The Burlingame Voice

Plastic bags: "Thank you for your service"

The Sacramento Stupidity was on full display this week as Newsom signed yet another law aimed at restricting use of plastic.  The last plastic grocery bag ban had a "loophole" that still allowed the heavier "reusable" bags but, guess what, not enough people are reusing them so they must be outlawed.  Who could possibly have foreseen that?  "Once plastic bags are outlawed, only outlaws will have plastic bags".  Coupled with Bonta's idiotic suit against ExxonMobil for making something that is a necessity in life.  As the WSJ notes:

The company’s alleged deception supposedly caused California lawmakers in 1989 to pass legislation forcing cities to set up recycling programs “that required mandatory participation by all residents.”

In other words, it is Exxon’s fault that Californians must place plastic waste into separate trash containers even though most of it doesn’t actually get recycled. Mr. Bonta claims that Exxon has “wrongly convinced consumers that plastics separated for recycling would actually be recycled,” though, notably, the state hasn’t repealed that law.

Nor has Sacramento repealed the CRV.  Duping lawmakers seems pretty easy. 
The memorial to thicker plastic bags will live on in my car's trunk for years.  "Thank you for your service".

Election 2024: The action is in the initiatives

Dan Walters at Calmatters.org has distilled the upcoming election for us noting that the candidate-based voting is a forgone conclusion, but the numerous initiatives is where the action will take place.  I grew up in "Taxachusetts" but my home state has nothing on California.  Squeezing more blood from the middle-class stone is on-going and the question is will this be the election where the backlash arrives?  As Walters writes

The scale of the conflicts is most evident in an initiative, sponsored by the Business Roundtable and anti-tax groups, that would make state and local tax increases markedly more difficult to enact.  It hits Democrats and their allied public employee unions where they live and they have mounted a two-pronged effort to block passage: a lawsuit, now pending in the state Supreme Court, to strike the measure from the ballot, and a competing proposition that would impose a higher and potentially prohibitive vote threshold on the tax measure.

On crime, he notes the ballot will include an "initiative that would modify Proposition 47, a 2014 ballot measure that reduced penalties for many crimes."  I think of it as the "Walgreen's initiative" after hearing multiple instances of people walking out of the store on B'way with a garbage bag full of stuff.  You want shampoo?  Call a clerk to unlock it.  Today's Comicle has a piece about some Safeway taking out the self-check kiosks and it ain't because they want to hire more checkers.  Walters expects the backlash initiative to qualify.  Further down the ballot:

Other high-profile measures either qualified or likely to qualify include a business-sponsored initiative that would repeal the Private Attorneys General Act, a two-decade-old union-sponsored law that makes class action lawsuits against employers relatively easy to file. Others include a third effort to make it easier for local governments to enact rent control, a boost in income taxes on high-income Californians to finance pandemic prevention, and an increase in the state’s minimum wage.

Talk about dumb and dumber.  Let's mess up the rental market, the entry-level job market and kill the Golden Goose all in one fell swoop.  There are five months to go.  We shall see if the voters have had enough or if we get more of the same.  Stay tuned.

Earth Day Special: When "green" isn't

Happy Earth Day, everyone.  Per Wikipedia

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.  The official theme for 2024 is "Planet vs. Plastics."

That's a meritorious goal that is harder to accomplish than it seems.  The unspoken recycling scam I profiled four years ago of very little stuff that goes into the system getting recycled (9%!) should get a lot more attention than it does.

The whole process gets even more complex when packagers mistakenly make it even harder to recycle in the name of going green.  I won't call this local example "greenwashing" because I'm guessing they really think they are helping.  They just misjudge human behavior and don't understand what happens as a result.  I'm no expert either, but I know whom to ask--the team at Ridwell as profiled here.  I recall from interviewing them that "film" plastic--the thin stuff--isn't recyclable by the Recologies of the world--hence Ridwell.  So, when I saw the new package tops of salads and spinach at Safeway, I smelled a rat in the recycling.  "34% Less Plastic Than Previous Plastic Lid".  Yeah, but.  People have to know to peel the new lid and the strip it sticks to off the container before they recycle it.  I'm guessing next to nobody knows or does it because the font on the message to remove it is tiny and printed in white ink. 

Net result from the experts:  My guess is the most common occurrence is the entire package is included in PET bales as contamination.  PET is what the base of it is.  The worst fate would be if this pushes the contamination rate to such a high level that nothing can be done with the bales.  PET is usually very recyclable so that would be a shame.

Once again, the Law of Unintended Consequences strikes.  How long before we see the hard plastic lids return?  Soon I hope.  Happy Earth Day.........

