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San Diego Redevelopment: They Prey, We Pray
It's great the churches are addressing this social injustice. For too long the downtown crowd has hid behind the skirts of "Father Joe" to claim they helped the less fortunate with massive downtown white elephants like the money-losing ballpark, and now a fatcat-only football stadium. In the archives of the UT is a picture of me angrily pointing at Jack McGrory and John Moores during hearings about the ballpark. My face is twisted and ugly because I'm saying, "You are both damned crooks!" I've sung rude songs to the City Council. "Rip me off with a ballpark"... Jim Madaffer called me names, in session and on the record. (Years earlier he'd told me, Pat Arter, and Bob Trettin over a lunch about his scheme to get a $50k "minority" grant in his wife's name to fund his own newspaper business..) McGrory called me an "urban terrorist" in the UT. Valerie Stallings extolled the virtues of John Moores to me personally, and with great feeling. I got impolite threats to beat me to death with baseball bats for being a "pussy" who doesn't salivate over professional sports stars like a "true American". My delivery and timing was clearly flawed, since I didn't prevent the catastrophe...though I tried, on the record...from at least 1997. It's really a shame I'm not a more forgiving and kindly man, who could have articulated this so much better... So my hat is off to the faith community. This certainly is a MORAL issue. CCDC's siphoning of money, laundering of funds, contempt for representative government... How can any moral city justify this situation? The poorest neighborhoods subsidize the wealthiest? I know what Jesus would do. He'd ride up the elevator to CCDC's swank offices and give a fiery sermon. Churches can change San Diego history. If those currently in power won't abolish CCDC, the electorate in 2012 WILL! It is NOT difficult to de-seat a city council incumbent. Churches working together are ideally posed to do so in several districts. My compliments and encouragement to the churches. Keep being polite, and civil to the council...knowing the raw and ugly facts are on your side. They ARE enabling crooks. Make them change or get out of the way! ...but politely. It seems to work better than my approach. Most importantly, if the current members of the council won't get rid of CCDC, they need to be gotten rid of themselves. :-)— April 13, 2011 12:21 p.m.
Should City's Debt Relief Come from Redevelopment Coffers?
Tsunami, Laurie Black? Yes, we should think about that...and how foolish we are to build our downtown on the mudflats of downtown. (Maybe that's another story that needs to be written...just how much damage a similar quake and tidal surge would do to San Diego.) Kim Kilkenny is peeved with writers who point out that redevelopment takes money from schools? Then maybe he should stop taking money from the teachers. Isn't Alessi the clown who lied to the council about when the secret meetings took place, and refused to answer point blank questions about CCDC? Why hasn't he been fired? CCDC outlived its usefulness long ago. As Reason magazine reports on California redevelopment, "You’d need to go back to the crew of the Enola Gay to find a group of Americans responsible for creating so much vacant urban space." Abolish CCDC. Enough of these fraudsters stealing from the poor to give to the rich.— March 17, 2011 8:51 a.m.
Fight Over North Park Bar Spills Into the Streets
I'm very impressed with the research here. Why don't you write this all up and submit it for publication? It would make an interesting Cover Story for the Reader. Best, Fred— March 14, 2011 10:42 p.m.
Fox Canyon Neighborhood Protests Governor’s Move to Eliminate Redevelopment Agencies
I've had a look at Ms. Salaam's other stories at the Reader, and she seems to be a steady producer of work, less editorial than other writers for the Reader...and I won't impugn her. Yet with this article, it seems she reported at face-value what was actually a Potemkin protest. She didn't report the self-interest of the organizers and participants, or inquire as to how many were legitimately from the neighborhood. Somehow I suspect the crowd was padded with some CCDC employees, lobbyists, and other downtowners out to grow some astroturf. It's truly sad how this works in San Diego. Usually the Reader sees through the charade. In this case, the writer could have added a sprinkle of scepticism to this article. At the least, a few minutes online searching would have revealed some names and details of past goings on at this location. This information deserved to be included in the story. Perhaps Ms. Salaam would also cover how Grantville has been treated by the redevelopment czars downtown...that would make a good counterweight to this flawed effort.— March 14, 2011 10:24 p.m.
San Diego DA Bonnie Dumanis to Run for Mayor
"Good ole boy dressed in lesbian's clothing" I want everyone to repeat this so it catches on. It is the essence of Dumanis.— March 14, 2011 10:11 p.m.
