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About this blog: I am a native of Alameda County, grew up in Pleasanton and currently live in the house I grew up in that is more than 100 years old. I spent 39 years in the daily newspaper business and wrote a column for more than 25 years in add...  (More)

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More silliness from San Francisco

Uploaded: Aug 29, 2019
Fortunately, San Francisco Mayor London Breed is acting like the adult in the room.,

After the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed new descriptions for felons, homeless people and juvenile delinquents, she’s declining to take any action because the resolution wasn’t binding.

The resolution reads that “dehumanizing language like ‘prisoner,’ ‘convict,’ ‘inmate’ or ‘felon’ only serve to obstruct and separate from society and make the institutionalization of racism and supremacy appear normal.”

So, in the board’s collective opinion, it’s racist to call someone a prisoner, convict, inmate or felon—words that have been accurate descriptions for decades. The PC crowd is simply running amuck, as you might expect in San Francisco. Instead of focusing on dealing with the overwhelming homeless population and human feces all over the streets, they worried about how to describe people.

The resolution suggested different language:
Inmate became currently incarcerated person
Juvenile offender (once called delinquent) becomes young person impacted by the justice system.
Illegal alien, already replaced in PC circles by undocumented immigrant or person becomes simply person or individual
Addict or substance abuser is replaced by person with a history of substance abuse
And ex-con becomes returning resident.

I’d like to say only in San Francisco, but Berkeley, Portland and Seattle likely are not far behind.

Contrary to this silliness, some gentler language can be helpful—for instance, some people have been homeless for years, while others are currently experiencing homeless for whatever reason—finances or otherwise. With rents soaring and modestly priced housing in short supply, a job loss or rent increase can cause individuals or families to wind up on the streets.

Iwill admit being surprised that a business wants to bring ax throwing accompanied by beer and wine to Pleasanton. Our family-oriented community does not seem like a demographic fit for what I would imagine is a guys night out type of place.

That said, presumably proprietor Michael Hill, who currently runs Limitless Escape Games in Livermore, has done his research for Limitless Axes and Ales that was granted a conditional use permit in the Valley Plaza Shopping Center.



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Comments

Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Aug 29, 2019 at 9:20 am

"Silliness" yup...

Mayor London Breed is NUTS! Web Link

She had the gall to request that her brother be released from prison for throwing a female passenger out of her car on the GG Bridge...there's no reason to believe that he would behave differently if released. I rest my case...


Posted by James Michael, a resident of Val Vista,
on Aug 29, 2019 at 10:31 am

James Michael is a registered user.

Why would anyone care about San Francisco. It's just a joke now.


Posted by sjd, a resident of Livermore,
on Aug 29, 2019 at 11:59 am

Heaven forbid cities try to be kind in how they refer to people, to try to reduce the stigma. Trying to highlight the humanity of people is not a bad thing Tim.

I'm okay with the objection to Juvenile offender or undocumented immigrant, because you're actually losing important context. But say that!

By contrast, no one is confused about what "incarcerated person" means, it just helps recognize them as worthy of some basic dignity.


Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Aug 29, 2019 at 6:38 pm

The city of San Francisco and the city of Oakland are the Sodom and Gomorrah of California. The impenitent elitists are the leadership in these two cities, current and previous leadership personalities.


Posted by Jake Waters, a resident of Birdland,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 9:12 am

Jake Waters is a registered user.

Does the label ‘racist' have any meaning anymore? It's such an overused word that it has lost its power. ‘Racist' is now reserved for those who want to shut down a debate or conversation rather than describe a behavior. But that is a sidebar to this article where the focus of San Francisco's problems are lost to the pursuit of euphemisms to mask a larger problem going on in the city.

San Francisco is growing with problems, but let the leaders (used loosely) focus on ‘words' and ‘meanings' to solve the greater issues of our time- what to call juvenile delinquency. Either legalize it or change the definition and bad things will appear better, the elites believe, because they know better than you. Perhaps if they change the focus, the elites can hide the fact that there is human feces on the sidewalks, homelessness along the streets, needles everywhere, and a city once considered the ‘Paris of the West,' is now on par with Detroit. The only action that will save San Francisco is to elect adults to run the place, otherwise I believe the childish direction will continue to push the city into the bay.


Posted by Anonymous, a resident of Birdland,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 12:11 pm

The reconsideration (and Tim's sidebar) regarding the axe-throwing business belies a misunderstanding of who is moving to the Tri-Valley and even who lives here now. Young people need things to do. This is a great business that we should be encouraging. Axe-throwing might be a fad, but its a fad existing all over the country, including Washington DC and Chicago. Lets please let the landlord and tenant make their own deal and lets let the City staff do its job (without second-guessing). Further, it is an activity for both genders - think office outing. This is a complete non-issue.


Posted by Trent, a resident of Danville,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 1:49 pm

Tim, you hit the nail right on the head. San Francisco(and Oakland and San Jose)are perhaps the worst run large cities in the nation. It is like watching "The Emperor has no clothes", where politically correct bullies use terms like "racist", "white supremacist", to label anyone who disagrees with their policies, but yet they are worried about labels that have existed for hundreds of years, such as "felon", & "illegal alien".

Instead of dealing with incredibly serious problems in their own cities, such as human feces and drug needles and filth taking over every neighborhood, huge spikes in car burglaries and other crimes, they spend most of their time and resources in attacking President Trump or coming up with silly, worthless P.C. ordinances.

