San Francisco's Strybing Arbetoreum (or "Arboretum", as some unimaginative pronouncers will insist) was free until a few months ago, when opportunistic local politicians and public functionaries realized that the financial crisis was the perfect cover for making people pay for the use of the commons. Since these mustachio-twirling bastards instituted the entrance fee, attendance is way down; the turtles are underwatched, the trees are insufficiently sat-under, the squirrels have been woefully underfed, and great blue herons are bluer than ever.
So here's what you can do for me: click on over to this page and tell the mayor and the board of supervisors to support legislative efforts aimed at rescinding the fee. Don't worry if you're not a resident of San Francisco or the wider Bay Area—just say you visit here twelve times a year and used to donate $100 each time you'd go to the arbetoreum, but you can't bring yourself to return now that they've sullied this once-welcoming landmark. (The fee is only levied on people from outside of San Francisco, actually, so if you don't live here you're exactly the ones who'll be affected and who have the most reason to protest.)
This is one of those rare cases where spending a minute to write a comment can actually do a lot of good, given the relatively low profile of this issue. So if you enjoy the little nuggets of kvetching you read here in my corner of the Internet, you can show your appreciation by helping to make my beloved arbetoreum free again (or DERAILING THE CAPITALIST BLOOD TRAIN OF EVIL, as I prefer to think of it).
Alright then, my shove at the train of evil has just been dispatched.
Posted by: gfod | Monday, February 28, 2011 at 09:28 AM
As a resident of SF (and an occasional Arboreum-goer), I've been following this for some time. I got the SF Green Party involved in a letter-writing campaign against the proposed fees back when the issue first came up, and was pretty upset when Avalos sold us out last year by supporting a "temporary" fee.
However, I'm still on the fence about whether to support this legislation. "Wreck the Parks" director Ginsburg is essentially blackmailing the supes to give him money or else he'll keep charging fees. If they give him his 80k this year, he'll be back for more next time. This is the same guy who blew over a half million dollars on welfare for the PGA back in 2009. His department is still pumping money into Sharp Park in San Mateo County, which should be closed and turned back into wetlands.
I'd normally be all for spending more tax money on parks. But in this case, the department has plenty of money to cater to the rich, and is testing the supes to see if they'll pay ransom to avoid further privatization.
Posted by: JMC | Monday, February 28, 2011 at 10:27 PM
The amendments (a one-year fee) were the suggestion of liberal lawyer Dennis Antenore and Denis Mosgofian (the people who also are behind the website).
No one knows why they did this, but Antenore was also instrumental in keeping the DeYoung in the park. Corrupt labor leader Vince Courtney also backed the fees, as did SEIU!
I suggest calling the Board directly. David Chiu, Malia Cohen, Scott Weiner and Carmen Chu particularly need to hear from you!
Posted by: Bill | Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 08:29 AM
I share your misgivings about the nature of this particular request, JMC, though I saw a quote from Ginsburg dismissing any attempt to get rid of the fee, so I'm not sure it amounts to blackmail on his part.
I do think it'd be best if people direct their messages more at the fee itself rather than at this legislation (and that's what I did).
Posted by: John Caruso | Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 11:30 AM
Ginsburg wins either way, and our public spaces can continue to be playgrounds for Dede Wilsey and her friends, as well as an electoral backdrop for the current terrible crop of Mayoral candidates.
On the fee issue, I'm taking the same approach you suggested: complaining about the fee, but not mentioning this legislation in particular.
Posted by: JMC | Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 07:38 PM