Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council

HANC BLOG

Hear from the Board of Directors on a variety of issues, announcements and activities.

Another Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing or . . .

Friday, 11 April 2008

Prop. 98, WE HATE!/Prop. 99 JUST FINE!

Proposition 98: This is a measure that has been funded by wealthy apartment and mobile home park owners. It contains the eminent domain reform, that we need, but is loaded with poorly-written “poison pills” that we don’t need or want.

If passed, Prop 98 could prohibit important environmental protections:

Regulations to protect sensitive wetland areas;
Urban limit lines and other growth control measures intended to stop sprawl and uncontrolled development, and to protect open space;
California Environmental Quality Act mitigations that cities, counties and public agencies require of developers to mitigate environmental impacts of developments;
Protections of endangered species and their habitats;
Protection of coastal areas, farmland, and ranchland, as well as cultural and historic sites;
“Smart growth” regulations designed to promote compact, walk able, and transit-oriented communities that combine residential and commercial land uses;
Ordinary zoning regulations, such as restrictions on the development of polluting industries, adult businesses, and “big box” mega stores;
Regulations intended to protect old growth forests by limiting timber harvests, and
Prop. 98 could threaten water quality and supply. The Association of California Water Agencies says Prop 98 “could derail needed groundwater and surface water projects around the state”, and calls this flaw in the measure “cause for alarm.” If passed, Proposition 98 would eliminate rent control and other renter protection laws:
Jeopardize laws requiring the fair return of rental deposits
Jeopardize laws requiring 60-day notice before forcing renters out of their housing
Outlaw local affordable housing and “inclusionary zoning” requirements
Jeopardize laws that protect seniors and the disabled from drastic rent increases and that require landlords to give them ample notice before forcing them out of rental housing VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 98!

Proposition 99—the Homeowners Protection Act—will prohibit the government from using eminent domain to take a home to transfer to a private developer.

Prop 99 is supported by a broad collation of homeowners, business, labor, cities, counties, and environmentalists who want straightforward eminent domain reform that gets right to the heart of the infamous Kelo decision.

VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 99!
NO ON 98

Aaah, Spring is on the air!

Friday, 11 April 2008
¿The New and Improved MUNI !!? Can’t you smell it? It is the time when the flowers are blooming and people are sneezing. It is the time when the days are getting longer. And you don’t mind so much if you have to work late into the evening. It is the time of hopes and promises. It is the time when City officials roll out their budget and service plans for the next year’s cuts. Yes, it is time for the Annual MUNI Budget and Service review. For this year MUNI will start its annual event with a series of community meetings and reviews entitled: “Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP) Draft Proposals to Transform Muni”. In the words of MTA planners: The TEP is the first comprehensive review of Muni in over a generation. The project is a joint effort of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which operates Muni, and the Controller’s Office. The TEP’s preliminary proposals aim to transform Muni so people can get where they want to go quickly, reliably, and safely. The proposals would also help address Muni’s structural budget deficit by making service more efficient, and would reduce traffic congestion and pollution by attracting new customers to Muni. Under the TEP’s draft recommendations, virtually every Muni customer would experience some amount of change, with the majority of Muni customers benefiting from improved Muni service, in particular on the system’s most heavily utilized routes. The preliminary TEP proposals are the result of countless conversations with Muni customers and will be further refined through continued dialogue. Some of the proposed changes for the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood are discontinuing the 7 Haight, rerouting the 6 Parnassus, and shortening the 21 Hayes route. For the April 10 General Meeting, HANC will host an open discussion with residents and merchants of the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood and MTA planners regarding the proposed MUNI changes for the neighborhood. The General Meeting starts at 7:00 pm at the Park branch Library, 1833 Page Street. Muni Route Proposals at a Glance For the Haight-Ashbury Neighborhood
Read more...

The Trouble with Prop J - the long version)

Friday, 19 October 2007

Voting NO on Prop J doesn't mean you hate WiFi

It means that you don't like the provisions contained in it.

Prop J introduced by Mayor Gavin Newsom creates a non-binding policy supporting a new WiFi deal like before but worse. Contract negotiations fell through when Earthlink abandoned WiFi deployments nationally due to the economics. The Mayor is planning this again despite major news and industry reports WiFi is not feasible. Passage of this ballot measure would tie the city to one approach in the future and creates new precedents for infrastructure franchises.