Category: Popular

Dozens of people made it downtown on Monday, April 26th, to rally and parade in front of the Federal Building, to protest Arizona’s new immigration laws. Several OBceans made it to the rally in support.

These photos were taken by Michael Gomel for our viewing pleasure.

by Jim Wallis / Christians for Immigration Reform /04-21-2010

I got up at 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday to fly to Phoenix, Arizona, to speak at a press conference and rally at the State Capitol at the invitation of the state’s clergy and other leaders in the immigration reform movement. The harshest enforcement bill in the country against undocumented immigrants just passed the Arizona state House and Senate, and is only awaiting the signature of Governor Janet Brewer to become law.

Senate Bill 1070 would require law enforcement officials in the state of Arizona to investigate someone’s immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person might be undocumented.

Closing in on the 4th hour of the afternoon on April 20th (4/20), I grabbed my camera and note pad and headed for the beach. I was in search of the 420 celebration, hoping to catch OBceans partying for the holiday at 4:20 pm. I also hoped I would have more luck than other reporters searching for the same.

Easing my car into the lifeguard parking lot, I scanned the beach for a cannabis style floatopia or some such event. Yet, I saw only a couple here and there on the sand, enjoying the last rays of a sun about to be gobbled up by in-coming clouds. No mass gathering of youthful civil disobedients on this beach, flaunting johnny law to light up on this holiday.

A Review of Past Movers & Shakers: Originally posted April 8, 2009

by Jon Carr

Our first Mover and Shaker is Stefanie Sekich, local clean water activist and employee of The Surfrider Foundation.

Stefanie was the driving force behind the Save Trestles campaign which successfully blocked big developers and the Transportation Corridor Authority (TCA) from building a toll road through San Onofre State beach and the legendary Trestles surf spot.

City Government Enters Official Bid Process for Public Surveillance System In Beach Areas – Including OB Pier

Winston Smith, you’d better touch those toes. And don’t bend your knees to do it either, because Big Brother’s watching, and if you cheat, he’s gonna know. [Editor: in case you are not familiar with the novel, Winston Smith is the main character in George Orwell’s “1984.”]

It may be a couple decades late, but 1984 has finally arrived – government surveillance cameras are soon to be installed in a handful of locations along the San Diego coast, kicking off a program that seems destined for expansion into a spectrum that could one day encompass every public space in America (and whatever private spaces aren’t protected by a heat-shielding drawn curtain). It might soon be time to bust out those tin-foil-lined hats.

by Kristin Condon

The building with Ace Tattoo and El Rodeo is looking spiffy – it has gotten a new paint job and new banisters and signs, including the new “L Rodeo” sign.

Ciao Bella Ristorante e Pizzaria at 4953 Newport opened at the end of February, and appears to be doing a brisk business. Their extensive menu features soups, salads, antipasto, pasta, panini, risotti, pizzas, and handmade desserts. They have a very nice dining room, and also will take phone orders to go….

SEE MORE INSIDE…..

People started showing up early. I was standing outside Lestat’s – the famous Adams Avenue coffeehouse in Normal Heights twenty minutes before the noon meeting was to start. A half dozen older folks had joined me in front. I joked, to laughter: “Is this going to be a gray-haired movement?”

One woman replied “And I spent all this money trying to hide my gray.” Even though I had been joking, I did have the thought that the meeting would consist of fifty and sixty-something year olds only. But I was wrong. By the end of the meeting two hours later, my joke was answered with a resounding ‘no’.

It was March 13th – the national coffee party meeting day – hundreds of meetings were going on across the country, most in coffee houses. And it was the very first time anybody in San Diego had met under the new grassroots banner of java.

This Saturday, February 27th, a group of local Tea Party groups are sponsoring a rally downtown along San Diego Harbor. And San Diego progressives will be there to stand witness to this rally of tea baggers.

Nearly one hundred San Diego progressives have committed to being present at this non-violent counter-demonstration. The counter protest – really more of a show of strength than an actual protest or counter-demonstration – has been organized solely via emails and word of mouth.

This blog website the OB RAG, in conjunction with a number of other San Diego progressive and peace groups have put out the call for the counter effort; we went to cyberspace for the medium of our message. And just over a week’s time, San Diego progressives have stepped up to be witnesses to our local movement of reaction.

by OB Cindi

For those of you who need to be brought up to speed, last night from 7pm to 9pm there was an OB Town Council Meeting.

Earlier yesterday (Wed 2/24) I walked around Ocean Beach and handed out a flier to a handful of people under the pier. My flier had a map giving directions to the Masonic Temple, the time of the meeting, and a request for those the OBRag Ad Hoc Committee were representing to add their voices to the Town Council’s issue on homeless.

I asked about a dozen youth to come to the meeting to talk about their experience and to help push for a local shelter/camp city and more restrooms.

As the meeting started, I took a seat amongst the youth as I had promised–I practice and preach tolerance and coexistence.

The meeting kicked off with people running for various districts pushing their platforms.

On Saturday, February 27, a number of our fellow citizens will take publicly funded roads to a public park to participate in a Tea Party rally at which our publicly funded police force will maintain law and order if necessary. Once our fellow citizens arrive, they will rail against the unfair redistribution of wealth and the size of government.
Hypocrisy In Action

Of course it is that very redistribution of wealth which provides them with those roads, that park, those police. And it is that very redistribution of wealth that provides their “entitlements” of Medicare, Veteran Benefits, and Social Security; that provides their children with public education, parks and recreation centers and libraries. The Tea Party comes with an enormous side of hypocrisy.

It is statistically probable that 95% of those in attendance received a tax cut under the Obama administration.

For the past week, we’ve heard about the racism up at UCSD with the “Compton Cookout” and a student TV show. Now, we have intolerance against the homeless in Ocean Beach , a community widely known for its tolerance.

Fliers being handed out over the last several days in OB have called for the eviction of homeless youth from the community. Calling for “Trolls out of OB”, these fliers have been handed out by unknown persons to homeless travelers and other people down at the foot of Newport Avenue.

This blatant display of intolerance comes on the eve of a public forum on homelessness called by the OB Town Council. This forum will be held on Wednesday, February 24th at the Masonic Temple on Sunset Cliffs.

We just watched a 10News broadcast that showed the results of poll they did regarding the “Compton Cookout” and whether folks thought the people throwing this party were exercising their right to free speech. I was pretty astounded to see the 53% agreed. My first thought was that anyone who said yes didn’t actually read the invitation, didn’t hear the actual words used to describe this event.

The following was supposedly posted as a Facebook event invitation, read it and tell us whether you think it’s an expression of free speech, or not.
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February marks a very important month in American society. No, i’m not referring to Valentines day or Presidents day. I’m talking about Black History month. As a time to celebrate and in hopes of showing respect, the Regents community cordially invites you to its very first Compton Cookout.