OB Rag

Community Coalition Bulletin: This Week at City Hall, March 2 — 6

The San Diego Community Coalition publishes this email bulletin to keep our members and San Diego residents informed about important Council and Planning Commission hearings and other city public meetings.

Tuesday, March 3: City Council, 2:00 p.m.

Agenda:

Item 330: Performance Audit of the City’s Key Performance Indicators

Why it matters: The City Auditor states that “key performance indicators (KPIs) are critical tools to … evaluate the City’s programs and services and deliver improved outcomes for residents.” But the Auditor has found that “the City underutilizes KPIs [and] lacks a cohesive approach to KPIs.” Recommendations include publishing an annual City KPI performance report and creating a publicly accessible dashboard with historical performance data. We can only hope.

Item S501: Consideration of an Empty Homes Tax Ballot Measure

Why it matters: Sean Elo-Rivera’s proposal for a yearly $8,000 tax on more than 5,000 mostly unoccupied homes faces a steep uphill battle.

By Luke Garrett  / NPR / March 2, 2026 

Congress is set to vote on bipartisan war powers resolutions this week meant to limit President Trump’s military operations in Iran.

The dual efforts in the House and Senate face uphill battles to become law, as previous efforts have failed in asserting congressional authority to declare war.

But most Democrats and a handful of Republicans on Capitol Hill still support the effort to curb Trump’s use of military power in Iran, after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran over the weekend that have already claimed the first American casualties.

“The Constitution says we’re not supposed to be at war without a vote of Congress,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a cosponsor of the Senate resolution, told NPR’s Weekend Edition. “This is important. The lives of our troops are at risk. We ought to come back to Washington right away and vote on this.”

The war powers resolutions had been scheduled for debate and votes before the surprise attack on Iranian military and political leaders. Now that the war is ongoing, it’s unclear how or if any successful war powers resolution would immediately change the reality on the ground.

Here are some hard facts of what we know so far about the war with Iran:

• The Iranian people have NOT risen up to overthrow their regime.
• Neither Trump or the White House  have given a serious justification for the war; the reasons for the war keep changing; Sec. Hegsleth this morning said it is “not about regime change.”
• At least 4 American service people have been killed.
• It’s estimated that 555 Iranians have been killed, including 185 in a single strike on a southern Iranian girls’ school.
• 2,000 targets in Iran have been hit by US or Israeli bombs, missiles or drones.
• Iran has widened its retaliation and the war has spread to the entire region.

As we continue into the first day of the Iranian War of 2026, we will attempt a “live blog” of the action right here in ol’ San Diego. I’ve been posting info from a variety of sources, from NBC, Daily Kos, CBS, The Atlantic, Common Dreams, to AlterNet, CNN, Politico, the Guardian, and Al Jazeera.

4:19 pm It’s Likely that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed, according to CNN

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader who ruled the country for almost four decades, has been killed, according to US President Donald Trump and two Israeli sources. Israel has not shared evidence of Khamenei’s death, and a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry earlier insisted that Khamenei, 86, and Iran’s president were both “safe and sound.”

But Khamenei has not been seen in public or in videos since Israel and the United States attacked Iran on Saturday morning, unleashing barrages of airstrikes.

Trump announced the death on his Truth Social platform, calling Khamenei “one of the most evil people in History.” Israeli sources concluded earlier on Saturday that Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials were dead.

The news appeared likely to plunge the Islamic Republic into the most serious crisis since its establishment. Cheers and celebrations were heard in parts of Tehran Saturday night following reports of Khamenei’s death.

Here’s what we know: …

The outbreak of conflict between Israel and the United States against Iran, triggered by joint US-Israeli strikes across Iran, has drawn frantic calls for calm as deep consternation spreads across globe.

Criticism has mounted against Washington for taking part in the attacks while still engaged in nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Anger has also surfaced in Gulf states caught up in the conflict, as Iran launches retaliatory missile strikes against US military assets hosted on their soil.

Here is a breakdown of how countries and institutions are responding:

Israel

A senior Israeli defence official told the Reuters news agency the joint US-Israeli attacks had been planned for months, with a specific date set weeks ago. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the attacks aimed to remove an “existential threat” posed by Iran. He said the attacks would “create the conditions for the brave Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands”.

Iran

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Israel and the US of violating the United Nations charter with their attacks and pledged a harsh response, as the country waged retaliatory attacks on Israel as well as in several Gulf states that host US military assets, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. “All American and Israeli assets and interests in the Middle East have become a legitimate target,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera. “There are no red lines after this aggression.”

No Serious Justification For War Given by White House

In an illegal war move, Trump has attacked Iran today, Saturday, Feb. 28, without any valid justification given to the American people and without Congressional knowledge or authorization. Congressional Democrats and at least one Republican have condemned the action and are calling for a War Powers vote.

