What About Seal Land Use Law?

A drive by:

• You’ve never seen me write about the La Jolla seals for a reason. I haven’t talked about it for the same reason I’ve never put my fingers in the garbage disposal. Nothing good could come out of the effort.

  But I’ve just got to say this.

  Reading Dave Washburn’s piece Wednesday, I came across this line from Judge Yuri Hofmann (emphasis mine):

  Hofmann said the trust governing the cove “does not permit joint use between humans and seals, [and] does not permit use by seals of the beach as a habitat.”

  Does not permit use by seals? This is why the issue is so fundamentally weird. A judge in a courtroom is literally saying that the seals are not permitted to use that beach near La Jolla Cove. I have to wonder, how the seals were supposed to get a permit? They don’t have any thumbs.

  What if we’re violating their permitting laws?

  OK, I’m done. Washburn’s update is here.

• I mentioned the debate on Tom Fudge Wednesday between Stephen Whitburn and Todd Gloria. I picked on Whitburn a bit to make a larger point but Gloria had a doozy.

  I was driving so I couldn’t write the exact quote but he said he’s spent every night of his life over the last eight years in community and neighborhood meetings.

  I mean, I know politicians are prone to exaggerations. But that’s pushing it.

• Congrats to the team and, thanks for the props, U-T. Back atcha.
• A great drive-by on housing and the markets here.
• Speaking of housing: Take a look at the jobs picture. Yeesh. If incomes must come in line with prices in order for the market to stabilize, as I believe, then the trajectory of the lines on this graph needs to be altered.

— SCOTT LEWIS