Help SFO

Driving The City Toward Bankruptcy

2007-02-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

When people cast their ballots, feel good measures like health care and paid sick leave are hard to vote against. Most people view ballot measures like these from the individual perspective. They think about themselves working the line at a restaurant, the long hours and the stress. When you think about it in this context, these measures sound like a pretty good idea.

What people don't consider are the ramifications of such measures. When small businesses start packing up for Daly City, San Franciscans will start scratching their heads and wonder why that cute little bistro down the street closed up after a great 25 year run. Only the corporate chains will be left, something the Board of Supervisors is also trying to legislate out of our lives (Prop G, Nov-06)

Questions I want answered

2007-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Homeless:

How big is the homeless industry in San Francisco?
What is the ratio of homeless people to those working full time to help the homeless?
How many special interest groups, non-profits, charities, etc. exist in San Francisco who's primary mission is to help homeless people?

Education:

What percentage of SF High School students matriculate into 4 year colleges / universities?
How much money gets allocated to the SFUSD each year?
how much voter-approved bond money has been approved over the past 5 years?

Housing:

How many SF residents rent?
How many SF residents own the place where they live?
What is the average age of a renter?
What is the average age of an owner?

Should I feel sorry for this person??

2007-01-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

I'd love to cheer for someone who takes the plunge into homeownership, but this story highlights the fact that some people are probably better off remaining a lifelong renter.

I applaud the city for trying to educate people about the costs of home ownership. At the same time, I laugh at the people who say things like this:

"Like so many of us who came of "real estate-owning" age in the past decade, she'd incorporated the idea that real estate always goes up into her world view."

This kind of fiscal ignorance seems rampant in the city and at all levels - from the woman mentioned in this story to the politicians who run this place. Maybe a dose of real world reality will do this woman some good.

I'm confused...

2006-10-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

So, I'm reading through the November 7 voter information pamphlet and something catches my eye as a little odd.

Proposition F...

Summary: This proposition requires businesses to provide employees one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked. There would be a cap of 40 hours for businesses with less than 10 employees and a cap of 72 hours for all others.

On the surface this seems like a mediocre, somewhat anti-business proposition because it represents an additional required costs for doing business in the city. It was put on the ballot by Daly, Ammiano, Maxwell, Mirkarimi and McGoldrick. I can only assume that these supervisors are aware of the anti-business nature of the proposition and felt it should be added to the ballot anyway. It is opposed by the SF Chamber of Commerce, the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association, Marina Merchants Association, Inner Sunset Merchants Association, the Greater Geary Boulevard Marchants Association and the SF Council of District Merchants Association. I'm guessing these groups represent a pretty good cross-section of business interests in SF.

Proposition G...

Summary: I will call the "The Anti-Walgreens" proposition, or TAW for short. TAW would amend the city's Planning Code for NCDs (neighborhood commercial districts) where formula retail use is currently permitted to require a Planning Commission hearing for approval of a conditional use authorization before an establishment can proceed. TAW would also allow the Board of Supervisors to adopt more restrictive criteria for conditional use authorization for formula retail or to prohibit formula retail in any NCD.

Ironically, the very first sentence in the voter pamphlet in support of TAW says this:
Yes on The Small Business Protection Act! It goes on to say this: Small businesses employ more than half of the City's workforce and are the linchpin of San Francisco's economy. Proposition G helps to ensure their survival by preventing monopolization. Who signed their names at the end of this?? You guessed it, Ammiano, Daly, and Miriarimi.

So, lets do the math. Daly & Co. support the passage of an anti-small business proposition (F) but at the same time supprt the passage of another proposition that supposedly favors small businesses (TAW, err... Prop G).

Playing Fair

2006-10-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that there seems to be a stir in the blogsphere around the District 6 election. I found some other blogs that are both for and against Chris Daly. The best one I've found so far against Daly is here. There is another one in favor of Daly here.

