Voice of San Francisco
John Rothmann says: "No on Prop K: Just look at the facts:." There is no mention of a park in the ballot measure!!
This is John Rothman, and this is the voice of San Francisco. I get these election flyers in the mail, and I want to reflect on one with you because, frankly, I believe in truth and advertising. I believe in telling the truth. This particular flyer reads, "The Great Highway is an unreliable road." So let's begin with the first line of this flyer. Completely untrue. I have been using the Great Highway all my life. It's reliable. There's no question about it. It goes on to say that coastal erosion is permanently closing the southern portion of the road. That is not true. I just drove down the Great Highway. No problem. It is true. The third line. Sand build up closes another part up to 65 days a year. That's true. It does. And that's why we clean up the mess. Yes, on K, they say, Ocean Beach Park. Prop K would turn it into a park. Lead prop K, there is no mention in prop K of a park, not a single word, nothing. The inside of the flyer says, "Transform an unreliable road into an ocean front park." Again, there is no provision for an ocean front park and no provision for funding of an ocean front park. And by the way, if there were an ocean front park, where do you think the sand would go? Into the park. And so this flyer says, "Now is the time for a new park. The southern part of the Great Highway is already permanently closing due to a coastal erosion. Drivers will no longer be able to use the roadway to connect to Daily City." That is untrue. We all know it to be untrue. Goes on to say, "The Great Highway is an unreliable road that closes up to 65 days each year because of sand built up requiring drivers to frequently divert inland to sunset boulevard, a parallel six lane road." That's true. It does. So put a park there. Where do you think the sand's going? And by the way, that's what we've done all my life. We have cleaned up the Great Highway because of where it is. But the Great Highway is a transit road that we all use. It goes on to say, " Removing the cars from the coast protects the environment and allows the habitat and dune restoration to run off pollution from tires and brakes goes directly into the ocean and is bad for wildlife." I've never heard such a crock of nonsense. As a weekend-only park, the Great Highway already is the city's third-most visited park. Crock-K would make the park's permanent and full-time, allowing park improvements to picnic tables, playgrounds, which is not possible when the spaces used in park time is a roadway. And by the way, isn't possible if the area is filled with sand. I've never heard such a rubbish. It says a park is the best use of our coast. Yes on K, Ocean Beach Park. I invite you. I suggest to you, read, read, prop K. Do you find any word at all about a park? And the answer is no. This is false advertising. But the Chronicle has a headline today. Ahead of the vote, counts reveal steady use by cars and pedestrians of the Great Highway. And that's the truth. Look, let's be clear. The people who are promoting closing the Great Highway just don't want cars in San Francisco. They would close so many places in this city, including John F. Kennedy Drive. I must tell you, I am outraged, not by the fact that they send out a flyer. I am outraged by the fact that the flyer is so full of uncrews. It's like a Swiss cheese filled with holes. So I want to ask you all a question. Don't you think that it's time to defeat prop K? Now, you know, the voice of San Francisco does not take stands on candidates, but we do on propositions. And so Susan Dyer Reynolds told me, you want to thunder about a proposition? Go right ahead. Well, what really got to me was this flyer. And let me tell you, it's fascinating. I want to just tell you, the flyer on the back also has endorsements of candidates. Okay. That's fine. It also has various organizations that are supporting it. But I have to tell you, paid for by yes, on K Ocean Beach Park for all sponsored by community nonprofit committee, major funding from, and you can read that one yourself. But of course, these are people who don't want cars in San Francisco. Am I wrong? Of course not. So do me a favor. Do yourself a favor. Do this city a favor. Can you go to the polls on November 5th? Vote no on K. And by the way, let's demand truth, truth in advertising. Let's demand that we all tell the truth about prop K. This is something that I feel passionately about because there is an attempt now to prevent cars from working and living and being in San Francisco with all of us. I'm willing to coexist with cars I've done it my whole life doesn't mean cars should be able to drive anywhere at any speed and do whatever they want. I'm certainly, certainly in favor of restrictions on people who use cars for entertainment that is dangerous to our city. And you know what I'm talking about. So look, let's be clear. This flyer so angered me because it's simply untrue. It is splitting a myth. So okay. Here's my challenge. Somebody out there listening. Look at your voter handbook. Look at prop K. Tell me, where is there a call for a park? This is John Rothman and you are listening to The Voice of San Francisco.