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Getting sidewalk inspections right

Your editorial [“Sultans of sidewalks strike San Francisco,” Dec. 15] completely misstates a sidewalk initiative being studied by DPW. Sidewalk maintenance is routinely the responsibility of property owners throughout the state and country. We work hard to make sidewalks safe for pedestrians, especially seniors and people with disabilities.

Last year, the department installed more than 700 curb ramps, repaired public sidewalks and issued notices to property owners to do the same. This improves pedestrian safety and ensures that everyone can safely access our neighborhoods, businesses, parks and schools.

A new program being studied will save property owners money, make it easier for them to comply with the law, and avoid costly injury lawsuits. The program does not, as your editorial states, spend $1.3 million on sidewalk inspectors, but rather uses those funds to make low cost sidewalk repair available to property owners.

Our program will significantly increase sidewalk safety and that’s good for everyone. As a department we educate owners, facilitate repairs and help wherever we can. Our crews will continue to work around the clock for the residents of San Francisco and serve The City proudly.

Fred V. Abadi

Director of Public Works

The City

SFSU’s ownership

Our thanks to The Examiner for helping to get the word out about SF State’s master plan, and the university’s desire to hear feedback on the plan from neighbors [“SFSU plans major campus renovation,” Dec. 12]. I would like to correct a misstatement in the article about ownership of the Villas Parkmerced.

San Francisco State University does not own “a majority” of the housing in Villas Parkmerced — in fact the university does not own any of the Villas Parkmerced’s 3,287 housing units. University Park South — a total of 262 units purchased from Parkmerced to provide needed housing for students, faculty and staff of the university — is not part of Villas Parkmerced. The master plan does not call for the purchase or use of Villas Parkmerced land or housing units, and none of the residents of Villas Parkmerced would be relocated if the university’s plans go forward.

Jason Porth

Associate Director,

Community Relations

San Francisco State University

The City

That’s entertainment

I understand why the mayor’s indignant at being forced to meet with our communist Board of Supervisors — soap-box heroes with unstable demeanors.

He’s probably thinking he has barbecued chickens that are brighter. I would concur.

However, Gavin Newsom would render San Franciscans and himself a huge favor.

Local citizens will be the beneficiaries of hysterical local entertainment and might even draw national, international and inter-galactic attention to our supervisors’ talent for serving doughnuts on a completely different planet.

Meanwhile, Newsom will look like a genius by comparison and save San Francisco the expense of Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin’s proposed “traveling-village-idiot-troupe.”

Joanne Gómez

The City

Gavin Newsom doesn’t have the political courage to appear unscripted before the Board of Supervisors once a month for a little one-on-one questioning, as voters requested in recently approving Proposition I. Jeez, the kid’s looking more “presidential” by the minute, all froth and no beer.

Come on, Gavin, get over yourself. You’re a public servant and this is an election year. Do something real for The City for once.

Barry S. Eisenberg

The City

The unhomeless

Most homeless are not “homeless.” They either get General Assistance checks, Social Security checks, are drug dealers, sex workers, spare change artists or they sell homeless newspapers. Nobody who is homeless or starving has money for alcohol, crack, speed or cell phones.

I have had homeless people themselves tell me how they come to San Francisco because they can get money and drugs and get away with things they couldn’t get away with elsewhere.

Anybody who lives in S.F. 31 days can apply for GA. Most workers are helpful. Anybody can apply for food stamps as long as they don’t have warrants for their arrest and are not already on GA or SSI. Some city workers say this town is full of enablers, that The City loves its homeless and that the same people commit the same quality-of-life crimes.

Or in the words of one city worker, “This belongs to them” — meaning the Tenderloin belongs to the so-called homeless. Stop the con artistry already. Enact a quality of life court immediately.

Denise Jameson

The City

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San Francisco, CA 94105

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