Jake McGoldrick: Exploring Budget Solutions
"Love is anterior to life,
Posterior to death,
Initial of creation and
The exponent of breath."
- Emily Dickinson
As I look forward to the New Year, this Emily Dickinson
quote comes to mind. I am filled with compassion and
gratitude as I think about all of the wonderful people in
my life. I am also grateful because I am able to do
the things that I enjoy, including representing my neighborhood
and my fellow residents.
I know that for many of us, the political and socio-economic
climate seems somewhat dark. I believe that even in dark
times, there is opportunity. I am eager to learn from all
of you about opportunities for positive social change. To
that end, I am also trying to create value and opportunity
at City Hall during this budget cycle. In the District,
I am trying to ensure that the design for the entrances
to the Golden Gate Concourse Garage meets the needs of all
Richmond residents, as well as park users.
Mid-Year Budget Cuts
Since the Mayor announced mid-year budget cuts in November,
my highest priority has been finding creative alternatives
to cutting vital services. By working collaboratively and
thinking outside the box, Mayor Newsom and I have managed
to protect critical services, such as neighborhood health
clinics and at-home nursing services for the elderly.
We also saved the Tom Waddell Clinic, which provides healthcare
for the homeless. We restored $1.5 million in AIDS/HIV
programs.
We saved the City $6 million by exploring alternative savings
that would off-set many of the cuts announced by the Mayor
following the failure of propositions J and K. These
alternative savings include delaying equipment bonds for
an additional six months, decreasing the Convention &
Visitors Bureau (CVB) allocation by 5 percent, increasing
MediCal staffing to draw additional federal funds, new restrictions
on administrative overtime, restrictions on employee bottled
water and internalizing City courier services.
Your policy priorities have helped me address these painful
budget cuts. I received many calls from parents and
students across the City about their opposition to Recreation
and Parks Department cuts. I am very concerned about
how these potential cuts will affect our community.
As we look ahead, the mayor and I are committed to working
together to address next year's budget deficit, currently
estimated at $130 million. I do think that an appropriate
lens through which to consider budget priorities is to consider
the direct benefits an industry receives from city subsidies
while considering the amount of increased city revenue that
is actually generated from that industry. This is
why I am looking at increasing PG&E's franchise fee,
which is currently at .5 percent. I am also exploring
$1.4 million in reimbursements from the City's private property
graffiti removal program.
Further collaboration between the Board, the Mayor's office,
city departments and my constituency is critical as we move
ahead to tackle the coming year's budget shortfall. We must
continue this dialogue with the entire city family.
Golden Gate Park Underground Garage
Since August 2004, a number of public discussions were
held to determine the best design for the entrances to the
underground garage. More than 10 options were explored.
One option only had a northern entrance to the garage.
A single entrance to the garage from the north side of Golden
Gate Park would significantly impact the Richmond District.
I agree with the Richmond residents that spoke against the
single entrance. Richmond residents should not bear
the brunt of the traffic impacts and the environmental impacts
of the project when use of the Park is a general public
benefit.
On Nov. 16, the Concourse Authority approved Option 1,
which has a dedicated access route from Ninth Avenue and
Lincoln Way, the southern part of the park. Option
1 has many advantages, including a net gain of 1,000 square
feet of park green space. However, it does have one disadvantage.
Option 1 would require the widening of Martin Luther King
Drive by four feet between Middle Drive East and Lincoln
Way. This may impact pedestrians and cyclists.
Therefore, I have called a hearing to be held in late January
2005 to explore whether Option 1 is the best option for
a southern entrance to the garage given open space considerations
and the recent court mandate. The hearing also calls
for looking at alternative southern entrances and ensuring
that the needs of local residents are met.
Jake McGoldrick is a San Francisco supervisor representing
District 1.
