Letters to the Editor

Editor:

I am a long-standing member of the board of directors of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA). I have served as president and am proud of the GGRA representing my business. My family has owned and operated Tia Margarita restaurant on Clement Street for more than 41 years. Your characterization of the GGRA as a "downtown" group is just one of the inaccuracies in your story. A simple phone call to the association would have allowed you to verify the facts.

The GGRA count of missed votes for Supervisor Jake McGoldrick is accurate and was taken from his entire four-year term. They are listed at www.wherewasjake.com. The Examiner's count of his attendance may also be accurate, but reflects only the last two years. An ethical writer would confirm the facts before publishing the story. McGoldrick is a reliable vote against small business and restaurants in particular. He continually votes against quality-of-life issues for residents of his district, such as the ban on aggressive panhandling at ATMs and Care not Cash.

I did not see your article mention the $4.6 million that San Francisco has recently received from the federal government for supportive housing now that the City has a written plan to end homelessness. The GGRA proudly helped fund the creation of that plan. McGoldrick stated Care not Cash was a phony set of promises. Additionally, the vast majority of voters in his district voted for Care not Cash. So much for representing your constituency.

I am neither sorry nor ashamed to oppose his re-election, even with your call to boycott restaurants that choose to participate in the political process. I am proud the GGRA raised funds for the campaign, from many, many small restaurants in increments starting at $75.

Helen J.Hobbs
Owner, Tia Margarita

Editor's note: Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, although personally opposed to Care Not Cash before it was approved by city voters, voted for Care Not Cash at the SF Board of Supervisors because he said he respects the will of the electorate.

Editor:

I hope you get blitzed by comments supporting your October commentary about dirty campaigning in the Richmond District. The residents of the Richmond deserve the kind of fact-based, civil discussion you provide and encourage.

Barbara Berman

Editor:

We are two furious, long-term San Francisco residents who are, once again, prisoners in our home on this fine Sunday morning (Oct. 23) due to the publicly unannounced Nike Marathon. Due to myriad street closures necessitated by the demands of the event, we found that anyone west of 25th Avenue and north of Fulton Street was trapped in massive gridlock; they could not go east and could not go west as the Great Highway was blocked. We could not get through the park, period. 

We spoke with a SF Department of Parking and Traffic employee who stated, "I understand the frustration, but this was probably posted somewhere." We searched (multiple sources online) and found no mention of the Nike Marathon. When you have the gridlock cited above ... that's a street closure. If this information is posted somewhere, it certainly isn't in an obvious place - which is, for all intents and purposes, the same as not being posted at all.

Why should residents be so greatly inconvenienced by events such as this? I'm guessing the simple answer is that Nike dumped a pile of money into SF for this event.     

A solution is to require event promoters to give affected residents the courtesy of due warning by papering the affected neighborhoods a week in advance of the event. This should be a provision added to the contract between the promoter and the City, with stiff penalties applied for failing to comply.

Jennifer Lucas and David Garner 

Editor:

There are many reasons why I urge people to vote "no" on Proposition L.

I have spent most of my career saving neighborhood theaters. I co-founded Landmark Theatres and that was our mission. It was an arduous task but we loved the challenge of fixing the theaters and bringing the public in.

Prop. L is fiscally irresponsible. It would divert $10 million of city funds each year to a non-profit with no track record and no plan. San Francisco can not afford Prop. L.

Prop. L is bad public policy.

Gary Meyer
Proprietor, Balboa Theatre