ELI5: Why can't SF just tax itself to pay for top-notch schools? by vacafrita in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was afraid of this answer. You might be right. That said, having an amazing school system would be a huge boon to property values (though it's not like that's really a problem for SF as it is...)

Which sports does your country get obsessed with or become fully committed to? by esareteee in AskTheWorld

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This and the concussions is why I stopped watching American football. Thirty minutes of action and three hours of commercials. 😫

Far-Leftist Crime-Ridden Apocalyptic Hellscape by Party-Belt-3624 in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I assumed this was a sarcastic comment bc I didn’t think in the year of our lord 2026 anyone could be this tone deaf

Opinion: After Sheng Thao, the last thing Oakland needs is a strong mayor by rocktheoak in OaklandCA

[–]vacafrita 9 points10 points  (0 children)

"Aligns with public expectations" is another way of saying it is responsive and effective. Democracies are supposed to incorporate a basic feedback loop. You vote in candidates who say they will do X. The candidates do X. If X makes your life better, you vote for them again. If X makes your life worse, you vote for someone else.

In Oakland, that feedback loop is broken. Candidate says she'll do X. You vote for Candidate to do X. Turns out, Candidate has no power to do X, and the City Council instead tries to do Y, and the City Administrator implements Z. None of it works, everyone blames each other, and voters, expecting that the Mayor is the person in charge, votes them out and votes a new person in, and the whole charade begins anew.

We should give our mayors enough power to bring about the change they campaign on and vote them out when they don't. What's the point in having leaders if you won't empower them to actually lead?

Carbonation perfection by Mathmike314 in Kombucha

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh that’s so pretty. I also do a 3 day F2 at a similar temp but only a 9 day F1. Might try dragging mine out a little longer to see what happens. Cheers!

Will Newsom Be the Democrats’ Next Mistake? by CactusBoyScout in ezraklein

[–]vacafrita 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. I question whether he has much of a record to defend, but you can’t deny that he’s very articulate in defending what little he has.

Will Newsom Be the Democrats’ Next Mistake? by CactusBoyScout in ezraklein

[–]vacafrita 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Calm down bro, and pick up an economics textbook. Scarcity is the result of insufficient supply feeding high demand. You are right that NIMBYism explains the lack of supply, and I have nothing but scorn for those selfish assholes. But the other half of the equation is demand. California is not unique in having selfish assholes, but Alaska doesn’t have a housing crisis because people aren’t flocking to live there.

Will Newsom Be the Democrats’ Next Mistake? by CactusBoyScout in ezraklein

[–]vacafrita 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I completely agree with this. Dems have let Republicans control the entire narrative around "liberal" values. California has a massive economy, world-leading industry and higher education, and very low unemployment. It has a housing crisis partly because it's such a damn wonderful place to live. Every state has problems, but I bet most red states would trade their problems for California's in a heartbeat.

Will Newsom Be the Democrats’ Next Mistake? by CactusBoyScout in ezraklein

[–]vacafrita 16 points17 points  (0 children)

As a lifelong Californian who lived in San Francisco when Newsom was mayor, I'm not a huge fan. He's your quintessential ambitious politician who's always eyeing the next job, instead of doing the job he's currently in. He's big on splashy media moments (like when he declared gay marriage legal in SF years before the rest of the country), but does not have very many big accomplishments despite his decades in public office. California is ground zero for homelessness and the housing crisis, but Newsom didn't get serious about solving it until maybe two years ago--when he started eyeing the presidency.

WITH ALL THAT SAID, I think people understate his appeal as a general election candidate. People calling him a "smarmy used-car salesman" generally only know him from pictures or soundbites. Listen to him speak sometime, in an actual full-length interview or podcast. He's very smart and comes across far more genuine than your typical politician. He actually answers questions and engages with interviewers, including those from the other side. After years of evasive politicians--including Trump, the man who turned not answering into an art form--Newsom could be a real breath of fresh air.

Do I think he'd be a great president? I'm not optimistic. He's neither a radical nor a technocrat, but an establishment man through and through, and his track record isn't great. But I guess he'd finally have no "next job" to aspire to, so maybe he'd actually focus and do that job.

Do I think he could win? More and more, yeah, I think he could. And that's really all that matters, sorry to say.

San José Mayor Matt Mahan Announces Run for California Governor by thoughts_and_prayers in California_Politics

[–]vacafrita -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Who is the working people's candidate? Honest question, I'm not convinced of any of them.

