OB Rag

By Mat Wahlstrom

Last week was the second anniversary of the publication of this “satire but not really” piece. As the author, I am struck by how those who self-identify as YIMBY continue to double-down on the Orwellian appropriation of words to mean something different from what they are commonly understood. (Which will be familiar to those who remember the Soviet Union and how their definition of the word “peace” was far different from that of the the rest of the world.)

But at the same time, I am gratified to see so many people have learned not to fall for their bad faith arguments and intentional deception any longer.

Read it yourself and see if you agree that what our electeds and their developer fellow travelers say follows this exact pattern of deliberate misrepresentation. In fact, I created a handy bingo card that you can use the next time you listen to our current mayor or anyone in his regime.

Herewith are the common terms with their insider meanings that every YIMBY must know. They are not just received wisdom, but also rote rhetorical devices to denude meaning and nuance from any debate and appear more knowledgeable than our opponents.

ABUNDANCE, ABUNDANT: A state in human history that has only ever been achieved in short bursts as a result of social cooperation and environmental grace; the promise offered by every developer.

ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT (ADU): A granny flat, with four stories and seven other units having zero setbacks or parking.

By Paul Krueger

There’s lots of interest in a very controversial legislative proposal that would insulate developers of the proposed Midway Rising mega-housing project (and 16,000 seat “entertainment center”) from legal challenges. Senate Bill 344 would exempt Midway Rising from the legitimate scrutiny — including possible lawsuits — warranted for projects of this size (4,400 housing units) and scope (apartment towers up to 25 stories).

Supporters of this special legislation say Midway Rising needs this special exemption because San Diego desperately needs more housing.

Opponents claim it’s a special dispensation for billionaire developers who have unparalleled influence at City Hall and the state Capitol.

The debate is playing out hourly on social media, and includes these exchanges I had with two proponents of Midway Rising, who also support the proposed waivers.

by Greg Moran /  inewsource  / August 18, 2026

Maybe it was the place where you had your engagement photos taken, somewhere among the winding paths and colorful flowering shrubs. Maybe you remember that time walking in the rose garden, the magnificent colors and the scent.

Just about everyone remembers the first time they went to the zoo. Or a grade school field trip to one of the museums. Perhaps your memories of Balboa Park are more intimate. The time when the grandparents set you on a horse at the carousel and watched, beaming, as you circled around. You took photos in front of the fountain, on one of those San Diego days clear and golden. Or, wept quietly at a play under the stars at the theater.

In a city of neighborhoods as varied and distinct as San Ysidro and La Jolla, Balboa Park is everyone’s neighborhood. If you live here long enough, chances are you’ll end up, someday, somewhere in the 1,200 acres of the park.

But take a closer look. The park’s iconic buildings housing some of the city’s more popular museums need work, from roofs to foundations. Sidewalks are uneven in places, portions of the many gardens look exhausted. Perhaps the less said about the public bathrooms, the better.

Since 2004, a raft of studies by private organizations and the city have sounded the warning that the park needs help. While there is no firm figure, city officials say the park needs close to $1 billion in deferred maintenance and capital improvements.

Two throughlines run through the reports: The park should have a dedicated revenue stream. And the governance of the park — with its dozens of museums, clubs and organizations — needs reform.

A group of eight or ten of us

by Debbie Sklar / Times of San Diego / August 19, 2026

If you walked along Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach nearly a century ago, grocery shopping meant choosing among several neighborhood markets.

One of them had a name that was hard to forget.

A photograph from the San Diego History Center shows the Piggly Wiggly Market at 5004 Newport Ave. [A liquor store sits at that corner now.] The storefront carries the name in large letters across the facade, while a sign below identifies it as a meat market. Produce fills the windows, and a Newport Avenue street sign stands near the curb.

The address is confirmed in San Diego’s historical records.

The 1941 San Diego city directory lists Piggly Wiggly of San Diego Inc. with a branch at 5004 Newport Ave. A 1941 advertisement also lists the Ocean Beach store, along with Piggly Wiggly locations in National City, La Jolla, Chula Vista, La Mesa, Coronado, Mission Beach and Escondido. The advertisement described the company as “100% owned and operated by San Diegans.”

A new way to shop
The Piggly Wiggly name was already associated with a major change in the way Americans bought groceries.

By Angelo Haynes

Activists from across San Diego and Riverside counties appeared this week at the county administrative building for a hearing on the Golden Pacific Power Link Project, a new proposed power line that would cross through San Diego County Districts 2 & 5. The project is planned to be a 500-kilovolt electric transmission line that would necessitate a new substation named “North of SONGS” (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station)  to be built bordering Camp Pendleton in Orange county.

The proposed power lines would be suspended on towers that would be 200 feet tall, or 20 stories, starting with an existing substation near the southern border, south of the 8 in Imperial Valley. The total length of the line would span between 135-145 miles long and would cross through many sensitive habitats and established communities in north and east counties.

