Category: Civil Rights

A few days ago, KPBS ran a story entitled “San Diego is building a lot of new homes, but not always in places that need them most” by Jake Gotta, which was picked up by their media partners at Voice of San Diego. Gotta interviewed our good friend Bonnie Kutch, the head of UC Peeps who is also a steering committee member of the San Diego Community Coalition.

However, mainly Gotta quoted Colin Parent extensively, the head of Circulate San Diego, a group that masquerades as pro-envirionment and pro-mass transit advocates but who are mainly paid lobbyists and pro-development shrills. Gotta made Kutch out to be the “bad guy” in his totally uncritical “gotcha” YIMBY piece. Here below, Bonnie responds:

Hi Jake:

In case you’re doing more stories focusing on housing issues, I wanted to make a few points that weren’t covered in your story that aired today.  I wasn’t clear on what the focus of today’s story would be, thinking it was housing in general, so I failed to point out a few things:

• First, the City of San Diego spent $2.1 billion of taxpayer money building the Blue Line Trolley Expansion alone so it could supposedly bring people who work in UTC back and forth.  Yet, the City has failed to advocate for new affordable housing near all 62 trolley stops to serve that purpose.  Building all the housing in UTC or Sorrento Valley alone is a huge waste of the trolley expense and negates its intended purpose.

Come Inside to Order Your San Diego Community Coalition T-shirt

When a majority rules without offering a rationale, we can’t know if they are following the law.

By Erwin Chemerinksy / Contributing writer Los Angeles Times / July 23, 2025

“Because I said so” never is persuasive or satisfying. And it certainly should not be regarded as acceptable when it is the Supreme Court resolving important issues — up to and including matters of life and death — without the slightest explanation. Yet, that has been the pattern in recent weeks, as in a series of significant cases the court has handed down rulings without opinions or explanation.

For example, on June 23, in Department of Homeland Security vs. D.V.D., the court majority lifted a district court order that prevented individuals from Venezuela and Cuba who were in the U.S. from being deported to South Sudan. The district court had issued a preliminary injunction against so-called third country deportation, finding that the individuals were not given due process: They were not provided sufficient notice or a meaningful opportunity to challenge their deportation based on their fears for their safety. The judge was understandably concerned the individuals could be subjected to torture or death upon arrival. Federal law is specific on where people can be deported to, and there is a strong argument that the Trump administration would violate the law in sending these individuals to a country where they had no prior contacts.

Government Executive: Trump administration reminds federal employees they can proselytize in the office

By JW August

FROM THE TRENCHES

It is now permissible for supervisors “in federal offices to  post invitations to employees to join his church” on an agency bulletin board. ”

Also allowed is recruitment of others to a religion, all outlined in a five page memorandum released July 28th by Director Scott Kupor of Trump’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Eric Katz, “Senior Correspondent”  for the “Government Executive” website reports that OPM is telling federal employees “they can proselytize in the office” adding that supervisors “can solicit employees to attend their church.”  OPM describes it as a new guidance.

By Kate Callen / July 28, 2025

This Thursday, July 31, YIMBY Democrats of San Diego are holding a “Summer Soiree” fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. at the Town and Country Resort. YIMBY politicians like Congressman Scott Peters and Assemblymember Chris Ward will be there, along with developers, lobbyists, law firms, and … representatives of Airbnb.

The event flyer gives a big shout-out to the vacation rental conglomerate: “We would like to extend a special thank you to Airbnb, our presenting sponsor this year.”

Come again? Why would a local group dedicated to boosting the housing supply embrace a global conglomerate that shrinks that supply by converting residential units into vacation units?

Airbnb may rightly believe that more housing production will deliver more opportunities for future vacation rentals. And YIMBYs are understandably happy to take the corporate money.

The short-term rental behemoth has been courting density advocates since at least January 2024, when it launched the Airbnb Housing Council. Like its new YIMBY allies, Airbnb expressed concern about the shortage of affordable housing.

“An Injury to one community is an injury to all.”

The San Diego Community Coalition– which has been in existence a little over 3 months — will hold its second public meeting on Saturday, July 26. Members will be meeting in the community room at the Pacific Beach Library at 4275 Cass Street, from 10 am to noon.

