Article that encapsulates perfectly what's wrong with SF (San Jose: rent, landlords)

[HappyinCali]

You literally can't make this stuff up. In a city with a $10 bn budget, in the richest area of America hence the world, in a central area where thousands of cars and pedestrians pass every day, a lamp post falls almost killing a person because its base was too corroded from urine. It literally has everything that we complain about the city

- Lack of/inefficient spending on public infrastructure
- Lack of/inefficient enforcement of laws about vagrancy/public exposure etc.
- Idiotic politicians who "urge" people and dogs to pee on fire hydrants and think that's somehow a reasonable solution to an infrastructure problem. Same idiots who think that banning toys in happy meals fights obesity
- Total lack of accountability for things that are real hazards to people - bursting water pipes that spew thousands of gallons (see last week), falling lamp posts, potholed streets that could cause accidents etc. in favor of passing pointless measures that state corporations are not people
- Spending on pointless initiatives in a city that is on a major earthquake fault, yet lacks enough ambulances
- An electrical grid infrastructure with above ground lines that makes Streets look like Baghdad

Just glaring political and public employee incompetence coupled with zero accountability/zero liability. And the voters just don't care. We keep electing the same idiots all the time

Lamp post destroyed by urine falls in street, just misses driver - SFGate



And to preemptively address the cliches from the usual suspects.

1) No, I will not move. 2) I love SF, but that doesn't mean I don't think there is room for improvement. 3) I do a lot to improve the city through volunteering time, money and writing letters to politicians. 4) No, I do not think the city is perfect. 5) Yes, I think a blind monkey could spend the budget better, let alone me 6) No, I don't think that pointing out obvious flaws means you hate a place. It means you care about the place and don't intend to move to Marin once you have a kid.

[Ruth4Truth]

Dude, even if the city had more ambulances, they wouldn't be able to get anywhere in an emergency, due to gridlock.

Funny post. Are you sure you're not "andyadhi"? lol No, you couldn't be. He's not this funny.


Hey, who knew that urine was so acidic it could corrode cast iron? What do you think the police are, chemists?


The city's lucky the lamp post didn't hit anyone, or they would've been sued into oblivion.

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Dude, even if the city had more ambulances, they wouldn't be able to get anywhere in an emergency, due to gridlock.

Funny post. Are you sure you're not "andyadhi"? lol No, you couldn't be. He's not this funny.


Hey, who knew that urine was so acidic it could corrode cast iron? What do you think the police are, chemists?


The city's lucky the lamp post didn't hit anyone, or they would've been sued into oblivion.

The first underlined statement makes no sense. My statement "we don't have enough ambulances" is a fact. Your statement is an opinion that's not supported by any data or real-life experiences. In fact, outside of downtown, most of the city is not a gridlock. I have never seen gridlock on Lake, Balboa, Cabrillo, Noriega, Rivera, any of the avenues, except 19th, Joost, Grafron/Garfield etc. etc. etc. Or do you mean only downtown gets emergencies?

As to the second underlined statement, and who would have paid for that? Choose only one
A) The taxpayors
B) Willie Brown
C) Ed Lee
D) Jim Harbaugh
E) The supervisors

And take a guess how many public officials would have resigned/been fired?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

The first underlined statement makes no sense. My statement "we don't have enough ambulances" is a fact. Your statement is an opinion that's not supported by any data or real-life experiences. In fact, outside of downtown, most of the city is not a gridlock. I have never seen gridlock on Lake, Balboa, Cabrillo, Noriega, Rivera, any of the avenues, except 19th, Joost, Grafron/Garfield etc. etc. etc. Or do you mean only downtown gets emergencies?

Gawd, chill! What happened to your sense of humor?

Never mind.....

[HappyinCali]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Gawd, chill! What happened to your sense of humor?

Never mind.....

Generally, I am pretty chill. When it comes to city incompetence, I am not. In fact, few topics rile me up as much as political incompetence. This city could be so much better and it is hurt by idiotic politicians.

I am sorry if I jumped you.

[Bonez765]

And to say that I'm an intolerant and closed minded 'conservative.' Look at Ruth write ad-hominem attacks at another poster for pointing out problems that SF suffers heavily of. I love it when liberals themselves prove that I'm right about them and just how dogmatic and closed minded they are like those born again Christians who abuse the name of the lord to justify their obnoxious behavior.

