OB Rag

The “Occupy Wall Street” movement has definitely spread to San Diego, and local organizers are planning a peaceful occupation of the San Diego Civic Center Plaza this Friday, October 7th. The action – which starts with a march that is to reach the Plaza at 4:30 – will be in solidarity with the Wall Street protesters. (Marchers will gather at First and Harbor at 4pm.) The occupation is viewed as a “protest of the global financial corruption currently invading politics, media and corporations”. They call themselves “the 99%”.

Politics, Poetry, Fiction, and Music and More in the Heart of the City

The 6th annual San Diego City College International Book Fair is this week (October 3^rd to the 8^th), and it offers an impressive line-up of writers, poets, and musicians including:

• Marjorie Cohn, editor of The United States and Torture: Interrogation, Incarceration and Abuse;
• Cris Mazza, author of Various Men Who Knew Us as Girls;
• Zohreh Ghahremani, author of Sky of Red Poppies;
• lê thi diem thúy, author of The Gangster We Are All Looking For;

I am so glad that I have written some positive reviews about local restaurants, because I, once again, just had a terrible meal from one of the standards.

A friend called me and said that he had a coupon for the two for one Sunday breakfast at the “Souplantation” on Midway – close to OB. I hesitated before agreeing to go with him, because I have never enjoyed the lunch or dinner I have had there. (I think they need more variety of salads.)

PARIS, FRANCE. September 27th this year, teachers in France from primary school to high school went on a national one-day strike. They weren’t asking for pay raises–though they certainly deserve them–they were on strike to demand the means to do their jobs.

There were around 150,000 demonstrators, including parents supporting their demands. The current rightwing government has already eliminated thousands of educational posts and proposes to eliminate another 14,000 next year. [Editor: Let’s be clear: France does not have a “socialist” government or education system.]

There is so much going on right now all over the country (and world?) about these “Occupy” actions, it’s getting difficult to keep up. So, for right now, I’m posting links to interesting stuff involving these events.

• 700+ Arrested on Brooklyn Bridge – Saturday Oct 1; most were cited and released. The Occupation at Liberty Plaza continues.

This document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on september 29, 2011

As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

Two dozen people gathered on the sidewalk yesterday near the Lifeguard parking lot, and listened intently to speakers explain the problem with the coming construction of a huge 10-unit condo complex, slated for that entire block bordered by Abbott, Saratoga and the beach. (A full set of plans in PDF format are available for download)

It was the “Tour” of the future Ocean Park Villas site thrown together by an ad hoc group of OB planners, merchants, and grassroots activists to educate the community about what is going down – or in this case – what is going up.

New plans had been drawn up, substantially altering the previous plans which had been drawn up by local architect Steven Lombardi. Yet the new plans had not been seen by anyone on the OB planning committee or by anyone else in OB – until yesterday.

By Van Jones and Max Berger / Reader Supported News / October 1, 2011

Wall Street has long been the home of the biggest threat to American Democracy. Now it has become home to what may be our best hope for rescuing it.

For everyone who loves this country, for everyone whose heart is breaking for the growing ranks of the poor, for everyone who is seething at the unopposed demolition of America’s working and middle class: the time has come to get off the fence.

A new generation has gone to the scene of the crimes committed against our future. The time has come for all people of good will to give our full-throated backing to the young people of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

As was discussed at the meeting yesterday, we thought it would be useful if we could clarify and streamline the process for people who want to help with the Ocean Park Villas project by writing to the California Coastal Commission. Scott Therkalsen agreed to write a sample letter, outline relevant points we can argue to the commission, detail the necessary format of the letters, and to whom we should address our concerns. Thanks, Scott!

See inside for details…

My mother (like yours, I’m sure) always told me never to judge a book by its cover. So it was fitting when she told me we’d be attending an open house to see the newly built dome house nearby that can best be described as … well … ugly.

Without even asking the street name, I knew the one she was talking about. A while back, I’d been driving along that block of Sterne Street in Point Loma, rubbernecked, slammed on my brakes, reversed and stared in awe at the monstrosity before me. It was as if someone had dropped a giant igloo on top of someone else’s house. I was sure the people crushed underneath were furious.

In the late afternoon on Tuesday, September 27th, a dozen activists sat around the long table at Newbreaks at the beach. Sitting and talking at the table where some sipped coffee were local merchants, planning board members and grassroots activists. The atmosphere was friendly – but the folks there were serious.

They all had come together to discuss what to do about the coming approval by the California Coastal Commission of the newly-designed project called the Ocean Park Villas. The project – long controversial in OB – is facing a “go-ahead” at the Commission’s meeting Thursday, October 6th, because “Coastal” staff has recommended its approval. The future project would be at the southwest corner of Abbott Street and Saratoga Avenue.

Allegations range from Border Patrol agents denying food and water to adults and children in detention for several days, to purposely separating families during deportation.

Those are the findings of a new report released by the Arizona humanitarian aid organization No More Deaths.

The report, “A Culture of Cruelty,” documents 30,000 incidents of human rights abuses against undocumented immigrants in short-term detention between fall 2008 and spring 2011.