OB Rag

By Anthony Gregory / HuffPost / Dec 15, 2011

Today is Bill of Rights Day, the 220-year anniversary of this revered document’s addition to the U.S. Constitution in 1791. The Anti-Federalists had demanded a Bill of Rights to ensure that the federal government created in 1789 would not morph into the type of tyranny that the American colonists had resisted in the Revolution.

It might seem like a difficult day to celebrate, however, as we consider the current state of liberties in our nation. With the militarization of police, the erosion of requirements for search and seizure, the presidential powers used as a blanket for deplorable detention policies, the raging war on drugs, invasive TSA “security” procedures and so much else, today’s governing principles at times seem to reflect the authorship of George Orwell more than that of James Madison.

By Robert Scheer / truthdig / Dec 15, 2011

Once again the gods of war have united our Congress like nothing else. Unable to agree on the minimal spending necessary to save our economy, schools, medical system or infrastructure, the cowards who mislead us have retreated to the irrationalities of what George Washington in his farewell address condemned as “pretended patriotism.”

The defense authorization bill that Congress passed and President Obama had threatened to veto will soon become law, a fact that should be met with public outrage.

Time mag’s annual “Person of the Year” is The Protester this time around. The image by Street artist Shepard Fairey is of Sarah Mason, a member of Occupy LA, and a resident of Highland Park. Fairey took Mason’s photo during a November 17th protest outside the Bank of America tower in the financial district.

At that action, she was was arrested with dozens of others. Plus Mason was present when LA cops moved in and cleared the Occupy LA camp outside City Hall less than two weeks later. She told a reporter that she left the park at City Hall because she didn’t want to risk another arrest. She was upset that she had walked away from her protesting companions and was angry at the city for closing the camp.

Protester Ends Hunger Strike to Join Court Battles

A press conference will be held today, Wednesday, Dec. 14th, at 5:00 pm, at the Civic Center Plaza by the Occupy San Diego activist who has been on a hunger strike for 36 days.

Occupy protester and hunger strike participant John Kenney, who was arrested earlier this week for “illegal lodging” at the Civic Center, is currently on his 36th day of the hunger strike. It is anticipated that Mr. Kenny, who as a member of the occupy movement in San Diego has been occupying the Civic Center since October 7, 2011, will announce the end of his hunger strike, his food deprivation protest. John is an OBcean and lives less than a block from the ocean.

In a press statement, Mr. Kenney is quoted:

“I went on hunger strike in an attempt to get the City of San Diego, its Mayor, City Council and the San Diego Police Department to recognize our right to occupy at least part of Civic Center, but they won’t even put the issue on the agenda.”

A recent report out tells the story: 38% of homes in the Ocean Beach 92107 area are “underwater” on their mortgages.

Here’s a December 2nd article by Lily Leung at the San Diego U-T:

California ranked sixth in the nation in negative equity, widely known as being “underwater” on your mortgage, based on the latest data from real estate tracker CoreLogic this week.

On December 7th, the City Attorney Jan Goldsmith released a three-page memo in response to Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s request for a ruling by his office on the City Development Services granting variances on floor area ratios to Ocean Beach developers. This all stems from an on-going controversy about whether it is proper and legal for the City to grant FAR variances on the fly, as it were, and not through the legal procedure the City has set up to change zones, etc. The memo to Faulconer, signed by Keith Bauerle, a Deputy City Attorney, is as follows:

Office of The City Attorney – City of San Diego

MEMORANDUM MS 59

This memorandum responds to your memorandum of September 1, 2011, in which you stated that the Ocean Beach Planning Board has expressed Concerns to you regarding Floor Area Ratio (FAR) Variances being granted in the Ocean Beach RM 2~4 zone.

Tonight, December 14th, there is a benefit concert for Occupy San Diego. From 7:30 pm to 2 a.m. at the Ruby Room, at 1271 University Avenue, Liquid Blue will lead off the series, with performances also from The Rootstrikers and The Proles.

There are a number of local environmental groups that have called for December 15th to be a “Day Without a Bag”. San Diego Coastkeeper, Surfrider Foundation, I Love a Clean San Diego, plus others (City of Encinitas, the San Diego U-T) have joined in for this call.

On Thursday, December 15th, we are asking holiday shoppers and retailers to forgo single-use, plastic and paper shopping bags in favor of reusable bags. Join residents in the San Diego Region, and throughout the state, in pledging to use a reusable shopping bag whenever you shop. It’s a simple, yet powerful step you can take to “green” your community and help protect the environment.

Occupy Our Homes Press Conference and Occupation

Please see the Facebook Event, invite your friends and repost!

MURRIETA – A disabled and bedridden schoolteacher has vowed not to leave her home if evicted. After gathering over 3000 supporters on a change.org petition and gathering press coverage of her plight, Lesliane Bouchard has now called on the www.occcupyourhomes.org movement to support her plight. Facing foreclosure, there is a simple solution. Ms. Bouchard has approved by the Hardest Hit States Fund principal reduction program. If First Mortgage Corporation opts into this program, she will have the funding to keep her house.

By Martha Sullivan/ Mon, Dec 12, 2011 at 9:28 PM

Greetings of a rainy Monday, all!

I have tendered my resignation as Vice Chair, North Area for the San Diego County Democratic Party. I will remain a member of the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee and a delegate therefrom to the California Democratic Party.

I have done this because I cannot stay neutral during the coming Primary races, which being an Area Vice Chair requires. Many of you know that I have been very active in the local Occupy Wall Street movement, Occupy San Diego, since its very first public planning meeting in September. My participation in the Occupy movement has been a logical extension of my progressive, grassroots political organizing since 2003, when I helped to coordinate the local Dean for America presidential campaign.

Though I know not
what a prayer really is
and so many
“How to live”
theories and
philosophies
lean towards Show Biz –
I never-the-less
bask in the multitudes
of petitions to a higher power
and self help psychology
that my family has realized
since my daughter
began her struggle
to remain alive….

By Lucas O’Connor / Two Cathedrals / Dec. 12, 2011

In an interesting (if not entirely surprising) wrinkle today, after sitting out two consecutive mayoral races, “The city’s largest labor union found a candidate it wanted. And the candidate wanted the union back.” Despite the relative novelty of the Municipal Employees Association wading back into mayoral elections, it was a bit of a fait accompli once Filner emerged as the only major candidate to oppose Carl Demaio’s pension privatization ballot initiative. The initiative would shift city employees from defined benefit to defined contribution plans, relying on the Enrons and Goldman Sachses of the world to guarantee the retirements of MEA members into the future.