OB Rag

Time for Democrats to go on the offense
By Anna Daniels

Remember how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Merrick Garlanded Obama’s Supreme Court pick? Let’s do McConnell one better:

Any Trump SCOTUS pick is void while he and his campaign are under a criminal investigation for obstruction and conspiracy against the United States.

Imagine the scenario in which criminal charges are brought by Mueller and the case ends up before the Supreme Court. Now imagine the loyalty oath which Trump would extract in some form from his pick for Supreme Court justice to replace Anthony Kennedy. Any question in your mind that Trump not only has his thumb but both feet on the scale?

Some Wednesdays get a little crazy in the late afternoon on Newport Avenue – due, obviously, to the famous OB Farmers Market. To see what else was happening around the village and “off-Newport”, this reporter found the following.

Face-Lift at Pat’s Liquor

Pat’s Liquor has been a mainstay at the intersection of Voltaire and Abbott for decades. Now, locals may recognize a whole new look as the 1940s exterior has given way to the trendy “industrial” look.

A San Diego federal court judge made a significant ruling Tuesday, June 26, on reuniting kids separated from their immigrant parents. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw issued a preliminary injunction that calls for all children affected by the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy to be reunited with their parents within 30 days.

Under Sabraw’s order, the federal government must reunite children younger than 5 years old with their parents within 14 days, and within 30 days for older children.

In addition, the feds must allow parents to call their children if they’re not already in contact with them within 10 days.

The injunction came at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union.

As reported

I was singing the blues
until I heard the news
that children
being torn from the
arms of their parents
was coming to an end,
if but for a minute,
a breather
from evil being played
out in my face,
beautiful innocent
brown skinned children,
screaming “Mami! Papi!”
as Mami and Papi
are pulled one way,

There’s an effort going on right now to save the architecture of the buildings at Nati’s in Ocean Beach. Locals and activists of SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organization) are attempting to change the opinion of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board at their upcoming June 28 meeting.

The Nati’s building is on the agenda.

The Ocean Beach Town Council is holding their monthly public meeting, Wednesday, June 27, and high on their agenda is a forum on short term vacation rentals – and “how to save community character and keep local residents.”

They meet at the Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107, form 7-9pm. It’s free and open to the public and well worth your effort.

From OBTC Facebook:

Short-term Vacation Rentals, or STVRs, create a cascade of problems in our neighborhoods.

By Geoff Page

Tribalism. It is a vestigial feature, much like an appendix. It once served the purpose of self-protection but has long since out-lived its usefulness. It is, in fact, harmful in an advanced society. But, unlike an appendix, it is not easily excised; it seems to be an indelible imprint on the psyche of homo sapiens.

This was demonstrated clearly, and sadly, at the Midway/Pacific Highway Community Planning Group’s regular monthly meeting on June 20 at the San Diego City College – West City Campus on Fordham Street. It seems that the planning group boundaries now are tribal boundaries.

Meeting Heats Up Over Midway Community Plan

The meeting got heated over Midway’s Community Plan

– Chant and Response: “We are with you. We hear you. We will not forget you.” -“Estamos contigos. Les oyemos. No les olvidamos.”

By Kathy Stadler / San Diego Free Press

With so many events taking place around the immigration travesty, it seems one may have gone under-noticed. During the PICO California statewide day of action Sunday, June 24, it was clear that the people being detained at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, could hear the protesters outside and tried to make contact – shouting and drumming.

PICO California, “the largest multi-racial faith-based community-organizing network in the state” organized a statewide weekend of action

Are so-called “granny flats” the future of Ocean Beach and of Point Loma?

It certainly appears to be so – at least for OB, given what happened at the last meeting of the OB Planning Board’s Project Review Committee. Wednesday night, June 20, the sub-committee of the full Board sent recommendations for approval for three granny flats in Ocean Beach. The full Board will meet in August to make the final determinations of approval (the Board is dark Wed, July 4).

Granny flats – also known as secondary units, backyard cottages, or ADUs – accessory dwelling units – have become all the rage now because California has just recently changed the laws surrounding the building of ADUs, making it easier, requiring less fees and dropping parking requirements. Some housing advocates, planning panels – and many construction companies – see them as a panacea for the state’s housing crisis.

Essentially, the state has mandated that if a proposed secondary unit meets certain requirements, than a city or volunteer planning board must allow it.

And this is what happened last week

UPDATE: Neither the OB Rag nor our primary source can confirm the death of the man who was airlifted from Sunset Cliffs June 14A young man who had to be air-lifted by chopper from rocks at the foot of Sunset Cliffs near Hill Street after a 30 foot fall on June 14, actually died from his injuries. He has not been publicly identified.

This is what happened, according to Julie Klein, who has chaired the Public Safety Committee for the OB Mainstreet Association for years. Usually, Julie is the one of the first to hear news from police officers and is very credible on such issues.

Following is a speech given by U.S. Senator Kamala Harris on Friday, June 22.

So let’s shout for the children and families. Let’s shout for them. So, first of all, I want to thank everyone for coming out and for all the work that everyone has been doing to give voice to these families, to these children, and to this issue.

I was just in there, I got a tour of that detention facility and then I sat down and spoke for some time and visited with the mothers who are there. And my heart is broken. These mothers, these mothers have given testimony, if you will, have given the stories, have shared their stories, their personal stories that are a story of a human rights abuse being committed by the United States government.

By Geoff Page

The Peninsula Community Planning Board’s regular monthly meetings at the Point Loma Library are becoming one of the best shows in town and the June 19 meeting was no exception.

This time the show was about an classic battle between a public agency and the community. The excitement was over that piece of open land on the south side of Famosa Blvd. across from Cleator Park. There was a large audience present, most of whom were there to express their displeasure with the San Diego Housing Commission’s plans to build 78 low income housing units on that site.

Community Displeasure With Planning Board’s June 2017 Letter Recommending Housing at Site in Question

Actually, the immediate displeasure had to do with a letter about “Affordable/Workforce” housing the PCPB sent to Councilmember Zapf and the San Diego Housing Commission in June of 2017.