Update: Answer to Why Political Ads are Not on SF's Lampposts

Happy election day everyone. I hope you have already voted or will do so today.

In a recent blog entry, I mentioned it was really nice to not see those political ads on the city's lampposts. I never really knew why the practice has stopped and I assumed it was because it was just a waste of money with all that paper and labor needed to put it up on every single post in the city.

Just recently, a blog entry in SFGate's "City Insider" was talking about Proposition "B" and it mentioned about rules regarding the posting of bills or ads on city lampposts. They also provided a link to the Department of Public Works website about the city code regulating postings.

In summary of the city's policy, the city does not permit any signage larger than a letter size sheet of paper, and this includes political signage. Here's more info from the DPW's site:

To legally place a sign on a utility pole, it must:

• Be less than 11 inches in height
• No higher than 12 feet from the ground
• Conform to the shape of the pole
• Be attached with tape or other non-adhesive material such as twine, string or other non-metal banding material
• Include a legible posting date in the lower right hand corner
• Be removed after 10 days, if the sign is promoting a date specific event
• Be removed within 70 days of the posting date
• Not be installed on historic street light poles, traffic signal poles or traffic directional sign poles.

Good work SF, no more eyesores on our lampposts! Now, let's start getting after the other political annoyances like doorknob hangers, robo calls on my home phone, calling my cell phone (which is VERY ILLEGAL), and all that junk mail you keep mailing me weeks after I voted absentee.

Just mail me a voter information booklet; that's all I need to vote with. I don't read the paid arguments section.

Isn't it Nice There's No Political Ads on SF's Lampposts?

In one week will be election day for California, and specifically in San Francisco. There's a lot of items for people to vote for, including a new Governor, school boards, BART board, judges, and of course, those crazy propositions ranging from pension plans to the state budget.

Other than the political junk mail (that goes straight into my recycle bin without reading it) and the bothersome phone calls from idiots saying "vote for me!" and "my rival is a scumbag," there's one bright spot in this upcoming elections.

That bright spot, there's no political ads posted on San Francisco's lampposts. Yeah, you know those ones that are bright in colors, full of stupid slogans, and makes it a total eyesore when driving.

Not long ago, those political ads polluted our thoroughfares of our streets, and every single lamppost on Geary Boulevard was crammed with things saying vote for this, and don't vote for that. There were people who had to park their fancy cherry picker trucks and block our streets to post this crud, and there were some random people deciding to cut down ads off the poles of candidates or propositions they didn't support.

Maybe those folks are getting the message, stop wasting your money on printing and wasting all that paper, and get a bunch of volunteer slaves to hound your ass on the phone and mail you garbage.

I am a permanent absentee voter; I vote immediately when I get the ballot, so you jackasses can leave me the fuck alone.

The People Have Spoken - SF Planning Commission to NOT Vote on Endorsement of Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan

I have received word from my colleague, Paul Osaki, Executive Director of the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) that the San Francisco Planning Commission has decided at this Thursday's meeting to NOT endorse or reject the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan.

THIS IS A BIG VICTORY FOR THE JAPANTOWN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CARING PEOPLE OF JAPANTOWN!

ALSO, IT IS ONE BIG MIDDLE FINGER TO THOSE 'DIRTY' COMMUNITY LEADERS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS TRYING TO GET PREMATURE ENDORSEMENT!

The people have spoken through e-mails, phone calls, petitions, and public hearing comments, and it is clear from the loud banging of our pots and pans that the Japantown Better Neighborhood Plan cannot and will not be endorsed by the Planning Commission "as is" at this Thursday's meeting. Now the community will have more time to review the plan and make improvements.

So what now? The Planning Commission will instead vote on acknowledging the work performed on the Better Neighborhood Plan.

From what I understand, the City has not allocated any funding to the next fiscal year for this Neighborhood Plan, so the Planning Commission is passing a resolution to acknowledge the plan, with this acknowledgment, the Board of Supervisors can approve allocation of funding to continue this project.

If you plan on attending the acknowledgment vote, it will be this Thursday, June 25, 2009 starting at 5:00PM, but it is expected to run late. See agenda here.

