Category Archives: San Francisco Politics

It seems like you can’t walk down the street or read in the news another screw-up with the so-called “Civil Sidewalks” initiaive (aka “Sit/Lie”) without seeing just what a failure it’s been so far. Whether it’s the delayed enforcement of the law, or the fact it’s going to cost the City a lot of money to enforce, this law clearly isn’t the magic bullet proponents promised.
I find it laughable that anyone associated with this thought the fines from enforcement would offset the cost. I mean, you’re issuing these citations to “gutter punks” and schizo homeless people, who as we all know have bank accounts to pay said fines. Brilliance.
Even more genius thinking at the SFPD – first time offenders get a “warning.” That’s effective. Why don’t we just give these alleged public menaces a hug and a lollipop too? Throw in a free Muni pass so they can spread their joy to those of us on transit, even.
I’m being scarcastic. Even though I’ve thought this whole law was a joke from the beginning, let’s just assume that “sit/lie” is law now. Let’s also assume that it’s a Grand Idea, and our well paid SFPD is supposed to enforce said law (along with the many, many other laws we’ve passed to improve the “Quality of Life” in San Francisco). Case study for today: The Inner Sunset.
While the Inner Sunset is no Upper Haight, as the indigent population is pushed out of one area, inevitably they go somewhere else. In the photo above, I have a picture of a mentally ill guy who’s been sitting in front of Posh Bagel for some time now. From his ramblings and behavior, it’s clear he is in need of some mental health regimen. But in this photo he’s actually breaking several laws – the “Sit/Lie” law AND the “no smoking near a window” law the Supervisors pat themselves on the back about all the time. He’s occasionally acted up and driven business away from the bagel shop.
That’s beside the point, however – he’s breaking two laws and no one seems to mind. The SFPD could easily bust this guy for multiple charges and get him off the street. They just don’t. Why?
Another case study: I was taking some pictures of signs on 9th Avenue for a potential piece I wanted to do about street signs, and this greasy, aggro homeless guy started screaming at me claiming I took his photo (why would anyone take a picture of a greasy piece of shit like him is beyond me) and he threatened me mumbling something about a “knife” and claimed the “FBI” would be calling me to protect his tinfoil hatted ass*.
Why didn’t I call the police?
Simple. By the time they showed up (if they did), he’d have run off to his warren in the park or wherever aggressive dirtbags hang out. Even if he did stick around, they wouldn’t do anything, and the greasy piece of shit would get away with it, and likely stab me some night when I’m returning home from the Muni. I’d have been better off shooting him or something just so I can go get a burger without being hassled, but then I’d be the “bad guy.” Whatever. So much for “Sit/Lie.”
It gets better. On Monday, there was a bomb scare on Irving Street because of an unattended package, shutting down the N-Judah and causing major disruptions for everyone. Turns out it was an empty suitcase. Who wants to bet it belonged to one of the many homeless people who use the entrances to stores on Irving as hotel rooms, right next to the “No Trespassing” request for enforcement notice? Again, it’s not like the police don’t know this is happening, and couldn’t do something about it. In this case we went from clearing out people who are trespassing to shutting down a neighborhood because of a potential bomb threat.
Now compare this to the response by SFPD to an informal “Park(ing) Day” on a Sunday a few weeks back. In the past, these impromptu affairs, whereby people take over a parking spot for a few hours to enjoy the public space have never been challenged by the police, even when they’re not part of the official day that happens once a year.
So what happens when some peaceful community folks got together to hang out? There was the SFPD, breaking it up, claiming there was an “anonymous” complaint. (Sure there was). So there you have it – people doing something to enhance the neighborhood get chased out, while the bums get their way and get to scream and yell. See why the “Sit/Lie” selective enforcement is bullshit?
It all comes down to this: San Francisco has been passing these laws for years. The campaign is always heated, people either think it’s the silver bullet to clean up SF or Satan’s decree, the stupid law passes, and then it NEVER GETS ENFORCED so nothing really changes.
Then again, most of these laws were never about doing anything – they were about trying to influence election results by somehow enlisting support for some “law,” it will influence who gets elected at City Hall. Even though this never works, it’s a staple of SF politics and it’s here to stay.
Meanwhile if you’re just a regular person who wants to enjoy public space that one pays for via the many taxes the City levies, you’re being pushed out. In a few years, when Parks and Rec is done privatizing the parks and the only people out there are either homeless poor or out of town rich, you’ll be the one paying the penalties in the end.
UPDATE: Oh, it gets better. On my way home I passed by the bank and guess what I saw? A homeless person camped out next to the ATM. We’re aware, of course, that “aggressive panhandling near ATMs” was made a crime under Newsom (or Brown, I think it was Brown but I can’t remember right now). Either way the moral of the story is this: even if you agree with this crap that’s put on the ballot, you might as well vote no since it’s not like it’ll ever be enforced. Sure you get that election FU to the liberals, but in the end NOTHING CHANGES. So cool it, willya?

When I wrote several pieces saying the proposed “sit/lie” law was an bogus piece of unnecessary legislation, people got upset.
Apparently pointing out the fact this law was as useless as all the other laws we’ve passed to “get tough on the homeless” have been made people uncomfortable for some reason. I even noted how one could easily clean up Upper Haight (or anywhere, but during the campaign the debate centered solely on an overpriced neighborhood that attracts a bad element) with existing resources and laws. Or, bring back the Committee on Vigilance, if that doesn’t help. (Hey, it worked in the past!)
Folks didn’t like that, and I got a lot of nasty mail saying I was pro-criminal hippie gutter punk or some such nonsense. Which is not true, as I pointed out many ways that one could use existing laws to put law breakers in jail, but no one wanted to talk about that.
This is S.O.P. for SF politics – put “feel good” measures on the ballot, get everyone all riled up to think this is either The Big Thing That Will Solve All Problems, or The Worst Thing Ever To Happen to Humanity, have lots of well-funded antagonism clog your mailbox. Newspapers get to print Big Headlines and pundits get to drone on and on, and consultants make the big bucks!
Meanwhile, nothing really changes. I think pointing out that is what annoyed folks the most!
So, reading today in the Chronicle that the SFPD is still not enforcing the law because of vague concerns about “training” and appeasing the pro-Upper Haight punk lobby or whatever just validated every criticism I had of this useless law.
Sure, CW Nevius and the pro “sit/lie” folks got their Election Day victory, and for about 5 minutes could say that voters “did something.” Today, however, we find that nothing has changed at all – there are still gutter punks in Upper Haight, there are still homeless people begging for change on sidewalks, and it’s a safe bet than in a year from now, aside from adding more lines to the law books, very little will be any different than it was a year ago.
San Francisco needs to make it harder to get things on the ballot, or its electorate needs to think more before signing petitions. Just because something sounds good doesn’t mean anything will change. Better to use the many, many laws and expensive resources on hand to make our city the best it can be.
UPDATE: A little short of a month later, the Examiner ran this story about the sh*storm in Upper Haight, as the SFPD doesn’t enforce the law, the “punks” are worse than ever, and nothing has changed (aside from a pricey chain store moving in across from a McDonalds.) Super #FAIL.
PS: Lower Haight still rocks. I’m glad I don’t spend my money or time in the Upper Haight, though!

So far, the Transactional Politics era that kicked off with the selection of Mayor Ed Lee seems to be up and running. The latest example is the much-hyped tax break given to Twitter (ahem, businesses that locate in mid-Market) announced by Mayor Lee, and Supervisors Chiu and Kim.
This all came about after folks at Twitter suggested they might move to Brisbane (!) if it didn’t get something form the cash-strapped city government. However, skeptics in the business news media wondered aloud if that was ever going to happen, or if it was just a public negotiating tactic.
Now, let’s be clear: I enjoy using Twitter’s services, and have no problem helping startups and the like cut through red tape and start new and innovative businesses. After all, it’s part of what makes living here so much fun, right?
That said, I am surprised, what with all the Ivy League graduates we have serving on the Board and such, it never occurred to anyone to ask a few questions before rushing to the podium and feeding the media a “story” that will end up on some junk mail the people in question will be sending us the next time they run for office. (Now, to be fair, you can read a witty argument in favor of Twitter’s deal at my friend Elaine’s blog, Court and Snark (and I highly suggest you do).)
Here’s a few:
– Twitter’s valuation is on paper only – it is not a public company, nor does it make a profit. There’s no indication that it will even exist in a couple of years, or not. Wouldn’t we have learned from Dot Com Bust I that betting on what Internet company will be around in the future is riskier than betting on a “hard six” at the craps table? (See: FOX purchase of MySpace as an example of how betting on social media companies can work out).
– By their own admission, 25% of Twitter’s employees ride a bike to work. Twitter places a tremendous value on its talented workforce and has always worked to create not just a great product, but a great place to work so they get the best out of their people every day. A move to Brisbane (which is cut off from SF via any decent transit, etc.) would be a significant disruption for these folks, and, well, it’s Brisbane.
I used to work in South San Francisco, and trust me, working in suburbia can really suck if you’re from SF and there’s no decent transit connection. You have to drive to work and spend a lot on commuting, and you’re cut off from anything going on in SF. (That said, when I worked in Lafayette, it wasn’t so bad, just a lonnnnng ride on BART and then a mile walk to the office. Time consuming, but at least no car!)
Part of the allure of locating in a place like San Francisco is that you don’t have far to commute, and you’re still in a vibrant city, not sitting around in some office park where you have to drive 30 minutes to find a decent burrito.
– Also, in this economy, it’s not like office space costs nearly as much as it used to, certainly not like it was back at the peak of Dot Com Bust I. Perhaps Mr. Brown doesn’t realize that the country is in a depression, and it’s not boom times (with lots o’ dollars to give to pals) like back in the day.
These are just a few thoughts. I think, however the lesson that should be learned is that we don’t need Supervisors rushing around, lurching from faux crisis to faux crisis, just to accommodate a few businesses that suggest in public they “might” be moving. As it stands, our City has made it clear that all one has to do is make a threat, and they’ll jump.
A more reasonable response would be to create a better set of regulations that make sense, and make it easy for people to try new ideas and start new businesses with a minimum of NIMBYism and BS in the first place. This way, all thriving businesses, Twitter or not, wouldn’t even think of leaving a place that’s affordable, liveable, and fun to be in, no matter what you do for a living.

Once again, the only paper that seems willing to call out City Hall politicians of all stripes on their nonsense is in fact, the SF Weekly. They’ve called out the city’s “pay more/get less” governance in the past, did a great piece on Muni (horn tooting time, I co wrote it), SF’s pension crisis, the phony plastic bag ban, and so on.
Today’s target were the do-nothing, feel-good, soundbite politics that politicians here just love to engage in.
That’s because with term limits, they need to be thinking ahead to the next campaign and the next job. What better way to fill the junk mail, online ads, Facebook pages and TV ads with endless streams of feel-good bullsh!t that will make you feel great about voting for them. Unfortunately, they also accomplish absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile your taxes go up, your Muni fares go up while Muni continues to fail, we have a bazillion dollar deficit and big long term problems that no one wants to solve, and the mainstream press is more caught up with the latest horse-trading and political games at City Hall. In the end, it’s the citizen that loses.
When talk of Supervisor Mar’s phony “happy meal” ban started up, I too pointed out what a clusterfuck the school lunch system was under his reign on the school board, and it hasn’t changed much for great majority of SF Unified students to this day. Instead of doing something constructive that would have had an impact when he had the chance, he’s off pulling this crap instead. Meanwhile, I doubt anyone could name a single action he’s taken to do things like say, help all those businesses in the Richmond that are the target of predatory lawsuits. Then again, that wouldn’t play well on TV.
Or does it? Watching Sup. Mar’s cringe-inducing performance on the Daily Show makes you wonder if he really understands much of what he’s doing.
Likewise, I’ve been calling out both the alleged “moderate”* ex Mayor Newsom and so-called “progressive”** Mirkarimi, who have successfully bullsh!tted the entire worldwide media that the City banned plastic bags, when in fact they did not. Either really do it and take on the powers that be, or get off the high horse and admit this was all for headlines.
Until San Francisco voters decide that accomplishing something is more important than flavor of the month press releases, they will continue to get a government that they truly deserve – one that works for special interests, for politicians ,and sends the bill to the citizen and his/her children. Good luck with that.
