The Burlingame Voice

High-Cost Rail

By now you have read about the 2 1/4 billion dollars that the Federal government has sent to California for high speed rail.  The discussions on the Peninsula among those worried about the local impact are vacillating between whether this grant is a good thing or a bad thing.

Those thinking this may be a good thing believe that now we know the High-speed Rail Authority isn't going to get anywhere near enough money to fool any private investors into thinking the project can actually be completed.  That big number is more than $40 billion.

Those thinking this is a bad thing consider any amount of money with 9-digits in the total as akin to handing a 5 year-old a loaded pistol.  The damage may be random, somewhat limited and it's unclear when it will hit, but no good can come of it.

One this is sure.  The grant comes with some time limits on it, so we all need to start paying even more attention.

Local Factoid

Here is an interesting factoid from the February flyer from Books, Inc.:

Spend $100 at a local (business) and $68 of that stays in your local community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and your community only sees $43.

They don't list a source, but I don't dispute the numbers either.  They seem reasonable.

Water & Pipe$

This Monday night, Feb. 1st, the City Council will consider raising the average monthly water bill for single family residences by about $5 (from $69 to $74) for the 2010 fiscal year.  There are similar increases proposed for 2011 and 2012 as the city struggles to deal with two driving cost factors:

• In July 2009, the SF Public Utilities Commission (from whom we buy our water..aka Hetch Hetchy) raised their rates by 15.7%.  The City ate that increase.  Now the SF PUC is proposing increases of 15.2%, 10.1% and 29.2% over the next three years to seismically retrofit Hetch Hetchy.

• The Capital Improvement Plan that has been running since 2001 needs to be funded if it is to continue.  Since '01, 20 miles of pipes have been replaced, the Trousdale pump station has been built and new connections with other agencies have been built for disaster recovery purposes.

Bottom Line:  72% of the new costs would go to San Francisco, 14% to operations and 14% to the capital program and debt service.

A political action committee called People's Advocate from Sacramento has mailed a flyer to City residents that lists eight tax hikes that have occurred recently ranging from cigarettes and vehicle license fees gas and hotel taxes.  They are a one-size-fits-all anti-tax group.

I hate new taxes, but the ones I hate the most are the ones that siphon (no pun intended) money from local uses to some far away bureaucracy.  This fee increase goes for pipes that run from the Sierras to right down our streets and into our homes.  I don't find that comparable to ciggies or whatever the hacks in Sacramento choose to tax next.  If we could take the billions that are about to be wasted on High-cost Rail service between SF and LA for this, I would do it, but we can't. 

Beware. Roaming scammers.

In the past couple of weeks there have been individuals walking door to door using different stories to get unsuspecting Burlingamer's to cough up their hard earned money in the name of charity. 

In my neighborhood,( Burlingables) the story told by the young man at my door was that his Mother, he gave a name and address, suggested that he ask me if I would donate to his cause. In another similar case across town,(Ray Park) a friend was asked to donate to a different charity by a different individual using the same tactic. She gave him cash to "go away." An older woman around the corner from my house actually wrote him a check.

These crimes of opportunity often go unreported.

As a public service, here is a list of suggestions to keep burglars and scammers at bay.

THIRTEEN THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your
carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom--and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television.


8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

County Tax Trial Balloon

In an article in today's San Mateo Daily Journal, there is a series of trial balloons for more county taxes.  For instance

Possible taxes include a utility user’s tax, an expanded business license tax, a second effort for Measures Q and R — the previously unsuccessful campaigns for taxes on rental cars and parking at San Francisco International Airport — and increasing the transient occupancy tax from 10 percent to 12 percent.

These might translate to additional revenue if they don't suppress business.

According to the County Manager’s Office, a 1 percent utility users tax increase (phone, wireless, electric, gas, water and cable) would generate $2 million. The same percentage for commercial parking facility operators — essentially the former Measure Q — will raise $500,000 a year. Measure R, taxing vehicle rental businesses, is estimated at $3 million while a uniform business license tax is yet to be determined.

B'gamers will recognize the TOT increase as similar to our last ballot measure which was successful.

In weighing the likelihood of success at the ballot for any of the measures, county leaders are looking to how surrounding jurisdictions fared during the November 2009 election. Voters in six cities increased the transient occupancy tax from 10 percent to 12 percent, making the unincorporated county alone at the 10 percent level.

Keep in mind the magnitude of the County government as it is now.  The article states "The current county budget is $1.76 billion."

Public Works 2.0

For some reason I cannot find this article from last week on the San Mateo County TImes' web site, so I will retype a couple paragraphs because I think it's cool and could eventually save the city some money.

Phone App may help city with maintenance

by Elizabeth Pfeffer

Hillsborough has been leading other San Mateo County municipalities with its utilization of inexpensive technology to connect citizens and government.

