Archive for May, 2022
Companion Plants for Succulents
In March, the Mission Hills Garden Club learned that many plants thrive amidst succulents. Linda Bresler, a certified landscape designer, is truly an artist using living plants as her canvas. In her talk, she gave us a host of types of plants with which to paint our yards. We learned that from early childhood, Bresler […]
Homelessness Program Accountability Measure Clears 2nd Hurdle
Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilkannounced that his legislation to add clarity and accountability to California’s efforts to address homelessness has earned bipartisan support and recently passed 4 to 0 out of the Senate Committee on Human Services. “I am pleased to see this measure receive bipartisan support. There seems to be a growing consensus that […]
Inflation – Here to Stay
Like most investors, I’ve been surprised by both the magnitude and persistence of the inflation spike we’ve seen over the past several months. The forecasts continue to suggest that inflation should moderate somewhat by year-end and into 2023, but that doesn’t take the sticker shock out of the prices we’re paying today at the store […]
Percy the Porcupine Puppet Made Her San Diego Zoo Debut?
Percy the Porcupine puppet delighted guests when she made her San Diego Zoo debut, in celebration of Earth Day. She is an awe-inspiring prehensile-tailed porcupine that is 17 feet high. Percy was first unveiled in Los Angeles last month, before making her way to San Diego. Her first-ever appearance at the San Diego Zoo created […]
20 Years Later, “Enron by the Sea” Still Awash in Duplicity
By Kate Callen When a 2002 whistleblower’s report unleashed the city’s massive pension fund scandal, and San Diego was branded “Enron by the Sea,” humiliated city leaders vowed to clean up their accounting practices and operate in full view. Two decades later, a new generation of city leaders is devising new ways of fudging data […]
The Mayor’s Planning Department Knowingly Using Outdated 2013 SANDAG Projections for Current Community Plan “Updates”
Last December, SANDAG adopted Series 14 projections for population and housing growth through 2050. These projections take into account the latest California Department of Finance population projections. Despite the availability of these updated projections, the Planning Department continues to plan based on outdated, inflated data. This leads to unnecessary, harmful impacts. For the City as […]
California State Auditor Releases Scathing Report on Regional Housing Needs Assessment
On March 17, Michael S. Tilden, the Acting California State Auditor, issued a blistering critique of the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and its Regional Housing Needs Assessments (RHNA). The Auditor found problems in the HCD methodology that may have inflated RHNA requirements by hundreds of thousands of housing units. The Auditor concludes […]
District 3 Citizens Express Frustration During Zoom Meeting with Councilman Whitburn
After several attempts to talk to someone from Councilman Stephen Whitburn’s office, I elected to participate in a Zoom meeting with him that was initiated by his office. I thought, “Maybe I can talk to him directly since calls and emails to his office are going unanswered.” By the way, I should mention, the reason […]
Ocean Beach Singer-Songwriter Makes It in Nashville
Nashville-based retro Americana singer-songwriter Stacy Antonel is set to release her debut album, “Always the Outsider,” independently on June 17, 2022. An idiosyncratic artist with a background in classical piano, Antonel makes clever Americana that feels both vintage and hyper-modern at the same time. Rooted in classic country but influenced by jazz, pop, and R&B, her […]
