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SUPERVISORS REPRESENT THE COUNTY.
DISTRICT 3, BOUNDED BY VAN NESS TO THE WEST AND THE BAY TO
THE NORTH AND TO THE EAST, AND GEARY AND POST STREET TO THE
SOUTH, IS THE DENSEST MOST URBAN PART OF SAN FRANCISCO.
AND THE DIFFERENT HISTORIES AND LEGACIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL
NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN THAT AREA HAVE AN INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTION
TO THE ETHNIC AND HISTORIC FABRIC OF THE CITY, WHETHER ITS
CHINATOWN, WHERE THE OLDEST SET OF BUILDINGS IN SAN FRANCISCO
EXIST, IN JACKSON SQUARE, THE OLD WOODEN STEVE DOR SHACKS ON
THE EAST SIDE OF TELL GRAPH HILL.
ITS ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THE FISCAL FABRIC.
I THINK THAT IS WHY ITS IS A TOURIST DESTINATION.
IT HAS THE MOST TOURISTED SITES, FISHERMANS WHARF, YOU NAME IT.
AND ITS REALLY THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE CITY, DISTRICT 3 IS.
SAN FRANCISCOS CHINATOWN IS THE MOST UNIQUE IN THE WORLD,
BECAUSE NOT BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORY ALONE.
THIS IS A LIVING, BREATHING, EVOLVING COMMUNITY, SINCE THE
CHINESEAMERICANS FIRST ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES.
YOU DONT NEED TO TRAVEL TO HONG KONG.
YOU DONT NEED TO TRAVEL TO CHINA, OR ASIA.
YOU FIND EVERYTHING HERE IN CHINATOWN.
PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT, AND BEING A *** TONK.
I THINK IT IS THE ONLY PLACE IN SAN FRANCISCO THAT ALLOWS YOU TO
COME AND HAVE FUN. YOURE NOT EXPECTED TO DO
ANYTHING ELSE WHEN YOU COME TO FISHERMANS WHARF BUT HAVE FUN.
IT IS THE NUMBER ONE FISHPROCESSING LOCATION ON THE
WEST COAST. IF YOU GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH,
WHICH I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, IT IS FANTASTIC.
YOU CAN SEE CRAB FISHERMEN, MEN PREPARING NETS AND THINGS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF STORES AT LOTS OF OTHER THAT LOTS OF
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS DONT HAVE. ITS FOR COOKS AND SPECIALITY
BAKERS, AND, AS I SAY, ART GALLERIES.
ITS JUST A REALLY GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU CAN STAND IN FRONT OF MY STORE, AND I CAN GET YOU A HOTEL
ROOM FOR 40 A NIGHT HERE. I CAN WALK WITHIN FIVE BLOCKS OF
HERE AND GET YOU A HOTEL ROOM THATS GOING TO BE 8,000 A
NIGHT. I CAN ALSO GET YOU AN APARTMENT
THATS GOING TO BE IN THE 400 RANGE, AND ANOTHER PARTICIPANT
THATS APARTMENT INS IN THE 10,000 A MONTH RANGE, ALL WITHIN
FIVE BLOCKS, NOT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE BARS, NUMBER OF
RESTAURANTS AROUND HERE, AND HOTEL ROOMS.
WE HAVE MORE HOTEL ROOMS HERE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER ITS JUST A NICE NAIND.
ITS NEIGHBORHOOD. ITS UPSCALE.
EVERYTHING IS RIGHT OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR.
WE HAVE THE BEST RESTAURANTS. TRANSPORTATION IS GOOD.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE NOT NEEDING A CAR.
I LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE ITS PICTUREESQUE.
WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AND BUILDINGS AS YOU WALK AROUND.
ITS CENTRAL TO THINGS, CENTRAL TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY,
SHOPPING, RESTAURANTS, BEAUTIFUL MUSEUMS AND SIGHTS.
AND JUST A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. I HAVE COLLEAGUES FROM OTHER
DISTRICTS THAT COME IN, ON A MONDAY MORNING, AND THEYVE HAD
HOMICIDES IN THEIR DISTRICT OVER THE WEEKEND.
THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT IS NOT PLAGUED BY THAT KIND OF
VIOLENT CRIMES. WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES
FACING THE DIFFICULTIES OF PROSTITUTION, OF DRUG DEALING,
AND OF TAGGING AND GRAFFITI. THATS THE THREE BIGGEST THAT WE
HAVE. WE HAVE ADDRESSED THE
PROSTITUTION AND DRUGS BEFORE. AND SOME A MODERATE
IMPROVEMENT WAS MADE. A COUPLE OF SIX MONTHS GO BY,
AND WERE BACK TO THE PROBLEM AGAIN, BECAUSE OAKLAND HAS TAKEN
CERTAIN ACTION THAT HAS PUSHED THE ACTIVITY BACK TO OUR CITY.
