Budget still shorts CSU
The governor’s May revision, while seeking to restore some critical funding to the California State University system, still falls short of the minimum needed to stop the door from closing on qualified students’ admission to the CSU. At this crucial economic juncture, it is imperative that the CSU continues to get the resources it needs to produce a highly skilled workforce and increase college-going rates of underserved communities in California.
The CSU still faces $215 million in reduced funding and serious fiscal challenges plus $124 million in mandatory cost increases not covered by state funds, including rising health care and energy bills. Without funding to mitigate these costs, students will be facing a closed door when trying to enter the CSU this fall and current students may see an eroding quality of education.
I believe this is the wrong direction for the state to go; cuts to the CSU will only hurt California’s economy by reducing the number of qualified and trained individuals in key job industries.
We need to ensure that there is adequate funding for educating the next generation!
Sophia Habl Mitchell, Ocean Beach

OMBAC hasn’t received any special treatment
In response to a wide variety of misinformation that has been disseminated in the press via Channel 8 regarding the so-called “booze ban” and the upcoming OMBAC World Championship Over-the-Line Tournament (OTL), it would be most helpful if it was understood what exactly the rules are.
Prior to December of 2007, alcohol in San Diego’s public parks was regulated by San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) Section 56.54, which already restricted the consumption of alcohol on the boardwalks, and it regulated the hours during which alcohol could be consumed from noon to 8 p.m. The amendment that was passed in late 2007 extended the “banned hours” from 16 hours to 24 hours, and it extended the physical coverage of the ban to all parts of Mission Bay Park including the bayside, the piers and the city parks, including Fiesta Island, where OTL and many other special events are held.
What has not changed is the process by which these special events take place. SDMC 56.54, prior to the booze ban, read, “Unless the City Manager or his designee has issued a special event permit, it is unlawful for any person to consume any alcoholic beverage at any time upon any public property not including public parks as listed.” It needs to be understood that both before and after the booze ban passed, a special event permit was required to hold an event of the magnitude of the OTL. The same is required of all groups seeking to hold events with greater than 75 persons in attendance, including Thunderboats, the Crew Classic, weddings, birthdays and more than a hundred other events.
The permit process can be found in Muni Code Section 22.4003, and it specifically outlines OTL as a large public entertainment event that should be encouraged through the permit process. The process has moved from the City Manager to the Mayor’s office and more specifically to the Office of Special Events. That is precisely where OMBAC went for their 2008 permit.
OMBAC has run OTL for over 54 years and has always applied to the city for a special event permit. This special event permit process, which has to be signed off by more than 30 state and city officials each year, begins up to one year prior to the event, and we do not receive the special event permit for OTL until OMBAC complies with several city, state and federal regulations.
OMBAC is not playing politics with policy. We have not received any special treatment by any member of the San Diego City Council in applying for OTL’s special event permit. In fact, there have been several special event permits approved by the City of San Diego since the effective date of the booze ban that have allowed alcohol consumption in permitted areas.
OMBAC’s OTL is being singled out in this regard, and it appears that someone is playing politics in the media with OMBAC in regards to the booze ban.
Don Peterson, Chairman
OMBAC Over-the-Line Committee
Judge Edward B. Huntington (Ret.)
San Diego Superior Court
OMBAC OTL Committee