* The term “moderate” is a meaningless piece of doublespeak that we need to dispense with. It has no inherent meaning, and it is used to cover up policies that are anything but.
** The term “progressive” is a meaningless piece of doublespeak that has no meaning either. In this town, anyone can use it so it has no inherent meaning, and the range of politicians claiming said label renders it useless. Discard, please.

Reading the assorted coverage in the press about the so-called “selection process” that the Board of Supervisors has chosen to engage in to choose a successor to “Mayor” Newsom is proof of a few things. First, that so-called “progressives” are simply not qualified to be in charge of things at City Hall, and second, that frankly, NO ONE in the political class is qualified to be in charge of things at City Hall.
At the center of all of this is Board President David Chiu. Now, bear in mind that he’s not qualified for his current job – he is Board President only because of the progressive-on-progressive antagonism that denied it to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. Instead, they picked Chiu, who never served on the Board, to run it.
Now he wants to be Mayor, so he’s hoping to delay things by creating a patently bullshit bunch of “rules” that have no basis in reality or the law, to delay things and ensure that he gets the top job once Newsom leaves office.
Think about it: A guy whose big experience was pimping the Christian Right online, among other things, who has never served, and has presided over one of the most unproductive Boards in recent history, content to tilt at windmills while Muni fails, and the City’s finances burn.
Now he wants to be Mayor?
Give me a f*cking break. This long list of bullshit rules he’s invented have no basis in reality – you simply need to have 6 votes to be the Interim Mayor – this nonsense about no texting, being in the room or not, etc. is all a pile of crap, and “Supervisor” Chiu should be embarrassed at these kind of time and tax wasting games.
This, however, has been the hallmark of the So-Called Progressives – they’re all out only for their own personal ambitions, and don’t give a damn about real problems, or even their own gang in politics. Instead they engage in foolish things, or write bad laws that are good for nothing but headline grabbing, and don’t help anyone. The Class of 2008 that got elected largely because it was a big presidential year and many first time voters just voted “Democrat” no matter what, has brought us some of the worst legislation we’ve seen in a while.
Outgoing Sup. Daly might be a pain in the ass, but he did understand his role and how to move legislation, and he’s been calling BS on all of this. These new kids are children who think they’re in pre-school at recess, and not in charge of a city people have to pay taxes and live in.
And now, where I piss off Everyone Else in SF Politics….
That all said, it’s time to face facts: we wouldn’t be in this position if “Mayor” Newsom gave a damn about finishing the job he was hired by the voters to do in the first place. Because he too placed personal ambition above the good of the City, we’re in a situation where no matter what happens, working on SF’s many real problems is going to be tossed by the wayside in favor of bullshit politics. Worse, it’s not like he’s advancing to a real office – he’s going to be Lite Governor – a job with no practical use aside from sitting around waiting for the Governor to die or quit.
We were sold on Gavin Newsom in 2003 as the guy who was going to get things done and be some sort of guy focused on “policy.” Instead we got a rich pretty-boy who was great at press conferences, empty promises, and endless Big Talk, but who as Mayor always catered to public employee unions, enhanced the financial destruction of the Muni system with his dishonest budgeting, and who clearly never really cared much for San Francisco or the people who work hard and pay the taxes that made his stupid gas guzzling SUV possible.
I place the blame for this guy squarely on the people and special interests who backed him, screaming and yelling how if we’d elected that Communist Matt Gonzalez the sky would fall. Well, we didn’t, and guess what? We still had a wasteful Room 200 that was devoted to political games, not getting anything done.
What does this all mean? Well, regardless of what the fools at City Hall do now, or in January, you have a say in who will be in charge in 2011. There are many people already running for office. Here’s a helpful hint: don’t vote based on some bullshit you read in a piece of junk mail, or something the chatterers in the press or online say in the echo chamber of buzzwords.
Scrutinize the Hell out of these people who claim they want to be in charge. Demand they speak up and say what they plan on doing to make things different. Don’t fall for a pretty face or a cute slogan or someone who’s name you’ve heard.
Instead, be very skeptical, and make them earn your vote. The kind of San Francisco you’ll be living in for the next few decades depends on it.