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Monday, August 27, 2007

Red's Java House and the Port Commission's Mess


The Port of San Francisco wants to raise the rent on Red's Java House from around $800 a month to more than $4,400.

It seems that some slow-moving, long-lunch-taking, do-nothing official at the Port of San Francisco was supposed to submit a Port Commission deal with Red's Java House for a $2,000-plus-profit-share-deal to the Board of Supervisors for final approval. That was months ago. Many months ago. The sleepy-eyed Port employee never got around to doing anything, so now Red's is being slammed with a rent increase that might finally put the historic eatery out of business.

Red's has been in business since 1912. The Bay Bridge was built alongside it. The bridge construction crew ate at Red's. For many decades countless longshoreman, sailors and dock workers ate as many meals at Red's as they ate at home.

Once there were a lot of little eateries like Red's. They dotted the waterfront from Fisherman's Wharf, along the Embarcadero and all the way up to the dry dock. They are an important part of San Francisco's history.

Ann Lazarus is President of the San Francisco Port Commission. She is among the most capable and intelligent San Franciscans serving on our countless commissions and boards. I absolutely cannot believe that Ann Lazarus was personally aware of this affair. Her level of morality would demand that justice and historical respect be honored. Ann's record of fairness and honesty extends throughout the community and has been particularly noteworthy at Temple Emanu-el.

Rodney Fong, another Port Commissioner, also knows better. Rodney is a native San Franciscan. He owns the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf. He's made a career of being a San Francisco Businessman in the best sense of the meaning. He's been either a board member or an officer of just about every business-minded organization in the City, including the Convention & Visitors Bureau, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Fisherman's Wharf Merchants Assn - and on and on. Rodney Fong is a take-charge Alpha kind of guy. I can't believe that he had any knowledge of this either. He wouldn't sit still for a second knowing this kind of negligence was going on under his watch.

I imagine now that Phil Matier blew open the story on Channel 5 news it won't take long for the Port Authority to read the riot act to Monique Moyer, their executive director - but its not really her fault. She's the chief of the staff, so she's the one who will face the music. However ...

The staff person who is really responsible for this mess is Tina Olson, Deputy Director of Finance and Administration. Before landing her present job, Olson worked for the DPW - the San Francisco Department of Public Works. That explains everything.
on Monday, August 27, 2007

2 comments:

said...

I almost had enough enough time to stop in there last month, but I was running late, and made the all-too-familiar "well, it'll be there next time" mistake.

And now if we're lucky, it might go the way of the Eagle Cafe - a fate I wouldn't wish on any business owner. At best, it will be another memory of The City that was...

Wednesday, August 29, 2007 2:49:00 PM PDT
said...

Just ONE of a multitude of evidence bits that the USA IS in the throes of class warfare.

Red's is one of the few places a working-poor blue-collar fellow could grab an affordable meal.

Oh how I miss Red's double burger on sourdough.

It's been 17 years since I had one... wvwer since forced to depart my home state to a place where I could afford to live.

Remove Red's and it will be just one more ember that could fan the flames of open class war in the elite owned and operated USA.

Let that day come. The elites have spat upon the masses for far too long!!!

Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:31:00 PM PDT

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