OB Rag

Late last week, the San Diego U-T published an article by reporter John Wilkins describing a “new” book out that he called “the answer” to the question why wasn’t there a noir book about San Diego. The book, “San Diego Noir”, (Akashic Books) edited by bookstore owner Maryelizabeth Hart, purports to describe San Diego’s underbelly – “a place of sometimes shocking crime and corruption.” As part of a “literary genre known as noir – that dark terrain of desire and desperation, of passion and paranoia ….” the anthology has a number of articles by both well-known and unknown writers.

Protesters, many from San Diego City College, interrupted an education funding discussion hosted by state assemblyman Nathan Fletcher outside his Miramar office on May 13.

Fletcher, a Republican, started the event by saying he hoped for “a calm conversation” about education and the budget plan presented a day earlier by GOP leaders in Sacramento.

Within 10 minutes, however, about 30 protesters began a competing conversation on a sidewalk adjacent to the meeting area.

Our nation has devolved into a new and nasty civil war, with moneyed elites now charging into legislatures and courts to establish themselves as a de facto plutocracy.

By Jim Hightower / Originally published May 12, 2011

You’re not likely to have known Robert Clark, Ruth West, Chet Newall, Webb Kamp, or Darrell Odom, but I wouldn’t be who I am without them. And you might have a similar honor roll of those who spurred, inspired, lured, intrigued, goaded, and otherwise motivated you to do more than you might otherwise have done — a list of your special public school teachers. The junior-high, senior-high, and college teachers on my list largely sparked my lifelong interests in language, history, politics, and how (and for whom) government really works.

In my last column, I ruefully noted that the thought of any revenue increase is verboten in Republican circles, but the same could be said for many Democrats driven by fear of being assailed as a “tax and spend” liberal. Indeed as recent polling suggests, a majority of Californians think the state budget has gotten bigger when, in fact, the general fund spending has shrunk by over $20 billion as taxes on the rich and corporations have gone down. Why the inaccurate public perception? In the final part of “Indy by the Sea” I ask the question:

Where do people get the idea that they are overtaxed in a country where people pay fewer taxes than citizens of most other industrialized countries and have a much smaller “welfare state”?

Since Andy Cohen covered the meat and potatoes of the teachers’ “State of Emergency” rally already, I wanted to share some other thoughts about the event and display a sampling of the numerous photos I took yesterday, Friday the 13th while at the Embarcadero in downtown San Diego.

When I heard that the rally was going to be at the Embarcadero, I told Patty that parking would be horrendous downtown and next to impossible, so we agreed to take the trolley from Lemon Grove. She wrapped up our banner, we gathered our camera and notepad, and we hopped the 3:44 pm trolley (although by time it got to us, it was 3:50). After grabbing our seats, we looked around and saw several women wearing red T-shirts that spelled out “STOP” – Students and Teachers Our Priority. And during the ride downtown, we heard several guys who were standing up having quiet an intellectual conversation – even hearing the name “Chomsky” come bouncing out. Are these teachers? we wondered on their way to the rally.

Saturday, June 11th 2011

Clean out your junk, recycle and socialize with your OB neighbors! Each resident will hold their own garage sale at their home.

A map of the participating homes will be created & distributed. Register at OBGarageSale or call 619-417-5234 before June 3rd to have your address added to the map.

Advertisements will be placed in the Union Tribune, The Reader, Penny Saver and Craigslist

On Saturday, May 14, we’ll be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the victory of the Magonista liberation army and establishment of a short-lived commune in Tijuana with a book release event for Flash (AK Press) by Jim Miller and an acoustic show at the Purple Haus. All proceeds raised will go to technology needs of the Seccion 22 teachers’ union in Oaxaca.

We would like to welcome four new sponsors to the pages of the OB Rag. Without these sponsors and the other businesses and merchants that have helped us out since the Fall of 2009 – when we first started taking on ads and sponsors – we couldn’t keep the lights on here at our office and you wouldn’t be reading this now. So, please check them out, click on their logos, go to their websites, and visit them in Ocean Beach. And tell them that you saw their ad on the OB Rag. That helps us, it helps them, it may help you and we all feel good.

Dog Beach Dog Wash
Luna Video Games
Surf Rider Pizza Cafe
Smart Clip Salon

Some Final Thoughts on the Death of Osama bin Laden

By Michael Moore

“The Nazis killed tens of MILLIONS. They got a trial. Why? Because we’re not like them. We’re Americans. We roll different.” – Michael Moore in an interview last week

Last week, President Obama fulfilled a campaign promise and killed Osama bin Laden. Well he didn’t actually do the killing himself. It was carried out by a very brave and excellent team of Navy SEALs. Not only does Mr. Obama have the overwhelming support of the country, I think there are millions who gladly wish it could have been their finger on the gun that took out bin Laden.

Importance of Progressives Rallying in Support of Teachers Is Heightened

This Friday the 13th of May, over 2000 teachers, students, parents and local labor activists are rallying down at the Embarcadero from 4 to 6, in what’s being called a State of Emergency Rally.

Now, it turns out the San Diego’s right-wing, in the form of the Koch brothers’ sponsored Americans for Prosperity, conservative activists from the Republican right and local tea parties will be counter-demonstrating at the same place and roughly the same time.

How will the OB Community Plan Update be affected?

Editor: Urban planning in Ocean Beach is and has been a big deal. Ocean Beach demanded its own planning committee in response to the planning crisis of the early Seventies, and got it. The OB Planning Board was the very first democratically-elected community planning body in the history of the City (and the State for that matter). The OB Precise Plan was changed to be more green and more resident and small property owner oriented. Volunteer planners from the community have been working on a Plan Update for 9 years …

San Diego regional regulators on Wednesday became the first in the country to require a pollution permit for all fireworks shot over water, and federal officials signaled their intent to consider similar rules nationwide.