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Ken Leighton

Ken Leighton is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

Mr. Megison, all I said was the Bread of Life rent increase of 40 percent followed immediately after you made contact with that landlord. This seems odd since traditionally, the Bread of Life rent increases were 3 to 5 percent. This was brought to my attention by a city of Oceanside official who thought there was a direct, unnatural connection and that it would be good for me to ask about it. I asked you before as a process of doing this story and you never really answered it. How about you do it now. Lets try it again for the record: Why did you contact the BoL landlord directly yourself when in fact the Bread of Life had a long-term rental history? And while you're at it, could you please address the threat you made July 21 to an Interfaith employee as I outlined above. There were many other questions mentioned above that I suggest would be beneficial to Solutions for Change that you answer because they seem to suggest that you have a pattern of not telling the truth. Here's a new question: would you say that you do or do not maintain an antagonistic stance with most of the other area homeless advocate agencies?
— August 15, 2019 8:46 p.m.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

Mr. Megison did not chose to outline what part of the article was fake. I guess if I had have been more thorough, I would have asked why Solutions for Change paid him $137,000 last year, and his wife $103,000 and how that compares with Bread of Life where no one gets paid. Also, how about how Bread of Life DOES have a restorative program (unlike what you said) and how they also forbid drug or alcohol users like Solutions, all contradicting what you said. Oh, and how about that July 21 comment you made on Oceanside Councilman Chris Rodriguez's website where you threatened a caseworker who works for for Interfaith. I thought you said you don't fight other agencies. Hmmmmm......Maybe they don't fight you, but you attack them. I would agree, Mr. Megison, when you say this was probably the worst experience you ever had with a reporter.
— August 15, 2019 3:57 p.m.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

chris Megison is on Facebook claiming "fake news," regarding this article. Only problem, he isn't saying what's fake. Come on Chris, stand up for yourself. Did you not contact Bread of Life's landlord? Did BoL's rent not immediately increase 40 percent? Did you not tell Oceanside not to accept HEAP money in October because it would be spent on programs you didn't believe in? Does Bread of Life not have a volunteer staff of 100? Does Solutions for Change not have a $1million annual payroll? Do you not trash other programs by calling them "socialist"? Does Bread of life not do drug tests just as you do? Where's the fake news Chris? Who is the fraud, Chris? Cat got your tongue?
— August 15, 2019 12:38 p.m.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

Mr. Megison you call it "bias." I suggest that may be open to interpretation. I see Chris Megison as a treasure trove opportunity of topics. An ongoing source of fascinating material. Consider your recent facebook post where you rabidly claim that other support groups besides Solutions for Change are "socialist" and promote a "socialist agenda" just because they give homeless a place to sleep for the night. Really? Are you saying your program is superior because you immediately put people to work so they can make money for your "enterprise fund"? Hey look, Solutions for Change is successful and it is helping people get off the street. No doubt about it. And if your empire building and your cult of personality shtick works, then god bless you and your program. I just frankly think that most reasonable people don't see how your mean spirited tirades against other programs are helping anything. At some point I think your involvement in the the Bread of Life rent increase would be healthy to more fully air out (even though Bread of Life itself is not asking for such scrutiny). As you may remember, I was a big supporter of Solutions for Change 20 years ago when I organized a march in Vista in support of your fledgling program. The North County Times even did a story on the march that had like 25 people. Remember that Chris? I can show you the article in case you didn't keep it. That came about because my radio talk show Night Talk on AM 100 KCEO had you on as a regular guest, promoting Solutions for Change. Solutions For Change became a cause for Night Talk. I have tapes of those shows. Since then, helping the homeless has become an industry. Solutions' payroll is $1-million plus. And you like Brother Bennos were on the cutting edge of helping people in need. But according to someone who knew you back when: "Chris has changed." This Reader story started as a feel good piece on Mario. But just as I was writing it I discovered this whole other angle that started with me seeing you speak at that meeting last Saturday. I humbly suggest you might do well to stop throwing grenades at other programs. Then again, it does make good copy.
— August 15, 2019 10:44 a.m.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

I must make it clear, all the aggression is coming from Chris Megison. I have no knowledge of how Alpha does business (except its success with Mario) and absolutely, Brother Bennos and Bread of Life are the punching bags. The aggression is coming from one source. I have known Megison over 20 years and he did not used to be this way.
— August 15, 2019 7:53 a.m.

