Culture

Reefer Madness at Trump’s Justice Department

July 25, 2017 by Doug Porter

The US Department of Justice is preparing to crack down on marijuana use following the release of a report later this week claiming the drug is linked violent crime.

The Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety, organized by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is expected to recommend tougher sentences for those caught growing, selling and smoking pot.

A Sessions memo back in April called for a review of existing policies by July 27 using the following language:

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News from Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Early April 2017

March 30, 2017 by Frank Gormlie

* Hugo’s Cochina Ends Up on Hot Plate

* Average San Diego Rents Up Slightly

* Does the Threat of Plane Crashes from Lindbergh Field Affect Your Rent?

* Counterfeit $100 Bills Show Up at OB and Point Loma Businesses

* Airbnb Van Found in Ocean Beach

* Point Loma Homes Broken Into Via Garage Door Openers

* Court Gives Controversial South Mission Lifeguard Tower Thumps-Up

* Suspect in Homeless Serial Killings Deemed Mentally Competent to Stand Trial
* Peninsula Community Planing Board Election Results
* Traffic Synchronization System Along Rosecrans Installed
* Point Loma – OB Democrats Elect New Officers
* Point Loma Waters Can Be Deceptive
* Props to Three Little Lions in Gushing Reader Article
* Zombies’ Smoke Shop Promised

COME INSIDE FOR STORIES

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What’s Happening on the Mean Streets of Ocean Beach

March 17, 2017 by Frank Gormlie
Thumbnail image for What’s Happening on the Mean Streets of Ocean Beach

It’s not easy being a small businesperson, shopkeeper, store or office owner on the commercial streets of Ocean Beach. Rents are high in this popular, sunny, beach outpost from the rest of the world.

The commercial streets, Newport Avenue, Voltaire Street and Point Loma Avenue are tough for the unwary business enterpriser who takes a gamble opening up any kind of establishment on them. That’s why small businesses are always coming and going, and why empty storefronts remain vacant for months.

The commercial streets of OB are some mean streets and here’s what’s happening on them in mid-March 2017.

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San Diego City Attorney Issues Memo Stating Short Term Vacation Rentals Are Illegal in Residential Zones

March 16, 2017 by Source

From Save San Diego Neighborhoods:

City Attorney: Short-term vacation rentals not permitted under City’s Municipal Code

San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott has issued a memorandum of law advising the City Council and Mayor that short-term vacation rentals (STVR) are illegal in the city’s residential zones.

“The City has a “permissive zoning ordinance.” This means that any use that is not listed in the City’s zoning ordinance is prohibited. Short-term vacation rentals are not specifically defined, expressly permitted, or listed in any of the zone use categories, including residential or commercial,” Elliott said in her memo, issued on March 15.

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Why Restore Kellogg Beach? A Look at Its Inheritance and Legacy

March 16, 2017 by Source

By Michael Winn

A real estate speculator has proposed to replace a single family home on Kellogg Street in La Playa with a concrete sea wall and 9 condominiums, where there is now a beach.

How can the community assess this proposed development without consensus about the fate of this beach? Colloquially called, Kellogg Beach it’s actually the last remaining part of the beach for which this community was originally named, La Playa, perhaps, in the 17th century.

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Return of the Freewayblogger!

March 16, 2017 by Source

By Freewayblogger / Daily Kos

How mad do you need to get? How many lies do you have delivered straight to your face by this administration? How long do you just sit there and take it?

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Wisteria Garden Party – Sunday, Mar. 19th

March 14, 2017 by Source

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Town Halls in San Diego: Darrell Issa Deflects, Duncan Hunter Sings Off Key

March 14, 2017 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter

As town halls in San Diego featuring Representatives Darrell Issa, Duncan Hunter and Susan Davis drew big crowds and garnered national attention, the American Civil Liberties Union rolled out the inaugural event of People Power, with more than 2,200 events in cities coast-to-coast. (See additional coverage of the ACLU campaign here.)

There were more than a dozen expressions of activism on Saturday, March 12th ranging from the raucous to the reserved in venues large and small throughout the region.

