OB Rag

By Marjorie Cohn / TruthOut / January 2023

The right to strike is on trial in the Supreme Court. At stake is a 64-year-old precedent that shields workers and unions from state lawsuits while they pursue unfair labor practice claims in the federal National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). If unions have to defend against costly lawsuits, it will likely discourage them from going on strike.

As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported today, “The long-awaited return of Sunday public library hours in San Diego could come this spring as library officials say they’ve made significant progress filling a rash of 275 employee vacancies spurred by the pandemic.”

Some branches will reopen on Sunday over the next two months. But not the Ocean Beach Library.

As the U-T stated: “San Diego was also relatively slow to reopen its branches on days other than Sundays, with four branches remaining fully or partially closed until last year and with Ocean Beach still not fully re-opened.”

On Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, from 7:30 to 10 a.m. (high tide at 8:06 a.m.) San Diego Audubon, ReWild and UCSD will host a King Tide viewing in Mission Bay’s Kendall-Frost Marsh Reserve. The Reserve is at 2055 Pacific Beach Dr., 92109 (southeast corner of Pacific Beach Dr. and Crown Point Dr.)

King tides are returning to Ocean Beach and other coastal communities this weekend, Jan. 21 – 22.

They only happen a few times a year. Simply put, a King Tide is the time of the year when the tide is the highest. King Tides are caused by the normal gravitational forces from the moon and the sun that create normal tides. However, a king tide happens when the earth, sun, and moon are in full alignment; causing an increase in gravitational pull.

by Ernie McCray

Two people kept Martin Luther King’s
spirit of love
breathing
for me
on MLK Day,
Steve Phillips,”
writer and founder of Democracy in Color,
and Grammy Award winning jazz trumpeter
and film score composer,
Terence Blanchard.

By Laura Reiley / The Washington Post – Reader Supported News / Jan. 20, 2023

The Agriculture Department announced new guidelines for products labeled “organic,” a term that has been increasingly abused as shoppers have sought healthier, environmentally friendly food.

The USDA has a strict definition of “certified organic,” allowing the label to be used only for products that meet certain standards for soil quality, animal-raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.

By John Dolan and Andy Greene / Rolling Stone – Reader Supported News / Jan. 20, 2023

David Crosby, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist who helped shape the sound of Sixties rock and beyond, died Wednesday night at the age of 81. A source close to Crosby confirmed the musician’s death to Rolling Stone, but did not disclose a cause.

Crosby was a founding member of the Byrds, playing guitar and contributing harmony vocals to their most enduring songs, including “Eight Miles High,” “So You Want to Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star,” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Shortly after being forced out of the group due to personality conflicts with frontman Roger McGuinn, he formed the supergroup Crosby, Stills, and Nash with Buffalo Springfield’s Stephen Stills and Graham Nash of the Hollies.

By Dorian Hargrove / CBS8 / January 16, 2023

Beginning in 2023, thousands of low-income families in San Diego can move into what were traditionally unaffordable neighborhoods after the San Diego Housing Commission raised the value of Section 8 housing vouchers throughout the city.

The change takes effect after a protracted legal battle brought by the San Diego NAACP and the San Diego Tenant Union, which accused housing commission leadership of making San Diego neighborhoods more racially segregated and preventing lower-income households from using their housing vouchers in higher-income neighborhoods.

San Diegans of every stripe are being asked to report potholes as additional teams from the city will be out in force to make pothole repairs.

Residents are encouraged to report potholes by using the Get It Done application or by calling 619-527-7500.

Here is a statement from the city:

This week, dozens of additional teams are being assigned to make pothole repairs and the City’s Transportation Department is repurposing other asphalt and concrete crews and equipment to support the work …

This weekend, beginning on Friday, Jan. 20, there will be Women’s Marches across the country.

Here in San Diego, there’s a march on Sunday, Jan. 22, from 12noon to 2pm at Waterfront Park, 1600 Pacific Hwy, San Diego 92101.

The Voice of San Diego reports today that “after a year of bargaining, High Tech High’s new teachers union has reached a tentative agreement on a contract with the school’s leadership. The breakthrough comes after the charter network’s board of trustees declared an impasse a few months ago.”

Back in November 2022 there was an impasse with the board. But there has been progress, as VOSD reports:

The two outstanding issues on the table were who would make a final decision if a teacher appealed a firing, and how long of a probationary period new educators would need to complete before becoming established teachers.