OB Rag

Editor: New boundaries for the County Board of Supervisors’ districts are being drawn. Most of the new plans would have Ocean Beach and most of the beaches shift to Ron Robert’s district – areas currently in Greg Cox’s district.

By Christopher Cadelago / SignOnSanDiego

Proposals to redraw the county’s political boundaries — a process that has long been fraught with power plays and legal challenges — would require supervisors to represent unfamiliar areas.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to let California clamp down on the sale or rental of violent video games to children, saying governments lack authority to “restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed” despite complaints that the popular and fast-changing technology allows the young to simulate acts of brutality.

By Helen Villines / June 27, 2011

“Why run for a political office, when you don’t even intend to vote for yourself,” Rocky Neptun asked a recent gathering of the San Diego Renters Union. In announcing his withdrawal from the race for mayor of San Diego next year, he told the tenant group that “we have the first opportunity in many decades to elect a progressive candidate in Congressman Bob Filner, who will take back our city from the special interests and their wealth based politics.”

I have six kids I’m proud to call my own and this past Father’s Day, my 54th as a dad, I spent a few moments just thinking about them when I was alone.

Our journey as father and offspring began when I was but 18. My own life, in the scheme of things, seemed to have just begun as I welcomed Debbie, my very first one, into the world. What a darling little girl. She took that frightened teenager who was me and, ever so innately, and ever so gently, guided me with a demeanor of “Hey, I don’t know what I’m doing either – so let’s just go with whatever feels right.”

In response to a deadly Border Patrol shooting by this week in the Tijuana River Valley, Mexico’s president confronted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the incident, and later demanded punishment for whomever was responsible.

San Diego’s controversial restrictions on medical marijuana cooperatives could be reversed next week.

The San Diego County Registrar is expected to certify over 31,000 signatures collected by medical marijuana supporters that oppose the ordinance. That would force the city council to make a decision; end the ordinance and start over, or put it to the voters.

Plagued by ethical breaches and links to groups calling for armed insurrection against the U.S. government, Clarence Thomas must resign his seat on the Supreme Court.

Time was when, at any right-wing gathering, chances were that you’d hear the justices of the Supreme Court derided as black-robed usurpers of democracy. Today, not so much. Ever since the seating of the Roberts court, the right has been pretty happy with high court’s decisions, especially the outcome of Citizens United v. FEC, the case through which the court, in a decision handed down last year, opened the floodgates of corporate money into the electoral system.

MWD to San Diego water managers: you’ve betrayed us

by George J. Janczyn / Grok Surf’s San Diego

You’ll recall that Metropolitan Water District (MWD) recently terminated a number of agreements to help fund local conservation and water supply development projects like the San Vicente Recycling project in Ramona and also decided against entering pending agreements to support projects such as the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Project.

By Tom Hayden / The Nation / June 23, 2011

Two years ago I was on a Chicago panel with a just-retired military officer, Charles Tucker, a former top adviser to the US embassy in Iraq, general counsel to the Pentagon and a major general in the Air National Guard. During our debate, he made a statement worth remembering on this night of Barack Obama’s speech on Afghanistan. His words were these:

“The only relevant debate in the next two years will be counterinsurgency versus counterterrorism. After that, Obama will begin surrendering to the peace movement.”

32nd Annual OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off Festival is TODAY – Saturday, June 25, 2011 – 10:00am to 8pm. Band schedule listed inside.

Each year, thousands flock to Newport Ave. and surrounding areas the 4th Saturday in June for the live music and entertainment, unique vendors, talented artists, thrilling rides, refreshing beer garden, and so much more! Ride the FREE trolley

By Dorian Hargrove / San Diego Reader

Pacific Beach residents looking to curb alcohol abuse in Pacific Beach are waving the white flag in an attempt to bring the community together.

“There are many residents, businesses and civic groups struggling with alcohol-related issues in our community,” reads an email blast from pbspirits.com.

By John Lawrence / Will Blog for Food / June 23, 2011

War is immensely profitable; that’s why there is so much of it. It’s the only domestic industry to speak of. All the rest have been outsourced.

War constitutes almost the entire GDP of Afghanistan while enriching the corrupt Karzai and his henchmen. War is immensely profitable to Pakistan too – $2 billion a year profitable.