SF Chronicle
Saturday, January 16, 2010
For a while it seemed impossible to get people on Haight Street
motivated to do anything to improve the neighborhood. They were too
tired, too burned out and too discouraged.
Well they're motivated now. At a meeting Tuesday night, a raucous crowd of some 50 people gathered to enthusiastically support crafting a "sit/lie" ordinance that would allow police to move and cite aggressive thugs who block the sidewalks and intimidate pedestrians. Park Station police Capt. Teresa Barrett and Police Chief George Gascón both back the plan, and the neighborhood feels empowered.
"After that meeting, this is going to go crazy," said Ted Loewenberg, president of the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association. "These people really want to do this."
No one is feeling the heat more than Ross Mirkarimi, the supervisor who represents the Haight. Mirkarimi wants to keep his liberal credentials intact, which would mean opposing a sit/lie law. But he also has to face the discontent in his district.
Mirkarimi says he's taking a careful look at ramifications, but longtime residents say he's just waffling. When his aide said at Tuesday's meeting that the supervisor was "really looking" at options, derisive laughter rippled through the crowd.
Posted by Steve Sinai
1 comment:
You're late. This is already all over FaceBook. Peeps are wondering if he gets a cut from what the thugs extort from the law abiding, taxpaying, property/business owners. RISE UP!!! You don't have to take this crap. No Mo! monomonomonomonomonomo!!!
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