MOST OF THE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN FISHERMANS WHARF IS
THE HOMELESS SITUATION. ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
PROBLEMS IS HOUSING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MOST OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE VERY OLD.
AND THEY HAVE ALL BEEN PAID UP 100 YEARS AGO.
AND THE LANDLORDS TAKE IN THE RENTAL, AND BASICALLY PUT VERY
LITTLE BACK, IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT.
WE HAVE TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING HOUSING STOCK SO WE
DONT LOSE IT. AND WE HAVE TO MAXIMIZE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW HOUSING IN INFILL SITES THAT MAY EXIST.
BECAUSE ITS A DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD, OPEN SPACE AND
RECREATION IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
CHINATOWNS BEEN LONG REGARDED AS HAVING THE HIGHEST NEED FOR
OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION, AND HAVING THE LEAST AMOUNT OF OPEN
SPACE PER CAPITA OF ANY OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE ENTIRE CITY.
EVERY 10, 15 YEARS, YOU WILL HAVE A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF
NEW IMMIGRANTS. HOW DO YOU INTEGRATE THOSE NEW
IMMIGRANTS INTO A NEW SOCIETY. WE HAVE SEEN, IN WORKING WITH
A LOT OF YOUTH IN CHINATOWN, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS A
WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH THEM.
AND IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, STAYING OUT OF GANGS.
ITS REALLY ABOUT SOCIALIZATION, ITS ABOUT LEARNING TO COPE WITH
THIS COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY IF THEYRE A NEW IMMIGRANT, ITS
ABOUT LEARNING THE SYSTEM, AND ABOVE FOR EDUCATION AND ALSO FOR
EMPLOYMENT, AND ITS ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER AND LIVING
TOGETHER WITH OTHER RACES IN THE CITY.
WE HAVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT CITYWIDE HAS, EXCEPT
THE DAYTIME, OUR POPULATION IS DOUBLE BECAUSE OF THE TOURISM
AND THE DAYTIME, YOU KNOW, CITY WORKERS.
SO BECAUSE WE ARE AT THE EDGE OF FINANCIAL DISTRICT AND THE HOTEL
DISTRICT, SO WE ADD WE HAVE ADDED BURDENS, WHETHER ITS
STREET CLEANING, GARBAGE COLLECTION, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO THE CITY HAS NOT DONE ITS DUTY TO DO EXTRA STREET
PICKUP. CLEANING, EXTRA GARBAGE BEING
A BIG CITY HAS A LOT OF BUDGET PROBLEMS.
THEY HAVE LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY CAN DEAL WITH,
OF COURSE. AND WHAT GOES ON HERE, WHAT GOES
ON EVERYWHERE ELSE, STRETCHES EACH DEPARTMENT, WHETHER ITS
THE POLICE, THE FIRE, DPW, ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS GET STRETCHED.
WE WANT MORE FEET ON THE STREET IN TERMS OF THE INCREASED
PROSTITUTION AND DRUG DEALING THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
I THINK ONE OF OUR PROBLEMS IS, WITH THE REST OF THE CITY,
IS WHEN YOU SEE IT OUT THERE, STREETWALKERS OUT THERE, WHEN
THERE ARE HOUSES OF PROSTITUTION THAT ARE IN A BUILDING, PEOPLE
DONT COMPLAIN. THE ROLE A SUPERVISOR HAS PLAYED
IS A VERY GOOD ONE. HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT
EVERYBODY IS POINTING A FINGER AT SOMEBODY ELSE.
GOOD POINT. AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR
WHAT THEY CAN DO. AGAIN, ITS AN URBAN
ENVIRONMENT. WHEN THEY HAVE SOME PROBLEMS,
ITS NOT THE POLICE CANT DO EVERYTHING.
THEY ARE LIMITED. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE
BEEN HAPPENING ARE THAT WE HAVE A HUGE INCREASE IN
DPWs PRESENCE HERE, BY HAVING MORE CITY WORKERS, CLEANING THE
STREET, WALKING AROUND, INSPECTORS, ALONG WITH
POLICEMEN. PEOPLE ARE DOING THINGS
ILLEGALLY DO NOT WANT TO BE SEEN BY OFFICIALS, WHATEVER KIND OF
OFFICIAL THEY ARE. THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS IN THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD ARE PARKING. THERE IS NO PARKING.
AND KEEPING THE STREETS CLEAN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD A FRIENDLY
PLACE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE HIGH RISES
DONT POP UP ALL OVER. WE WANT TO HAVE THE CHARACTER ON
THE STREETS MAINTAINED, DEFINITELY THE HEIGHT LIMITS.
WELL WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TOURIST ATTRACTIONS AND THE
RESIDENTS. OUR MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE CROOKED
STREET, LOMBARD STREET AT HYDE. IT IS VERY, VERY BUSY,
ESPECIALLY IN AUGUST. TRAFFIC BACKS UP BEYOND LOMBARD,
BEYOND VAN NESS.