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Fifth Avenue Landing welcomes mega-yachts to San Diego
And people get incensed over city workers' pay and pensions. While we're at it, let's build the Chargers a new stadium in LaJolla at taxpayer expense.— March 13, 2009 8:22 a.m.
CIA Official Challenging Competence of Foggo's Mistress Got Fired -- and Other Misadventures
What doesn't come out in the press is why old Dusty had such a meteoric climb to number 3 man in the agency. It was pretty common knowledge around D.C. that as soon as former director Porter Goss got the job, Dusty was quickly promoted up through the ranks. You see, Porter and old Dusty were drinking buddies and fellow womanizers.— February 26, 2009 1:48 p.m.
Help Obama. Borrow. Buy.
Once again, Don, you're right on the money. I would like to emphasize one item, however, that you brought out in your column. You mention, correctly, that consumer spending is 70% of GDP. I've seen other pundits state this fact, sometimes in capital letters, often followed by an exclamation point, like it is some kind of recent phenomenom. In 1947, consumer spending was 67% of GDP and has inched up very slightly since 1982. So this in nothing really new. Milton Friedman, in his book, "The Consumption Function," studied numerous countries throughout the world and found that they all, except Turkey for some strange reason, were within the same range as the U.S: 60-70% of GDP.— February 26, 2009 1:40 p.m.
John Brizzolara returns to former home in Mission Hills; it's not the same
Your story brought back some very fond memories for me. Starting back some 40 years ago, I jogged by your house for 25 years, five days a week, while working for the city of San Diego. I loved that whole area, especially Curlew street, which was my all time favorite street in of San Diego. I live in South Texas now, but will never forget those daily jogs down Curlew Street and environs. Great article.— January 28, 2009 6:41 p.m.
San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith fires John Serrano after Brown Field dust-up
Right on the money, Don. Having worked for the City during the 'forgettable' Casey Gwinn years, to be more than charitable, I find it incompetent at best and unconscionable at worst, that Goldsmith would hire back seven attorneys that worked under the Gwinn regime. I guess some attorneys, like bad pennies, keep coming back.— January 28, 2009 6:24 p.m.
Ocotillo Wells land owner fed up with off-roaders
As a long-time SD resident, I enjoyed offroading for many years at Ocotillo Wells and have found most offroaders to be extremely responsible people. But it is this type of activity that I don't miss. I now live in the Houston area because of my job. I can't imagine anyone in Texas creating the type of malicious activity, if true, that occurred on Mr. Inn's property.— July 23, 2008 6:56 p.m.
Dan Holbrook pushed real estate debt to San Diegans and then succumbed to it
Don, many of the names in your article read like a 'Who's Who' of swindlers and San Diego is a world class city of swindlers and scam artists. -Jim Fawcett— June 26, 2008 2:12 p.m.
San Diegans Arthur Lipper and Richard Russell on the current gloom
The Chicago/Austrian School of Economics, the so-called Chicago Boys, got their chance for 16 years in Chile, under near-laboratory conditions. Between 1973 and 1989, a government team of economists trained at the University of Chicago dismantled or decentralized the Chilean state as far as was humanly possible. Their program included privatizing welfare and social programs, deregulating the market, liberalizing trade, rolling back trade unions, and rewriting its constitution and laws. And what were the results? Despite some short-term 'successes', Chile's economy became more unstable than any other in Latin America, alternately experiencing deep plunges and soaring growth. Once all this erratic behavior was averaged out, however, Chile's growth during this 16-year period was one of the slowest of any Latin American country. Worse, income inequality grew severe. The majority of workers actually earned less in 1989 than in 1973 (after adjusting for inflation), while the incomes of the rich skyrocketed. In the absence of market regulations, Chile also became one of the most polluted countries in Latin America. And Chile's lack of democracy was only possible by suppressing political opposition and labor unions under a reign of terror and widespread human rights abuses. Of course, Conservatives have developed an apologist literature defending Chile as a huge success story. In 1982, Milton Friedman enthusiastically praised General Pinochet (the Chilean dictator) as a hero because he "has supported a fully free-market economy as a matter of principle. Chile is an economic miracle." However, the statistics show this to be untrue. Chile is a tragic failure of right-wing economics, and its people are still paying the price for it today So much for the Milton Friedman/Von Hayek/Von Mises school of economics. -Jim Fawcett— June 18, 2008 2:06 p.m.
The gentle decline of golf in San Diego
Great article, Don! I think the last time San Diego promoted something like this was when the City hosted the America's Cup races. Of course we all know that yachting is a working man's sport. When someone from out-of-town recently asked me what was the major industry in San Diego besides tourism, I couldn't come up with an answer. Maybe you know, but damned if I could think of anything other than Qualcomm. San Diego has to be the only major city in the country that makes a big deal out of a new company locating here that will eventually employ maybe 50 people. Probably makes the front page of the Union Tribune along with a bunch of other worthless 'news' items. Jim Fawcett— June 5, 2008 12:26 p.m.
A rollover truck on Pamo Road in Ramona
What a tragic story. I lost my beautiful daughter eight months ago unexpectedly to an accident so I certainly understand how Staci feels. And I too am appalled at the sorry excuse for a justice system you were put through. Doug Garcia sounds like a total parasite not unlike Seth Cravens. Just remember Staci, 'what goes round comes round'. I'd be interested to see where this piece of trash ends up down the road. God Bless You.— June 5, 2008 12:07 p.m.