OB Rag

By Piper French / Nation Magazine / August 1, 2024

California’s two most marginalized constituencies, its homeless and its imprisoned, each represent about half a percentage of the state’s 39 million residents. Both groups are vulnerable to abuse and untimely death, suffer from the deprivation of vital resources, and have little say in political discussions about their future. Black people are notably overrepresented in each category.

There is a reason the latter population passes basically unremarked upon and why the former is considered the marquee problem of the state, synonymous with the supposed crisis of California itself,

A majority of the San Diego City Council on Tuesday, July 30, voted to approve a controversial 5-story housing development in Pacific Beach despite the project’s breech of the sacrosanct 30-foot height limit and incorrect numbers given by the developer to city staff and local planning group members.

The approval was over strong objections from Councilmembers Joe LaCava and Raul Campillo, who urged the council not to reward developers who actively mislead community planning groups and violate the voter approved 30-foot height limit.

LaCava stated:

“This is most egregious bait and switch I have ever heard of in my long career (on development and housing issues). I cannot and will not vote to fund a project that is dishonest with the voters.”

By Christine Haslet

Life on the streets of San Diego for our orphaned, friendly cats is neither ethical nor legal~ Not when San Diego taxpayers are paying SD Humane Society over $20,000,000 a year and collecting countless donations to care for our homeless animals.

There is a world of difference between a feral cat and a friendly cat. Sadly,our SD Humane Society treats them the same and has been busy blurring the lines to confuse us.

A “Community Cat Program,” is basically dumping friendly, lost cats back out on our streets.

By Lisa Mortensen

We’ve heard this rallying cry from city hall and the development industry before — the need for housing.  The problem is their supply and demand argument leading to affordability just doesn’t wash but leaves the stain of unaffordability.   The city built more housing in 2023 than it has in decades.  This year there are many more units under construction.  So why are prices at all-time highs with this increase in inventory?

What’s missing from discussion of housing is NOAH which is the acronym for Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing.  This means to preserve existing housing stock, say multi-family apartment houses and converting them to condominiums, or vacant office buildings reimagined into for purchase or for rent housing.  When using existing buildings, it is more environmentally sound because you are not tearing down and disposing of a large amount of building waste.

By Geoff Page

There is a scene in the movie, “Blazing Saddles,” a Mel Brooks classic, (see above) where a preacher tries to stop the crowd from shooting the new – Black – sheriff. The preacher holds the Bible up and someone shoots it, whereupon he says, “Son, yer on yer own” and walks away. Seems this is the City of San Diego’s slogan.

This is what the city says. It is from an email city mayoral representative Randy Reyes sent to a long list of people:

Thank you for your email. I wanted to address your comments about the City’s decisions as it relates to the current status of the OB Pier. Public life and safety is and will remain the top priority. …

“Public life and safety is and will remain the top priority.” This is what the city actually does.

By Lisa Mortensen

Dear Councilmember Rivera et al councilmembers:

I attended the 9-hour city council meeting last Monday, July 22nd at 2pm to hear item S400 regarding the Kettner Mega Shelter lease.  After sitting through close to 5 hours of filibustering by the city council on the three prior items, all the while the council was able to come and go from the dais to refresh themselves.  But sadly, we lost 30% of those who had wished to cede their time to the speakers in opposition to the Kettner lease.

The public hearing rules only allowed 1 minute of speaking time so even though I was present 7 of the 9 hours, I was only able to cede my 1-minute of time in exchange for my voice.  I remember when we had two minutes of time and wonder when the council reduced this time allotment?

San Diego’s Fox5 has provided the rest of us with an update of the Navy’s ambitious effort to revitalize the 70.3-acre Old Town campus with the redevelopment of the NAVWAR facilities.

Why, it was just Monday, July 29, that Navy officials reported the environmental review process was proceeding alongside the exclusive negotiation period for a long-term lease with the potential master development group military officials selected to lead the renovation, Manchester/Edgemoor.

Manchester / Edgemoor consists of two firms — Manchester Financial, a hotel and commercial development firm, and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, an affiliate of Clark Construction that specializes in public-private partnerships.

Spinners, a tiny, hole in the wall, Middle-Eastern restaurant in Ocean Beach is up for sale.

Located at 4884 Newport Avenue, the place is on the docket for $120,000.

From UC PEEPS

This is it: On Tuesday, July 30, beginning at 1:00 p.m., the San Diego City Council will vote whether or not to adopt the University Community Plan Update. This will be residents’ last opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions about the UC Plan Update and the process of getting here.

It is critically important for all University Community residents to appeal for the Reduced Density Alternative, which is close to the Community Preferred Plan. It calls for 22,000 additional housing units as opposed to 30,500 additional units, as the City’s Higher Density Alternative proposes. The Reduced Density Alternative is preferable for myriad reasons, the primary one being that the park and recreation needs would be reduced, more attainable, and better matched to the park and recreation improvements that have been proposed.

UC PEEPS is still looking for more people to volunteer to attend the July 30th City Council hearing in person to make comments or cede time. We have nearly a half dozen speakers so far, but would like to have more since we can expect pro-development special interest groups to turn out in large numbers and we don’t want to be drowned out by them.

By Paul Krueger

On Tuesday morning, July 30th, our San Diego City Council will debate a crucial issue for all beach and coastal area residents.

At issue is a proposed five-story (50-foot-plus tall) housing project, which would undeniably serve the crucial need for more affordable housing. Proposed for 2662 Garnet Ave, just east of Soledad Mountain Road, the development would have 59 studios for very-low income renters and veterans, with “wrap-around” services for occupants.

It’s just what San Diego needs more of, especially in neighborhoods like mine in Talmadge/ El Cerrito/ College/ City Heights, where we’re building high-rise versions of these housing projects, along the El Cajon Blvd. and University Ave. transit corridors. (Also in Clairemont,and other neighborhoods north of Interstate 8.)

But as Council Member La Cava points out in his recent Op-Ed piece in the U-T, there’s a significant and unavoidable conflict with the proposed Garnet Ave. project.

by Ernie McCray

Joe Biden,
like the decent human being
he happens to be,
gave his race for the presidency
to his vice-president
and she, like an anchor sprinter
in a relay race,
has taken the baton
like a runner fully into
winning the race,
saying, without slowing her pace: