Here's something you might be interested in.
So, Mayor Sanders wants to have parking meters "in certain areas" charging until 11 PM. Of course it will increase City revenues, so they say. What about all those who just decide it isn't worth it to visit Downtown? Are the revenue estimates based on current parking trends? Did anyone consider the very real possibility that this type of insular (dictionary: insular; characteristic of an isolated people; especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint) thinking could easily become counter productive? Last night I was in the Gaslamp area & asked only a few people about the parking. 3 out of 7 said they just would not come downtown. It is already very expensive to 'visit' this area and added charges would not be welcome. Out of the 7 people I spoke with, 2 were here for a convention. 1 recently had her "meal benefits" taken away. The other said the company he works for will not be attending conventions. They both thought San Diego was a very expensive place to visit. One opined that the era of unlimited expense accounts will soon be going the way of the Dodo bird.
There are plenty of residents who park on the street & wait until 6 PM to do so. Now what? Where is the money to pay for this? I do not have any expendable cash to feed a parking meter for an additional 5 hours/day. And, what will the new meters cost? I am pretty sure someone did a study as this City has a tendency to over study everything. Did anyone actually do a cost/benefit analysis? Did anyone consider the potential of a decrease in the number of people parking downtown?
One idea for increasing revenues could be handing out citations to those crazy "Critical Mass" bicyclists. They run lights, go the wrong way on one way streets, zig-zag around vehicles, etc. They are also loudly offensive. On the last Friday of the month, have police stopping the cyclists instead of the cars.
The Indigo Hotel is a lovely place with a beautiful lobby & you should check out the view from the 9th floor terrace. They had a coupon in the Community magazine (2 for 1) in the Phi Bar & Bistro (a small or unpretentious restaurant). It is basically a bar with a very limited menu (appetizers). I ordered a glass of wine which was served via a small carafe & a very small "Manhattan" type glass (maybe 3-4 oz.) At $4 Happy Hour prices it was still offensively 'cheap'. My friend ordered a beer and that is probably the way to go. I heard a patron at the bar ask the bartender to put some liquor in his drink. This trend stinks. Booze is a huge profit center and only serves to make customers unhappy when it is "rationed". It is a great setting & service was good. We were advised that they will have a restaurant menu 'sometime soon'. If you are looking for dinner, look elsewhere.
I am particularly fond of the wonderfully eclectic Z Gallerie. My friend and I were in there last night. We noticed so many things were really marked down in price, which is unusual. But we had our wander and on the way out saw one of those "application for alcohol" signs in the window. We went right back into the store and learned that if the permits are approved, the Z Gallerie will cease to exist and the Gaslamp will gain another restaurant. All this could happen in 30 days. What a huge loss to our City. Stay tuned.
My new neighbors have increased their population again. They are now on both sides of 8th, Broadway to Market. There is much more police activity, noise, trash, human waste, yet NOTHING is being accomplished by the 'powers that be'. Studies are underway. The thing that bothers me is that this issue of hemelessness has been around for a long time and San Diego politics just keep shoving it around. There is no real plan & no evidence of this being a priority.
HEY CITY COUNCIL, WAKE UP. THIS IS A PRIORITY. IT CONTINUES TO GROW AND IS GREATLY IMPACTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CURRENT RESIDENTS.
The above paragraph will accomplish the same nothing it has before.
There is a meeting next week and I urge all who can to please attend. "The City Council's meeting on the Emergency Homeless Shelter is scheduled for Oct 13th at 2:00pm at City Council Chambers."
So long
So, Mayor Sanders wants to have parking meters "in certain areas" charging until 11 PM. Of course it will increase City revenues, so they say. What about all those who just decide it isn't worth it to visit Downtown? Are the revenue estimates based on current parking trends? Did anyone consider the very real possibility that this type of insular (dictionary: insular; characteristic of an isolated people; especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint) thinking could easily become counter productive? Last night I was in the Gaslamp area & asked only a few people about the parking. 3 out of 7 said they just would not come downtown. It is already very expensive to 'visit' this area and added charges would not be welcome. Out of the 7 people I spoke with, 2 were here for a convention. 1 recently had her "meal benefits" taken away. The other said the company he works for will not be attending conventions. They both thought San Diego was a very expensive place to visit. One opined that the era of unlimited expense accounts will soon be going the way of the Dodo bird.
There are plenty of residents who park on the street & wait until 6 PM to do so. Now what? Where is the money to pay for this? I do not have any expendable cash to feed a parking meter for an additional 5 hours/day. And, what will the new meters cost? I am pretty sure someone did a study as this City has a tendency to over study everything. Did anyone actually do a cost/benefit analysis? Did anyone consider the potential of a decrease in the number of people parking downtown?
One idea for increasing revenues could be handing out citations to those crazy "Critical Mass" bicyclists. They run lights, go the wrong way on one way streets, zig-zag around vehicles, etc. They are also loudly offensive. On the last Friday of the month, have police stopping the cyclists instead of the cars.
The Indigo Hotel is a lovely place with a beautiful lobby & you should check out the view from the 9th floor terrace. They had a coupon in the Community magazine (2 for 1) in the Phi Bar & Bistro (a small or unpretentious restaurant). It is basically a bar with a very limited menu (appetizers). I ordered a glass of wine which was served via a small carafe & a very small "Manhattan" type glass (maybe 3-4 oz.) At $4 Happy Hour prices it was still offensively 'cheap'. My friend ordered a beer and that is probably the way to go. I heard a patron at the bar ask the bartender to put some liquor in his drink. This trend stinks. Booze is a huge profit center and only serves to make customers unhappy when it is "rationed". It is a great setting & service was good. We were advised that they will have a restaurant menu 'sometime soon'. If you are looking for dinner, look elsewhere.
I am particularly fond of the wonderfully eclectic Z Gallerie. My friend and I were in there last night. We noticed so many things were really marked down in price, which is unusual. But we had our wander and on the way out saw one of those "application for alcohol" signs in the window. We went right back into the store and learned that if the permits are approved, the Z Gallerie will cease to exist and the Gaslamp will gain another restaurant. All this could happen in 30 days. What a huge loss to our City. Stay tuned.
My new neighbors have increased their population again. They are now on both sides of 8th, Broadway to Market. There is much more police activity, noise, trash, human waste, yet NOTHING is being accomplished by the 'powers that be'. Studies are underway. The thing that bothers me is that this issue of hemelessness has been around for a long time and San Diego politics just keep shoving it around. There is no real plan & no evidence of this being a priority.
HEY CITY COUNCIL, WAKE UP. THIS IS A PRIORITY. IT CONTINUES TO GROW AND IS GREATLY IMPACTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR CURRENT RESIDENTS.
The above paragraph will accomplish the same nothing it has before.
There is a meeting next week and I urge all who can to please attend. "The City Council's meeting on the Emergency Homeless Shelter is scheduled for Oct 13th at 2:00pm at City Council Chambers."
So long