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Saratoga Addition on Project Review Agenda – Wed., March 15th

March 14, 2017 by Frank Gormlie

The Project Review Committee, a sub-committee of the Ocean Beach Planning Board, has one project before it at its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, March 15th.

It’s a permit application to build a 918 square foot residence over a garage at 4925 Saratoga Avenue.

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San Diego Indivisible to Rally Tuesday March 14th Against GOP Health Care Bill

March 14, 2017 by Source

Senators Feinstein and Harris Asked to Host Town Halls in San Diego – Duncan Hunter to Be Called Out on Ethics Violations

From Indivisible San Diego Media Team:

SAN DIEGO – Following a successful weekend mobilizing thousands of members at four congressional town halls, San Diego Indivisible will rally this week to stop the TrumpCare legislation proposed by Republicans to replace the Affordable Care Act and to call out Rep. Duncan Hunter for his ethics violations. They will also ask California’s two U.S. senators to hold town halls in San Diego during the April recess.

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Where’s The Love? Dehumanization, American Style

March 13, 2017 by Jim Miller

dehumanizationBy Jim Miller

The last time I saw Hunter S. Thompson speak before he died, he threw out a good line about how in the post-AIDS world, the New Right began to flourish because people were afraid to touch each other.

And how Thompson mused, can we ever expect people to stand together in any other way when they are afraid to do that?

Now, years later, what seemed like a bit of insightful hyperbole appears to be backed up by social research.

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Restaurant Review – Pepe’s Italian Restaurant in Ocean Beach

March 13, 2017 by Judi Curry

Restaurant Review

Pepe’s Italian Restaurant
1830 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92107
619-221-1926
www.pepesitalian.com

It’s been many years since I ate at “Pepe’s.” I do not even think that I was doing restaurant reviews at that time, and I have been doing reviews for almost 8 years. When Irene called and suggested that we get together for lunch I knew just where to go. And I am certainly glad that we went there.

We were early; just a little bit past 11:00am, and there was one other diner in the restaurant. We were greeted by “Ed/Pepe” with a smile and exuberance that had us feeling good before we ever sat down.

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How San Diego’s Downtown Housing Supply Boom Is Making Rent Less Affordable

March 10, 2017 by Source

By Murtaza Baxamusa / UrbDeZine

Having invested a billion and a half dollars of public funds in downtown redevelopment, it is worth asking if it helped or hindered in solving the affordable housing crisis that San Diego faces.

From the catalytic start of downtown’s boom with the construction of the ballpark to the unceremonious demise of tax increment financing under Governor Brown, there has been a lot of change.

Census data shows that from 2000 to 2015, downtown’s housing stock doubled. About half of downtown’s current stock of 25 thousand housing units has been built during this time frame. About 5 thousand renter-occupied housing units were added to the stock. Of the total housing stock almost 18 percent (over 4 thousand units) are vacant, compared to 9 percent vacancy back in 2000. This indicates a greater share of investor-owned units or second homes that are not occupied.

In terms of affordability, downtown is at a tipping point.

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Progressive Calendar for San Diego Activists, March 10 – 21, 2017

March 10, 2017 by Doug Porter

By Doug Porter / San Diego Free Press

Progressive ActivistWow. Here’s another calendar packed full of events for local activists. I’ve made some cosmetic changes this week, including icons to make events more recognizable.

So what will you do? Check out this week’s Progressive Calendar listings below. Following those listings are upcoming events of national importance, along with opportunities for organizational involvement and a few reading suggestions.

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Covering Ocean Beach and Point Loma in the Time of Trump

March 9, 2017 by Frank Gormlie

At the most recent OB Town Council meeting, a friend who is active in Ocean Beach and an OB Rag supporter, took me aside, and said, “You’re killing me with all the national news.” He was complaining that he felt the OB Rag was straying from its focus on local, OB news and material.

I explained to him that we had to do both, be the source of uber news for the village and the Peninsula and provide news and analysis about what’s going on nationally – especially now in the time of Trump.

Ever since we began trying to be the online newspaper for OB and providing a platform for the community, we’ve experienced a tension between covering really local stuff about OB and Point Loma versus both throwing out our news net for wider issues, more city and county related issues – and being a source for progressive views and analysis on national and international news and goings on.