The network of community activists and leaders include people from 25 neighborhoods across San Diego, from Encanto to University City, from OB and Point Loma to Talmadge and Linda Vista. In addition, some members are from Neighbors for a Better San Diego and SOHO, Save Our Heritage Organization.

Initially spurred to action to fight against the city’s abusive Bonus ADU program, it is now focused on giving support to individual projects that are threatening neighborhoods, like the 23-story Turquoise Tower in PB and the 17-story tower proposed for Columbia Street in Middletown. In fact, the Coalition is helping to sponsor a protest rally against the Columbia Street project on Saturday, August 2. And at least 30 members of the Coalition attended the July 19th rally in Pacific Beach.

by Ernie McCray

A “big beautiful bill”
it’s been called.
But that’s sure not what I’d call
a piece of legislation
wherein people
with more wealth
than some nations
are given tax breaks
while low-income families,
in need of any kind of break,
are facing changes in Affordable Care Act subsidies

By Francine Maxwell

The San Diego Human Relations Commission is supposed to represent all of us. That’s what the municipal code says. That’s what the mission says. But that’s not what’s happening.

Under its current chair— nicknamed by some as the “unofficial mayor of Hillcrest”—the Commission is quickly becoming a personal political platform rather than a public service body. Week after week, meeting after meeting, the agenda points in one direction: advocacy that centers almost exclusively on Jewish and LGBTQIA+ issues. Important communities, no doubt— but they’re not the only ones in this city. Not by a long shot.

Where is the Commission’s voice when it comes to anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant rhetoric, Islamophobia, or the rise in violence against Asian Americans? Where is the engagement with working-class families, seniors, veterans, refugees? It’s hard to find, if it exists at all.

Hundreds of Pacific Beach and La Jolla residents turned out to protest the 22-storoy skyscraper known as the Turquoise Tower on Saturday, July 19. Critics say that developers are using loop holes to build the monstrosity in North PB. They were joined by allies from across San Diego. 30 members of the San Diego Community Coalition and aligned groups turned up in support of the protest.

Hosted by the local group Neighbors for a Better California, founded by Marcella Bothwell who is also on the PB Planning Group, the event began with a short march from Dunn-Edwards Paint parking lot on Mission Blvd east to the 970 Turquoise Street site.

Eric L. reported that there were, “Lots of support from passers-by on Turquoise and merchants along the street. The only ‘issue’ of note was the police — already present to handle a traffic accident — asked our throng to move out of the road so cars could safely pass.” Eric also commented, “I was told that there were counter-protesters — I never saw them — but that they turned out to be “also” protesters: they weren’t in favor of the tower either.

Erik B said he saw “5 yimbys observing from behind the wall by the street.”

Fox5 reported that the high-rise “has sparked fresh demands from residents to shut it down for good, and that the “developer, Kalonymus, faces growing pressure to address the community’s concerns about its plans.”

By Martha Abraham

It’s hardly a coincidence that Council Member Henry Foster appeared jubilant immediately after the vote to approve the Klauber Project. His two close allies, Vivin Moreno and Sean Elo-Riviera, were the ones who proposed and seconded the motion to move the Klauber Project forward, Henry did not object. When it was Henry’s turn to speak, he didn’t plea to stop the project, nor did he call for a new motion.

Instead, he merely expressed a vague hope that, next time, the developer would engage more meaningfully with the community.

Henry Foster himself has been largely unengaged, attempting to govern District 4 as if he’s the ruler rather than a representative. His approach has been dismissive, consistently limiting access for his constituents and ignoring our voices. If Foster truly supported our community’s interests, his social media posts and public comments following Tuesday’s meeting would have echoed disappointment or frustration with the council’s decision. Instead, we’ve heard nothing. His silence speaks for itself.

by Ernie McCray

I came across a picture of me
rehearsing a scene
from August Wilson’s
“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”
with two other actors,
back in the late 80’s,
if I remember correctly.

We were portraying characters
in a boarding house
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
in the early 1900’s,
grappling with their pasts
and who they are,
reaching for love
and promising futures,
up against a world