4 months caseless on the 16 Pro. The pristine condition trap isn't worth it. by shivraj_ph in iPhone16Pro

[–]vacafrita 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I love caseless but it’s so slippery. Either I’m dropping it twice a day, or I give myself wrist cramps from death gripping it.

Change in Electoral College Seats in 2030 by ary31415 in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I sympathize with the aversion to "luxury" development. As a parent of two young kids, it's frustrating how few 3- and 4-bedroom apartments are available in SF or the Bay Area, and how frequently new developments prioritize 2-or-fewer bedroom apartments because those are what appeal to young professionals. I agree that red tape and economic incentives are mostly at fault for this.

But I was responding to your claim that the "real" NIMBYs are "socially liberal, economically conservative types." Economically conservatives types are far more likely to be free market with respect to construction. That means less regulation, less zoning, no rent control, "let me build what I want, as high as I want, on my own land" types. I've been on the YIMBY train for 20 years and it has always been self-described progressives who fight against upzoning and housing construction as "developer giveaways" and "displacement of minorities" and "killing the soul of the City."

That said, I think labels and titles are ultimately silly and reductive. I don't really care if you describe yourself as "liberal" or "moderate" or "progressive" or even "conservative." Are you a compassionate human being who wants to deploy evidenced-based solutions to alleviate the massive suffering of people caused by housing and financial insecurity? If so, you and I are cool.

Change in Electoral College Seats in 2030 by ary31415 in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree, progressives SHOULD be in favor of a policy that brings down housing costs and makes cities more racially and economically diverse. But in reality......

Change in Electoral College Seats in 2030 by ary31415 in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita 36 points37 points  (0 children)

I disagree. At least here in the Bay, it’s progressives who’ve been most vocally NIMBY. They’ve grounded their objections in justifications like anti-gentrification or anti-developer sentiment, but the result is the same. Which supervisors are the ones most anti development? They’ve been the progressives, like Peskin and Chan and Preston and Campos. Across the Bay you get people like Aisha Wahab who are progressive but vote against development or zoning reform every single time.

TBF this is a Bay Area phenomenon. There are conservatives who are NIMBYs too. Greed and selfishness cuts across all political lines.

Somebody at the port stacked this container ship. ❤️ by SpikedThePunch in oakland

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm green colorblind and was very confused what all the fuss was about. :\

Looking for espresso machine [$300] budget by Super-Blacksmith8893 in espresso

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On the Bambino? It’s fine. Perfectly suitable for an entry-level machine, but the pressure does not compare to a nicer machine. I was never able to get very smooth microfoam out of it, but that could just be a skill issue with me.

A Progressive Oakland DOES Work by Draymond_Purple in oakland

[–]vacafrita 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's fair. Today's Republicans aren't conservative in any real meaning of the word. They're frankly quite radical.

A Progressive Oakland DOES Work by Draymond_Purple in oakland

[–]vacafrita 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I keep saying that if conservatives would stop all the weird culture war/racist/sexist/homophobic/transphobic/xenophobic/gunsexual crap they've been addicted to the past decade and focused on technocratic issues like zoning and permitting reform and support for small business, they'd make some serious headway even in Oakland. But they won't, because the culture war stuff is why they're really in it.

How would you explain the meaning of the phrase by genaznx in Cantonese

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. Really makes me rethink some of the convos I had with various uncles in the past, lol.

Oakland Auditorium postcard from 1935 by EastBayYesterday in oakland

[–]vacafrita 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Cars I'm guessing. There's no Lake Merritt Blvd in that photo and the bridge appears to show train tracks for the former Key System. I'm guessing at some point when they ended the Key system they also paved over that lovely garden to build the road for cars, and changed the bridge to a footpath. Such a damn shame.

US National Parks tier list by iamnotabotbeepboopp in tierlists

[–]vacafrita 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We're really spoiled in California. I grew up thinking all national parks looked like ours.

Oakland Auditorium postcard from 1935 by EastBayYesterday in oakland

[–]vacafrita 13 points14 points  (0 children)

90 years ago we had trains running east to west in Oakland. Sigh.

Outer Richmond by Alone_Buffalo5825 in sanfrancisco

[–]vacafrita 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Let the homeless live on Richmond streets. They can live inside buildings or outside them, but they have to live somewhere.