Fix Pacifica: Will the last business to leave Pacifica please turn out the lights?

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Will the last business to leave Pacifica please turn out the lights?

Advertisement in the Pacifica Tribune, March 31, 2010. Another "success" of City Council's "Our Environment is our Economy" business development strategy.

Posted by Steve Sinai

15 comments:

Lisa & Alfie said...: There is actually a strategy in place?????? This ad was sad news to the rest of us businesses in Pacifica.; April 8, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Steve Sinai said...: "Environment is our economy" has been around since before I moved here in 1984. After about 15 years of no results, I started to catch on that it wasn't gonna' work.

If inflation is factored out, I wouldn't be surprised if Pacifica's economy is even smaller than it was in the mid-80's.; April 8, 2010 at 10:40 AM
Kathy Meeh said...: Steve, almost the same time period for me.

This city needs a pro-economic development, pro-business city council, and this is the year. Incumbents (or any of their friends propped-up to run with their blessings) must go.; April 8, 2010 at 12:36 PM
Anonymous said...: Kathy, who are the candidates you are offering up?; April 8, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Kathy Meeh said...: Candidates will make their own discloses. I am just a citizen, same as you. If candidates offer genuine economic improvement goals for Pacifica, that's what's needed-- and 3 of these candidates can control city council.

Incumbents have an 8 year failed track record in that regard, and any of their like-minded friends would perpetuate more of the same. Therefore, not the incumbents or their friends. That's easy enough to figure-out. Hope pro-economic candidates run as a slate of 3 this time-- that would make their intentions even easier for the public to understand. Just my opinion.; April 8, 2010 at 1:54 PM
Anonymous said...: So Kathy, can you recommend a site/group that really is offering the voters a solution rather than an acknowlegment of the problem?; April 8, 2010 at 5:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Obama, Chavez, and Ortega would fit the mindset of this town. Perfect slate.; April 8, 2010 at 5:51 PM
From each according to their ability... said...: "Obama, Chavez, and Ortega would fit the mindset of this town. Perfect slate."

Wrong. The above would be considered right wing nuts in Pathetica.; April 8, 2010 at 6:03 PM
Lionel Emde said...: Kathy,
The council has been a failure for at least twelve years as I count them. Your assertion that it's only eight is wrong.
We'll see if any challengers can pull rabbits out of a hat this fall--they'll need to be magicians to "Fix Pacifica."; April 9, 2010 at 12:26 PM
Kathy Meeh said...: Lionel, whose counting, you could go even further back. This city council has been in charge for the last 8 years, and opportunities have been available-- they didn't take the opportunities, big financial, tax revenue loss to this city and our citizens.

And, if we have to go back to the former city council, Maxine Gonsalves and Barbara Carr were spun out-of-office in the 2002 election because they did support development of the quarry (Measure E).

There isn't much land left to build here as you know, the Quarry redevelopment zone (85 cents on the dollar tax revenue) is #1. This city council didn't encourage, didn't support, Vreeland and Lancelle (the sub-committee) made sure Peebles Corporation walked. Peebles also showed an informal interest in developing Beach Blvd/Palmetto (as did others) #2. Poof, opportunities lost.

Hey its election year so city council (Vreeland) had a "dog and pony show" joint study session with the Planning Commission and Economic Development Committee to consider how to develop Beach Blvd/Palmetto again. 20 years, 13 proposals. Of course, this city council dumped Swenson, and others-- and advised "no one was interested" (DeJarnatt), right.

Here's the next economic development plan for the city: This year vote-out the incumbents in favor of pro-economic, pro-business challengers, whoever they may be.; April 9, 2010 at 1:46 PM
Steve Sinai said...: I haven't seen an effective council for 25 years. As bad as the council's been over the last 8 years, the one before it wasn't effective either. It had 3 members who were pro-economic development, yet they still got nothing accomplished. When you watched the city council meetings, all you saw were people who had mutual contempt for each other, sniping at each other.; April 9, 2010 at 4:05 PM
Kathy Meeh said...: But, the opportunities occurred on the watch of this city council. Remember Vreeland and DeJarnatt were on that city council with Gonsalves, Carr, and Hinton. And, Vreeland went after David Carmany, City Manager on a regular basis until he finally got him fired.; April 9, 2010 at 7:08 PM
Steve Sinai said...: There have always been opportunities for the city, Kathy. We've squandered them no matter who's been sitting on council, and it's been a problem for decades.

Even if there weren't opportunities, it's the responsibility of city leadership to go out and at least try to make something happen. The various council's throughout the history of the city have never had a culture of doing that.; April 9, 2010 at 9:40 PM
Kathy Meeh said...: Steve, we are in agreement that the #1 priority for city council in this city should be sustainable and improved economic development. However, it seems this 8 year city council which had major opportunities purposely failed, in favor of handing-out certificates for "free" volunteerism. So, in 8 year retrospect that's the economic plan they handed the people of this city.

The prior city council (Maxine, Barbara and Cal) approved the North Pacifica LLC development (the poison pill was added on the watch of this city council). The prior city council supported quarry village development (Measure E), whereas members of this city council did not support either Measure E (2002) or Measure L (2006). Then, the city council sub-committee (Vreeland, Lancelle) ultimately killed any viable alternative the last developer (Peebles) offered.

In 8 years Beach Blvd/Palmetto Avenue = 0. Example, Swenson was dumped after 5 years of paying a retainer to the city. Did city council work with that builder?

I'm sure members of the old city council would have favored some form of development of Mori Point, whereas members of this city council worked to "save Mori Point", 100% open space so nothing ever would be built on that land (located in the geographical heart of the city). Still looking for a down town?

This city council brought us 1) the Fire Tax, 2) the failed city sales tax (Measure D), 3) 6 years ago changed sewer lateral replacement cost from the city to us (property owners).

Highway #1 has not been improved, although Vreeland has been on county traffic committees forever. Whereas, the old city council intended to pay for highway improvement through Measure E redevelopment tax revenue.

This city council has brought our city lots of lawsuit cost. And, where development has been blocked there have been huge losses of tax revenue, services, jobs. Millions of dollars lost. And, how do you like this one: The North Pacifica LLC/League of CA Cities Law suit returns (a win but a net financial loss) last year was referred to by DeJarnatt as "our city savings plan", and by Vreeland as our (financial) "reserves".

For a stand-up comedy routine the distinction between 1) the prior city council vs. 2) the current 8 year city council could be considered ironically funny. For some of us semi-conscious Pacificans with reasonable functional city accountability expectations (my view), it seems we have been duped by the current city council by nice words, and unfortunate economic misdirection. So, after all, what's happened in the past 8 years is not so funny after all.; April 10, 2010 at 5:35 PM
Kathy Meeh 4 City Council said...: Kathy, why not get off the chair and run for City Council, you have all the answers; April 11, 2010 at 10:50 AM