These misguided liberal politicians have record setting incoming revenues from inflated property values and high tech business growth, but despite such flush of money can not simply keep human feces and drug needles off the streets. By using P.C. terms such as "homelessness is not a crime", they are sending the message to drug users and grifters "come to the Bay Area" as you get a free pass to do what ever you want here. "Homelessness is not a crime", but pooping and peeing on the street is, shooting up heroin and flicking needles on the sidewalk is, exposing yourself is, and trespassing on property you do not own is.

Gavin Newsom and his liberal Bay Area politician buddies are pushing more kids into experimenting with marijuana at earlier and earlier ages, by labeling cannabis as a "good green industry", which means more kids will use marijuana as a gateway drug to heroin and more serious drugs, which means more homeless people in the future. If you want to address the homeless problem, you do not romanticize marijuana, as more marijuana use obviously means more homeless drug addicts who choose to do drugs over working and taking care of themselves. Why work when the liberal politicians will take care of you, and not enforce laws designed to protect the law abiding citizens who actually pay taxes?

Ultimately, the cash cow of inflated property values will decline, more businesses will move out of these filthy cities, taking their tax revenue with them, and then these cities will not have the financial means to deal with these serious health problems.

If you think these large cities are already going downhill, wait until the cash revenue dries up, and you will see third world country mentalities in our large Bay Area cities. But if you speak the truth, and question their policies, you are a "racist" and "white supremacist".

God help us all.


Posted by Bill, a resident of Downtown,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 3:01 pm

So then we don't need to change the description of Tim from [Portion removed for name-calling] to something more kind?

And why does he think women don't like throwing a hand axe. My wife thought it would be a kick! Oh that's right. Tim's brain is stuck in 1955. The lady-folk should be having tupper-ware parties, and getting the home ready for when their man comes home from his night out with the boys.

Time to move Tim. Please. And stop contributing to the paper.


Posted by James Michael, a resident of Val Vista,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 8:34 pm

James Michael is a registered user.

I just ran across this political cartoon by political cartoonist Gary Varvel:

San Francisco PC New Speak...

Criminal-Justice Involved Person
Rats- Refuse Involved Pets
Tent Cities- Fabric Involved Housing
Street Poop- Sidewalk Involved Fertilizer

And anyone who would go to that city and spend any money after the Kate Steinle murder and travesty trial is a complete fool.


Posted by Michael Austin, a resident of Pleasanton Meadows,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 9:08 pm

Bill of Downtown:

Your hate comment is duly noted!
Do you have firearms in your home?
Is your family safe from your unstableness?


Posted by James Michael, a resident of Val Vista,
on Aug 30, 2019 at 10:17 pm

James Michael is a registered user.

I just noticed that "Bill of Downtown" and "Bill of Pleasanton Heights" both attacked Tim, not his message, but him. Now either Bill moved or he might drink a bit and doesn't really know where he lives, or he's trying to get more free time on the Weekly so he doesn't have to register. Either way it does seem odd that two Bills really hate Tim as a curmudgeon or a blowhard obnoxious self-centered bigot.


Posted by Edmundo, a resident of Pleasanton Valley,
on Sep 1, 2019 at 9:40 am

San Francisco is run by hippies in suites. According to these idiots it is racist to call a rapist an ex-con or a felon:

Here is an example of a potential "returning resident" (let's give this guy same status as any other resident):

Alan Earl James, diagnosed with a Pedophilia Disorder. Convicted of multiple sex crimes involving child molest, forcible child molest, unlawful sexual intercourse, kidnapping for purpose of child molest, and unlawful touching, with three minor victims. These crimes occurred in San Diego County. Released April 2019.

After many years of being Democrat I am going Republican. Can you imagine if these hippies were running the country?


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 1, 2019 at 12:24 pm

"hippies in suites"...what does that mean?

Edmundo...You are not in a position to be attaching a medical diagnosis to anyone.

Edmundo, are you in the USA LEGALLY?

WHO CARE IF EDMUNDO GO REPUBLICAN? tee hee...


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 1, 2019 at 12:40 pm

Incidentally, there are sexual predators living near you Edmundo. Web Link

Please, don't forget that Catholic priests/nuns have been arrested worldwide who have gone Unpunished for the sexual abuse/torture of children and vulnerable adults. They are listed on BishopAccountability. The majority live in American communities and nobody even suspects many of them are neighbors.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Sep 1, 2019 at 7:00 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

I like how liberal Democrats automatically make the connection between felon and minority status.

They're such hypocritical racists that they can't even see the irony.

Dan


Posted by James Michael, a resident of Val Vista,
on Sep 4, 2019 at 10:11 am

James Michael is a registered user.

They went beyond silly...Now they have branded the NRA as a domestic terrorist organization. I guess they hope that deflects from the third world conditions in their city. If there are any domestic terrorist organizations it would have to be "sanctuary cities" and antifa.


Posted by Cholo, a resident of Livermore,
on Sep 4, 2019 at 11:24 am

Terrorist? james...did you mean to say that the NRA has a history of money mis-management? Pleeze splain what you mean by money mis-management...Thank You.

Third World conditions? huh...what do you mean by "third world"...non-white caca-soids?




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