page and out of the news cycle with his firing of Attorney Jeff Sessions and appointment of loyalist – and apparently, co-conspirator – Matt Whitaker as “acting” AG. Many progressive activists – instead of relishing and understanding what was coming down with all the votes – were forced to mobilize to protest threats to the Mueller investigation. (Then the firing/appointment crisis was superseded by the Thousand Oaks massacre which was in turn over-run by all the California fires.)

What happened on November 6 is still unfolding. What with Tony Thurmond’s lead as State Superintendent of Education, the election of Krystan Sinema as a Senator from Arizona, and the tightening of other California House races, along with the apparent gain of 35 to 40 House seats by Democrats, the burial of the blue wave by those pundits was premature.

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Dumanis Was Swamped by Fletcher in County Supervisor Race

November 9, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

County Supervisor candidate and former District Attorney, Bonnie Dumanis, was simply swamped by Nathan Fletcher.

Check out this map of how all the precincts in Supervisor District 4 voted, thanks to inewsource.

As you can see plainly, Fletcher took all but 11 precincts, and one of those was a tie. District 4 includes most of the City of San Diego, including Ocean Beach, more than half of Point Loma, and all the other northern beach areas, as well as most neighborhoods north and south of I-8. All in all, a very Democratic-leaning area.

We can easily speculate that this race was probably the last one that Dumanis will run.

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OB Hardware About to Celebrate 100 Years in Ocean Beach

October 24, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

The OB Hardware store at 4871 Newport Avenue is about to celebrate being one-hundred years old, having first opened in 1919. We don’t know yet how they plan to celebrate and we don’t know the details of the original days on a dusty street called Newport. But we wish them the best – one hundred years for a business, especially these days, is a very, very long time.

The storefront, formally called OB Paint and Hardware, has been at its current location for about 5 or 6 years, having moved just a few doors down from the space they occupied literally for decades.

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50 Years Ago Today – October 2, 1968: Massacre in Mexico City

October 2, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

When I traveled in Mexico in the late 1970s, I would often come across political graffiti that read “gobierno asesino” with ‘remember October 2’ inscribed on walls or fences. These referred to the huge massacre in Mexico City of protesters on October 2, 1968, right around the time of the Summer Olympics in that city.

Fifty years ago today. Thousands were killed by the bullets of soldiers and police in an unbelievable display of authoritarian might in our southern neighbor. This mass murder came down at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco . The protests in Mexico City mirrored upheavals around the world that explosive year – in Paris, in Prague, in Chicago. Yet no where else, did a government simply murder so many of its own citizens as in Mexico City.

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OB Rag Is Taking a Sick Day Monday

October 1, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Thank god for MediCal

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What Just Happened With the Kavanaugh Vote?

September 28, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Bi-Partisan Group of Senators Agree to Delay Kavanaugh Vote One Week on Senate Floor for FBI Background Investigation; Trump Still Has to Authorize It

If you’re wondering ‘what just the heck happened?’ in the Senate Judiciary Committee vote this afternoon – here,

IN BRIEF:

Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley had scheduled a vote on Judge Kavanaugh this afternoon at 1:30 pm ET. But there were some last-minute ‘backroom’ discussions going on involving Republican Jeff Flake and Democrats. Earlier in the day, Flake had announced he intended to confirm Kavanaugh.

But something was up.

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We Didn’t Publish Today as We Watched the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Dr Ford and Judge Kavanaugh

September 27, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

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Trump to Meet With Rosenstein on Thursday After Rumors Swirl He’d Be Fired

September 24, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Are We About to Witness Trump’s “Saturday Night Massacre”?

President Trump will meet with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein this Thursday, September 27, in the White House after rumors and speculation swirled today, Monday, through Washington DC and the mainstream media that Rosenstein was about to be fired today.

Rosenstein did go to the White House today – and initially the White House reported he was coming to resign – something the Department of Justice at the same time denied. Trump is in New York attending the United Nations conference. Rosenstein also attended a previously scheduled “Principles Committee” meeting at the White House in place of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Rosenstein did meet with Chief of Staff John Kelly –

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Do You Have a Local Group or Small Business? How About a Free Ad for One Week

September 7, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

OB Rag Extends Its Offer for Groups or Small Businesses in Ocean Beach or Point Loma

Do you have a small or home business – or are you a member of an organization or group that does public service?

How about one week of free advertising on the OB Rag? You send us the display “camera-ready” and we’ll post it our website for a week.

The OB Rag has between 1,000 to 2,000 readers a day – most by far are from the city and county of San Diego.

This is all part of our support for local groups and small businesses.

