OB Rag

By Amita Sharma / KPBS / October 21, 2024

As the presidential race nears its finish, Project 2025 continues to be a lightning rod.

The Heritage Foundation’s 922-page, 30-chapter document subtitled “Mandate for Leadership, The Conservative Promise” lays out a plan to dramatically reshape the federal government starting on day one of the next conservative president’s term.

“The federal government is a behemoth, weaponized against American citizens and conservative values, with freedom and liberty under siege as never before,” Project 2025 states.

If carried out after the election, Project 2025 could have broad local impacts, including drastic upheavals in school funding, which cases federal and state prosecutors pursue, and climate warnings.

by Marti Emerald / Times of San Diego / October 22, 2024

I know adults like to wear costumes in October. And there’s nothing wrong with indulging one’s fantasies. But I still cringe whenever I see Kevin Faulconer pretending he’s an expert on solving homelessness.

Talk about chutzpah!

I watched Faulconer’s ineptitude in dealing with homelessness for eight years while I was on the City Council. At the time, no one regarded him as successful — at anything. He sure didn’t fix the homeless problem. On his watch, it kept getting worse.

Fact: While Faulconer was mayor, the number of unsheltered homeless people in San Diego increased 124%. (From 1,016 in 2007, after his first year as mayor, to 2,283 in 2020, his last.)

From NPR / October 23, 2024

Donald Trump‘s previous chief of staff criticized the former president this week, calling Trump’s leadership style “dictatorial,” “fascist” and lacking empathy.

John Kelly is one of several Trump-era White House officials to publicly criticize their former boss, arguing that Trump is not fit to hold office again.

“Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators – he has said that,” Kelly said in an interview with The New York Times. “So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure.”

Here’s an update on what’s happening at the site of the former “main Post Office” in the Midway District from our friends at Peninsula News, published online by the Point Loma Association.

Relief Received After TV Station Intervenes

Michael Mudurian served in the Air Force and then settled into his Point Loma home with an ocean view 50 years ago.

For decades, the lifelong bachelor said he had a pretty high water bill because he loved to water his garden and nourish the lush, green grass in his front yard. However, the grass became dead and brown because Mudurian couldn’t afford his water bill; it was a stunning $28,500 in August after the city’s Public Utilities Department had held his bill for over a year.

To Rag readers

I wanted to share with our many Rag readers the latest writing assignment I’ve given our writers and reporters.

This may be the most unusual writing assignment you’ve ever been given, but here it is —

It’s 2 weeks before election day. It appears that due to slow counts and other election day headaches, it’s likely we won’t know officially who won the Presidential election on the 5th of November.

But we do know that Trump will declare himself the victor and set in motion collaboration from state election boards, state reps and other highly-placed acolytes that will sow disinformation, confusion and outright sabotage to our election machinery.

by Ernie McCray

A Message for Some Young Brothers Who Have Got Some Serious Thinking to Do

I’d like to say this to you

young brothers

who’re backing Donald J. Trump:

you’ve got some serious thinking to do,

especially about that point-of-view

you have that we African Americans

have nothing to gain

through politics.

Eric Law is the chair of the Project Review Committee of the Peninsula Community Planning Board and this morning, he sent the following to Rag writer Geoff Page about the proposed 56-unit complex for Rosecrans and Talbot:

Yes, I went and reviewed the plans. The city didn’t allow me to take any photos, but I can confirm that the project is indeed 4 stories and 56 units. The bulk of the units are ~420 sq ft studios, many of which have nothing more than a single window onto an internal breezeway.

My overall impression is this project is a sardine can.

Union actions and labor solidarity events have been happening in San Diego of late and here’s an update and summary.

United Food and Commercial Workers unions in San Diego are getting ready to act in solidarity with their compatriots up in LA and Orange Counties, plus today, Monday, Oct. 21, thousands of Kaiser Permanente mental health workers in Southern California, including more than 300 workers in San Diego, went on strike. Then a week ago, Hilton San Diego Bayfront workers overwhelmingly ratified a new contract following a 38-day strike.

Last Friday, Oct. 18, UFCW Locals 770 and 324 in Los Angeles and Orange Counties launched Unfair Labor Practice strikes at 7 CVS Pharmacy locations and although UFCW Local 135 in San Diego is not yet on strike, the union stands in solidarity with those on the picket lines and is preparing to take similar actions.

Late Saturday afternoon, October 19, a young motorcyclist collided with a car as  the biker tried to go around traffic and hit a Honda as it was pulling out from a stop sign.

It was 5 pm when the unidentified biker riding a Harley-Davidson, was going north in the southbound lanes on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in order to pass backed-up traffic when a Honda CRV stopped at the stop sign on Del Monte Avenue began to proceed eastbound.

by Katherine Hammer / TCD / October 20, 2024

San Diego, California, is known for its sunny skies and stunning outdoor spaces. Now, its residents and visitors are going to have the opportunity to enjoy even more sunshine and nature thanks to the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation.

The nonprofit organization has made a contribution of 55 acres of land to San Diego to go toward the expansion of Mission Trails Regional Park (MTRP), which is “one of the largest urban parks in the country,” reports There San Diego. The donation won approval from all of the city’s council members, a promising sign of more green spaces and conservation endeavors to come.

By Mandy Havlik 

Friends, the Democratic majority on the County Board of Supervisors is at risk, and it could have a huge impact on the future of San Diego.

Terra Lawson-Remer is our County Supervisor and a Democrat who’s been making real progress—helping people experiencing homelessness, protecting our coastlines, tackling rising rents and housing costs, and expanding mental health and addiction services.

But now we’re facing a tough re-election against Republican Kevin Faulconer, the former Mayor of San Diego. (Yes, the same Kevin Faulconer responsible for the 101 Ash Street debacle that cost the city of San Diego $264 million for an unusable building full of asbestos, while profiting his campaign donors $15 million ?).