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San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

californiapolicycenter.org

21–30 of 129 posts

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#21
I think they surely can get rid of a lot of city personal. I've moved to a different state and just being in contact with government officials to get things done is just... easier.

Something not right? Let's fix it. Let's do this first and then that.

General California feeling: you're missing form 5858b. Can't help you. Come back later. Next available appointment: 3 months.

Half of their jobs could be filled by using proper software. But instead I have to print it, make an appointment, hand them the form, have them type it in and send it off.

That's half of your budget right there.

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#23

They said SF's budget is 14 billion!! holy crap, that's more money than the GDP of entire countries! and it's still not enough.

how is it allocated

The budget is freely available on their web site. It's worth noting that San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, so the budget covers things that most other cities don't (e.g. public transit, libraries, schools, jails). While there is indeed some consolidation San Francisco is on the hook for two separate law enforcement agencies (police – which are typically the domain of cities and sheriff – which are typically the domain of counties).

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#25
post #24

[flagged]

There are many cities in California that are not having a financial crisis. Stop trying to confiscate homes from people because their neighbors paid too much money for their houses, condos, or apartments and "raised the property value." That's pure evil.

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#26

I think they surely can get rid of a lot of city personal. I've moved to a different state and just being in contact with government officials to get things done is just... easier. Something not right? Let's fix it. Let's do this first and then that. General California feeling: you're missing form 5858b. Can't help you. Come back later. Next available appointment: 3 months. Half of their jobs could be filled by using…

You don’t understand. The incentives are all wrong. There is absolutely zero benefit for a bureaucracy to make itself more efficient and require less money each year. No one is incentivized to ensure money is being spent well. The biggest incentive for a lifelong bureaucrat is to increase budget and headcount - the more money and headcount you have, the more important you are. There is never a time when you aren’t requesting more money and more people. If you have money left over at the end of the fiscal year you 100% guarantee you spend it lest your budget is cut rather than increased.

I have seen so many bright and starry eyed idealists think they can fix government when they get in. In fact the best man at my wedding / best friend is a DC bureaucrat, and you get him a few beers deep and the stories he tells… My goodness. The money is not being spent well and he is jaded as fuck.

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#27
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right-wing in SF? Sounds like what they'd say given how far left the entire city is.

No, this place is a fake think tank that pretends to be neutral but is in fact an arm of ALEC and largely funded by the Koch's: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/California_Policy_Cent... Don't fall for easy bullshit and let it lead you to making "dunk" comments that don't actually engage the problems and instead act as thought ending cliches. That's their entire goal.

Only one Koch left.

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

how is it allocated

The budget is freely available on their web site. It's worth noting that San Francisco is a consolidated city and county, so the budget covers things that most other cities don't (e.g. public transit, libraries, schools, jails). While there is indeed some consolidation San Francisco is on the hook for two separate law enforcement agencies (police – which are typically the domain of cities and sheriff – which are typi…

And an international airport and a water source and pipeline from the mountains. Crazy stuff

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#29
post #5

If employee wages are a large part of the rising costs, then perhaps the cost of living for living in SF is too high. The cost of living is too high because rent is too high. Since there is so much political contention to building more housing, there is no chance that housing prices will decrease (nobody wants to see their property lose value). Now they are complaining about the problem they caused?!? I don't know if…

Somebody at a planning meeting for an apartment building in Nopa was arguing that it would go against the working-class history of the neighborhood (homes sell for >$1M there now btw). People here are in deep denial about SF being a world city, and the fact that people with (realized or paper) gains in the high hundred thousands are not "working class".

Re: San Francisco’s Financial Crisis

#30
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right-wing in SF? Sounds like what they'd say given how far left the entire city is.

No, this place is a fake think tank that pretends to be neutral but is in fact an arm of ALEC and largely funded by the Koch's: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/California_Policy_Cent... Don't fall for easy bullshit and let it lead you to making "dunk" comments that don't actually engage the problems and instead act as thought ending cliches. That's their entire goal.

San Francisco? Neutral? Right?
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