The Dolores Park Insanity
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June 2nd, 2016

The Dolores Park Insanity

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Note – San Francisco announced it would reinstate fees (including a $200 security deposit) for reserving a patch of grass large enough for 25 people at Dolores Park. Shortly after it became national news (but after we’d already sent this cartoon out to papers), people protested and San Francisco reversed its decision.

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Discussion (2)¬

  1. Chris says:

    Since your strip promotes popularist sentiment about how SF manages public space, I feel it is appropriate to weigh in on the park rental system discussion. Rec & Park’s reservation process has created a more egalitarian system. Before it was in place, fields and facilities were monopolized by locals and local organizations (churches, schools, clubs, etc.). It was often even difficult for other neighbors to use them. Parks are City resources, not neighborhood resources. The reservation system isn’t perfect but it is better than what we had and it guarantees that families and small groups can plan a nice day without worrying about drunken rowdies or a drum circle intruding upon their picnic.

    • Darrin Bell says:

      If it didn’t cost money, I might agree with you. But a $200 security deposit and a minimum $33 fee does not produce an egalitarian system.

      There are other ways (other than making it harder for the poor to congregate in the park) to guarantee that families and small groups don’t have to worry about drunken rowdies or a drum circle intruding upon their picnic. Call the police so they can eject the drunken rowdy, for instance. Go to City Hall and pass a noise ordinance outlawing drum circles. And if you can’t get the votes to pass the ordinance, you either put up with the drum circle or go elsewhere. That’s the egalitarian way to do it.