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Planned Parenthood Says No to Trump – Women’s Right to Choose is “Non-Negotiable”

March 9, 2017 by Source

Trumpcare effectively destroys access to affordable women’s healthcare services

By Lauren McCauley / Common Dreams

Women’s healthcare providers are readying for a fight. Refusing to back down from its commitment to women’s choice, Planned Parenthood is now at risk of losing nearly 40 percent of its funding—and is calling for a massive mobilization to resist the attack on women’s health.

Ahead of the official release of House Republicans’ the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on Monday evening—which guts funding for any healthcare organization that “provides for abortions”—Planned Parenthood reportedly rejected an offer from the White House to stop terminating pregnancies in exchange for the group to continue receiving federal funds for other essential services.

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Cities and States Prefer Public Banks To Wall Street

March 9, 2017 by John Lawrence

Public Banking

Profits Can Stay In State, Provide Local Funding

By John Lawrence

Alarmed by the corruption and greed of Wall Street, many US cities and states are studying the feasibility of establishing public banks. Public banks are owned by cities, states or other jurisdictions and serve to keep funds local instead of being deposited on Wall Street. The funds are then used to support local economic activities like small business loans and student loans.

Washington state has already cut its ties with Wells Fargo because they funded …

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OB Rag Stands in Solidarity with A Day Without a Woman

March 8, 2017 by Staff

By OB Rag Editors

Can you imagine a day without a woman?

We join with our fellow editors at San Diego Free Press, in the strike for women on International Women’s Day 2017, and will remain “dark” for the day.

Many of the staff and contributors of the OB Rag are women. 50% of the volunteer SDFP editorial board and 50% of SDFP volunteer contributors are women.

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600 Protest at Indivisible Congressional Office Rallies across San Diego Region

March 7, 2017 by Source

Crowd Demands Answers from Issa on Healthcare Bill

By Indivisible San Diego County

More than 430 constituents of Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-49) rallied outside his district office in Vista this morning to demand answers about the newly released GOP health care bill. The Republican legislation was kept secret from the public by its authors, and alarmed citizens with Indivisible 49 turned to their congressman for clarity. They did not get it.

Led by Reverend Beth Johnson of the Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the voters sent a delegation to meet with Issa’s District Director, Bill Christensen.

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News and Notes for Ocean Beach and Point Loma – Early March 2017

March 7, 2017 by Frank Gormlie

Newport Ave Re-Paving Begins Thursday, March 9

The long-anticipated re-paving of Newport Avenue begins Thursday, March 9th. Beginning at 8am, the work crews will re-pave the normally-busy commercial street from Abbott to Sunset Cliffs Blvd. Workers will grind down the old asphalt 3 inches, and then pour in 3 inches of the fresh smelly, gooey, stinking-hot new asphalt (ever worked with it? it’s pretty bad stuff).

Gas Leak Tuesday at Sunset View Elem

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Ocean Beach Restaurant Review – Voltaire Beach House

March 7, 2017 by Judi Curry

Restaurant Review

Voltaire Beach House
4934 Voltaire
San Diego, CA 92107
619-955-8840

In doing a restaurant review, I frequently invite others to join me because the more people reviewing the restaurant the more authentic the review will be.

Today I was fortunate to have two people review the Voltaire Beach House with me that have never done a review before. Rosemarie lives in Pt. Loma, and her friend Bette is visiting from Florida so we agreed to meet at 11:00am – opening time – at the restaurant.

When I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes ahead of Rosemarie and Bette I was greeted by Caleb, one of the men working the bar.

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A Day Without a Woman – Wednesday, March 8th

March 7, 2017 by Source

Wednesday, March 8
A Day Without a Woman

A Message From: The Women’s March on Washington

On International Women’s Day, March 8th, women and our allies will act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women and all gender-oppressed people, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.

In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women’s March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system…

Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:

  • Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
  • Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
  • Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman
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More Photos from “Impeach on the Beach” in O.B.