It goes without saying that I think Daly is a joke and does nothing to improve the world we live in. Had he chosen a career in professional politics anywhere other than District 6, he would have been laughted out of the room. The Daly Show blog does a perfect job of visually showing why Daly is a joke - but they forgot the picutures of the whore houses, err, massage parlors that litter Daly's neighborhood.

Arnold for California

2006-09-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last posted anything. Been thinking about a lot of stuff, but the one thing that gets me excited is the resurgence of Arnold this year. Last fall the political pundits were writting him off for dead. Today, he looks like a knight in shining armor. His decision to work with the legislature and not take everything to the public has paid off. I predict a landslide victory for him in November.

Angelides who???

"You can p -- all over your opponent until hell freezes over, and it won't make any difference if people don't know who you are,'' said strategist Garry South, who ran the campaign of Angelides rival Steve Westly during the Democratic primary. "Here we are 60 days out, and instead of explaining to voters who Angelides is and why he should be elected governor, they are involved in pranks.''

GM & SF

2006-06-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

What do the San Francisco Unified School District and General Motors have in common? Retiree health care benefits that are sinking both organizations faster than the Titanic. Read here for more.

I'm all for economic incentives that attract more people into teaching, but don't commit to a probram without knowing beforehand how you're gonna pay for it.

How do the SF Sups keep their jobs?

2006-05-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

Because they know something none of us are willing to admit publicly. In general, San Franciscians view themselves at victims. And people with this mindset are exactly what liberal politicians relish because they can leverage that attitude into a long and lucrative career in politics.

Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick, Ross Mirkarimi and Tom Ammiano can do what they do because they know San Franciscians want to be treated as dependents of their city government. Just ask any drug dealer, prostitute or homeless guy in Chris Daly's district. I'm sure none of them are interested in actually pulling themselves up and working hard to create a better life for themselves or their community.

Park Closure

2006-04-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Business as usual in 'Frisco

2006-04-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

From SFgate.com. Regarding the lunacy that continues in City Hall, this is what Jake McGoldrick did during the debate over closure of GGP on Saturdays:

During the meeting, Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who introduced the test run legislation, played a video clip of parkgoers, adults and children alike, using Kennedy Drive under the current Sunday program -- overlaid with the music track, "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago -- eliciting laughs from both the board and the audience.

Honestly, this is the kind of thing I probably would have thought was really cool when I was in the 6th grade...

Fiona Ma, who voted against, said closing the park roads was rejected by voters in 2000 and to now pass an ordinance would fly in the face of the will of the electorate.

Another perfect example of how a niche, one-issue special interest goup (The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition) owns the Board of Supervisors. Next month it will be the Federation of the United Brotherhood of Haight Ashbury Head Shop Owners who get the Board to cater to their specific needs, regardless of what The City wants as a whole.

When did San Francisco become Communist China?

Has anyone noticed...

2006-04-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the nice new hedge that runs down the middle of Lombard Street between Van Ness and Richardson Ave? I wonder how much those plants cost, how much the sprinkler system costs and how often they will need replacing after non-SF taxpaying Marin County residents mows them down on their way into work?

Another example of mismanagement of priorities and wasting of city funds. Fix the pot holes first, then plant new bushes!

Bravo SF Board of Supervisors!

2006-04-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Finally, a fiscal policy that makes sense. Although one wonders what the motivation is to increase the number of films shot in San Francisco. Revive the city's past film glory? Why? Maybe it's an effort to increase tourism? If so, then how about following through with tax breaks for all SF businesses in the tourism industry.

It never ceases to amaze me how the far left bends over every time Hollywood comes knocking.

Just When I Was Starting To Like This Guy...

2006-04-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

This guy WAS my kind of Republican. Intelligent Design? Jerry Falwell? Are you kidding me?? Time to find a new Republican...

The Out-Of-Touch Board of Supervisors

2006-03-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

Why are all the email addresses found on the SF Board of Supervisor's web page inactive? Seriousely, if I wanted to send an email to my representative, how would I do it? Check it out for yourself here.