 

Ka-chingleBells, Ka-chingleBells

I stopped short in my one-horse open sleigh entering Safeway this week and I was not laughing all the way.  My spirits were notably less bright as I perused this three-foot-high tree for the new Inflation Production Act price of $46.99 + tax.  Wasn't it just a year or two ago that these little tabletop trees were twenty bucks?  I'm not blaming Safeway.  I'm pretty sure this isn't a brazen grab of any extra sawbuck or two, but as the bad fiscal policies of the last three years ripple through the economy, expect more shocks.  It's a delayed feedback loop and the loop is tightening.

Few people know the third verse:

A day or two ago,
The story I must tell
I went out on the snow,
And on my back I fell;
A gent was riding by
In a one-horse open sleigh,
He laughed as there I sprawling lie,
But quickly drove away. Ah!

It might have been Gavin in the sleigh, but looked it more like that "other Joe".  Santa is facing the same cost pressures as eveyone else so be sure to buy some Toys for Tots this year.  Too bad Talbot's is gone after 66 years.  Nice work, San Mateo.  I haven't checked yet, but the B'game Fire Department (ie. Central County) is probably collecting new, unwrapped toys as usual.

The Man Behind Mollie's is Ringing Out

Austin Walsh at the Daily Journal has delivered an outstanding piece about the impending retirement of one of the most well-liked people in town -  Mark Lucchesi.  Click through here to read it; I'll just grab a couple bits for the historical record.

But with almost two decades of work in the industry beyond his 28 years at Mollie Stone’s, Lucchesi has seen more than his fair share of grocery store wars. As a youngster, he took his first job out of college working for his father who owned two markets – Jim’s Super in Burlingame and Capuchino Market in Millbrae. Following his term in the family business, Lucchesi pivoted to working at Petrini’s before eventually matriculating to Mollie Stone’s.

He worked for a while at the company’s Palo Alto location but jumped at the opportunity to manage the Burlingame store when it opened in 1999, excited to take a job back in his hometown and work close to where he lived.

Mark has been integral to a number of local events and charities-- Taste of the Town and charity auctions for the schools come to mind and I'm sure you can recall others as the Lion's did.  "He won the Burlingame Lions Club Citizen of the Year Award in 2017 for his philanthropic endeavors."

He also brings back the memories of the Safeway rebuild that you can revisit by working backward from here.

Lucchesi said in that role he has encountered a great many skirmishes over the years, first recalling the rivalry formed with the construction of a new downtown Safeway in Burlingame. Reflecting on initial fears that the titan’s competition would topple Mollie Stone’s, Lucchesi is proud of the way his independent outlet sustained itself.  About a decade after the new Safeway arrived in Burlingame, Lucchesi said the potential blood feud has since evolved into something more closely resembling a friendly rivalry.

Speaking from experience, I think Mark and Kathy are going to really enjoy retirement.  With their network of friends in a town they love, they'll never be short of a friendly face to have a chat with.  The next time I see Mark I will snap a photo for this post.  Hopefully he will be in an aloha shirt and looking relaxed.  Congrats, man.

Coping With Quarantine

I really don't want to add to the concerns that people already have about the Covid-19 virus, the actions we all must take or the longer-term effects on society.  But I do think it would be helpful to local businesses if the word got out on what was open, partially open (e.g. take-out only, curbside delivery sorts of things) and any other tips for coping.  So here is sort of an "open thread".  If you have any helpful tips, please feel free to add them.  I wish Safeway had a webcam upfront so I could check the lines before I walk over.  The shortened hours shown below should help the staff keep up.  Molly Stone's was pacing customers' entry yesterday and I have not been up to the North End yet.

Reminiscencing running.

Seeing the campaign lawn sign sprouting and having attended the recent Burlingame City Council Debates, my thoughts turn nostalgic.

A few differences between council races of the past 15 years or so and this one were the noticeable lack of candidates, the lack of audience members and the lack of any media covering the event.

Why only three candidates for two open seats? (Two of whom are incumbents.) In the past, there have been 6-9 candidates vying for two open seats. Perhaps it's the lack of issues? The questions the candidates fielded were almost exclusively centered around one subject—housing.

Back in the day, (hey I’m waxing nostalgic here) there were all kinds of questions on a great variety of topics. During my multiple runs for a seat on the dais, I can recall having a stack of 3 x 5 cards with bullet points and notes outlining issues that I anticipated might be asked that were important to Burlingame. One of my fellow candidates saw my notes and leaned over and whispered, “Hey, do you already know what’s going to be asked?” My reply was, “No, but I can sure make a pretty good guess.” The questions ranged from what was the council going to do about the constant filth on Burlingame Avenue to why Burlingame didn’t have free Wi-Fi to why the city wasn't going to pay for sidewalk repair anymore to bay front development to of course the architectural plan for a massive 63,000 square foot downtown Safeway. ( Simply look at the Burlingame Voice categories in the sidebar to get a sense of the issues that have been bantered about.) There were lots of concerns the residents wanted council candidates to address, more than the aforementioned short list. There were lots of residents who showed up to hear what the answers might be. Standing room only as I recall. Not to mention that if they could not attend the debate at City Hall, they could attend the debate at Burlingame High or the one at Burlingame Intermediate or the one at First Presbyterian Church. Once we even had a debate at the Atria Senior Center.

