OB Rag

Paul Krugman recently wrote that:

“lack of compassion has become a matter of principle, at least among the G.O.P.’s base . . . And what this means is that modern conservatism is actually a deeply radical movement, one that is hostile to the kind of society we’ve had for the past three generations — that is, a society that, acting through the government, tries to mitigate some of the ‘common hazards of life’ through such programs as Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare and Medicaid.”

Of course this has been true for quite some time now, …

Gearing up for Round 2 of Hunger Strike, CDCR Threatens Strikers

By Prison Hunger Strike Solidarity / September 23, 2011

On Monday, September 26th, prisoners at both Pelican Bay & Calipatria will resume the hunger strike to stop the torturous conditions of Security Housing Units (SHUs).

Prisoners first went on hunger strike on July 1st for nearly four weeks, until the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR) agreed to begin implementing some of the prisoners’ five core demands.

This Wednesday [Sept 28th], the Centre City Development Corp. will decide whether to approve the final schematic design plans for the redevelopment of Horton Plaza.

By unanimous decision, and before the plaza’s lead designer, the CCDC Advisory Committee voted last Wednesday to recommend the acceptance of that plan. One week earlier, on Sept. 14, the CCDC Real Estate and Budget-Finance & Administration Joint Committee voted 7-0 to make the same recommendation.

SAN DIEGO — San Diego Coastkeeper has launched a new program to combat urban runoff in San Diego: Pollution Patrollers.

In the new initiative, a team of trained volunteers will search for sources of pollution in San Diego County that contribute to urban runoff. Commonly cited as the number one threat to water quality in San Diego, urban runoff contains pollutants such as oil, grease, pesticides, metals, bacteria and toxic chemicals that wash into the region’s waters during rainstorms and over-irrigation.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) president Michael Peevey has issued a ruling ordering San Diego Gas & Electric Company and two other utility companies to allow consumers who don’t want a “smart meter” installed to place their names on a delay list, pending the outcome of upcoming workshops on the issue.

The United Food and Commercial Workers have voted to accept a contract offer from the “Big Three” grocery chains – Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons – ending the specter of a costly strike.

Employees in the San Diego region cast ballots Friday and other locals voted today, with an overall majority voting in favor of what their leaders described as a fair deal. The contract ends a two-tiered system in which new employees paid more for their health benefits.

Monday afternoon Coalition will urge Council to keep Miramar Landfill public

From onlineCPI.org

Community groups will be out in force Monday to tell the San Diego City Council to keep Miramar Landfill under public control.

“It’s becoming clearer all the time that contracting out the landfill is a bad idea,” said Clare Crawford, CPI Executive Director. “There are just too many risks for taxpayers, our environment and the services every household and business relies on.”

The Council is scheduled to vote at 2 p.m. Monday on moving forward with Mayor Sanders’ proposal to put the landfill operations up for bidding by private companies.

UPDATE: 100 plus Arrested – Come Inside for More Updates

Things have changed drastically at the Occupy Wall Street encampment and demonstrations. There’s been a crack-down by police. Mass arrests, peaceful demonstrators pepper-sprayed. Arrested people – some injured – having to sit in a police van for hours. Over one hundred plus people have been arrested including members of the the Live Stream Media team that has been providing a stream. The major media blackout continues.

COME INSIDE FOR THE LATEST DETAILS AND INFO OF Occupy Wall Street

In the continuing effort to counter the Main-Stream-Media blackout of the Occupy Wall Street protest we present a gallery of images taken yesterday (September 23) by David Shankbone and originally posted on flickr.com.

We support the efforts of the people occupying “Liberty Park” and people like David who have helped bring the story to the American public. Thank you.

See inside for all photos…

Editor: The protests in and around Wall Street in New York City are still going on, and have now entered their eighth day. “Occupy Wall Street” efforts have now been endorsed by three unions. Here is a report by Chaz Valenza who has been monitoring the demonstrations. There have been between 150 and 250 people occupying and sleeping at a park a block from Wall Street, which they have re-named Liberty Park.

A four-unit apartment building on the 5100 block of Long Branch Avenue in Ocean Beach has sold for a cool million. Although originally built in the mid-seventies and since re-stuccoed, this 3-story building is quite unique, as it was designed and constructed by Rob Quigley, San Diego’s famous architect. Quigley is more known for designing San Diego’s new central library currently being built downtown.

I woke up Wednesday morning feeling a bit of dread, kind of knowing that a man, who might be innocent, could end the day dead.

I decided to find as much humor in my day as I could. After unfolding my paper the word RELIEF in caps jumped out at me and lead my eyes to a photo featuring a tearful navy petty officer enjoying his newly arrived freedom to simply be who he is.

I chuckled to myself thinking how gays and lesbians can now, like us straight folks, “ask and tell” constantly, regularly, instantly. I mean we heteros can’t wait to be asked “How was she?” And we love to answer all braggy: “Hey, man, I took care of the B-I-Z!” And the woman responds to “How was he?” with: “Well, he pretty much went on without me.” But, finally: equality.