I'd like to propose...

2006-03-29T10:39:00.000-08:00

That we make March 29, 2006 Sophie Maxwell day. In fact, give her the key to the city. Today's Examiner has an article saying she wants to have every financial, insurance and textile (Levi Strauss) company doing business in SF to disclose whether they were ever involved in the slave trade, and to make a voluntary donation to ameliorate the effects today of slavery.

Ms. Maxwell is asking these companies (Levi Strauss) to make a voluntary donation to "fund economic development and educational initiatives for city residents that are the decendents of slaves. This ordinance brings truth and transparency to the way wealth was accumulated in America." says Maxwell.

Ms. Maxwell - your initiative a great example of why businesses don't want to do business in SF. Go back to business school and learn this:

Government that is pro-business = thriving business community = more jobs = more tax revenue = programs that benefit your constituents.

Look at tax policies in Ireland over the past 10 years as an example. Stop trying to play Robin Hood in 2006 - it simply isn't the reality the rest of our country lives in.

The Lunacy Continues...

2006-03-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

SF Supervisors Finoa Ma and Jake McGoldrick want to ban smoking at transit (bus) stops and golf courses. Now, you may be asking yourself what the hell a bus stop and a golf course have in common. I did. Turns out the measure started out as a ban on smoking at bus stops. Fair enough. Then comes along Jake McGoldrick, and in his infinite wisdom, decides that "banning smoking at bus stops would constitute class inequality. It’s usually people that have lesser income that are using the bus stop and people with greater income that use the golf course".

Now, I'm a golfer. And I've played every public course in San Francisco multiple times. I can assure you - as sure as I'm sitting here in front of my computer right now - that Mr. McGoldrick has never played a single round of golf at Harding, Lincoln, or Sharp Park. If he had, he would know that the duffers at these courses are the same people who ride the bus, myself included. How he decided that only rich people play golf and only poor people ride the bus is a perfect example of how out of touch this idiot is from the real world the rest of us live in. McGoldrick should stop watching Caddyshack and start spending time with the citizens of SF.

I wish that just once, McGoldrick would realize that the time and money wasted on trying to create some kind of socialist utopian society does nothing to help the citizens of San Francisco go about their daily lives. This is another PERFECT example of how the Board of Supervisors wastes my property tax money again and again. I've got a great idea - how about drafting a measure to fill the city's pot holes? Or how about drafting a measure to clean up the streets in Chris Daly's district (including the drug dealers and prostitutes, err... the disadvantaged and underprivileged).

An Open Letter To Michela Alioto-Pier

2006-03-09T09:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Ms. Alioto-Pier,

As a resident of District 2, you are my representative at City Hall. It has come to my attention that San Francisco is going to end the 2005-2006 fiscal year with a surplus of $137 million. According to a recent article in the Examiner, the surplus is due to better than expected revenues, departmental savings, and unspent money during the current fiscal year.

Ms. Alioto-Pier, this is a perfect opportunity to show some real-world, level headed fiscal stewardship of taxpayer money! There has been a rush among your fellow supervisors to "earmark" this money for specific projects, including low income housing, infrastructure improvements, art programs and city employee pay raises. As a tax paying resident of San Francisco, I have a list of my own:

Return the money to the taxpayers.

Now, before you start laughing too hard, please realize that I know you and your fellow supervisors don't live under the same financial laws the rest of us "private sector" folks do. So, with that in mind, I'll propose another list - one that takes into account the world you live in:

Earmark the money toward the 2006 - 2007 budget, which is tentatively projected to already be $35 million overbudgeted (somebody please explain to me how the hell that happens??)
Infrastructure improvements. Fill the potholes, plant some trees, clean the streets. These expenses will help the city for years, or at least until there is another surplus. San Francisco needs to stop floating bonds to pay for infrastructure improvements when these type of expenses should come out of the normal operating budget.
Fix BART, which caught on fire today. By the way, the coverage on CNN has been excellent.