There were no reporters in attendance—at least none that I knew about. I know the media can watch a recording of the meeting, but that doesn't give a reporter the opportunity to “carpe diem” and ask follow-up questions of the candidates on the spot. In fact, it’s been a few days now and I have not seen a single article about the differences between what one candidate said and what the others said. Wait, aren't they called “debates?”

In the spirit of nostalgia, the debates I participated in were truly that—a variety of candidates with a variety of perspectives. They were lively affairs; some might even say, “Heated.” A debate could make or break a candidate. The aftermath and local media coverage, from several local newspapers, were important litmus tests. Gone are the days when the local newspaper, The San Mateo Daily Journal sponsored and ran the debate. Apparently they aren’t even covering it anymore. Thank goodness for The Burlingame Voice!

Also gone are the days when local races were won and lost by a few votes, (for example, I lost once by only 8 votes! Another candidate lost by only 21.)

Maybe all the concerns from the past have been addressed? Maybe the only questions left are where to build, how much to build and how high to build. At least that was my impression.

Here’s to the good old days.

 

10 lbs of Vehicle in a 5 lb Sack

The Wall Street Journal has a piece on the dissonance between Americans love of ever-larger vehicles and the ever-shrinking parking spaces they hope to squeeze into.  This has been a pet peeve of mine for sometime so indulge me for a moment while we look at the Journal's facts

Many downtown garages and parking lots sprouted in the late ’70s and ’80s when sales of smaller cars were on the rise. The standard parking spot in the U.S.—about 8 feet to 9 feet wide and nearly 18 feet deep—has budged little since.

Compact-car spaces, generally 7 feet to 8 feet wide and 15.5 feet deep, are becoming more commonplace in some congested cities, as builders try to squeeze in more parking.

Ford Motor Co., which recently announced it was killing off several slow-selling car models, expects nearly 90% of its North American sales will come from SUVs and trucks by 2020.  Drivers of more diminutive rides are equally frustrated by the parking pinch. Taller trucks and SUVs block views, park at weird angles and make it difficult to get in and out. 

B'gamers are susceptible to the problem in older and in newer parking lots.  The Safeway lot is a great example--tons of SUVs in "compact" spaces.  In a perfect world--or at least my perfect world-- planners would not even consider "compact" spaces.  They should just assume every space is going to be used by all sizes of vehicle and force the parking requirement to comply.  It will only get worse too as we dig deeper for more parking a la California Ave. and the other huge developments coming soon.

Honoring a Mentor: Charles Voltz

This post is originally from April 5, 2018.  Updated January 7, 2023:  Our dear friend Charles Voltz passed on Christmas Day.  RIP, my friend.

The City Council honored local activist and frequent mentor to other activists, Charles Voltz, last Monday night at the council meeting.  The list of Charles' notable contributions in the Proclamation are long and deep--from co-founding the Washington Park Society with Dan Anderson to the Citizens for a Better Burlingame (CBB of Safeway fame--read the 74 posts here) to High-speed Boondoggle and several groups in between.  As an active Rotarian and man-about-town, Charles has epitomized the type of civic engagement that helped Burlingame through some very tough issues--and he will continue to do so because that is the kind of guy he is.  Several people, including several council members, noted that Charles is generous with his time and knowledge when mentoring people.  It was great to see him and his significant other Mary Hunt honored at a council meeting.  You can watch the accolades on the City website here.  And here is Charles with Mayor Michael Brownrigg who put the ceremony together and ran it with panache.

Charles Voltz and Michael Brownrigg

Safeway Snarl - Part 2

Like Samiselfie who posted about last night's checkout snarl on the parking lot post, I was in the right place at the wrong time (about 5pm).  It was something to behold as you can see in the photos below.  The top one is the regular checkout line extending back into the wine department.  The second one is the self-checkout line going half way back up the aisle.

I did not mention it in the parking lot post, but during that visit I heard a patron complain to the store manager that she had experienced a ridiculously long line a few days before and had called Safeway headquarters to complain.  His response was that he "has a financial plan that he has to meet".  I don't think this is a cost of living on the Peninsula issue for unionized employees as much as a Safeway profitability issue.  Either way, when you need hydration in line at the grocery it might be time to go to a different store.

The new card reader machines for chip cards that cannot read the Safeway Club card don't help speed things up either!