OB Rag

A feisty group of “uncutters” raised a ruckus on the sidewalk in front of the Bank of America at 8th & University in San Diego on Saturday April 23rd.

Fifteen people picketed, chanted and distributed informational leaflets during busy noon-time Saturday traffic on the main street of San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood.

Editor: The good folks of Potrero successfully blocked a BlackWater private military training facility a few years back out in their neck of the woods. Plus Blackwater attempted to open other facilities closer to the border. (Go inside for links to earlier articles.) However, apparently, former BlackWater VP Brian Bonfiglio has done an end run, and started a new business, signed a contract with Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, and has opened Eagle Rock Training Center out on the res near Warner Springs. Local residents are upset and complain about the 2 a.m. helicopter noise, among other things. Seems there are a few other flies in the training camp’s soup.

Marines, SEALs confirm training on Indian reservation

by Kit-Bacon Gressitt / Excuse Me, I’m Writing

On Wednesday, April 13, campuses across the California State University system (CSU) hosted demonstrations — dubbed Take Class Action Day — to protest budget cuts to the Cal State system.

The rally was the first time, since landing at CSU San Marcos in January, that I sensed that protest high of my otherwise misspent youth. As I approached the gathering, shades of rhythmic rebellion synced with my beating heart as students, staff and faculty sang the praises of the inexorable right to higher education; of the state’s primal responsibility for equitable, affordable access; of rolling coins in a desperate attempt to pay steadily-increasing fees as the dastardly CSU Chancellor Charles Reed and legislators shirk that responsibility.

by Terrie Leigh Relf

While the title above may sound a bit clichéd, as does the proverbial “pay it forward”, etc. it is still a practice upon which cultures are created, sustained, disrupted, and otherwise meet their demise. When pondering this behavior, I often ask myself about various cultural practices—both simple and complex—and how they shape my daily life.

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the end of the March for California’s Future, a 48 day, 352-mile march through the Central Valley to the State Capitol. There, on a rainy day in Sacramento, I was one of many union folks, students, and religious and community leaders who spoke to a crowd of thousands gathered to protest the ever-more draconian cuts to education and social services.

All the way from Los Angeles to Sacramento we carried the message that California needs a government and economy that works for everyone, not just the rich.

This video pick is in the key of quirky problem solving solutions. For those of you who will be facing a bumper crop of hard boiled eggs this weekend, here’s a novel way to shorten the time between egg and egg salad. Science! Projectiles! Yes!

Once again library supporters provided the majority of citizen input regarding the proposed budget, and once again, Mayor Sanders was dismissive of them. The mayor is holding two community budget hearings to explain the budget. The first one was held at Kearny High School. The fifty or so citizens who showed up were not given an opportunity to provide public testimony. We were handed a note card and told that we could ask the mayor a question about the budget.

Show your love of OB and your support for the OB Rag

With the help of a benevolent benefactor, we’ve just had a brand new batch of T-shirts – “The Green OB” – printed up by the James Gang, in a whole new style! These shirts have the OB Rag logo on the front and a big, Green OB on the back. We have new colors and also some in a more tailored cut for our uppity women friends!

We still have the “Classic OB Rag” style, with a plain back and the front proudly announcing our affinity for freaks and politicos, too.

MEMO: To the community of Ocean Beach:

RE: The Proposed Closure of the Ocean Beach Branch of the San Diego Library

Mayor Jerry Sanders has threatened to close all libraries – including the OB Branch – except for 2 days a week, and only on alternate Saturdays. The Friends of the OB Library are organizing a petition drive, gathering signatures in opposition…

Yet a Rally to Save the OB Library is also needed – but the Friends … who include many who are long in tooth and short of hair … are stretched line … so …

OUR LIBRARY NEEDS A FEW GOOD ORGANIZERS to put together a RALLY in front of the OB Library A meeting for new organizers has been set for Saturday, April 30th, noon, at the Library.

Editor: Councilman Kevin Faulconer has sent the OB Rag the following note to explain his position on the Mayor’s proposed cut-backs, including libraries, rec centers, and fire pits.

Hello:

Mayor Jerry Sanders recently released his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. His proposal contains good news – the fire engine brownouts are coming to an end. And bad news – cuts to libraries, rec centers and firepits. By the time the Mayor and the City Council finish deliberations this summer, I am confident you’re going to see a budget that preserves libraries, rec centers and firepits.

For the third time in as many years, the city is considering the removal of the nearly 200 fire pits scattered around San Diego’s beaches to help close a multimillion dollar budget gap.

(Go inside for the links to the history of the OB Rag working to save the fire pits last year.)

And, for the third time, a push to raise private funds to keep the pits in place is underway. The only question now is if the $120,500 annual expense can be raised before the pits are set to be ripped out on July 1.

By Jason Everitt / Two Cathedrals / April 21, 2011

Redistricting is, without question, one of the most important and rare opportunities for civic engagement. Offered only once every ten years, immediately following the federal census, redistricting is more than just the process of corralling thousands of San Diegans into arbitrarily drawn boundaries.