OB Rag

Confusing Array of Events Shows More Unity Is Needed In Order to Unify

May First, May Day – International Workers’ Day – was again celebrated in downtown San Diego this year. Hundreds of San Diegans did converge on a sleepy downtown on a warm Sunday afternoon a couple of days ago, and chant, bang drums and make speeches in favor of labor and workers’ rights. And this continues the great tradition of rallies on this date in what is usually regarded as a conservative, even anti-labor city.

A high point in San Diego’s celebration of a labor ritual that began in America over one hundred years ago, is that the San Diego County Labor Council endorsed it this year.

Editor: We received this request from Lorena Gonzalez, the Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council (known around here as “THE” Labor Council – we got no other in this huge county). Due to KGTV’s intransigence in negotiating a labor contract with one of its unions, the Labor Council is requesting that we do not watch or report Channel 10 news or programs. (Sorry Michael Chen.)

After watching the attacks on workers taking place across the country, it is time to stand up to the union busters in our own community. McGraw-Hill-owned KGTV Channel 10 refuses to negotiate a fair contract with employees for the fifth year. They have actively engaged in union-busting campaigns and employee intimidation.

By Richard Rodriguez/New America Media/May 02, 2011

There was something unseemly about that gathering of college-age Americans outside the White House just before midnight on Sunday, cheering at the news of Osama bin Laden’s death. Some of the kids had draped flags over their shoulders; they chanted “USA, USA, USA.” I doubt there was a true patriot in the bunch.

Here is the agenda for the May 4th meeting of the Ocean Beach Planning Board. Their meetings are always held at the OB Rec Center, 4726 Santa Monica Avenue, and begin at 6:00 pm sharp (no OB time here). _ Yes, we know you can’t read the agenda here on our homepage – you have to go inside – click the link.

I was just thinking about all the nice moments I’ve enjoyed in life and a little time I spent in Tucson last week ranks up there among the mellower of the refreshing respites from the troubles of the world I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in.

First of all I was in my hometown and that’s always enjoyable, not to mention that I was there for a very special event, wearing the lofty title of “guest speaker,” which I took to mean I was to have a good time so that’s what I did. Why not, I was around some of my favorite people: a bunch of folks wearing sunny smiles…

Hello again! Thanks for following me last week with a departure guest entry, I hope it was as well-received as it was deserving. This week I’m going back to my own idea bin, and I’ve got a video that, even though you might not dig the music, provides an awesome slide show to check out.

Yesterday, a bright, sunny Sunday, I hopped on the trolley to 25th and Commercial and made my way to Chicano Park to join the festivities celebrating International Workers Day in San Diego. I was greeted by the sound of music from the awesome mariachi band who were entertaining the crowd from the stage. I’m sorry to say that my spanish is lousy, but as a middle-aged gringa who has lived her whole life in San Diego, mariachi has long been a favorite music style for me.

There were several hundred people in Chicano Park (I later heard an estimate of about 400, and I agree on that count), where people gathered for games, face painting, music and the playground equipment was packed with kids.

A couple of weeks ago local Republicans held their unity night at the Kona Kai Resort where notables such as Jerry Sanders and Kevin Faulconer cheered as Carl DeMaio asked if they were ready to make San Diego “the Wisconsin of the West.” They, along with the Chamber of Commerce, the Taxpayers Association, the Lincoln Club and other luminaries of the local right were getting fired up and ready to go for a ballot initiative that would undermine collective bargaining rights for unionized public sector workers in San Diego.

A good sized crowd showed up today – Sat. April 30th – in front of the Ocean Beach branch library, in what originally had been billed as a “meeting” to organize a rally in support of the library. It was a little after 12 noon, another perfect day in paradise.

Or was it?
The meeting, attended by over 50 people, was not really a meeting, at all. It was more like a “happening” – it was about signature gathering on petitions – over 150 collected, ….

Let’s have a town hall meeting today in front of the Ocean Beach branch of the library, at noon. Why not?

Originally tagged as a meeting for those who wished to support the Friends of the OB Library and organize a rally, the gathering set for 12 noon today has morphed into a virtual rally itself. With Councilmember Kevin Faulconer’s office jumping on board, and with the San Diego U-T announcing it, it appears that the meeting is much more.

The Office of Independent Budget Analysis (IBA) came out with their 179 page analysis of the mayor’s proposed budget. As you know, the mayor has proposed to rip over 7 million dollars out of the library department budget by pairing libraries which will only be open 18.5 hours per week. This is the severest percentage cut of all general fund departments.

Here are the library options which the IBA has presented to the city council, which will vote to accept or reject the mayor’s budget. This is the option that we must demand that Councilman Faulconer and all other council members support:

Option 1. FULLY RESTORE BRANCH LIBRARY HOURS TO CURRENT SERVICE LEVELS.

Everybody – even yahoo news – now knows that the birther movement is a racist movement. We on the left of the center divide have been aware of the birther’s racism for some time now. Their unwillingness to accept a Black man as president has exposed the racist core of their two and half year campaign.

But the birther movement is something else, something else that no one is talking about: the birther movement is also a fascist movement. Yes, that’s right, I said “fascist”, and it’s not hyperbole. Let me explain.

First, with President Obama proving (again) his place of birth by handing out his long-f0rm birth certificate, the white supremacist underpinnings of the birthers has so been totally demonstrated that even mainstream corporate media are calling them racist.