Welcome to Westside Observer
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WHAMO!—Car Drivers Hit Again At the Parking Meter
"32% of the SFMTA’s revenue currently comes from cars, and with approved changes, about 35% of the SFMTA’s budget will come from traffic parking fees and fines. Without the revenue from cars, San Francisco’s SFMTA and transit first policies would collapse.” Read More…
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Golden Gate Park Garage Won’t Pay Its Bills
Since the beginning, the Garage has been operating at a loss. According to its first two full fiscal year tax returns, the Garage expenses exceeded revenues by more than $5 million…”
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Willie Brown's Money Machine
There was one other recognizable feature of the Burton Machine: it was about empowering people who had little or no say in the decisions that affected them.
And it certainly wasn’t about helping the rich get richer.”By Larry Bush citireport.com
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Budget Analyst Short Circuits Supervisor Wiener
"The survey makes no attempt to discover how much our local Sunshine ordinance has saved the City by exposing or preventing backroom deals, and ... eliminating the need to take Sunshine-related complaints to court.”
By Patrick Monette-Shaw Read More…
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Around the Town April 2011
"… Redistricting Task Force recently wrapped up their project to “balance” the districts … challenge has been completed through the hard work and dedication of the task force volunteers. We owe them a big 'Thank You' for their efforts."
Stories in the Sand
…the original settlers who nevertheless braved wind, fog, and sandstorms to “homestead” in the dunes. It was then federal land that was considered to be “out west” from San Francisco. The effort of the city to claim these “Outside Lands” was a decades-long legal battle with the federal government before the boundaries of the city were finally extended to the ocean."
By Harold Gilliam Read More…
SFMTA May 1, Central Subway revenue bonds
Lake Merced: SFPUC May 8
Soccer Field : Planning & Rec & Park Commission May 17
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West of Twin Peaks Central Council
The “slimming” of Sloat Boulevard and the Proposition A debate took center stage at the April 23 meeting of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council."
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Purple Planning is a Curse on the Purse
"Perhaps “boondoggle” is too strong a word here, but when costs rise as they have, and purple piping stays dry for as long as it has and will, what is the better word?"
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Frank Calegari at age 94
He is fascinated by the technology that is available today. 'People really don’t realize what a marvel it is. I like to ‘Google’—you just type in a subject or a question and up pops an answer—it’s amazing! Everything is in my pocket with a Smartphone.'"
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We're Not Really Making This Up
…that is not the real problem. The fundamental problem is that SFPUC and Rec & Park continue to insist that management at Lake Merced be a joint effort, or more accurately, a two-headed monster, to use the term in an October 2011 op-ed on the subject in the SF Chronicle."
By Jerry Cadagan Read More…
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Watchdogs Beware
"… Davis Ja & Associates received a $1.2 million contract on behalf of Community Behavioral Health Services. That contract was revoked and the City recovered some $430,000 after whistleblowers reported a conflict of interest.”
By Dr. Maria Rivero & Dr. Derek Kerr Read More…
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Time Is Running Out to Protect Golden Gate Park
"Tell them that you want real grass and NO sports lights in Golden Gate Park. Act now! Once this project is built, the western end of Golden Gate Park will be destroyed forever.
By Kathy Howard Read More…
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Preparing for One of Retirement’s Major Expenses – Taxes
"If the bulk of your retirement savings are in tax-deferred accounts ... This may leave you with less cash flow than you expect, which could impact your ability to meet your day-to-day expenses.” Read More…
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Sunnyside—A Great Place to Live!
The 1960s brought a huge gash to our neighborhood with the development of the 280 Freeway. Many blocks were bulldozed with hundreds of residents being displaced via eminent domain.
By Don Price More...
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The Real Estate Answer Man
Q: Is it common to have a tree inspection before buying a home? We didn’t do it and it cost us 8K - YIKES! Shura Kelly A: The two inspections most homebuyer use are a pest/dry-rot inspection and a home inspection (known in SF as a contractor’s inspection)...”
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Let the REvenue Bond Oversight Committee Sunset
We do need real, transparent, and most of all, independent revenue-bond expenditure oversight. Let this committee benevolently “pass” on 1/1/2013, but let its deeds be reviewed in light of the charter it was assigned in 2002, versus what it actually did 2003-2012. This is also known as public accountability”
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Sunset District
Abandoned cable cars on sand dunes in the Sunset. Not dated...the dumping ground for outmoded horse and cable cars at the turn of the century...enterprising citizens who converted the old cars into both beach houses and permanent homes [Carville]. A few exist even to this day.”
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