Multiple targets in Iran have been hit, including one girls’ school where over 50 students were killed.

The US attack have been joined by Israel whose strikes targeted Iran’s supreme leader, president and head of the armed forces.

Trump calls for regime change, and described the US military campaign as “massive and ongoing,” and warned American lives may be lost. He also called on Iranians to “take over your government.”

Iran retaliates: Iran launched an unprecedented wave of strikes toward Israel and US targets across the Middle East. Explosions were reported in the UAE, Qatar, Dubai and Bahrain.

By Kate Callen

Are you happy with the way San Diego is governed? Do you think our elected officials listen attentively to you and care about your neighborhood?

If your answer is “F*** No!,” you should participate in a 60-year-old system of local democracy where your vote has real impact: Cast your ballots in next month’s Community Planning Group (CPG) elections.

Every March, San Diego’s 41 active CPGs hold elections for open board seats. Unlike elections at higher levels of government, these don’t involve negative campaigning and Big Money mailers. Candidates present their backgrounds and positions, and almost all ballots are cast in person.

It’s a miracle San Diego still has CPGs. The all-volunteer advisory boards, established in 1976 to give citizens a voice in urban planning, came under attack in 2018 for being anti-progress, anti-inclusivity, undemocratic, unscrupulous, and just too darn old.

By Marc Snelling

Canadians love Americans. We know it’s mutual.  We don’t need “Palm Springs Loves Canada” banners or multi-million  “California Love” commercials from Gavin Newsom to prove it.  Marketing campaigns from Palm Springs and California, among many other US cities and states, seeking to win back Canadian tourist dollars have all fallen flat.  They don’t work because they tell Canadians what they already know.  It is the rhetoric, threats and violence of the current US regime that fuel the grassroots boycotts of US travel and products.  Americans may want to concentrate their efforts there if more Canadian tourist dollars.is what they want.

January 2026 saw the trend continue with the latest Stats Canada reporting showing a 26.8% year-over-year drop in Canadian return trips across the border.  There remains no US alcohol on the shelves of government liquor stores in 11 of 13 provinces and territories. This isn’t because Canadians don’t enjoy California wine or Kentucky bourbon.  It’s the taste of fascism they don’t care for.  Many Canadians have grandfathers lying in the graveyards of Europe who fought fascism to build a better world for their children.

By South OB Girl

San Diegans promoting the protection of historical resources and historical districts departed from City Hall on Tuesday disheartened and disgusted.

The vote of San Diego City Council to approve City Planning’s Preservation and Progress Package A had been a disappointment for many.  Members of the public in attendance however had not been just OBceans.  Dozens of people from throughout San Diego attended Tuesday’s meeting and organizations and individuals from throughout the city gave compelling speeches during public comment.

Only a small number of people, about 4 people, spoke in favor of approving Package A.  However, the odds were not looking in favor of the opposition from the beginning of the afternoon session and before public comment even started.

There are 9 City Council members and 3 of them were absent on Tuesday.  Marni von Wilpert, Raul Campillo, and Sean Elo-Rivera were absent.  There were whispers in the audience that they must have been absent to avoid the issue completely, as all three will be launching into fresh campaign trails.

So that left 6 votes on Tuesday. 

by Lynne Miller 

Don’t be disheartened.  We are on the path that will win, it will just take awhile, and a commitment from all of you.

The last lines of Starry Starry Nights go like this:

“They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will”.

My friends inside and outside of Coastal CareTakers sent letters to the city council and submitted comments for the Feb. 24th meeting. Then they showed up, and filled the chambers, and they had a lot to say. And what they said was brilliant! Everyone did their homework, and when each person took the mic and spoke for Ocean Beach and all of San Diego, they were spot on!

The only problem — the Council had decided how they would vote before the meeting. If they had entered the chambers with an open mind, and “really listened” they would have voted to put Package A where it belongs, at the end of the crumbling OB Pier where real sharks could shred it and put it to rest!!!

The Peninsula Community Planning Board (PCPB) will be holding elections in March 2026 to fill seven (7) seats. Five (5) seats have 5 year terms and two (2) seats have a 1 year term and will go to the 7 candidates with the most votes in rank order.

Requirements for those interested in becoming a Board Member:

• Candidates must be 18 years of age.
• Candidates must reside, own property, or operate a business within the PCPB boundaries (boundaries map provided at www.pcpb.net).
• Candidates must attend a PCPB meeting or the candidates’ forum scheduled for March 12th.

The election will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026 from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, at the Point Loma / Hervey Branch Library located at 3701 Voltaire Street, San Diego, CA 92107.