Thursday, November 18, 2021

CoViD-19: Unvaxxed Have COVID + Flu Co-Infections To Look Forward To | Masking Still Works | CA Budget Surplus | Mayor Gloria Touts Balboa Park (Hopes Nobody Remembers Jacobs Plan) | $2B Astroworld Lawsuit Filed |

Sunset Over Balboa Park from San Diego Zoo Skyfari (Taken 11.18.21)

Today I saw a handful of news articles about Mayor Todd Gloria giving tours of several projects either completed, underway, or slated for renovations in Balboa Park. We all love the park, so how could that be bad, right? Well, while I generally like Todd, he would very much like for us to forget that he supported the Jacobs Plan to cut into the Cabrillo Bridge with a freeway offramp to a parking garage. As it stands, the City can't get their shit together for our parks, so a new initiative launched yesterday to add a tax to the November ballot that would fund our parks and libraries. I don't understand how this keeps coming up as an issue. We don't ask about profitability from our police or fire departments. Our streets and sidewalks are all money pits, but the City still fixes them (to an extent, I mean, so long as Ortiz does all the work, they'll just continue crumbling, but you catch my drift.) 

Our City also just gave acres of Balboa Park to San Diego Unified in an illegal deal that is flying under the radar because who is gonna stick their neck out and say that the one entity that benefits the City should have to move even though that's exactly what they were supposed to do decades ago?? So, sure. Balboa Park has improved, but it has a long way to go, and everyone should be watching closely so it doesn't get turned into a profit-generating private space limited to those who can afford it. It's bad enough they close the park to the public for Maker's Faire, that the Prado restaurant tried to put in a dining Ferris wheel, that the last guy wanted to allow a hotel and other concessionaires, and that most of the organizations pay no rent in the first place. I assure you, it's not gonna be great when every piece of the restored Botanical Garden and surrounding grass and plantings have a plaque or naming rights from rich donors, or when you'll try to go visit and it's closed for a wedding or private event. But yes, for now, our park is a pretty alright place to go. (If you want to take family photos, the Grinch tree is up and decorated and can be pretty empty during weeknights during showtimes.)

In my world, things are looking up. Nova realized that her mental state hugely affected her physical state and postponing her trip would just make things worse, so while she did skip her flu shot appointment this morning, she's feeling better and is planning on going on her trip. St. Louis has a mandatory indoor mask mandate regardless of vax status, so she was at least feeling more comfortable about things like that, especially if her mom drags her to church. Her Great Aunt will be arriving tomorrow and flying back with her on Saturday, so we don't have to worry should any cancellations or things come up. Then she'll be escorted back on a flight with Darren's cousin, so that should be nice, too. Besides all that, I went to the San Diego Zoo by myself for the afternoon and though I'm behind in work, it was totally worth it. Truly, truly, my happy place. 

Stay safe out there. 


Posted by Rosemary Bystrak at Thursday, November 18, 2021
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