San Diego DA Bonnie Dumanis to Run for Mayor
Eugene, I would like you to run for Mayor of San Diego. Your presence at the debates should serve to remind everyone of what Bonnie has morphed into during her two decades in public office. I'd like you to point out during the debates that while she was going all out to put medical marijuana providers in jail, she ignored blatant civic corruption all over the city and county. Consider your options, Eugene. It's not trivial to throw your hat into the ring, and a lot of the media will treat you like a joke. But if you arm yourself with the facts, and speak truth to power, some will listen. More importantly, it shows the world how Dumanis uses her political power to beat down the little guy instead of prosecuting those responsible for the financial meltdown, fraud, and well-known corruption in San Diego. Best, Fred— March 14, 2011 10:09 p.m.
Fox Canyon Neighborhood Protests Governor’s Move to Eliminate Redevelopment Agencies
Fox Canyon...rang a bell...something to do with Jim Madaffer and redevelopment scandal: A quick search and, bingo! http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/Fox_Canyon/topics… and http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061028/… Blue and History, please keep digging. There's more... Best, Fred— March 12, 2011 12:19 a.m.
San Diego Fire Department Alarms
The Centers for Disease control flatly contradicts Mainar: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm But he probably meant to say "majority of FIRE deaths". CDC also says that "Cooking is the primary cause of residential fires (Ahrens 2010)." Do people do most cooking at night? Seems that while most fire DEATHS occur at night, most residential fires seem to occur during mealtime-hours. And those deaths at night? Primarliy smoke inhalation...the kind of death that typically occurs before the firefighters are going to be called (unless there's a fire alarm-cheapest to give those away free to the poor instead of buying more trucks!). So if preventing death is the Chief's goal, he should support Zapf's proposal. Getting immediate treatment to the injured is more important than saving structures. The conversation should really include some other statistics. Here's more from the CDC: Groups at increased risk of fire-related injuries and deaths include: * Children 4 and under (CDC 2010; Flynn 2010); * Older Adults ages 65 and older (CDC 2010; Flynn 2010); * African Americans and Native Americans (CDC 2010; Flynn 2010); * The poorest Americans (Istre 2001; Flynn 2010); * Persons living in rural areas (Ahrens 2003; Flynn 2010); * Persons living in manufactured homes or substandard housing (Runyan 1992; Parker 1993). So, how does San Diego do on allocating its fire resources? Are the poor areas well covered...or does Rancho Bernardo have superior coverage compared to City Heights? Are there special plans in place to prevent fires in poor neighbourhoods, along with pre-staging of fire fighting equipment at mobile home parks...or are resources distributed according to political clout? Considering how Ron Saathoff behaved as Fire Union Chief, and the shameful state of city finances, it's important to ask hard questions about the fire fighting and life saving priorities. How many compromises and deals have been made that waste resources and risk lives? I think the Chief is cherry picking a bogus number to divert this overdue discussion...that's dishonest. Zapf is right not to bow her head to this so-called expert. I encourage her to keep pushing...— February 18, 2011 10:11 p.m.
Driver Threatens Driver with Putter
You guys have it all wrong! See, I have to explain that I am the man in the video. I was just doing my job. I'm the City of San Diego Golfing Resources Education And Services Executive, appointed by Mayor Sanders and paid by CCDC redevelopment money. My work is to drive around town in my unmarked vehicle, on the lookout for likely golfers. How do I do this? Here are some clues: * Luxury cars * Middle aged men * Pleasant demeanor When I spot one of these lucky men, it's my job to jump out and tell them all about San Diego's "Golfing Really Activates Families Together" program, also known as GRAFT. I urge them to make a donation, offering them the chance to win a new golf club. It's a win-win situation, and I'm proud to do this for the citizens of San Diego. I regret any misunderstanding that may have occurred, and if you have been offended in any way by the GRAFT program in San Diego, you should contact the office of the Mayor of San Diego and file a formal complaint. Sincerely, Hugh G. Rection City of San Diego Golfing Resources Education And Services Executive CCDC-Mayor's Office joint GRAFT Program— February 1, 2011 10:54 p.m.
San Diego Tech Stocks Give You Butterflies
Back to the topic: Any grizzled veteran of software development has tales to tell of "vaporware" being sold to the gullible. As Don says, there's a lot of government supplied liquidity sloshing around, and such easy money will be easily misspent. I like WD40 too. It's real. It works. It's distinctive (that smell). When I first met my wife, I saw she had a small canister of WD40 under the sink...I knew we'd get along fine. Beware of companies that are "exciting". They're the ones most likely to be all hype and no substance...like sports-entertainment businesses.— February 1, 2011 10:43 p.m.