Posted on 04/22/2005 7:45:57 AM PDT by SmithL
San Francisco parks, recreation programs, streets, bus service and libraries are all in worse shape than they were before Mayor Gavin Newsom took office, according to a state of the city resident survey released Thursday.
It's the first comprehensive public measure of how the city is faring now that Newsom has spent a full year in office. The more than 3,700 residents polled gave San Francisco a C+ for how it provides basic services. And about the only positive note was that residents said they felt the city was safer.
Only 37 percent said the city was doing a good or very good job, according to the 10th annual survey by city Controller Ed Harrington's office. Parents, who might spend more time at playgrounds and recreation centers, had a worse opinion of life in the city.
On the southeast side of town, despite Newsom's efforts to address gang violence and decrepit conditions at aging public housing projects there, residents gave city services even worse ratings.
Some of the dissatisfaction can be attributed to the city's money troubles. To close budget gaps, Muni riders were hit with a 25 cent fare increase last year, grants for street resurfacing dropped sharply in the last three years, a hiring freeze has meant fewer gardeners at the parks, and recreation centers started closing one day a week in December.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Absolutely right, Anything privately owned and maintained is great. City owned and maintained streets, sidewalks and parks are falling apart. My building makes a heroic effort to keep its plaza area clean, but it can't do anything about the sidewalks across the street.
What building are you in Mr. Jeeves?
I really don't think so. First of all, you can't compare a city with over 8 million to one of less than a million. One of the ridiculous policies SF had was it's ridiculous homeless policy. Homeless folks were getting a big fat check for just chillin' and they flocked to SF. Actually I don't know where you live, but I have lived in NYC all my life and if anything, there's been a slight deterioration since Giuliani left office but it hasn't gotten terrible. For the most part, crime is fairly low for a city this size. OK, we're one of those very Blue cities....but really that is another topic.
SF is like every major city in America, they've all been ruined by liberalism. PERIOD!
I should have also mentioned Crissy Field. Since the City took over the Presidio, they have also done a great job in making that area a great open space recreational area. If you have not seen it in the last year or two, you should. They have removed the air strip and replaced it with a tidal area/wetlands, but with multi use pathways (bikes/jog/walk).
Business takes me into the city fairly often, otherwise, I would only go there for occasional games (Niner's mostly.
I recall driving from Harlington TX to South Padre Island and seeing piles and piles of garbage along to highway. And then every morning I was up at dawn to go fishing only to find mounds of trash and debri scattered across what would have otherwise been a beautiful beach or flat. I found the conditions similar in the Hill Country outside of San Antonio and in the Corpus Christi area. Although I can't speak for San Fran or LA, in my opinion, NYC is now (as opposed to 15 years ago) one of the cleanest cities in the United States given the fact that 8 million people live in a relatively small area (that's more people than the combined population of Houston, Dallas, LA, and San Fran), and a couple million more people visit the City every work day to work or play.
Yep, it just wouldn't feel like the San Francisco I know without the omnipresent smell of stale urine.
One Bush Street, at Bush and Market. ;)
When I was a kid in the early 60's and would come up to SF (from LA)to visit my grandparents (by bus, alone at age 10), I looked forward to going into the City with my grandfather to look at the new cars at the dealerships on Van Ness.
He would actually put on a suit (though he was retired), just to take me to see the latest releases. Times were much different then and people had respect for each other, but more importantly for themselves.
And a ten year old could ride a Greyhound, alone and not be bothered.
Seattle is the same way. Fortunately, it rains a lot here. If it doesn't rain for a couple of weeks, you just about can't breathe downtown. The overwhelming ammonia smell from all of the homeless people drunken bums urinating all over the place will just about knock you out.
He would actually put on a suit (though he was retired), just to take me to see the latest releases. Times were much different then and people had respect for each other, but more importantly for themselves.
And a ten year old could ride a Greyhound, alone and not be bothered.
You're really fortunate to have grown up in a time like that.
Cherish those memories.
Benicia is a beautiful town. One of my co-workers got married in one of those spectacular old mansions.
I lived off Ocean Ave. from '84 - '85. Too many wacko's running around back then, too, but still had some interesting neighborhoods. You just have to know what areas to lock your doors.
Yeah, back in the '60's, 'til about '68, women wore white gloves downtown. Imagine that.
But back then, you had the "Perfect Storm" of liberalism come together in the Bay Area...Vietnam/political activism, the environmental movement begins, low rent housing in the Haight, and the Berkeley Free-Speach Movement. All that has changed the Bay Area drastically over the last 40 years.
The entire waterfront from Crissy to PacBell stadium is a tribute to urban planning & renewal. SF is a like a thoroughbred hitched to a haycart; when given the chance, it reverts to form ie beautiful. One can only imagine how the city would be under a more moderate form of government - probably like the 50s when my dad first arrived.
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