To all of my readers who believe in defending and supporting Japantown during difficult times, I personally thank you for your support.

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Lastly...

Here's a lesson to those so-called powerful leaders and special interests who believes they can make decisions about Japantown's fate:

You may have the money and influential power to sway votes, but your voice is no more powerful than the collective group of community members and concerned citizens.

(One community leader or special interest person EQUALS one community member's voice)

With hundreds (or maybe thousands) of average citizens speaking-up against the Plan, and just several community leaders and special interests trying to get City endorsement, you should put your head down in shame.

You went against the wishes of the J-Town community who believed the Better Neighborhood Plan was not ready for endorsement, and you have LOST. If you admit it, maybe I'll forgive you.

The DIRTY Politics of Japantown and Better Neighborhood Plan

I have just received word through Japantown's Nichi Bei Times newspaper (published in paper, not posted online) that one of the lawyers hired by 3D Investments (the current property owners of the Japan Center mall) is no other than John McInerney.

If you are not familar with John McInerney, here's a refresher:

• He is the developer of the 1600 Webster Street property, formerly known as the site of the Japantown Bowl. People have allegedly claimed that he was able to sway the influence (maybe through a backdoor deal) of a local Japantown community organization and the organization's leaders to support tearing down J-Town Bowl and put in a condo facility (read paragraph two). This went-on AGAINST the wishes of the Japantown community.
  
• He also wrote a cruel and mean letter with David Zisser to the Nihonmachi Street Fair in August, 2008. See below or read both letters here:
• This is real simple. You want to put on an event; you take responsibility. In this instance, you make a mess, you clean it up. You don't get the benefits (proceeds), without the liabilities (expenses). If your event doesn't make money, you should rethink it's usefulness. In any event, if we have to clean up afterwards, we will not only oppose the event next year we will look to small claims court to reimburse us for clean up costs. We don't need a bunch of emailing back and forth on this. It is not a negotiation.

  John McInerney
  Developer 1600 Webster Street

Well well well... this asshole is now one of the lawyers of a law firm hired by 3D investments! And what do you think this asshole and law firm is doing? ASKING THE SF PLANNING COMMISSION TO ENDORSE THE JAPANTOWN BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.

Here's an interesting fact that also came out of the Nichi Bei Times. Just last weekend, there was a community meeting with about 70-80 people attending, and NEARLY ALL OF THEM wants to REJECT the Better Neighborhood Plan.

But it looks like there are many community "leaders," community organizations, and special interests in Japantown who wants to endorse this plan. Once again, going against the will and wishes of the community. GRRRRRR.

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And you wonder, the politics in Japantown is so fucking dirty. I'm so sick of this shit.

I don't like it when community leaders and community organizations go behind the back of the general interests of the Japanese American community. Also, I'm fed-up when a high majority of it's community members totally agree on one thing, and a community LEADER or community organization fucks it all up in their own selfish interests by going the wrong route.

And to take it home... here's a letter I wrote to the Nichi Bei Times about this letter to the editor:

"After reading this letter from Nob Fukuda, it does expose the ‘dirty’ aspect of the politics of this community. I find it disturbing that there was some community leaders and/or community organizations went BEHIND THE BACK of the overall majority of the community members who believed that J-Town Bowl should have been preserved.

If you recall in 2006 during the “Save Japantown” struggle, the Japantown Merchant’s Association rejected the proposal of a ‘Special Use District’ during a community meeting and angered many attendees, including myself when I went on a rant attacking the association for going against the overall mutual goal of trying to preserve our little community.

It makes me wonder now: how many J-Town leaders, community organizations, and community special interest groups are out there today encouraging endorsement of the Better Neighborhood Plan and working their dirty politics?

If the community members (and I want to clearly say MEMBERS, not leaders) believe in not endorsing the Plan, why in the heck does it seem that many leaders, orgs, and special interests want to support it? Is this 2006 AGAIN?

If you are FED-UP WITH THE DIRTY BULLSHIT POLITICS OF THE COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, SIGN THIS PETITION NOW:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/against-japantown-plan