THE BUDGET CRISIS

Every year about this time we have Supervisors and City and County of San Francisco (CCSF) officials putting up dog and pony shows to convince the constituents of the CCSF that they plan to do something about the budget crisis. We had one in 2003 and in 2004 it has got worse. Today, May 8 a Saturday we had a Budget Meeting at YMCA on Mission Street.

It is imperative that the Legislative Branch as well as the Executive Branch raises their standards of ethics. As things stand today most constituents do not see that. We have hundreds of inept employees most of them living out the CCSF coming into the City of San Francisco to collect their salaries. This fat has to go and it has to go fast.

On has just to study some of the larger Cities in the Nation to find out that in the CCSF we employ more workers in proportion to the 730,000 constituents that make San Francisco their home. May of these scumbags earning over $100,000 a year and laughing all the way to the bank every payday. Their contribution to the CCSF zip this fat has to go. As years go by constituents are leaving the CCSF - this is a fact.

We have quasi agencies like San Francisco County Transportation Agency (SFCTA), the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), the San Francisco Port Authority (SFPA) the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) - these agencies are a burden to the CCSF and while making some money destroy the economy, infrastructure, and maintenance of the City and County of San Francisco.

Very little money from these quasi agencies goes into the General Fund. It is in these quasi agencies that much damage is done and the Board of Supervisors does not monitor the fiscal projects in detail when they come before the Board of Supervisor throughout the year.

The BOS should not be Commissioners of the SF County Transportation Authority. This must stop at once. The BOS does this because they make money attending such meeting but compromise on standards.

In good times this CCSF has wasted money. We can blame the worst Mayor ever to step into City Hall but he saw to it that he changed the City Charter in such a way that he could control almost anything. The BOS made that happen in a way and the constituents approved it when they voted for a change in the City Charter.

This year we are going to be hard on those who cannot defend themselves. The BOS would do well to take a 50% pay cut. That will put things in perspective. The same with those who make over $100,000 and do not have at least 70 employees working under them. They all need to take a 50% cut in their salaries.

The down town area has many buildings that are not paying their fare share. The Bank of America building crooks like Shorestein should pay his fair share and remember that he lives in Hillsbrough but makes his money in San Francisco. Scumbags like him have drained our CCSF economy for years. Over $ 200 million can be assessed and got from Shorestein alone. He better pay up or shut up and leave the CCSF.

It is imperative that the SFPUC and the SFPA keep aside money for maintenance and repair. This year the SFPUC will have projects totaling more then $4 billion. The SFPUC has not put in place a training program where young people and others can be in training to work on these projects before they start.

The San Francisco Port Authority has wasted money on the proposed movable bridge which will cost the Port over $22 million. This project started with the Port saying it would cost $8 million. On Pier 92 the Port defied me when I told them to remove the toxic dirt. It cost them over a million - cleanup, plus fines to resolve the issues.

The issues are the same with MUNI and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. It will come as a shock to many that the MTA is using a method called Ò asset financingÓ and that all our MUNI buses really belong to countries outside the United States.

The Public Relations person a woman who speaks for MUNI should be fired. She speaks with a forked tongue and has wasted millions of dollars by covering up mistakes on the 3rd Street MUNI Lightrail.

At the SF Public Utilities Commission under Pat Martel we had millions wasted. People with a certain life style did as they pleased. This is shocking. Right now many have jumped ship and taken refuge at the SF Public Utilities Commission making over $100,000 a year. These former employees who have taken refuge at SF PUC under Pat Martel should be fired.

There is much that can be done with reorganization in every City Department. We often have supervisors supervising for or five employees. This is joke. In the Fire Department, the Police Department the ration should be more like one Supervisor making do and supervising 20 employees.

All CCSF Departments should raise their standards when in comes to performance and ethics. I have visited several agencies in the Planning Department, the Department of Public Works, Recreation and Parks to find the service deplorable. We just cannot be blaming others when no one monitors the employees and no performance standards are in place. There are no Standard Operating Procedures and employees are earning over time while sleeping at home and fooling on the job.

The Department of Public Health has some employees fooling around attending meetings for hours at length when they should be doing their job. Those departments that have to monitor Quality of Life Standards are doing little. The Department of Health has taken added responsibilities like giving permits to Massage Parlors that should be done by the San Francisco Police Department.

Ten years ago the SF General Hospital should have made plans to bring its building to code to meet seismic standards mandated by the State of California. The SF General Hospital has waited for the last minute and now wants to put the constituents of San Francisco in peril. The present Director and one Doctor Bhatia should be suspended for not doing a good job. They talk the talk but they do not walk the walk.

The Budget Committee will come to certain districts and they will put on a dog and pony show. It is time they learn not to waste the time of the constituents. We have participated in the dog and pony shows before - it is time the Board of Supervisors focus on Accountability and Transparency and most of all Honesty.

The Executive Branch better stop making excuses let the Mayor reduce the number of employees he has around him. Cut their salaries to 50% percent and stop talking too much.

So far under his administration crime has increased, we have had catastrophes in the water and sewage department. Serious environmental concerns and more with the placing of more Peakers and added pollution. This Mayor has been very concerned with same sex marriage and could use that enthusiasm in some other areas. Foremost he should see that he address the Budget Crisis. He once thought he could do a lot of this City and County of San Francisco - he thought!

The recent shooting in the Bayview, Hunters Point, and Visitation Valley is deplorable. In recent months crime has increased 500% in the Portola District. Innocent people hit in the head and robbed. Others short in the chest and head. People are pistol-whipped every day. The thugs have moved from District 10 to District 9 and Tom Ammiano does not even know about it. The Supervisor from District 10 can best be described as inept, ignorant and arrogant. She wants late for today's Budget Meeting has absolutely nothing to contribute except her arrogance.

I see Chris Daly, Sandoval, and Ammiano trying their best to resolve some issues but they really cannot do much. They have a dollar in hand and have over 150 dollars in expenses.




top - back