Richmond District Supervisor Eric Mar sat down with the Public Press recently and gave his thoughts on the city budgeting process which you’ll see in the video below.
I found the clip interesting from the standpoint that Mar is a freshman Supervisor and I think he is finding, as any new Supe would, that the politicking and infighting at City Hall can be detrimental to the process and the people it serves.
The budget crisis this year must have given Mar an eye-opening example of the City Hall machinery at work.
In the video, Mar has some interesting, perhaps utopian ideas for how the budget process could be improved. Not bad ideas by any means, but are they realistic?
When I interviewed Supervisor Mar earlier this year, I got the sense that a big part of being new to City Hall is learning the ropes, finding out who your friends are, and then deciding what you want to focus on. He’s getting pulled in many directions and perhaps not finding the solid ground to stand on that he’s seeking.
At the 2:40 mark, Supervisor Mar mentions the proposed parking meters for Golden Gate Park, which they project will bring in $1.5 million in revenue in its first year for the Rec & Park Department. Not everyone, especially Richmond residents, have warmed to this idea and in recognition of that, Mar says “I’m going to balance the needs for the Rec & Park revenue with the inconvenience it may pose for many people”.
Sarah B.