Park Closure
This park closure thing has me really tied up in a knot. It is an issue that probably won't affect me personally, but is a perfect example of how things happen in San Francisco. And it's only a matter of time before another issue comes around that does affect me personally.
As I get older, I am becoming less and less sympathetic to the 15-25 year old kid who does whatever he wants, whenever he wants and expects the city government to pick up the tab. You see them all over the city. They decide to work in low paying jobs (don't tell me you can't find a higher paying job if you really needed one) and want to spend most of their days riding a skate board and most of their evenings at a bar or coffee shop. I would assume most of them eventually become aware of their surroundings and the realities of the world we live in. This usually happens when they decide to buy property, have a child or take their professional life seriously. Some do all these things but remain wedded to their youthful ideals. Most realize that life is a series of causes and effects, and a major life event drives this point home. Those who choose to make a 'life event' decision will find out very quickly that their freewheeling lifestyle must change - cause and effect. I imagine most of the people lobbying for Saturday park closure fall into this category.
Life woudn't be worth living if we were all the same, however there is a system in which we Americans live in and bucking the system - in my opinion - is dangerous. There is a reason why American politics is played between the 45 yard lines and it's the reason why our political system has been so successful. You deliberate and make small decisions so that you can course correct if the decision is a bad one. The Board of Supervisors legislates across the entire political spectrum which makes it very difficult to course correct. How can they vote to enact a law that the voters turned down in 2000? It's a perfect example of a system that doesn't work and it's embarassing.
Want to know why San Francisco has the fewest number of children compared to other major US cities? It's not because John F. Kennedy Drive is going to be closed on Saturdays. It's because this town is ruled by special interest groups (via the Board of Supervisors) who feel they need to make a statement out social injustice, wealth distribution, equal employment opportunity, and racial discrimination for the minority of people who are affected by these issues. For this reason, I have no interest in raising my children in what is otherwise one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
As I get older, I am becoming less and less sympathetic to the 15-25 year old kid who does whatever he wants, whenever he wants and expects the city government to pick up the tab. You see them all over the city. They decide to work in low paying jobs (don't tell me you can't find a higher paying job if you really needed one) and want to spend most of their days riding a skate board and most of their evenings at a bar or coffee shop. I would assume most of them eventually become aware of their surroundings and the realities of the world we live in. This usually happens when they decide to buy property, have a child or take their professional life seriously. Some do all these things but remain wedded to their youthful ideals. Most realize that life is a series of causes and effects, and a major life event drives this point home. Those who choose to make a 'life event' decision will find out very quickly that their freewheeling lifestyle must change - cause and effect. I imagine most of the people lobbying for Saturday park closure fall into this category.
Life woudn't be worth living if we were all the same, however there is a system in which we Americans live in and bucking the system - in my opinion - is dangerous. There is a reason why American politics is played between the 45 yard lines and it's the reason why our political system has been so successful. You deliberate and make small decisions so that you can course correct if the decision is a bad one. The Board of Supervisors legislates across the entire political spectrum which makes it very difficult to course correct. How can they vote to enact a law that the voters turned down in 2000? It's a perfect example of a system that doesn't work and it's embarassing.
Want to know why San Francisco has the fewest number of children compared to other major US cities? It's not because John F. Kennedy Drive is going to be closed on Saturdays. It's because this town is ruled by special interest groups (via the Board of Supervisors) who feel they need to make a statement out social injustice, wealth distribution, equal employment opportunity, and racial discrimination for the minority of people who are affected by these issues. For this reason, I have no interest in raising my children in what is otherwise one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
posted by Help SF at 1:01 PM
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