zRants

Looks like San Jose has the same ideas I do for dealing with violence. Maybe the city of San Francisco can try a similar tactic. The objective should be NOT kill the business, but protect the public from crime. Keeping more people later on the streets by encouraging longer non-drinking hours, food and calming music may do the trick. To encourage businesses to participate, San Francisco should temporarily suspend some of the extra fees and licenses currently required in order to fulfill these objectives. No point in listing them here, as all the pertinent parties are very familiar with them.

For the full story on ABCnews.com: Turning downtown SJ into a vibrant area

CLUB OWNERS: Maybe it’s the music. Clubs that experience violence problems after closing should instruct DJs to start winding the music down at least a half hour before closing, right before last call, to calm people down before pushing them out the door onto the streets at closing time. See POV of club patron below.

The type of music they play there has much to do with the behavior. There is something about booze (and drugs) mixed with certain types of gangsta music that creates a violent/reckless behavior”. Clubs that do not play that type of music experience less of violence and more toned down behavior.

You should know about McCain but probably don’t.

From the Green 960AM web site.

We have seen the results of corporate tax credits and research grants. Huge corporate profits and not a lot of positive change. We are told it will take years for the car manufacturers to deliver fuel efficient cars, and for the gas companies to replace the old fuel distribution system.

We need faster solutions and we need a better return on our tax dollars. It’s time to change the way the government finances research and development. Rather than giving away the money as tax credits and grants to oil companies and car manufacturers, the government should participate as owner/operators and investors. Use the income from profits to pay down the debt, or keep prices down for the consumers.

Invest in specific areas of production. If the car manufacturers need money to retool to produce energy-efficient cars, the government can participate as a partner, pay for the retooling and be reimbursed as cars are sold.

Many local governments are producing limited amounts of fuel for their own transit needs. These programs can be expanded to serve the public as well. Diesel engines can run on other fuels. Delivering alternative fuels to trucks should be a top priority since so much of the economy depends on trucks for delivery.

Tommy D Video on YouTube laments the situation of the homeless. “I’m a man without an address.” It’s number one on the zrants channel this week.

 Ways to stop the bloodshed and violence in the clubs.

Use what we know about alcohol to fix the problem. The Liquor laws with the 2 AM curfew don’t work. Bars turn people out when they are drunk and excited. The loud music and alcohol never stops until they are out the door and then they just want to continue the party.

People need some cool down time before leaving the clubs. They need a cooling down period after the alcohol stops flowing and the music stops pounding. The clubs know how to rev the party up by starting with light music and upping the anti to full blast. They should spend a little time ending the party on a slower note and allow people to sober up before leaving and driving home.

People should not drink on an empty stomach. All bars should serve food.Food service should be mandatory at all bars and not require an extra license. Given the choice, most people will eat. Aspirins ought to be available also. Bill Graham’s Filllmore always had free apples.

Require clubs and producers to file security plans for large events. Make the clubs responsible for crowd control after the party ends. If we scrutinized the security systems at the clubs the way we count the bottles and glasses on the bar after hours, there would be no weapons in the bars. People with a history of violence, or a police record should be kept out of the clubs. The security personnel should be required to work the streets after the shows end. Their responsibility should extend into the neighborhood and parking areas. The security forces should be the ones to call police if they can’t control the crowd.

***

A club neighbor’s opinion:

I feel that the search for solutions to the nightclub violence and mayhem is not ‘Nimby’ but rather, ‘Not In Anyone’s Backyard’. I don’t mind happy chattering on the way to the car, but every week there are women screaming like they are being abducted, men fighting, glass shattering, sidewalk litter, car alarms, speeding vehicles, sirens etc and it has been really hard on everyone living in the neighborhood.

Obama supporters speak out on 30 sec video posted on YouTube.

The June 2008 California Ballot includes two important Propositions that should be of grave concern to voters. Both 98 and 99 attempt to reform eminent domain practices in the state, but with different intents and purposes.

Prop 98 is sponsored by Howard Jarvis and supported by Republicans. If passed, it will:

1. Abolish rent control and gut renter protection laws, such as laws requiring the fair return of rental deposits and laws requiring 60-day notice before forcing tenants out of their housing.

2. Stop water infrastructure projects by prohibiting the acquisition of land and water through eminent domain to develop public water projects - threatening many future water projects intended to preserve clean drinking water, protect existing water resources, and secure additional water supply.

3. Destroy Land-Use Planning Hurt the environment and stop regulations that protect our neighborhoods. In the definitions section is a clause that would Prohibit laws and regulations that “transfer economic benefit to one or more private persons at the expense of the private owner.” Because the courts have ruled that virtually all land-use decisions and environmental laws transfer economic benefit from one party to another, Prop. 98 would prohibit countless laws that protect our land, air, water and laws that protect our neighborhoods and home values.

Prop 99 - The Homeowners Protection Act - will prohibit the government from using eminent domain to take a home to transfer to a private developer.

Read both sides of the argument, in Ballotpedia.
And get a quick comparison here. www.no98yes99.com

NO ON 98 – Wealthy landlords spent millions to get Prop. 98 on the ballot to eliminate rent control and other important renter protections like the fair return of deposits. 98 could also stop future water projects, destroy local land-use planning, erode environmental protections and lead to higher taxpayer costs.
YES ON 99 - The Homeowners Protection Act Prop. 99 is real eminent domain reform: it prohibits government from taking homes to transfer to private developer. 99 is pure reform: no hidden agendas and no adverse consequences like Prop. 98.

There is a YouTube contest sponsored by No on 98

A couple of local filmmakers asked the question, “What would happen if we handed out money on Market Street?” They filmed the the process of handing out $1,000 in 20 dollar bills, and posted the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/eddieter

There are a lot of messages going around about the do not
call list. This appears to be the correct one. 

The correct website for removing your phone from
telemarketer' s lists is: The website for the National Do
Not Call list: 

https://www. donotcall. gov/