Editor:
I would really like to see Connie Chan host a “Coffee with Connie” monthly meet-up with Richmond District neighbors. I remember when former Supervisor Eric Mar did it. I attended a couple of meetings and found them to be productive, and Eric took the time to listen to neighbors. It wasn’t all pretty, but he handled criticism gracefully and didn’t offer “canned” responses.
I wrote to Connie’s office regarding the closure of the Walgreens at Geary Mall; my concern is that it will become another 25-year-old eye sore, like the Alexandria Theatre.
Growing up, I had terrific memories Geary mall from going to Blockbuster Video to rent NES/SNES games, getting a personal pizza from Dominos, buying my favorite wrestling magazines at Merrills, or find the perfect humorous T-shirt at Ross.
In my letter, I also enquired about Coffee with Connie, but the aide didn’t acknowledge my question. I’m hoping other neighbours might be interested in this idea and press Connie to make it happen.
It would be nice for those who feel unheard of to have a place to meet our supervisor without any camera, press, or canned political statements with little substance. It gives us a chance for all of us to come together and support local coffee places in and around the Richmond District, that can’t be a bad thing right?
Thanks,
Peta Cooper
ps. Connie, I promise we don’t bite. Please consider this. It would help provide us all with visibility and transparency.
Categories: letter to the editor
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 
Peta – “I promise we don’t bite”? If only that were true in this polarized political environment we live in. I will take you at your word that you won’t bite, but I have been to several public events with Connie Chan where she was yelled at or interrupted by adults acting like two year olds. I apologize to all the well behaved two year olds. The hostility was fairly dripping off them. I’ve also been to several larger public events where Connie took questions and was thoughtful and honest with her answers. People tend to moderate their behavior in larger public groups.
On the other hand, I do think that elected officials need to try their best to increase communication with their constituents. And that means dealing with the two year olds from time to time. Can we just send them to their rooms for a time out?
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I’m empathetic, its got to be tough to be a politician, I wouldn’t want the job for all the boba tea in the world.
After the article was published a few hours later the office got back to me, apparently she has hosted “coffee/boba tea with Connie” but I wasn’t aware of it, and its not widely publicized, its in her newsletter (unless someone please forgive me and correct me if I’m wrong)
I understand some people may come off sounding immature and downright mean, but has anyone ever asked them “why are they feeling this way?” “why are they acting this way?” “where does their pain come from” I’m play devel’s advocate, maybe someway, somehow they have felt unheard, ignored or have gotten canned responses.
I’m not dissing Connie, I’ll take your word she has had thoughtful and well thought out responses at some of the meet ups. I think when Eric did the monthly coffee meet ups, there was some sort of “comfort” in the consistency, and maybe just starting a small monthly meet up at our amazing coffeeshops across the neighighborhood could bring healing on both ends, we won’t be just hanging out with Connie the politician, but Connie the person, in a relaxed, non-soap box setting.
I think in our society, we have forgotten how to listen, we do plenty of talking, but listening could be improved.
A well respected community leader has told me off the record that they don’t feel like Connie wants to listen to them anymore, they are very polite and have no two year old tantrums. If they feel that way, and have sort of just given up, I can see the frustration with some of our neighbors who may be more vocal.
In any case, I do hope Connie considers my idea, I’m still waiting to hear if i can meet her to discuss this further, I will even give her 10 hours of my time to any organisation she wants me to volunteer for, if she gives me 10 mins of hers.
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Editor — how about a story about all those potential parking spots on Clement Street that used to be bus stops — although the busses stopped stopping at those spots a year ago, the “No Parking” signs remain and people do not park there because they are afraid of getting a ticket — merchants are losing customers and residents are inconvenienced — two guys with a saw could remove them all in a few hours — filling the holes and other finishing touches could be done when they get around to it
Peter Boyle
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Editor and P.B.— how about a story on those abandoned Clement Muni stop shelters? They represent Muni’s eliminated bus stops from the Clement commercial business district between Arguello and 27th Avenue some years ago. (In my paper files I have Clement bus schedule dated 2002 showing it use to go all the way westward to 32nd Avenue via Clement Street.) It’s improper to say that it’s just one block away from other existing parallel west-east routes because one north-south block in western San Francisco is the equivalent length of three west-east blocks in western San Francisco. The passenger (like the elderly) has to now walk the equivalent of three extra blocks (e.g., from Geary or California Street) when that wasn’t necessary under the old way.
Because small businesses need support, the traditional Clement Muni route should be reinstated. On the western side, the Clement and Irving business districts should get Muni service. Other commercial business districts did not lose Muni service: Union #45 (Polk–Steiner), Fillmore #22 (Fulton–Jackson), Noreiga #7 (19th Ave–33rd Ave), Taraval #L Funston–36th Ave).
The current Muni service map at https://www.sfmta.com/media/37783/download?inline shows that today’s Clement bus route is so truncated that it only serves eastern San Francisco about east of Lyon Street while the same map shows that the Clement commercial business district is on the opposite west side between Arguello and 27th Avenue.
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Thank you. — Editor.
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Not every single block can or should have a bus route going down it, that’s simply not possible.Clement HAS constant neary MUNI service. Same with Irving, 1 block away. MUNI’s significant deficits from the Tumlin-ites aren’t exactly conducive to adding supplemental routes to overlap with existing, regular and well-serviced routes literally ONE block away. (No, Clement is not “three blocks” away from Geary, that’s nonsense – and the actually planning aim is for 1/4 mile or less. It is less than 1/4 mile by a wide margin.)
Futher, Clement St. corridor vehicle and pedestrian traffic is thick as thieves already, adding a superfluous MUNI route would be a rhetorical trainwreck for little to no benefit and considerable expense and headache. Veto on that. Seniors can (and must) go the absolute minimum of 1 block, or the entire system of transportation makes no sense anywhere in the city – on any budget.
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