Thursday, November 12, 2015

Today in Our Garbage City: This city isn't for you anymore, it's for Them

I don't think anyone really appreciates yet the level of fuckery that's going to accompany the arrival of Super Bowl L in February which is not being played in San Francisco at all but rather in Santa Clausa or whatever but will effectively shut down downtown because no Regional VP of Sales who's getting sent to the Super Bowl as a reward for beating revenue targets for three straight years wants to go to the Cheesecake Factory in Santa Clara when he could go to the Cheesecake Factory in Union Square.  So the NFL and Business Fingerpuppet Ed Lee have joined forces to shut down the foot of Market for 2 weeks so business douches and Patriots fans can wallow around in money and celebrate a sport that's not even played professionally here any more.

Despite the obvious annoyance that this shitacular is going to be, I was more or less agnostic on hating it until this came out:
The committee planning Super Bowl City are asking that Muni’s overhead wires be taken down near Justin Herman Plaza, the San Francisco Examiner has learned, potentially disrupting service of Muni’s historic streetcars and wire-dependent buses.
Supervisor Jane Kim, whose district includes the plaza, said she thought the potential plan was well-known.
“Yeah, that’s real,” she said. “The [Super Bow] committee has been very open about it. They’ve said that’s what they want.”
She added, “They’ve definitely been asking to take down the overhead wires on Market Street.”

You get this?  These dickbrains want to take down the wires that the fucking buses and streetcars use, because I guess they'll interfere with the views or something or, more likely, because they think that might keep the ugly vermin that ride Muni from making it into their Morbidly Obese Capitalism Zone.  FUCK YOU, SAN FRANCISCO!  If you need to get somewhere on lower Market in February, you should have either started a Fortune 500 company or been better at football.

Sources with close knowledge of the project also confirmed the potential plan. Those sources, who would not use their names for fear of reprisal from the Mayor’s Office, also said removing numerous wires on Market Street may cost a “seven-figure number” requiring “lots of overtime” to remove correctly.
So much here.  The only people who can talk about this must remain hidden in the shadows lest whoever the fuck it is who really runs this yard visits a terrible revenge on them.  But hey, we've got plenty of seven-figure numbers to throw around, now that all that money from Airbnb registrations is rollng in, right?

Elsewhere, the lovely Palace of Fine Arts, long a civic institution, is being boring and not doing what you're supposed to do in Our Garbage City, which is generate TONS O' CASH.  So hey, let's fucking MONETIZE THAT BITCH!!!

From 7x7:

The Palace of Fine Arts is one of San Francisco’s most iconic public buildings, and some folks are none too happy about potential plans to turn the cultural landmark into a luxury boutique hotel. 
Back in December 2014, Rec and Park issued a press release announcing a request for proposals for what general manager Phil Ginsburg called "a unique business opportunity" for private businesses to pitch creative takeovers of the 140,000 square-foot structure. As of last week, the city has accepted three proposals for the fomer Exploratorium space: two would transform the building into a hotel, and one suggests opening a museum and restaurant.



Whatever.  Fine.  That's where we live now.  If you're not generating ROI, you're fucking dead to us.  LEARN TO CODE, PALACE OF FINE ARTS, OR GET LEFT BEHIND.

(Also, bless your heart, makers of the Change.org petition to stop this, but it's "San Francisco," not "San Fransisco," sweetie.)


4 comments:

Civic Center said...

It's a very crowded competition, but SF Rec & Park has long worn the crown for the most dysfunctional, fucked-up, corrupt, and money-sucking department in San Francisco City and County. Department head Phil Ginsburg, one of Gavin Newsom's bros from that fucked-up, coked-out administration, always looks like a little thug when he shows up for events in Civic Center. Department spokesmodel Sarah Ballard, who was once married to Gavin Newsom's attack dog/chief of staff Nathan Ballard, is being paid six figures to constantly spread layers of shit and lies.

In other words, you're not overreacting.

Rachel said...

Once again, TK, you speak the truth. Maybe you should have run for Mayor? (or do it next time?)

The 'issue' (non-issue!) about the 'unsighly' overhead wires should be a non-starter. You don't dismantle a transportation system for aesthetic purposes for an event that shouldn't even be happening in this city. Just no. No amount of money (well, maybe there's a magic number) would cover the annoyance and inconvenience to our entire city if they do that.
As for the Palace of Fine Arts - I don't know. Personally, do whatever you want to the former Exploratorium indoor site, but the rest of the landmark should always remain free and open to the public. No question. Any hotel or whatever should have to be as unobtrusive as possible in order to preserve the rest of the site. Public open space is PUBLIC and should not be sold/rented to the highest bidder.

TK said...

Michael - Thanks! Good to know I'm not overreacting.

Rachel - Yeah, I think the regular conversion of once-public spaces to private use is one of the worrying trends/signifiers of decline in SF. Also, I appreciate your support but I don't really want to be mayor because it seems like people would always be bothering you for stuff and I get enough of that from my 2 1/2 year old.

Stephen said...

Today is a bad day. But "Learn to code, Palace of Fine Arts" gave me a laugh, which is nice.