Whatever you do, do not increase pay for city workers. A pay increase this year means pay levels remain raised for future years. Who's going to pay for this? Are Tom Ammiano and Jake McGoldrich assuming budget surplusses every year?? This is the kind of irresponsible fiscal thinking that makes my skin crawl, and is a perfect example of why I started this blog in the first place.

Regards,

HelpSFO

Conspiracy Theory #1

2006-03-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

Everyone seems to have an opinion about why Brokeback Mountain didn't win the Oscar. Here's mine...

When Michael Moore released Farenheit 9-11, it was during an election year. Many people assumed that Democrats endorsed the film, or at the very least were happy to see it do so well at the box office (when I saw the film in SF, it received a round of applause). I don't recall any Democrats saying outright that Moore's film was an example of why they should not vote for Bush, but I don't recall them distancing themselves from the film / Moore either.

Fast forward to last Sunday. Hollywood - the self-appointed proxy for the Democratic party - decides that they need to do whatever they can to help get the Democratic party back on its feet. By giving the Oscar to Brokeback Mountain, Hollywood would have sent a strong signal to America (the straight, middle class, suburban, white demographic) that homosexuality is OK. Not everyone in Hollywood is stupid, and they know that people associate the Hollywood message with the Democratic party. So, they do the safe thing and give the Oscar to Crash. Which, by the way, was a great film. Personally, I think this was a smart move.

View From The Right

2006-03-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

George Will made an interesting comment in his column yesterday. In reference to poverty in America, he said that liberal government tends to think that "poor people are like everyone else; they just lack goods and services (housing, transportation, training, etc.) that government knows how to deliver."

Hey, I'm all for helping people out when they need it. But for the life of me, I cannot believe for one second that the homeless drunk sitting on the corner of Powell and Market is just like me. I don't believe for one second that with a little help (and creativie thinking by the Board of Supervisors!), that guy is going to become a productive member of society. For more information about why that guy on Bush & Market ended up the way he did, read Will's column.

Issue Du Jour

2006-03-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Julie Andrews once said "Let's start at the very beginning, a very fine place to start. When you read you begin with A-B-C..."

When you govern, you begin with certain basic assumptions about what government ought to do. These include keeping the population safe, providing for education, and keeping the streets clean and safe. And it should do all these things well before doing anything else. The Examiner printed an article yesterday of partiular interest. The first talked about Fred Abadi, the new director of public works - the man in charge of keeping San Francisco streets clean and pothole free. Good luck Mr. Abadi! It's not the dirty streets that are the problem. It's the Board of Supervisors. This group has put impeaching President Bush ahead of cleaning up the streets. In his article, Ken Garcia righly noted that "clean streets and uncluttered sidewalks are more important to average citizens than showy but meaningless resolutions."

What I'd like to see is Sen. Feinstein and Rep. Pelosi come down hard on the Board of Supervisors - tell them that their initiative to impeach Bush is meaningless from the Washington DC point of view and is a waste of SF taxpayer money.

First Post

2006-03-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Since this is my first post, I should probably explain the purpose of this blog. Here goes...

I am a moderate Republican living in one of the world's most beautiful cities (I am pro-choice, pro-environment, and pro-small government) Sadly, San Francisco is a city that is being run by a group of liberal idiots (I'm not talking about the Democratic Party - I'm talking about that special form of far left liberalism / socialism / communism that rules SF politics). This blog is intended to focus on some of the political hot-topics in San Francisco today and hopefully provide a real-world perspective on why San Francisco continues to be an amazing place to live despite it's leadership. Are my ideas biased? You betcha. Dont' like them? Start your own blog. What gets discussed here?

Homelessness
The public school system
Special interest groups
Tax policy
Sports
The Board of Supervisors

and anything else that's bugging me. My intention is to offer a real-world criticism of all these topics and hopefully shine some light on the absurdity of what happens here. Enjoy!