One of the big political fights in San Francisco this year is likely to involve a proposed ballot measure, initially proposed to be on the June ticket, that would fundamentally change development along the waterfront by requiring voter approval for proposed developments that would exceed the existing zoned height limit.
The fight has been cast in several lights, including a statement against the proposed Warriors arena on Piers 30-32 and as a backlash against the development boom that has struck The City as the economy has recovered from the Great Recession.
But speakers on a panel at a Commonwealth Club of San Francisco talk on Monday night revealed a deeper ideological underpinning of the fight that has less to do with any one project, they say, and more to do with the larger picture of public land in San Francisco.
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The panelists — George Wooding, a former president of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council; Aaron Peskin, former president of the Board of Supervisors and San Francisco Democratic Party; Tim Redmond, the former editor of the SF Bay Guardian; and Dennis Antenore, a former Planning Commission president — gathered to talk about privatization of public services. The hourlong talk and Q&A session included many references to larger worldwide and nationwide privatization efforts of things that include water systems and vital public infrastructure.
But the panel also brought its message down to the local level, arguing that outsourcing formerly public-sector jobs to private companies or even nonprofits can limit the public access to information and decision-making.…
The fight has been cast in several lights, including a statement against the proposed Warriors arena on Piers 30-32 and as a backlash against the development boom that has struck The City as the economy has recovered from the Great Recession.
But speakers on a panel at a Commonwealth Club of San Francisco talk on Monday night revealed a deeper ideological underpinning of the fight that has less to do with any one project, they say, and more to do with the larger picture of public land in San Francisco.
[jump]
The panelists — George Wooding, a former president of the West of Twin Peaks Central Council; Aaron Peskin, former president of the Board of Supervisors and San Francisco Democratic Party; Tim Redmond, the former editor of the SF Bay Guardian; and Dennis Antenore, a former Planning Commission president — gathered to talk about privatization of public services. The hourlong talk and Q&A session included many references to larger worldwide and nationwide privatization efforts of things that include water systems and vital public infrastructure.
But the panel also brought its message down to the local level, arguing that outsourcing formerly public-sector jobs to private companies or even nonprofits can limit the public access to information and decision-making.…
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