Ed Lee was onto something when he raised the question about the costs and risks of community choice aggregation. SPUR has been reserving judgment about CleanPowerSF, but as the contract details started coming out it’s not looking promising. Read More

The Sunday San Francisco Examiner op-ed promoting California’s high-speed rail project claimed that the voters approved the project and a solid plan was put forth. These statements are not quite accurate. The plan that the voters approved was far different than what is on the table today. Read More

Earlier this month, California’s non-partisan CPA Peer Review Committee issued a scathing report stating that no new loans/bonds should be issued for high-speed rail. They said the plan lacked “credible sources of adequate funding … appropriate management” and is a “fundamentally flawed program” carrying “an immense financial risk” to California’s budget. Read More

With respect to the reported fan violence and vulgar language directed at fans wearing New Orleans Saints garb last weekend, I can tell you that the San Diego Chargers have put a “no tolerance” security policy in place for home games that includes both very visible yellow-jacketed security personnel along with uniformed police officers in between every pair of seat sections, and it has virtually shut down these idiotic incidents. Read More

It was good to read of BART’s extension into San Jose. Ultimately, it will be $3 billion spent for a desperately needed project, serving a pretty densely populated region. You will get no complaints from the commuters and other riders who benefit from a less-congested transportation alternative. I cannot say the same for the $98 billion (thus far) high-speed rail project, which I believe will end up being nothing more than an expensive amusement park ride for tourists. Read More

Clear Channel is supposed to be responsible for keeping the bus stop shelters clean and free of graffiti and trash. They don’t. I recently rode the 47-Van Ness bus line from Fisherman’s’ Wharf to Market Street. I observed there were only two shelters that were clean.I also ride the F-Market line, and the shelters at Stockton/Beach and Bay/Embarcadero are always dirty. I have called 311 on numerous occasions to have them cleaned. If I rode around on more lines I am sure the observation would be similar. Chinatown is also one place where the shelters are always a mess. Read More

I take issue with the Dog Owners Group letter in Friday’s San Francisco Examiner, and particularly the reference to “divisive rhetoric.” There is a lot of anger brewing in this city over the behavior of dog owners in our shared public spaces.When asking many dog owners to act with “common courtesy” — such as picking up after their dogs, leashing them in areas where they are supposed to be leashed or controlling their pets — many of us find ourselves on the receiving end of nasty, vitriolic verbal attacks. And that is more the rule than the exception. Read More