Alpha Project, Bread of Life, Solutions for Change – incomparable?

Hey Chris- I was there at that October meeting. You screamed and talked down to people at that meeting just as you do most every time you speak in public. Ask anyone at that meeting last Saturday. At that October meeting you said that the City of Oceanside SHOULD NOT take this HEAP grant money because it didn't help people the same way you do. You did not necessarily criticize other programs, you basically said that anyone else who does business other than you do, should not get any grant money and the City of Oceanside should reject that money because it would this money to those other prograsms. What business was it of yours Chris Megison? You admittedly weren't getting any of it. You just wanted to keep other programs from getting this grant money. Plus, you say that all these other programs allow housing for people who use drugs. That is a lie. Bread of Life provides temporary overnight housing and they screen for drug/alcohol use. If you use, you don't get a bed at Bread of Life. Not cool Chris Megison. You also said Solutions For Change does not get federal or state money which is also a lie because your clients who use vouchers to stay at your shelters are using federal money. Oh, and by the way, nice move with the Bread of Life landlord who immediately upped their rent by 40 per cent immediately after you contacted him...for...ummm...what was the reason? Why did Chris Megison of Solutions for Change contact that specific landlord? Hmmmmmmm. I think it would be good if that all came out. Oh, and you said Bread of Life does not do restorative work which it is about to launch next month. I'm pretty sure you knew about that. Yet you said they do not. Were you mad that I pointed out that Bread of Life has a fully volunteer staff and you pay yourself and the rest of your paid staff over a million dollars a year? Nothing wrong with that, I guess, but why did you get so upset when I mentioned it? As it turns out, people in this line of work seem to be humble, decent, sweet people, including the leading lights at Bread of Life and Brother Bennos. In this industry it seems you happen to be the lone bully. I would be the first to admit your bullying and bombast has got you far. It works for you and Solutions for Change. Every program has its own way of doing business and its own way of fundraising. But when you start tearing down other programs because they use a different m.o. than yours, that seems to be counterproductive. Oh, and do you want to talk about "rep." Let's talk about rep Chris Megison. This is what someone (who you know) wrote to me after the article came out. "Chris Megison is a conman, a liar, a charlatan, a bully and tRumpier than tRump!" Solutions For Change is helping people. That is a good thing. Why not let it go at that? Just because I exposed things you did not want exposed, I don't think it hurt the "integrity of media journalism. I am speaking only for myself.
— August 15, 2019 12:28 a.m.

Main Attraction leaving downtown Oceanside

Wild bill....the documents you mentioned werent around when I first wrote the article. Now they exist because the process has progressed. That's how it works. Thank you for your concern, but I was not offended at all by the stripper(s) who went after me for exposing (no pun intended) what was happening to their place of work. The owner is yielding to overwhelming market forces. Its too bad he didn't move the purple church years ago when the city would have paid him to relocate.
— August 14, 2019 5:56 p.m.

North River Farms not giving up on Oceanside

Councilmember Christopher Rodriguez got back after I had turned in the article. He said the reason he did not get back to my request seeking comment was because he was in the hospital all day since 5 am with his wife who was giving birth to a new baby girl. She is beautiful and I assume healthy.
— July 3, 2019 1:04 p.m.

North River Farms not giving up on Oceanside

I had a few email discussions with the city attorney about the announcement the day before from Integral that the vote the next day was going to be postponed. I thought it smelled like a Brown Act violation. And although he said it was unfortunate, he explained that it did not mean the three council members were colluding with each other. But as some observors pointed out, it might show these three are in the back pocket of Integral and will do whatever Integral says.
— July 2, 2019 9:29 p.m.

Will Oceanside use groins like Newport Beach to save sand?

Two days after this story appeared, three local TV stations created their own stories about this. Here they are. https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/local-grou… https://www.kusi.com/oceanside-sand-reclamation/ https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Group-Lobb…
— June 23, 2019 7:56 p.m.

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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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