While readers of this blog and those familiar with Arc Ecology and its work around the Hunters Point Shipyard, Yosemite Slough, and Candlestick Point State Recreational Area might naturally be tempted to draw a straight line between this new phase of our effort to build public awareness with regard to redevelopment and our litigation with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency over a contract dispute, we want to assure everyone that they are indeed two separate issues.
Arc Ecology is engaging in the dialogue and supporting the Governor’s budget review because of its importance to the City and the State. Redevelopment is an extremely powerful tool. Too little is known about the process, the Agencies, their commissions, and projects for anyone to say whether their efforts are supported or of concern to the general public. Long before Governor Brown presented his proposal to eliminate Redevelopment in California Arc Ecology thought a discussion of Redevelopment’s role and process was important. Now that the Governor has taken action it is even more critical that this dialogue take place.
The community discussion we are promoting will have no affect on the outcome of Arc Ecology’s grievance with the Agency. That matter is in the hands of the courts and we have engaged the excellent Bay Area based nonprofit public interest law firm - the First Amendment Project - to represent us. As such Arc Ecology has the very real possibility of having its grievances addressed through the legal system without having to incur the expense or the political fallout that will result from undertaking our open dialogue with San Francisco’s residents. In many ways it would most likely be easier and more profitable for us to simply stay quiet.
But that is not what we do.
On the other hand, we’re just people trying to get a point across. We expect that if we stray, you’ll let us know.
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