OB Rag

By Michael Moore / The Nation / March 14, 2012 (April 2 issue)

Occupy Wall Street. What other political movement in modern times has won the sympathy and/or support of the majority of the American public—in less than two months? How did this happen? I think it was a revolt that has been percolating across the country since Reagan fired the first air traffic controller. Then, on September 17, 2011, a group of (mostly) young adults decided to take direct action. And this action struck a raw nerve, sending a shock wave throughout the United States, because what these kids were doing was what tens of millions of people wished they could do.

Yes, we need to get the hell out of Afghanistan. Here’s why:

Almost to the day of the 44th anniversary of the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly left his outpost and embarked on a solitary nighttime hike to two nearby Afghan villages where he then methodically massacred 16 mostly women and children sleeping in their beds. This occurred on March 11th.

My Lai occurred on March 16th, 1968, and was the most massive civilian massacre of civilians by American ground soldiers in Vietnam. Its scale of death clearly outmatched this current horrific and monstrous act by Sgt Bales. Between 350 and 500 Vietnamese were killed – mostly women, children – even babies – , and elderly villagers.

Are beef eaters doomed to an early death?

By Alliance for Natural Health / March 20, 2012

A recent Harvard study, accompanied by some unduly alarmist articles in the press, found that the consumption of red meat is associated with higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study recommends substituting “healthy” protein sources such as fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes to reduce mortality.

We see a number of big problems with this study.

California PUC Puts Off Decision Until Thursday, March 22nd

SEMPRA’s controversial plan for a large-scale wind farm in Baja, Mexico, has been placed on the back burner – but only temporarily – by state regulators because of a question that utility customers – that’s us – would pay too much for the electricity.

This is the same cross-border project that has come under intense criticism as it would send 15,000 green jobs to Mexico. SDG&E and Sempra – its parent – have been pushing this project, the Energia Sierra Juarez project, for 5 years with claims that it would supply power to an estimated 65,000 homes.

By Serena Scaglione / East County Magazine / March 21, 2012

The California Energy Commission (CEC) will hold a workshop at 5 p.m. this Thursday, March 22 at Mission Trails to discuss the proposed Quail Brush Generation Project being developed by Quail Brush Genco, LLC, a subsidiary of Cogentrix Energy.

By Channel 6 News/ March 20, 2012

An 18-year-old motorist accused of killing a pedestrian on Interstate 8 in the Ocean Beach area, then taking off, pleaded not guilty to a charge of felony hit-and-run causing death.

Nikolette Kristina Gallo — who is free on $50,000 bail — is charged in the death of 23-year-old Sho Funai in the early morning hours of March 11.

On Saturday, March 17th, the San Diego Labor Council honored Jim Miller as one of eight Union Heroes the Council honored at their annual Awards Dinner.

Jim is not only a regular columnist for the OB Rag – writing his weekly “Under the Perfect Sun“-, he is a celebrated progressive author, primarily a professor at City College, and an activist in his local union, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 1931. Jim is also a family man and father – his son, Walt, is constantly at his side.

Lorena Gonzales – leader of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council – said this about Jim when she introduced him at the dinner:

 “Jim Miller – AFT Guild 1931 – He brings dignity to labor activism. Jim campaigns tirelessly to raise awareness about an education system under siege in California – all the way from San Diego to Sacramento, no matter the roadblock.”

Lorena’s reference was to Jim’s across-the-state walk promoting education in 2010 when he traveled from San Diego to Sacramento.

The Ocean Beach – Point Loma area has lost a strong gay rights advocate and Democratic Party activist as Charles McKain passed away on Saturday, March 17th.

He and his partner of 36 years, Robert McWilliams, had a grand house up the hill from Sunset Cliffs in southern OB (some might call it Point Loma). They both were long-time activists in the local Point Loma Democratic Party club and used to have meetings all the time in their hill-side abode. Charles and Robert were legally married in 2008.

I met them both when I ran for City Council waaaay back in 1987 (I garnered about 10%). They were stalwarts then of the liberal wing of the Peninsula and had opened their house up for Club meetings. I recall sitting in their livingroom explaining why I was a “small-d-democrat”. I have no idea if they voted for me then, but the two of them remained active for decades after.

Here is the article from San Diego Democrats for Equality:

It does appear – after two strips this week – that Doonesbury artist, Gary Trudeau, has taken on yet another social issue. This time it’s marijuana farms in California. Take a look at these two strips that have run this week.

Oh, and it’s not like this is the first “social issue” that Trudeau and his characters have taken on. The “old” San Diego U-T used to ban the cartoon from the comics page on a regular and daily basis – and print it on the editorial page. Something Jeff Light – the current editor – failed to do this time when our daily paper killed the strip for the entire week last week due to its subject matter of women’s reproductive rights.

These days, the recently re-christened UT San Diego seems to be a fan of San Diego city councilman and mayoral candidate Carl Demaio. Pension-hating missives such as this, this, and this suggest the paper’s editors, at least, sympathize with DeMaio’s emphasis on public-employee retirement plans as an apocalyptic scourge facing San Diegans.

It’s not hard to imagine UT San Diego issuing a DeMaio endorsement in the months ahead, particularly if the mayor’s race comes down to DeMaio versus Bob Filner.

But a sea change underlies UT San Diego’s apparent affection for DeMaio. When the two first met in 2005, when UT San Diego was still The San Diego Union-Tribune, the newspaper’s reaction could be characterized as somewhere between skeptical and “pffft.”

By Matt Taibbi / Rolling Stone – RSN / Originally published March 16, 2012

At least Bank of America got its name right. The ultimate Too Big to Fail bank really is America, a hypergluttonous ward of the state whose limitless fraud and criminal conspiracies we’ll all be paying for until the end of time. Did you hear about the plot to rig global interest rates? The $137 million fine for bilking needy schools and cities? The ingenious plan to suck multiple fees out of the unemployment checks of jobless workers?

Take your eyes off them for 10 seconds and guaranteed, they’ll be into some shit again: This bank is like the world’s worst-behaved teenager, taking your car and running over kittens and fire hydrants on the way to Vegas for the weekend, maxing out your credit cards in the three days you spend at your aunt’s funeral. They’re out of control, yet they’ll never do time or go out of business, because the government remains creepily committed to their survival, like overindulgent parents who refuse to believe their 40-year-old live-at-home son could possibly be responsible for those dead hookers in the backyard.

San Diego Organizing Project joins the Budget Alliance to change the conversation in San Diego

by Lara McCaffrey / Empower San Diego / March 16, 2012

In the upcoming months before the fiscal year’s end, an alliance of like-minded individuals have come together to change the budget conversation in San Diego. The Community Budget Alliance (CBA) has been convening since the beginning of the year to discuss strategies to educate government officials and citizens on what to allocate more money to in order to improve the quality of life in the city. A powerful and influential part of the alliance are members from the San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP). No strangers to the budget issue, SDOP finds that joining forces with CBA aids their mission of helping San Diegans in low income communities stand up and demand more investment from taxpayer money and will help elect politicians who are mindful of where budget money should be spent.