SFLCV

All around the world, popular museums are situated in public parks with wonderful results for both the museums and the parks.

But here in San Francisco, the venerable de Young Museum is waging an intense and irrational battle to prevent more San Francisco families and visitors from enjoying Golden Gate Park — even at the expense of its own reputation and financial well-being. Our organizations are baffled.

The museum’s leadership is doggedly fighting a community proposal called Healthy Saturdays, which would extend the popular Sunday recreational space in the Park to Saturdays on a six-month trial basis.

Why would the de Young fight this when its own figures show that museum attendance increases on car-free Sundays in the Park?

Why, when a recent City study (available at www.goldengatepark.org) shows that car-free space does not significantly affect parking availability or traffic in the neighborhoods, and doubles Park usage, boosts local business, and helps drive traffic to (and pay off debt for) the de Young’s unfilled 800-car garage?

Why, last Spring, did the de Young spend thousands to send misleading letters to its members, falsely claiming that Healthy Saturdays would “severely compromise” access.  Dozens of disgruntled de Young members pointed out that the letter did not mention that the garage is accessible from outside the Park, and that visitors have front-door, drop-off access every day. (See a copy of the letter at www.goldengatepark.org)

And how much of its members’ donations are being spent on the de Young’s high-powered lobbying & PR firm to attack Healthy Saturdays?

All of the highjinks and mistruths are especially baffling given the de Young’s past endorsement of the concept. In 2000 the museum supported and funded Proposition G, which called for car-free Saturdays just like Sundays after the garage was opened, which it now is. According to their ballot argument, de Young leaders wrote that the Saturday proposal “Ensures access to the de Young Museum for all San Franciscans including families with children, seniors and the disabled; (and) ensures the maximum enjoyment and minimum inconvenience to Park users.”

Why?

At times the de Young has claimed that it is fighting out of concern for disabled access, but their tactics suggest otherwise. Why did they not actively support Supervisor Jake McGoldrick’s legislation, which passed unanimously last year, to add more accessible parking, drop-off zones, and a free accessible tram in the Park on Sundays? (These same accessibility improvements are included in McGoldrick’s proposal for the Healthy Saturdays trial.)

And why are museum leaders suggesting that the car-free space be moved out to the West end of the Park, far from transit, the parking garage, and local businesses? The de Young’s chief fundraiser DeDe Wilsey has even offered to pay for “improvements” such as concession stands and bathrooms out there. (Let them eat cake…or at least have access to hot dogs and a port-o-potty.)

Finally, if the de Young were working in good faith to improve its own attendance and revenue (we all want a successful de Young Museum), why would this partially publicly-funded museum deny city officials’ requests to make their attendance figures public, relenting only after a Guardian reporter filed a Freedom of Information Act request? The figures, when they were begrudgingly shared last year, showed a boost in de Young attendance on car-free days – which of course brings us back to our original question:

Why is the de Young fighting so intensely against its own interests and those of Golden Gate Park visitors?

For 40 years, more people have enjoyed the car-free portion of JFK Drive on Sundays than any other part of the Park. Why is a six-month-trial to expand this popular program so threatening to the de Young?

By Amandeep Jawa, League of Conservation Voters; Rick Galbreath, Sierra Club, SF; and Leah Shahum, SF Bicycle Coalition. For more info., see www.goldengatepark.org

Check out this great GRIST article on why cities are great for the environment. We here at SFLCV are believers already. We helped develop this calculator comparing density versus sprawl, and their impacts on the environment.

San Francisco has a climate action plan. You can read it on the SFGov website. We’ve 5 more years to reach the proposed goals of the plan. A 20% reduction in emissions by 2012. Its a meaty read, but how can we, you and I, us San Franciscans, actually put it in to action.

Congratulations to all who worked hard for both local, state and federal elections. By and large, the environment looks to be a winner. Environmental groups and activists worked hard to defeat Prop 90 and representatives like Richard Pombo, to reelect local candidates like Chris Daly.

