Six top performers at San Francisco have been suspended because of…
Reader emails and comments on our stories are frequently received by the reporters and editors of The San Francisco Standard. Some of them make us chuckle, some of them enlighten us, and not all of them deserve serious thought. These are a few of the amusing and perplexing comments from the previous week, trimmed for length and clarity.
Sideshows are easy to put an end to.
About the article in The Standard from last weekend regarding the sideshows: The San Francisco Police Department asserts that it is easy to control these sideshows provided they leave when the cops arrive.
A peaceful protest is easily contained by the police. Furthermore, it’s questionable how a sideshow at such a conspicuous location could be “discovered” by police after 45 minutes.
It is evident that police agencies across the nation are using the political tactic of disregarding sideshows to foster an environment of lawlessness even while crime rates are falling. Police are aware that high propensity voters—older, wealthier, and whiter—would use their fear to cast votes for conservative, “law and order” candidates. They also know that social media and local media will highlight these sideshows.
Again, we should not believe whatever the cops say.
—Boyan Jordan
It’s ridiculous to bash tech guys for welcoming Trump
It’s simple to recognize Paul Bradley Carr’s incisive word choice and lucid writing skills in his critique of Silicon Valley titans supporting former President Donald Trump at a fundraiser. Still, he represents the “silos of certitude” that many progressives appear to
When they know they will be demonized for hosting Trump, why would two intelligent men who are quite obviously recognizable be interested in doing so? Carr probably would answer that it’s because they are wealthy and don’t give a damn, but I find it to be too simple and obvious. Alternatively, he might discuss why wealthy people shouldn’t express opinions unless they are their own.
Although I have never supported Trump and I don’t plan to do so in the upcoming election, I have two concerns. Clearly, Joe Biden is too old for the position. When it truly matters at three in the morning, you can’t look at him and decide he’s the guy you want on the phone. Second, I’m sick of the single-party system that effectively governs
Let’s attempt New Zealand’s housing policy.
If you would like a counterargument to your story about irate homeowners protesting against San Francisco’s increasingly densely planned neighborhoods, read this one about the global affordability crisis, the detrimental effects of low density, the impediment to new development in existing neighborhoods, and rent control—all of which shape the city’s politics and policies.
The one exception is Auckland, New Zealand, a city of 1.5 million people that is four and a half times larger than San Francisco. Without significantly altering the character of communities, rent control, or affordability requirements, their 2012 proposal, which called for densification like to that suggested for San Francisco, resulted in 44,000 new housing units, a 6% increase, and kept rents 30% lower than they otherwise would have.
In your story, the preservation group asserts that San Francisco’s call boxes are an integral element of the city’s character, and I concur. In my opinion, they ought to be kept up and functional. Regarding false alarms, consider this: Pranksters should be punished. Utilize security cameras to locate violators, apprehend them, file charges against them, and hold trials for grand, cumbersome misdemeanors that will appear on their records. (When will the enforcement of the legislation resume? When? If not, I have no problem with repealing unenforced laws. Then at least we would be trustworthy and reliable.)
The call boxes have a purpose and help us maintain a sense of familiarity with history, customs, and an era-old, big-city atmosphere. The price
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