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Clairemont braces for homeless housing
So much anger, confusion, misinformation and disillusionment. Thanks to the advent of psycho-pharmaceuticals in the 1960's, muckraking photo-journalism (see Life Magazine) and movies (see "The Snake Pit") and a societal shift toward "freedom" as an individual civil right (see "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,") mental hospitals were closed down as unnecessary, cruel, restrictive and abusive. In fact, they never worked very well, but they did provide shelter and monitoring of patients, out of sight, out of mind. The new era proposed small, staffed continuing-care houses for the mentally ill in every community, but they never materialized as the phenomenally expensive Vietnam War began to suck up every dollar available, beginning in 1965. And we've been doing "guns" over "butter" ever since, to the detriment of public schools, public health, the mentally ill, infrastructure repair, environmental protection and public confidence in our society's resilience and ability to function in expected ways (see Reader comments here.)— April 7, 2018 3:07 p.m.
Clairemont braces for homeless housing
Much like "restorative justice" in the public schools, a utopian idea is put in place but without dedicated funding for paid trained staff to make it work or to pick up the pieces when there is partial success or temporary failure. I don't have any answers to the tragedy of homeless people in the cities of the richest nation on earth, but I feel certain -- based on the history of this town, this country and most especially at this time -- there will be neither money nor political will to make any large-scale homeless housing program work well anywhere. The nearest community will be left to suck up the shortfall between the ideal and the real.— April 5, 2018 9:59 p.m.
Stepson falls close to Wilson's tree
A stale crust off the old loaf of white bread, what else does GOP State Assembly candidate Phil Graham have to offer voters? Does he have a job? To have the financial backing of assorted rich antiquities from yesteryear will certainly be a help, but surely there must be more to this guy than fear and loathing of Latinos. Maybe he's in favor of gun control legislation? (Just looking for a bright side.)— April 3, 2018 4:50 p.m.
Later, not soon
That's a good question. More dots between items may be needed.— March 26, 2018 3:53 p.m.
Later, not soon
Myrtle Cole will need more than freebie chits for vision care to get re-elected to her Labor-backed City Council sinecure. Cole is propped up by her numerous aides and could be fairly described as as utterly incompetent without their help. Cole's opponent is Democrat ACLU lawyer Monica Montgomery, who knows the score as she once worked in that office and is courageously running a grassroots campaign for genuine community representation.— March 21, 2018 1:50 p.m.
Charles La Bella honored by trial lawyers
Hey, people, I have a deceased brother who was very proud to be in the American Trial Lawyers and he never did a dishonest thing in his life, though I cannot speak for all his corporate clients. In America everyone is innocent until proven guilty and deserves the best legal defense they can buy. Getting elected to American Trial Lawyers is about being very good at your job and maybe includes your win-record. The organization used to have fancy annual gatherings at beautiful resorts and I know they spend money lobbying government for favorable regulation, whatever that means. If I were an on-the-take councilwoman, I would want someone like Chuck La Bella to defend me -- but I don't know if he was Valerie Stallings' lawyer. As for F. Lee Bailey's downfall, author Jeffrey Toobin describes him as a serious alcoholic.— March 21, 2018 1:32 p.m.
Charles La Bella honored by trial lawyers
Hilarious. There are a lot of lawyers in my family, so I have never heard this. Thank you. Do read the Toobin book on Patty Hearst. It's marvelous.— March 20, 2018 4:57 p.m.
Scripps pedestrians in a hurry avoid the bridge
Maybe we need a pro-active Mayor and City Council that operate on behalf of the people of San Diego. Ditto for School Board where two of five incumbents are running for re-election unopposed.— March 20, 2018 3:39 p.m.
Charles La Bella honored by trial lawyers
A great comment. I have always believed having a good lawyer when you need one is incredibly important.— March 19, 2018 10:15 p.m.
Charles La Bella honored by trial lawyers
Since we're tripping down memory lane, another infamous and rich defense lawyer is F. Lee Bailey who defended kidnapped Patty Hearst who became gun-toting "Tania" of the Symbionese Liberation Army back in crazy 1970's California. Bailey is described fully (if unflatteringly) by Jeffrey Toobin in his wonderful book "American Heiress." Also, Chuck La Bella was great pals with Alan Bersin, also a former U.S. Attorney here.— March 19, 2018 10:06 p.m.