July 2014

First Friday . . . I had fun!

dt2-sf-7-11-2014

Okay, my plan was simple. I  was going to the Block Party at 6 PM to see a band I knew, then I was going to ride my cranky old bike home. Hopeless plan.

I will tell you, once you get in DTSF, it attaches to you like a bad cold.

After having several conversations with peeps at the block party and perusing the galleries, I decided to rest my dogs at Monk’s, where I overheard local TV reporters talk about their love lives and fashion secrets (they don’t have any). I also came to the realization that a couple I have been waiting on over the past month (who I adore) has a Chinese manufacturing company and are owners of the new Irish Pub Downtown. Cool. I think.

After leaving Monks, I rode past the Hilton ‘TIF’ Inn and cursed the spray park, then proceeded towards Phillips Avenue, where I ran into dear art collector friends of mine. We decided to eat at Toyko. I had the Avocado Eel Roll. OMG!

I proceeded to my place of ‘server’ employment to talk to the manager about scheduling, and the owner and I engaged in political talk. Always fun.

As I was leaving, our prestigious mayor was sitting on the patio. I think I passed gas. But not on his face.

Big ‘B’ and I roamed over to Paramount for adult beverages. Then I did a walk thru at TJ’s and made an appearance at Total Drag. I made a bunch of sarcastic remarks on the outside sidewalk about the performer, well deserved, then cranked home, on old cranky.

Who says SF isn’t fun on a Friday Night?

Mixed feelings about serving beer at the New IcePlex

I can see pros and cons to this;

• It will generate revenue for the facility.

• Parents will be able to enjoy an adult beverage while watching games.

But,

Is a facility that is encouraging a ‘family friendly’ environment shooting themselves in the foot by serving beer?

Are taxpayers uncomfortable with this plan after subsidizing the facility ($1.5 million) and further subsidizing it through SSC’s TIF?

Discuss.

icebeer

The Mayor’s proposed CIP Budget

If you are a city government ‘nerdy’ like myself, you will get a kick out of the proposed budget (DOC)

Funny how the SFPD can’t scrounge up $2,200 to fix windows they damaged but we have all kinds of money for other things.

Here are some highlights;

$100K for Event Center ‘improvements’ (Budgeting for improvements on a building that isn’t even completed yet. Anybody know a good ‘sider’)

$2.76 Million to the Pavilion ($500K for a generator, $320K for escalators, $200K for sculpture garden improvements) I would also like to respond to a commenter that said they believed the Pavilion already brought in good shows. I agree. I think what most people want is MORE shows and diversity. Nobody is asking the Pavilion to stop what they are doing currently (Musicals, Symphony, Plays etc.) they just want to see other stuff there. One of the biggest hurdles is that promoters don’t like dealing with them anymore.

$4.8 million on the River Greenway. Continuing to subsidize developers bulkheads and landscaping along the 15th dirtiest river in the country. We could sure buy a lot of lagoon pumps, honey wagons and manure spreaders for $4.8 million.

$800K for the Sanford Sports Complex Improvements. I thought the SSC was awarded millions in TIFs so they could improve the site. Hornswaggled again by the Sanfords of the world.

$400K towards McKennan Park Band Shell replacement. Was there something wrong with the current one?

$5.6 million for Falls Park improvements. Once again, I ask the question, What is wrong with Falls Park? It it is beautiful and well maintained.

$10 Million for new parking ramp Downtown. Didn’t we just tear one down for $1 and proposing to close the one next to Sushi Masa? Now that’s prudence!

There are many projects for water, sewage and drainage in the CIP. Which I find odd. They keep telling us that they had to raise our water/sewer rates because there are enterprise funds now to help pay for upgrades. Why dip into the CIP?