Back on topic; OP, incidents like those will only become more common. The city government of SF has shown that they are myopic and inept scum who care more about ideology than to solve basic problems. Then to make matters worse, the populace of SF is infested with fools who constantly keep electing them because a lot of them too are just as short-sighted and dogmatic about their beliefs. If you want a perfect example, look at rent control. Rent control has made the housing situation worse in SF and the citizenry of SF doesn't give a dam, despite being proven by many studies that rent control, like all artificial ceilings, will only reduce supply and make the commodity more expensive. But no, let's say **** you to economics and go with our feelings because we are too dam prideful to admit we are wrong or we benefit from having low rent and who gives a dam about everybody else.

[crouching_tiger]

Originally Posted by Bonez765

And to say that I'm an intolerant and closed minded 'conservative.' Look at Ruth write ad-hominem attacks at another poster for pointing out problems that SF suffers heavily of. I love it when liberals themselves prove that I'm right about them and just how dogmatic and closed minded they are like those born again Christians who abuse the name of the lord to justify their obnoxious behavior.

Back on topic; OP, incidents like those will only become more common. The city government of SF has shown that they are myopic and inept scum who care more about ideology than to solve basic problems. Then to make matters worse, the populace of SF is infested with fools who constantly keep electing them because a lot of them too are just as short-sighted and dogmatic about their beliefs. If you want a perfect example, look at rent control. Rent control has made the housing situation worse in SF and the citizenry of SF doesn't give a dam, despite being proven by many studies that rent control, like all artificial ceilings, will only reduce supply and make the commodity more expensive. But no, let's say **** you to economics and go with our feelings because we are too dam prideful to admit we are wrong or we benefit from having low rent and who gives a dam about everybody else.

Even without rent control the rents would be too high.

How about going after the extortionate mafia of the rent seeking landlords?

[Bonez765]

Originally Posted by crouching_tiger

Even without rent control the rents would be too high.

How about going after the extortionate mafia of the rent seeking landlords?

That won't solve anything. The core problem is price controls, out of date zoning laws, and a populace that doesn't want to develop anything because of "feelings" (NIMBYism).

[henderson702]

Originally Posted by HappyinCali

You literally can't make this stuff up. In a city with a $10 bn budget, in the richest area of America hence the world, in a central area where thousands of cars and pedestrians pass every day, a lamp post falls almost killing a person because its base was too corroded from urine. It literally has everything that we complain about the city

- Lack of/inefficient spending on public infrastructure
- Lack of/inefficient enforcement of laws about vagrancy/public exposure etc.
- Idiotic politicians who "urge" people and dogs to pee on fire hydrants and think that's somehow a reasonable solution to an infrastructure problem. Same idiots who think that banning toys in happy meals fights obesity
- Total lack of accountability for things that are real hazards to people - bursting water pipes that spew thousands of gallons (see last week), falling lamp posts, potholed streets that could cause accidents etc. in favor of passing pointless measures that state corporations are not people
- Spending on pointless initiatives in a city that is on a major earthquake fault, yet lacks enough ambulances
- An electrical grid infrastructure with above ground lines that makes Streets look like Baghdad

Just glaring political and public employee incompetence coupled with zero accountability/zero liability. And the voters just don't care. We keep electing the same idiots all the time

Lamp post destroyed by urine falls in street, just misses driver - SFGate



And to preemptively address the cliches from the usual suspects.

1) No, I will not move. 2) I love SF, but that doesn't mean I don't think there is room for improvement. 3) I do a lot to improve the city through volunteering time, money and writing letters to politicians. 4) No, I do not think the city is perfect. 5) Yes, I think a blind monkey could spend the budget better, let alone me 6) No, I don't think that pointing out obvious flaws means you hate a place. It means you care about the place and don't intend to move to Marin once you have a kid.

Beautiful city, but very overrated because the weather isn't great, the cost of living is a joke, and you are stranded for the most part…with San Jose as the only escape…LOL. San Jose. LOL. San Jose. LOL.

[andyadhi01]

And people get upset at me when I call this place the most third world like part of USA!

Was trying to go to a public restroom behind AT&T park today but couldn't get in as there were multiple steaming piles of human feces all around the door! The whole south beach waterfront had a bum sleeping every 20 ft.. And this is where a transient shot and killed an innocent woman few weeks back! Welcome to the most expensive city in USA!