Here are the details:

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Trump Administration Moves to Extend Detentions As Immigrant Children Contemplate Suicide

September 7, 2018 by Doug Porter

Having been stymied in attempts to circumvent the 1997 Flores ruling which set standards for children in immigration detention centers, the Trump administration is proposing new federal regulations with sweeping implications.

The more than 200-page proposed regulation would give the administration much broader authority over how undocumented immigrant children are treated in its care. Publication of the proposal in the Federal Register on Friday will kick off a 60-day window for the public to comment, after which the administration can move to certify the regulations as final.

Some undocumented immigrant children will be kept in detention for far longer than currently allowed.

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Duncan Doubles Down on Deep State

August 24, 2018 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / San Diego Free Press

Now that Congressman Duncan Hunter and wife Margaret have been indicted, Republicans are working hard on formulating a strategy to keep his District 50 seat red.

While the Representative from Alpine has been full of bluster, anybody who’s actually read the 60 counts against him knows he’s a dead man walking. All that’s left for him to do is work out a plea deal that is consummated after November 6. Oh, and hope his wife doesn’t escalate expression of her rage beyond the stony silence on display at their arraignment.

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Don’t Get Distracted: 565 Immigrant Children Are Still Held by U.S. Authorities

August 23, 2018 by Source

By Jake Johnson / Common Dreams

Amid a news cycle dominated by the day-to-day chaos, antics, and scandals of the Trump presidency, new government numbers released on Thursday offered a grim reminder that the humanitarian travesty sparked by President Donald Trump’s inhumane family separation policy is still ongoing, despite the fact that it has faded into the background of corporate news coverage.

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3 Vegan Restaurants in Ocean Beach Named Among ‘Best in San Diego’

August 7, 2018 by Source

Pam Kragen at the San Diego Union-Tribune has just come out with “San Diego’s Best Vegan Restaurants” – and she lists three from Ocean Beach.

Kragen begins with declaring “vegan food has been named among the top six global culinary trends of 2018, and San Diego is well ahead of the curve,” and then she lists several new vegan eateries that have opened around the county recently along with some ‘oldies but goodies’ – a total of 24 eateries in all.

(Turns out the list is not so much a “best of” but more like a showcase of what’s out there.)

Here’s what Kragen says about OB’s vegan places on the list:

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‘Can We Get Some Worker Justice Along With Our Fries and Burgers?’

July 31, 2018 by Source

By Peter Zschiesche

We have heard the argument against the “Fight for 15” campaign, which tells us fast food jobs require no skill and no expertise and, therefore, are not worthy of making $15 per hour.

That argument is rubbish, something fast food chain employers know all too well — and the primary reason behind their ‘no poaching’ policies. These policies allows food chains to block workers from changing branches in search of better pay or promotions, all while the company pays the lowest wage they can.

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Notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dissents

July 9, 2018 by Source

#SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh is a “Get Out of Jail Free” card.

He says a lawsuit or indictment would interfere with the President’s ability to protect national security.

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Superman as ‘Enemy of the American People’

July 9, 2018 by Staff

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4,000 San Diegans Rally and March Downtown in Protest of Trump’s Immigration Policy

June 30, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

An estimated 4,000 San Diegans rallied at the County Administration Building / Waterfront Park, listened to music and speakers, then marched down Harbor Drive and back around on Pacific Highway to a second rally. All to keep families together

The demonstration was one of 750 protests scheduled around the country

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Despite Trump Signing His Executive Order, Actions in San Diego Are Still On

June 22, 2018 by Staff

The Overpass Light Brigade’s display on Tuesday evening:

Protest Actions in San Diego on Friday and Saturday Still On

FRIDAY JUNE 22

11 AM
Keep Families Together With Senator Kamala Harris
Otay Mesa Detention Facility, 7488 Calzada De La Fuente

3:00 – 4:30 PM
“Keep Families Together” Nurse-In
880 Front Street San Diego 92101

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Mayor Releases His Proposal for Short Term Vacation Rentals in San Diego

June 14, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Mayor Kevin Faulconer has finally released his proposals for regulating short term vacation rentals in the city of San Diego – he is due to publicly release them Thursday, June 14.

According to today’s San Diego Union-Tribune, Faulconer’s proposal restricts short term rental units to only two per individual owner, with the huge exception of the entire Mission Beach community would have no restrictions.

Short term rental hosts would be allowed,

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Dreaming of Racial Harmony

June 7, 2018 by Ernie McCray

At 80 I find myself still pursuing the same dream in which I’ve indulged myself all my life, a dream that someday the races of people would get along in harmony. Or at least try.

I say try because it seems to me that it’s been our failure to even pursue such a dream that has gotten in the way of it becoming a reality.