March 6, 2017 by Frank Gormlie

Here are more photos from the wonderful “Impeach” and “Resist” event on Saturday, March 4th in Ocean Beach. These are in chronological order, more or less.

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“Sunset Cliffs Living” – New Magazine Devoted to Southern Point Loma to Be Published

March 6, 2017 by Judi Curry

Guess what’s coming to Sunset Cliffs? It’s Sunset Cliffs Living– a magazine devoted to Sunset Cliffs!

I just spent a delightful hour with Brenna Vega, a young, Point Loma High School Graduate, (2002) with a vision of bringing the community closer together. (Not only did she go to PLHS, she also went to Loma Portal and Correia.)

After spending time in Los Angeles, New York, and China for the past 7 years, the draw of home brought her back to San Diego where she is fulfilling a dream of a magazine devoted to our community. She deems it a “social magazine for the residents of Sunset Cliffs, and is focusing on the areas of Sunset Cliffs east to Catalina; south to the college; and Sunset Cliffs to the end at Ladera.”

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Ocean Beach Resist Trump Rally – Photo Gallery

March 4, 2017 by Source

Ocean Beach

From Indivisible San Diego:

More than six hundred San Diegans marched from Dog Beach to the Ocean Beach Pier this morning with a demand to impeach President Trump. The protesters created a performance art project by standing in patterns to spell the messages “RESIST!” and “IMPEACH!” on the sand. Drone cameraman Caleb Serban-Lawler of Sabre Springs captured the images.

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ACLU: San Diego City Council Makes ‘Inexcusable Failure’ in Not Adopting Recommendations from Independent Study on Police Racial Profiling

March 3, 2017 by Source

After pleas from the public for action, the City Council failed to lead

By Norma Chavez-Peterson, Executive Director / ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties

Head of the Statue of Liberty logo for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial CountiesThe majority of the San Diego City Council demonstrated an inexcusable failure in leadership Monday, Feb. 27th in their decision to accept the 2-year independent study of police traffic stop data, but disregard its recommendations.

The Council had before them the results of an SDSU study, requested by former Councilmember Marti Emerald in 2015 to address community concerns about racial profiling by San Diego Police Department officers, …

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“Resist” Banner Hung on OB Pier

March 3, 2017 by Staff

A reader sent us this photo, with the message,

“This sign was hung on the pier just in time for the Wednesday farmers market.”

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Making It Easier to Build Won’t Generate Affordable Housing

March 3, 2017 by Source

Downtown San Diego’s Experience Has Given Us Lessons

Affordable

By Murtaza Baxamusa / Rooflines, the Shelterforce blog

It is often convenient to blame city planners for the affordable housing crisis. After all, those affected have no other public forum to vent their concerns, least of all toward those who are profiting off of the crisis on a project-by-project basis. Sadly, this blame is often misguided, because planners do not produce housing.

A case study of the profit-maximizing, decision-making that is driving the affordability crisis is downtown San Diego. Construction cranes are up all over, …

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Amazon Go: The End of Jobs?

March 3, 2017 by John Lawrence

By John Lawrence

AmazonAmazon Go is the latest job destroyer by virtue of the fact that it is a grocery store with no check-out lines.

High tech devices will monitor every item you put in your high tech grocery basket so you just load up and go. Your credit card will be charged the correct amount. It isn’t clear if a robot will bag your groceries or if you’ll do that yourself.

This feat of automation is only the harbinger of things to come. With artificial intelligence and robots, jobs will be automated out of existence except for a few software engineers who will design the various systems.

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Midway District Has an 81-Unit Luxury Housing and Mixed Use Project Coming

March 3, 2017 by Staff
Thumbnail image for Midway District Has an 81-Unit Luxury Housing and Mixed Use Project Coming

An 81-unit luxury housing project is coming to the Midway District of Point Loma.

Called “Driftwood”, the development will be located on a 2-acre lot – which is now empty – at the corner of Kemper and Kenyon Streets and will include 3,137 square feet of retail space. It’s next to the new West City community college campus. Midway Drive is a block away from Kemper.

Accord to SDMetro:

Driftwood will consist of stacked flats within a three-story, elevator-serviced building with interior common hallways and stairwells.

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