SDG&E states that the line is needed to strengthen the regional power network and maintain power effectiveness in compliance with future policy goals of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Calif Independent System Operator (CAISO). The CAISO is an independent transmission planning authority that manages the flow of electricity across 80% of California’s grid in addition to a part of Nevada’s grid.

By Joni Halpern

When I was a kid
Know what I did?
I stole things.
Things like penny candy, cookies
cake and ice cream.

My mom would get angry.
My dad would yell and scream.
But I would get hungry.
So when I was a kid,
know what I did?
I stole things.

—Olen Purnell, 1976

When I was a kid, there were no food stamps.  My dad was a working man, a carpenter  who worked six days a week, but still could not buy enough food for his children.

Oh, he tried.  He shopped sales, bought off-brands, made deals with the local grocer to buy the rough outer lettuce leaves that were trimmed before the tender heads were set out for customers.  He bought moldy cheese removed days earlier from the dairy display.  He measured our milk by the mouthful so it would last longer, until by the third week of the month, it was sour.  We still drank it.  He scoured the rural areas outside our town to pick up lugs of damaged fruit and vegetables that couldn’t be sold at market.  Meat was scarce.

By Robert Welsh

Here is a quote from the City’s Clairemont Community Plan, dated 1989: “In summary, Clairemont Mesa is an urbanized community and for the most part is built out.” It must be said, that Clairemont has not gotten less “built out” in the 37 years since then.

Recently I was in a discussion about excessive apartment building development in Clairemont Mesa, noting 8 locations where significant developments had been completed, were under construction or were planned. I decided to visit each location in person, to get a first-hand view, and these are my observations.

I was both surprised and shocked with what I found.

I was surprised to find that 2 of the notorious cul-de-sac ADU builds (12 units @ Shoshoni, and 17 units @ Almayo) did not look as awful from the front as they did while under construction. You might easily drive by them without noticing the depth of their development, from front-to-back. Of course, you wouldn’t be driving past them because they are both in cul-de-sacs, and the parking problems are obvious and extreme. There simply is no parking for these locations.

I was shocked to see how many smaller (4-8 unit) ADUs existed or were under construction around Clairemont ! Unless you drive around and look, you will not fathom the incredible amount of construction that has been or is being undertaken.

My focus here will be on the large builds.

By Angelo Haynes

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors convened a meeting at the County Administration Center to discuss ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) use of county property and facilities for firearms training. A period of public comment was held on Agenda discussion item #24, which drew 57 public comments with 38
being in person. Many giving public comment in attendance represented groups from all over Riverside and San Diego counties, in some cases, working in coalition.

This issue of training of ICE and CBP officers at county facilities was brought about by a recommendation from County Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer (District 3) and Pro-Tem
Paloma Aguirre (District 1). This was in response to the growing number of violent encounters in communities being targeted by ICE and CBP raids. The discussion was for whether or not the county should continue allowing ICE and CPB use of our facilities for training.

Groups represented in the meetings proceedings included: Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), San Diego Legal Aid Society, San Diego Immigrants Rights Consortium (SDIRC), Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) and CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations). Many of the comments were in support of the Aguirre’s and Lawson-Remer’s proposal.

Bailey says the city should ‘return to 2015 staffing levels’ by cutting 1,054 employees and the services they provide.

By Michael Zucchet Voice of San Diego

City Council candidate Richard Bailey continues to promise budget fantasyland to San Diegans.  He says the answer to San Diego’s persistent budget shortfalls includes no new fees, no increased taxes, and no service cuts whatsoever – in fact he claims that somehow service levels will magically improve – if we simply “return to 2015 staffing levels” in the city of San Diego.

Bailey moved to San Diego last year, changed his political party affiliation this February, and within days announced that he was running for City Council.  Since then, and again last week in an interview with NBC’s “Politically Speaking,” he has repeatedly claimed that if we just “return to 2015 staffing levels,” the city’s general fund budget will swing from what he says is a $100 million annual deficit to more than a $300 million surplus with “no need to cut any services.”

By Darryl

She is alone. Her family now restricted. Her visitors, of days long since gone, no longer come for her, but for others.

Vacant of purpose, she is seen as a relic, an eyesore harboring forgotten memories, a throwback to an era long since gone. For her five decades of contributions to her community and those that love her, segregation, isolation, and deterioration are now all that is requited. But despite her diminished and ignored stature, she stands tall every day, gazing longingly at her birthplace with its residents and guests bustling about, as she recalls early memories from happier times.

Shortly after her arrival, and amongst much fanfare, she was fully embraced by her new hometown. As the center of much attention, she hosted guests continuously, day and night, with little respite.

She quickly achieved an iconic state of being and cemented her place amongst the prominent and sight worthy features of the greater community. People knew her well, and frequently referenced her with landmark prestige.