It was the first to get law enforcement dispatches on Twitter and the first to stream police radio through an iPhone application.  Now it's trying out a new Web site that lets people report nonemergency issues such as potholes and graffiti simply by taking a picture with their cell phone.

The Hillsborough Public Works Department began a testing phase with SeeClickFix.com earlier this month.  It's monitoring a watch area where people can report problems suing a downloadable iPhone application of a regular computer.  If someone uploads a photo of a problem using the application, the town will receive an alert with GPS data telling them exactly where it is.

Blackberry and Android version of the application are in the works as well (no pun intended).  I like the idea of letting Hillsborough work out the kinks and then bringing some innovative technology to B'game.  In the meantime, B'game is listed on the site, but there are no open issues reported yet.  Anyone want to put something on there?

Latest storm creates theatrical damage

I wasn't looking for damage, but I found it. It begs the question, what will happen to the vacant Hyatt Theater/Sizzler property? Anyone have an inside scoop?

Taking Action on the Climate - Part 6 (Water politics)

As we wait for the next storm to arrive that is supposed to soak us through the long holiday weekend, I am still mulling over Diana Diamond's editorial in the Monday Daily Post.  Ms. Diamond is the Associate Editor for the Daily Post.  She wrote an editorial with some background comments on water usage because "both Menlo Park and Palo Alto are considering limiting water use by residents, focusing on our outdoor landscaping to conserve water."  The State of California implemented some new water limits for lawn care as of January 1, but Ms. Diamond notes:

I studied how California's water is being used.  The most amazing and fascinating number was than only 13% of the entire state's water usage is by it 36 million residents--and that includes all toilet flushing, showers, toothbrush use, cooking, lawn watering, etc. for 35,893,799 of us.

That means that 87% is used for industrial, agricultural, hydroelectric-generating and landscaping needs....Industrial water use has declined 24% since 1985 and in 2000 was the lowest level since reporting began in 1950.

Bringing it closer to home, she writes

Menlo Park is considering a plan that would limit the lawn on any new or substantially remodeled home to just 25% of the portion of the front and backyard or 500 square feet, whichever is greater.  That's not much grass.  It's equal to the size of the typical driveway.

I can't give you the link to the full article since the Daily Post does not have a website, but Ms. Diamond does go on to ask some interesting questions about what happens to limits in rain-laden years, what the effect on water rates might be and will the water we might save just be shunted off to Southern California?  All good questions to ponder as we spend our bond money to fix up the sewer and drain systems in B'game.

Pot Issue Coming to a Head

The San Mateo County Times Insider column describes the next chapter in the on-going marijuana legalization debate going on in Sacramento:

Assemblyman Jerry Hill was recently named one of the "Outstanding Legislators of 2009" by the California State Sheriffs' Association for his work in Sacramento, which included introducing a bill to crack down on multiple DUI offenders.

But then he went and cast a vote in favor of marijuana decriminalization Tuesday as a member of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, the first time in U.S. history that a bill to legalize pot has passed a legislative committee, according to Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, the bill's author.

So did Hill make the sheriffs regret their pick? To the contrary, he said. The association's lobbyist texted him afterward to say they understand Hill's position and support him in it, the San Mateo legislator said.

Hill's position is that his vote, which allowed the bill to pass out of the committee 4-3, was simply in favor of continuing the discussion on how society should handle the issue of marijuana. He wouldn't vote for that same bill on the floor of the Assembly, he said.

Besides, the vote was mostly symbolic. The bill was doomed this session for procedural reasons and may not come back until after the November election, which will likely feature a ballot measure on marijuana legalization.

The bill's symbolic nature didn't prevent San Mateo police Chief Susan Manheimer from vehemently opposing it in testimony as acting president of the state Police Chiefs Association. Manheimer told the committee that the idea that legalizing weed will eliminate criminal trafficking is "not only naive but patently dangerous."

Hill disputed the notion Friday that he and Manheimer, who know each other well, had found themselves on opposite sides of the issue.

It should be interesting to see how the restrictions are crafted.  I know a variety of parents and Washington Park neighbors are concerned about the pot smoking that allegedly goes on there at all hours of the day and night.

Jewelry Heists

The San Francisco Examiner is reporting another jewelry heist on Wednesday on our bayfront.  There is a pattern here

SAN FRANCISCO — A New York jewelry dealer was robbed at gunpoint at a hotel in Burlingame.

As The Examiner reported in early December, jewelry dealers who arrive from the East Coast to conduct business in the Bay Area — and specifically on the Peninsula — are often targeted by robbers.

In the most recent case, which occurred Wednesday morning, a 31-year-old New York man was loading merchandise into his car in the parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Burlingame, 1177 Airport Blvd., when two men approached him from behind, police said.

The December robbery was also at a Burlingame hotel parking lot.