I have read a number of the Bright Ideas and I think they are indicative of how clever many of our citizens are and how willing they are to create innovative solutions to some of the problems our city faces.  However, I am annoyed to see the large number of comments posted by one reader whose feedback is generally meaningless and frequently rude and/or insulting.  I would like to see some way for such comments to be flagged as inappropriate or removed from the blog. Gretchen Cotter Read This Post »

It seems everywhere you look in the City there is some kind of construction going on. Or you would think so by all of the construction related parking permits that are posted around town. But what is very troublesome is often these permits are posted for days -- if not weeks or even months -- before any actual work is done. In the meantime, precious scarce parking is cut back even more. Certainly all the street digging has made the situation worse. But there seems to be a complete lack of oversight into the permit process. For example, around the corner Read This Post »

More and more you can see city employees -- MUNI drivers, meter maids, and even police -- on their cell phones while on duty. MUNI has enough problems without having distracted drivers or drivers who seem to be more interested in their private conversations than in customer service or even, God forbid, driving safety. MUNI and the police should be setting examples of responsible, aware driving behavior. Undoubtedly some of their conversations probably are work related. But telling by the expressions on their faces while driving and cell phoning as well as the general enthusiasm they are showing on those Read This Post »

Hopefully this gets to Gavin... Gavin, We've met and socialized a bit down at Balboa over the past year or two - I believe we share many friendships from the neighborhood.  I've been living in the Marina for almost 8 years now, and the latest crime in our area has become very personal to me as close friends of mine have been held up at gun point and stripped of all their belongings.  After a bit of investigation, it turns out that over 11 incidents have occurred here recently, all have been attributed to the same group/gang.  The disturbing piece is Read This Post »

I have posted a number of "smart ideas" as well as Pet Peeves (always containing some suggestion or brainstorm) on a number of topics. Not once have I received any feed-back from anyone in City government about these issues. Instead, I was added to a Newsom re-election email list without my authorization. My question is: is this site run by the City or by the Newsom campaign? I was told early on that the Mayor reads every Idea and Peeve. Is this true? If so, has the Mayor responded directly to any of the postings? Or has you forwarded them to the appropriate Read This Post »

In April a comment on a post here contained this sentence: Cops should be giving 100% of their attention to violent crime, not making things look shiny and hiding the realities of poverty. Why do so many people complain about this? I fail to see the logic, and no, I'm not high at the moment." Leaving aside the unfounded assumption that drunks in the street are really just unfairly targeted poor people rather than drunks who are poor because they're drunks, there is the wonderfully helpful concept of "The Tipping Point". Five years ago, there were no "homeless" in my neighborhood. Then Read This Post »

Most people I know are concerned about global warming, but it's seldom brought up because of the dismally defeatist attitude that lingers about it. It's extremely difficult to change the way people conduct their lives, and thats why SF needs stronger leadership and more tangible goals to attain (one thing at a time) in the fight against climate change. I don't understand why this isn't brought up more in local politics. Sure, it's a world issue, but is San Francisco not a part of the world? Chris Hession Read This Post »

Our business is in the downtown area.  We strongly support the Community Justice Center.  Last week walking into my office, I observed 2 men injecting drugs sitting on the sidewalk.  Children were walking past on their way home from school.  There must be something more that we can do about these situations.   Regards, BJ Read This Post »

I think it is patently ludicrous to place the blame solely on Mayor Gavin Newsom for the state of Golden Gate Park. No matter what solutions the mayor or anyone else is city government will come up are for naught because of the outcries of the so-called "homeless advocates" every time a potential idea is raised. This city has let tolerance and liberalism with regard to the homeless problem get out of control. These self-proclaimed advocates for the homeless actually believe, and have stated as such, that people have a right to be homeless, and should be able to set up Read This Post »

My "pet peeve" is having an ineffectual mayor who does nothing but hold press conferences when the murder rate is sky high, and allows MUNI to deteriorate while studying the effectiveness of a bus line that is already one of the best-performing in the city. God forbid the precious mayor ever give up his chauffeured luxury car, but maybe if he rode MUNI exclusively for a month he'd be a little more understanding of what those of us who can't afford a car go through. Name Withheld Read This Post »

I guess it was inevitable despite our efforts to keep the bums out of our neighborhood, there is one now regularly sleeping in front of our building. I called the Police General Dispatch and got a self-righteous little jerk (Dispatcher 80, I believe) who began to lecture me that homelessness is not a crime. Yeah, like I was calling because the person is homeless. No, I was calling because the person trashes the front of our building and uses the back for a toilet. But that didn't matter to this dispatcher as he was well versed in the lies-designed-to-shame-critics crafted Read This Post »

That SF doe snot have OTB's (Off Track Betting) parlors like New York City, Portland and elsewhere.  It's bad enough to  spend the time to get down to  Bay Meadows but they close next year and going to Golden Gate Fields is a pain. David Hynes Read This Post »

I would like to know what I can do to help the homeless people that I see in Union square? It is sad and unsightly. Joann Deal Read This Post »

My latest pet peeve is that mayor Newsom and the San Francisco Police Department have ignored the pleas from me and many other law-abiding San Franciscans to do SOMETHING about the crime and violence in our neighborhoods. Routinely when I call the police non-emergency line about homeless camping, people fighting, or people shooting up in doorways next to my apartment, NOTHING is done.  Sometimes I'm lied to that something will be done or was done the last time I called.  In all cases, I am ignored.  I've posted repeatedly on this very pet peeve blog my experiences dealing with the police Read This Post »

Please help clean this neighborhood up.There has been 3 shooting(that I know of) in the past 2 weeks. The parking lot next to my home is over run by crack heads & hookers. I don't know if you know that this area has become a really "hip" place to live. There are more law a bidding people with money in this area. It can only make San Francisco better. There needs to be more security camera's placed in the area.It is a cheap way to create safety in the community. Thank you, Stacy Read This Post »

Do something about it.  Name Withheld Read This Post »

I am sooooooooooo tired of "Ghetto Brats" getting on MUNI Bus threw the back door and no one is making them pay for anything.   Also that the MUNI police are always on MUNI Metro train and NEVER on buses above ground. They would get a lot more people if they would go on above ground bus. Name Withheld Read This Post »

In my continuing frustration walking to and from the Powell Street MUNI/Bart Station to my place of work near Union Square, a friend let me know about this website.  Frankly, I am doubtful this will help, but will give it a try.  For me, and thousands of others who have to use this station to get to work, this becomes representative of what San Francisco is like to LIVE in.  Unfortunately, I do not have the good fortune of working around the Montgomery Station or Embarcadero.  Every day without fail, I am treated to what is like a human toilet Read This Post »

Watching TV peacefully in my living room this evening, I'm disturbed by yelling and screaming outside my window.  Granted I live @ Market and Powell Streets, but this confrontation was so unusually loud and heated, it drew me to the window. I see four people screaming and yelling at each other emphatically waving their arms, getting in each others faces.  In short, I see an argument - an argument that could easily escalate into a physical confrontation - or worse. I call SFPD non emergency.  I give descriptions of all four, I tell them about the confrontation and ask them to send Read This Post »

Pet peeve: The new federal building that is being heralded as "green" is not green at all maybe just a sickly yellow.  It has windows that open and elevators that skip floors  big deal.  It does not have solar panels even though it has a facade that cries out for them.  It does not have wind turbines although it could easily accommodate them.  There is no mention of recycling grey water.  The steel mesh facade could be used to collect rain water or even morning dew for grey water use e.g., irrigation, window washing, flushing toilets, etc.  Of all of Read This Post »