If you are interested in finding out how our endorsements work, or wish to bring an issue or a candidate to the board, please contact michelle -at- sflcv.org

2006 November Elections

• Assembly, 12th District: Barry Hermanson
• District 2 Supervisor: no endorsement
• District 4 Supervisor: Doug Chan
• District 6 Supervisor: Chris Daly
• District 8 Supervisor: Alix Rosenthal
• District 10 Supervisor: Sophie Maxwell
• Bart Board: Emily Drennan
• Community College Board:
  • John Rizzo
  • Bruce Wolfe
  • Johnnie Carter
• Board of Education:
  • Dan Kelly
  • Jane Kim
  • Mauricio Vela

Local Measures

• YES on Prop A - School Bond and Tax Rate
• YES on Prop E - Parking Tax Ordinance
  This ordinance places a 10% surcharge on the city’s parking tax, and closes a loophole that exempts valet parking from the tax. Funds raised through Prop E (an approximate $26 million) will end up going to Muni and other city services. It provides another reason why people should get out of their cars and choose to walk, bike or take public transit. Prop E will save us pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• YES on Prop H - Relocation Assistance for No Fault Tenant Removal
• YES on Prop J - Impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney - Declaration of Policy
  We know that this statement of policy doesn’t mean much really, and it is perhaps even a little silly — but here it is, George Bush and Dick Cheney are the worst thing that has happened to the environment since the invention of the gas powered automobile. From appointing industry and political hacks, to Orwellian language control (healthy forests for log cutting, clear skies for more coal pollution), for the squelching of science. An impeachment would be a good thing, however improbable.

Green Drinks for McNerney

When: Tuesday, September 5th from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Varnish Fine Art, located at 77 Natoma Street between 1st and 2nd
Streets in San Francisco.

Jerry McNerney is the Democratic candidate in California’s Eleventh Congressional District, which begins just on the other side of the East Bay Hills. He is running against Rep. Dick Pombo, America’s top wildlife villain and one of the 13 most corrupt politicians in Congress. Jerry McNerney stands for integrity: truth about Iraq, common sense about public finance and healthcare, protecting the environment, and support for education and jobs in Congressional District 11.

This will be a special opportunity for you to meet Jerry and contribute to his campaign. The first 40 drinks are free, but bring your checkbooks to help Jerry unseat America’s top wildlife villain!

September 5, 2006
05:30 PM - 07:00 PM

Venue Information
Varnish Fine Art
77 Natoma St.
San Francisco, CA 94105

to contribute

1. What are the top 3 environmental issues facing San Francisco?
2. What can the city do to improve San Francisco’s natural and urban environment?
3. How do you think we should balance the recreational uses with protecting San Francisco’s natural areas and green spaces? What can the city due to better provide natural habitats, parks, and more trees?
4. What qualifications would you consider to be most important in Planning Commission appointees?
5. What measures would you take to encourage San Franciscans to get out of their cars?
6. Do you feel that environmental racism is an issue in San Francisco? How do you suggest we address this issue?
7. What, if anything, would you do to change the way the City manages its wastewater and runoff?
8. What are some concrete steps you will implement as a Supervisor to help our city do its share to combat global warming?
9. Are you going to participate in the City’s voluntary public financing program? If not, why not and will you comply with the City’s voluntary spending limits?
10. Why should SFLCV endorse you?

1. What are your qualifications to be a Community College Board member?
2. How would you increase public transit use by CCSF students and employees?
3. Do you support green building standards for new and renovated buildings at CCSF? If so, what should be included in these standards?
4. What should CCSF do to improve its environmental practices?
5. What is your opinion of facilities planning at CCSF?
6. What is your opinion of CCSF’s role in neighborhood planning around its campuses?
7. Why should SFLCV endorse you?

1. What are your qualifications for Board of Education
2. How should the school district improve its coordination with Muni and BART, in order to provide better access to schools for students and employees?
3. What should the school district do to improve bicycle and pedestrian access to its schools?
4. Do you support green building standards for new and renovated school district buildings? If so, what should be included in these standards?
5. What should the School District do to improve its environmental practices?
6. What is your opinion of the School District’s current environmental education curriculum? How can it be improved?
7. Should the School District increase the amount of trees, landscaping, and grass play fields at City schools? If so, how should these improvements be paid for?
8. Why should SFLCV endorse you?

We are very dissappointed in Mayor Newsom’s recent veto of the Healthy Saturdays initiative, and are dismayed by the De Young Museum’s misleading attack on the proposal — which after all is a trial, not a permanent fixture. The veto survived today (May 23) thanks to the usual supects on the board.
For a good round up of the issues, and what you can do about it, check out the Bike Coalition’s Golden Gate Park page.