But, I’d dare say, there’s no better time than now for us to find ways to embrace each other. I feel that way just because of how the world is.

I mean you can sit down, after a long day of being retired, and turn on the tv and see a man, on this occasion a representative of the NFL, privileged beyond belief, telling football players (most of them black) that they can no longer protest police brutality at their knees while the flag is being sung to.

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NFL’s National Anthem: Divide and Conquer

June 4, 2018 by Source

By Beau Grosscup

So here we go. The 2018 National Football League (NFL) season may start with the NFL owners brilliant triple-edged National Anthem policy based on a militaristic, jingoist right wing bastardization of patriotism (espoused and aided by Donald Trump) to, as Dave Zirin writes in The Nation, re-establish their control over a restless, aggressive, largely Black labor (players) force.

This makes sense. The NFL is big business in a capitalist political economy, thus class conflict is expected and not new. Over the decades it has produced a NFL Players Union (NFLPA), player and game officials’ threatened and real strikes, a management lockout and lots of strikebreaking scabs.

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Application for Liquor License at Unfinished Ocean Beach Plaza

May 24, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Looks Like It’s Too Late to Complain – Or Is It?

Perhaps passersby thought it was just one more of the other construction and real estate signs hanging on the chainlink fence that surrounds the unfinished skeleton of the Ocean Beach Plaza.

But there it was.

An application for a liquor license. Geez, the place isn’t even built yet and they’re already trying to get the crucial permission from the ABC.

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Today All of Palestine Is On Strike.

May 15, 2018 by Source

By Cathy

Today all of Palestine is on strike. No schools, no business as usual…all in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Words truly fail us today, but we are safe and together. The streets are eerily quiet.

When we visited Balata Refugee Camp last week a person on the delegation asked Ibrahim from Balata what he told his children about his life. He had been shot by the Israeli police at a demonstration and had been thought dead.

He told us that he never talked about this with his young children. That he talked with them about the need for a good education and that he wanted them to have hope.

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The Trump Administration’s Stupefying Hypocrisy About the Well-Being of Children

May 10, 2018 by Source

By Abby Zimet / Common Dreams

In another day of unfathomable cognitive dissonance, a blindingly heedless Melania unveiled her (stolen-from-Obama) initiative to keep kids safe from cyber-bullying and drugs so they can “do all they can to be best in everything” even as, in a galaxy really not very far from there, the soulless cretins of her philandering husband’s administration were doing everything in their depraved power to make life hell for said children.

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Human Bannering in Ocean Beach Means: ‘Vote!’

April 22, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

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Activists Protest County Supervisors’ Anti-Immigrant Scheme

April 17, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Photo by Kathy Statler - Supes protest 4 17 2018

According to Indivisible activists, about 100 – 150 people rallied this morning at a press conference held on the steps of the County Administration Building to protest opposition to the anticipated Supervisor vote on whether to oppose Brown’s sanctuary laws.

After the rally – where a number of people spoke – the crowd went upstairs to the Supervisor’s chambers on the 3rd floor. There were so many people that the spill-over room had to be used.

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We Will Protest If Trump Crosses the Line

April 13, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

Here’s the plan of action in the likely event President Trump fires Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as is widely expected. We’ll publish updates as information becomes available.

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Trump Is About to Fire Rosenstein

April 13, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

It’s Friday the 13th and by all appearances, President Trump will fire Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenteine today. A while ago, the White House announced it would be making a special announcement about Rosenstein this afternoon.

Rachel Maddow of MSNBC tried to warn us last night; she said eat your Wheaties, get plenty of sleep, contact your friends, your family …. and get ready for something drastic to happen very soon.

Consider the following:

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San Diego Veterans and Nurses to Rally Against Privatization of VA Health Care – Fri. April 13

April 12, 2018 by Source

Some local San Diego veterans and VA Hospital nurses will rally Friday against the proposed privatization of VA health care.

Members of the San Diego Veterans For Peace, accompanied by VA nurses and several veterans who receive VA health care at the La Jolla Veterans Hospital, will be holding a joint rally outside of the La Jolla Veterans Hospital, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, SD, CA 92161 on Friday, April 13th, 2018 from Noon to 1:30 PM.

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Shenanigans at the Barrio Logan Planning Committee Remind San Diegans of Importance of Democracy

April 9, 2018 by Frank Gormlie

The Peninsula planning board is not the only community planning panel in the city that’s having conflicts. Over in Barrio Logan, there’s some really funky stuff going on these days.

Consider this: in the middle of counting ballots for the most recent annual election to the Barrio Logan Planning Committee held on March 18th – all counting stopped.

Why?

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