Take Back San Diego

Anarchy, Chaos, and Misery

TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO is a non-partisan, non-political grassroots coalition of native (and long-time) San Diegans who, in unison, are saying NO MORE to the homeless status quo of suffering.

In San Diego, the true (unreported) homeless numbers are likely significantly more than 20,000 in the city proper, and 45,000 countywide.  (Across America the number is more than 580,000.)

We are all desperate for a viable answer to this unrelenting humanitarian catastrophe; with its accompanying devastation to every aspect of our lives, and culture.

Many of us can no longer walk or bicycle our streets, sidewalks, bike paths, and public parks without facing an obstacle course of tents, bodies, human excrement, needles, trash, and a slew of walking-zombies who are impossible to distinguish between those just down on their luck and others who are out-of-control substance abusers about to attack us. 

Anarchy, chaos, and misery now define San Diego.  

We are in the midst of the greatest humanitarian crisis we have ever faced. 

We are also devolving into the economic self-destruction of our all important and inter-related hospitality and tourism industries.

In 2020, the number of homeless deaths in San Diego reached 357 persons. 

In 2022, deaths jumped to 574 persons.  This is an astonishing 61% increase in just two years…and, yet, those who can do something about all of this — won’t. 

To humanize this 574 number, think about the NFL Super Bowl with its one-hundred-yard long football field.  

If we stand one person on every yard-line in a row down the field, we would have nearly six rows of 100 persons to represent how many homeless people died in just 2022. 

Visualize these six lines of humanity stretched down the field.

These 574 persons are NOT just statistical numbers…they are individuals…our brothers and sisters…our sons and daughters…our mothers and fathers…our friends…our fellow citizens.  

Something has gone terribly wrong in San Diego.  We are here to TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO from the catastrophe of homelessness and fix it.

1. END THE HOMELESS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS THAT IS RAVAGING OUR STREETS, CANYONS, AND PUBLIC PARKS — Despite what elected officials say, this is an achievable goal via a combination approach of Sunbreak Ranch as our region’s central homeless triage location, coupled with the development of a Real Time Shelter Dashboard. This dual approach will help save thousands of lives of our fellow citizens, as well as save billions of taxpayer dollars.
   
2. RETURN TO THE RULE OF LAW ON ALL OF OUR STREETS, CANYONS AND PUBLIC PARKS — AND ESTABLISH A FUTURE OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL — This is achievable once Sunbreak Ranch is operational, because “Sunbreak will establish a clean, healthy, safe, and secure place for everyone in need”. This is the key ingredient to enable our return to the Rule of Law and establish a future of dignity and respect for all.
   
3. MAKE SAN DIEGO THE CLEANEST BIG CITY IN AMERICA — San Diego was once one of the cleanest big cities in America, but now is disgustingly filthy beyond recognition. With the Sunbreak Ranch homeless triage location operational, matched with our return to the Rule of Law, making San Diego the cleanest big city in America will become a reality.
   
4. RETURN OUR STREETS, CANYONS, AND PUBLIC PARKS TO CLEAN, HEALTHY, SAFE, AND SECURE PLACES FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY — By achieving our first three goals, this one will quickly fall into place.

We don’t want your money, we want your participation and action:

• JOIN US — Sign our online petition.
• MAKE OUR ELECTED LEADERS HEAR YOU — Email our elected leaders and media. Please repeat doing so daily, weekly or monthly. They need to be awoken to the urgency of the humanitarian crisis on our streets.
• SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS — Email everyone you know and invite them to join our effort. Likewise, please post Sunbreak Ranch and Take Back San Diego on all of the social media platforms you have access to.
• REQUEST A PRESENTATION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY GROUP — Request a Sunbreak Ranch presentation for your community group, business improvement district, town council, service club, HOA, and other groups.
• REJECT “HAPPY TALK” — Refuse to listen or accept any more “happy talk” about the homeless crisis from our leadership, media, and fellow citizens. Let’s solve the problem facing us…and dispense with continuing verbal games of pretend.

The TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO effort is being led by five all-volunteer native San Diegans: 

GEORGE MULLEN (Principal of StudioRevolution)  — native San Diegan —  Sharp Hospital

BRIAN CASTER (CEO of A-1 Self Storage) — native San Diegan —  Mercy Hospital

BILL WALTON (NBA legend and Hall-of-Famer) — native San Diegan —  Quintard Hospital

RICHARD BAILEY (Mayor of Coronado) — native San Diegan —  Grossmont Hospital

RICK SWEENEY (retired business owner) — native San Diegan —  Naval Hospital

The organic inception of TAKE BACK SAN DIEGO happened at Hob Nob Hill Restaurant on February 28, 2023.  The effort quickly gained traction and was publicly introduced via this Times of San Diego article:

It’s Past Time to Take Back San Diego from the Catastrophe of Homelessness – Times of San Diego – April 20, 2023
– PDF version for emailing and printing

George Mullen (Principal of StudioRevolution.com) — native San Diegan

Brian Caster (CEO of A-1 Self Storage) — native San Diegan

Bill Walton (NBA legend and Hall-of-Famer) — native San Diegan

Richard Bailey (Mayor of Coronado) — native San Diegan

Rick Sweeney (retired business owner) — native San Diegan

Ester Araujo (concerned citizen) — near-native San Diegan

Tom Sudberry (Chairman of Sudberry Properties) — 56 year San Diegan

Jack McGrory (CEO of La Jolla MJ Management LLC and City Manager for City of San Diego, 1991 – 1997) — 49 year San Diegan

Robert Brewer (U.S. Attorney for Southern District of California, retired) — 44 year San Diegan

David Lundin (President of Love Balboa Park, Inc.) — 67 year San Diegan

Robert Rauch (local hotel owner) — 34 year San Diegan

Colonel Patrick J. Gough (U.S. Marine Corps, retired + CEO of Poseidon Consulting) — 42 year San Diegan

Ric & Michele Davy (CEO of Davy Architecture) — 44 year San Diegans

Dee Snow Lang (Real Estate Development) — 47 year San Diegan

Terrence R. Caster (Founder of The Caster Group) — 55 year San Diegan

Lisa Damiani (President of Damiani Law Group) — 38 year San Diegan

Casey Gwinn (San Diego City Attorney, 1996-2004) — 37 year San Diegan

David Ferguson (Goldman Ferguson Partners LLC, retired) — 48 year San Diegan

Joan Wojcik (Former President of East Village Residents Group, EVRG) — 28 year San Diegan

Mike Furby (President of Marathon Construction Corp + Lakeside Land Company) — native San Diegan

Jeff Bradley (Sudberry Properties) — 56 year San Diegan

Mary Pappas (Owner of Athens Market Taverna) — 62 year San Diegan

Phil Monroe (Captain, U.S. Navy, retired and Coronado City Councilperson, 2000 – 2008) — 35 year San Diegan

Cathy Kenton (Business & Property Owner, CPG member) — 54 year San Diegan

Bill Protzmann (Founder of Music Care, Inc.) — 13 year San Diegan

Susan Lankford (Founder of Humane Exposures) — 39 year San Diegan

Eric Nemoseck (Founder of SD CAN DO, representing 36 downtown HOA’s) — 20 year San Diegan

Phil Jelsma (Partner at CGS3 plus Adjunct Professor at USD School of Law) — 37 year San Diegan

Ted Hillock (Land Broker) — 51 year San Diegan

Cindy & Martin Blair (Owners of Kansas City Barbecue / Top Gun Bar) — 40 year San Diegans

Donald Daley Jr. (President of California Commercial Asphalt, LLC) — native San Diegan (4th generation)

Wayne Strickland (Captain of Coronado Fire Dept, retired) — 60 year San Diegan

Laura Lothian (Councilmember, City of La Mesa, 2021 – Present) — 25 year San Diegan

Steve Andrade (Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of A.O. Reed & Co.) — native San Diegan

Buck Bennett (small business operator) — 45 year San Diegan

Robert Semmer (retired attorney) — 40 year San Diegan

Ben Wood (Managing Director, C3 Risk and Insurance) — native San Diegan

Flori & Sam Williams (Business Owners) — native / near native San Diegans

Rudy Ramirez (Chula Vista city councilman emeritus) — native San Diegan

Tom Verburgt (retired tech entrepreneur / real estate investor) — 10 year San Diegan

Lynn & Peter Hamilton (real estate broker / retired business owner) — 43 year San Diegans

Mike Lewis (retired business owner) — 30 year San Diegan

Peter Shenas (Principal of Ariston Services Group, LLC) — native San Diegan

Bob Link (Community Group Executive) — 25 year San Diegan

Scott Aurich (Broker Associate of Pacific / Sotheby’s International Realty) — 36 year San Diegan

Bill Bidermann (President of BK Associates) — 17 year San Diegan

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