So about the next big fire that's still going to be better than Katrina was...

On Monday San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarmon testified before a congressional subcommittee that San Diego County will be ill prepared for the next major fire season if they are not given funds to start a county fire department. The suggestion was opposed by county representatives, however, who insist that local residents would not agree to tax increases in order to fund a county run fire department. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista) and Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Carlsbad) suggested that the problem could actually be solved with stronger federal and state government funding for rural areas where most of the land is state or federally owned. From the LA Times:

State and federal land is "highly combustible and undeveloped," Issa said. "And untaxed," Bilbray added. Both called on the state and federal governments to enhance their firefighting capability.

Looks like San Diego needs more money to keep up on their fire duties. Now I wonder who has that kind of money, the kind that you could use to fund such a project, hmmmm. It's definately not that SECOND PLACER Rady that's for darn sure.

Na na na na na We're not as Dumb as you Thought we Were

From the LA Times:

In a first-ever ranking of high schools by U.S. News & World Report magazine -- best known for its influential, and controversial, ranking of colleges and universities -- 23 of the top 100 schools in the nation were from California, including 10 from the Los Angeles area. Also in the top 10 were the Oxford Academy, a college preparatory school in the Anaheim Union High School District that accepts students by examination, and the Preuss School, a charter school under the joint oversight of the San Diego Unified School District and UC San Diego.

So there! San Diego has a smarty school! They have smart people doing smart things being smart and loving the smart in life. Such good students.

The Preuss School is currently under a cloud because of allegations of grade-tampering, but that would not appear to affect its ranking, since U.S. News relied on standardized test scores, not grades.

Et Tu LA Times? You couldn't just NOT mention that for a minute while we celebrate, touche. TOU-CHE.

What is your major malfunciton?

You can't handle the truth!
I never learned to read!
Me love you long time!

I needed to get those out of the way, trust me.

Former Marine Corps Drill Instructor Jerrod Grass was convicted today of abusing boot camp trainees. He faces 9 1/2 years in Military Prison. Glass was convicted of punching, slapping, kicking and ridiculing the trainees. Just before the verdict was read Glass hugged his mother and recieved a pat on the back from his father. From the LA Times:

Glass spent two tours in Iraq as a dog handler before attending drill instructor school, from which he graduated with honors. The abuses occurred shortly after his graduation, during his first two months as a drill instructor. They came to light only after he beat a 19-year-old over the head with a tent pole because the recruit could not remember the combination to his foot locker.Of four drill instructors assigned to the 40-man platoon, Glass was the least experienced and the so-called "kill hat," Marine slang for the one assigned to mete out punishment. All four were relieved of duty when the abuse allegations surfaced.

The prosecution is asking for a strict sentence to set the right example while the defense wants to give Glass a chance to continue in the marines.

Well party people, you gotta party indoors now.

From the LA Times:

After three hours of passionate debate among beach activists, the City Council on Monday voted 5 to 2 for a one-year trial ban on drinking alcohol at city beaches.

The City Council varied on it's solutions to the alcohol "problem" on San Diego's beaches but finally agreed on the 1 year plan. We'll see what happens after that. Happy almost New Years, enjoy your drunken walks down the beach to the bars but not your beer on the beach, GOT IT!

It's not just a PB thing. The No Drinking debate reaches the LA TIMES.

Not that we haven't discussed this before but San Diego is working out their "I don't like people drinking" issues on a very public scale. The LA times has even picked up on the story.

Virtually alone among Southern California cities, San Diego allows the consumption of beer and spirits on most of its beaches.But a booze-fueled Labor Day brawl at Pacific Beach has led to a call for San Diego to ban beach drinking altogether.

Now that San Diego can start getting "back to normal" after the fires, anticipation is looming about the "will we allow people to party on our beaches or will they have to keep the partying to stumbling around outside of bars?" debate.

Faulconer wants a total ban on alcohol on Mission, Pacific and Ocean beaches, as well as on the beaches of La Jolla, some of which already have a ban in place. Together, the beaches draw more than 24 million visitors a year.Mayor Jerry Sanders prefers a ban only on certain holidays. His proposal would also include nearby parks to keep drinkers from simply moving inland.

Visit here if you're interested in learning more about why you should be able to drink on the beach where they say "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." I don't know about all that, but I like my beaches nice and full of cute guys playing horseshoes, drinking beer.

Why don't we just outlaw fighting and being stupid on the beach? Oh wait, that's already a law? And people still fight and act stupid on the beach? Hmmm....

Yay Mayor Jerry Sanders!

*Confession* Not that political (but I remember the whole Donna Frye write in campaign thing because I'm cool like that, did you know she has her own Wikipedia entry?). Chalk it up to being in my early 20's in San Diego with really important stuff on my mind, like first dates and the best place to get breakfast after a long night out. But I do know that San Diego has been mired in political and financial controversy and the current Mayor, not so universally adored, or what not (is there any politician who is UNIVERSALLY adored?).

But Mayor Sanders has been surprising lately (what with the whole "oh yeah, I support Gay marriage, deal with it" thing) and now, according to The LA Times, because of the fires, he's GOLDEN.

George Mitrovich, president of the City Club of San Diego, said he's been
disappointed with other aspects of Sanders' performance as mayor but was
impressed with how he became "the face of leadership" during the fire,
calming fears and projecting strength and confidence.

Watch out Arnold, WATCH OUT.