Yee Cracks Down On Porn News Racks
By Ethen Lieser
AsianWeek Staff Writer
Like it or not Larry Flynt, Leland Yee is hot on your tail. At the San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, Supervisor Yee requested that the city attorney draft appropriate legislation on how the city can remove adult news racks and ban future news racks in residential areas.
Yee said the Westside Presidio area, including the Richmond and Sunset districts, “have been inundated with adult news racks.” Yee also called for a mandate that would make certain the news racks be at least 1,000 feet away from schools and playgrounds.
With the opening of Hustler Club in North Beach, Flynt’s hardcore street publication has hit the streets with other like-minded distributors.
Yee said that in the past, coins were needed to open up the adult news racks. But he has noticed more free news racks, which could make passing children vulnerable.
“You can imagine boys and girls waiting at the bus stop … and they have access to that type of material, and clearly this is rather inappropriate,” Yee said. “This is not about restricting anybody’s freedom of expression, but rather to provide some level of protection to our children and to ensure their quality of life.”
Other actions on Monday:
Supervisor Jake McGoldrick gave a certificate of honor to the Lincoln Park Golf Course in celebration of its 100th anniversary. Currently, neighboring Harding Park Golf Course is being renovated and should be completed by next year. Lincoln would be the next golf course to get a facelift.
“At all different ages and all different stages in [people’s] lives, it is important to have a place to go out and have some recreational activity and get some fresh air … it is a very, very valuable service that the city has been offering to our people for a long time,” McGoldrick said.
Supervisor Sophie Maxwell requested a hearing with the Finance Committee to review the city’s collection of developer impact fees. She said the fees usually go to affordable housing, childcare and public transportation.
“This has been an issue for quite some time,” Maxwell said. “Yet I still hear reports of uncollected fees … It is critical that the city, particularly in these challenging budget times, collect full fees for projects.”
Maxwell also proposed a resolution to proclaim Sept. 27 as “Car-Free Day” in San Francisco. She noted that Car-Free Day has been increasingly popular in cities in Europe.
“It provides an empowering opportunity for San Franciscans to do something positive in response to their concerns about quality of life, traffic problems and air pollutions,” Maxwell said. “Car-Free Day will raise awareness by demonstrating how reduced car usage in the city can make a positive difference and provide opportunities for residents and visitors to experience firsthand the joy of walking, biking or busing to see the city from a different perspective.”
Reach Ethen Lieser at elieser@asianweek.com.
|
