John Patrick Ford is a free-lance writer based in San Diego.

Back in 1959, the electronic and aerospace industry in San Diego was dominated by giant General Dynamics. That year a small “black box” manufacturer took the leap to go public.

A little courtroom drama played out last week at the federal courthouse. The bankruptcy auction of the real property occupied by San Diego Hospice attracted two local giant health care providers in a bidding contest. Scripps Health was the victor with a $16.55 million closing bid for the prime eight-acre site in Hillcrest.

Options to fix the eurozone debt crisis are limited to painful solutions for the citizens of the nations facing default of sovereign debt, said Robert Koenigsberger speaking at the UC San Diego Economics Roundtable in April. The failing nations are willing to pay the debt but lack the ability, he said.