Mirkarimi finally supports Harding project

Perhaps mindful that he's the one most responsible for allowing the Harding Theater to remain a derelict eyesore for more than three years, Supervisor Mirkarimi is now willing to allow the developer to do something with his property. Four years ago the developer wanted to build 18 condos and some retail space on the property. Mirkarimi took the side of the preservationists---it was a theater! the Grateful Dead once performed there!---even though they had no money and no serious plans about what to do with the space once they had foiled the developer. Way back in March, 2005, Mirkarimi addressed a HANC meeting:

Ross warned HANC members Thursday night that he doesn't want to end up with nothing but a derelict Harding Theater "if we don't get our way" on the issue. He pointed out that the Harding theater "looks terrible" from the street. In short, the neighborhood will have to live with condos on the site if he can't get the votes.

Unfortunately, he got the votes to save the Harding, both the developer and the neighborhood got the shaft, and the property has been a vacant eyesore ever since. Mirkarimi is finally singing a different tune:

Mirkarimi, who opposed the previous plan, said he supports the current project and wants to resolve the issue soon. He said he hopes the Harding can once again be a venue for film or live theater. "The city has done due diligence and given the historic issues serious attention," Mirkarimi said. "I don't believe we can allow this building to remain derelict."

The project has been scaled down from 18 to 8 housing units, with some retail space, and, apparently, preserving part of the theater.

Allowing the development of the Harding property will be good for the neighborhood. For this neighborhood the big question now is about the city's ill-conceived plans to "improve" Divisadero Street. It would be another plus for the neighborhood if Mirkarimi would withdraw his support for that misguided project, which is threatening the whole area with bogus, tacky, meddlesome "improvements."

Proposition U: Moral narcissism by city progs

Dear Tom,

I think Proposition U (below in italics) is nothing but another misguided San Francisco anti-war measure that will be rightly ignored by our government and quickly forgotten even by those who vote for it. Now that we are on the verge of a stable Iraq, it would be particularly stupid to pull the rug out from under our military. Fortunately, that's not going to happen because Representative Pelosi and the leadership of the national Democratic Party have more sense than those currently in charge of the city's Democratic Party. I'm sure you can get my District 5 opponent, Supervisor Mirkarimi, to endorse this ill-conceived and empty exercise in knee-jerk anti-war sentiment.

I recommend for your consideration a recent report from Iraq that analyzes the situation in that country in some depth:

If the prognosis in Iraq were hopelessly grim, it might make sense for the United States to threaten withdrawal, hold its breath, and hope for the best. But the prognosis is now much more promising than it has been in years, making a threat of withdrawal far from necessary. With a degree of patience, the United States can build on a pattern of positive change in Iraq that offers it a chance to draw down troops soon without giving up hope for sustained stability. The last 18 months have brought major changes in the underlying strategic calculus facing Iraq's main combatants---undermining the Sunni insurgency, weakening the Shiite militias, severely degrading al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), strengthening the Iraqi security forces (ISF), and creating new, more positive political dynamics and incentives.

And here's a nice description of the kind of SF progressive who will vote for Prop. U:

It's not that they have something against Iraq or Iraqis. Western Leftists are narcissists. It is all about them. It is all about their need to feel morally superior to everyone else. Iraqis are simply props. They don't care about you[Iraqis]. They deny your essence as a human being. All that matters to the Western Leftist is their own feelings of their own moral superiority.

Regards,

Rob Anderson

Dear Rob,

I write to request that you join the San Francisco Democratic Party and the San Francisco Labor Council in endorsing San Francisco's Proposition U:

"It is the Policy of the people of the City and County of San Francisco that:

Its elected representatives in the United States Senate and House of Representatives should vote against any further funding for the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Iraq, with the exception of funds specifically earmarked to provide for their safe and orderly withdrawal. It is the Policy of the people of the City and County of San Francisco that:

Its elected representatives in the United States Senate and House of Representatives should vote against any further funding for the deployment of United States Armed Forces in Iraq, with the exception of funds specifically earmarked to provide for their safe and orderly withdrawal."

You may also learn more about it at our website www.YesOnPropositionU.com

We would be most grateful for your support.

Sincerely
Tom Gallagher