Being a Drunk In San Francisco Is Going To Be More Expensive For Drunks
Courtesy of Jr. Deputy Accountant
As if we needed another reason to want to leave this third-world cesspool of a city, a new alcohol tax has been proposed by the Board of Supes to cover the costs associated with caring for the mess of drunks in the city.
I suspect this is not a humanitarian mission but another attempt to recoup some of the cash its been bleeding to take care of its massive homeless population. You know, being short on cash and all.
Adding a new fee to alcohol sold in San Francisco would generate an estimated $16.3 million a year to help cover city-funded public health and paramedic costs associated with alcohol abuse. But purveyors of beer, wine and hard spirits say that new charge would drive away business and hurt their bottom line.
Legislation proposed by Supervisor John Avalos to charge wholesalers and certain distributors of alcoholic beverages a fee of just under 6 cents for every ounce of alcohol sold got its first public airing at City Hall on Wednesday and was met with mixed reaction.
The few remaining players in this hostile city don’t find that to be entertainment and who can blame them? I only drink out when friends are in town from somewhere else and used to throw away a lot more money to going out. In fairness, the weather has been bad so maybe that’s why I’m not compelled to go out and spend money. It could also be because my rent gets taxed directly out of my a** just to live in fabulous San Francisco.
Guy Carson, co-owner of Cafe Du Nord, a nightclub and restaurant on Market Street, the fee imposed on wholesalers and distributors would be passed on to businesses like his at a time when the profit margin already is slim and customers are spending less.
"It’s just one more example of City Hall looking to make it hard to do business in San Francisco," he said.
I love it here but it has obviously surpassed the point of hostility towards its own. The SFMTA prowl my car like sharks knowing I don’t have a residential permit in front of my own house (should I stuff the meter every hour just to park at home?) and I’ve racked up 7 tickets in 4 months. Not curbing my wheels, parking in a different spot on the same block over the 2 hour limit, not moving after 2 hours …
So City Hall has also made it hostile to live, drive and/or work here. The rolling City Hall ATMs called the DPT or SFMTA or whatever it is these days stalk my work neighborhood even more ferociously as there is a no parking between 4 and 6p lane over there. $55. $65. Another $65. I’m being penalized for being at home and again for being at work. How the fuck does that make sense?!
I’m not a drunk so this doesn’t really impact me. It’s the parking thing that’s really starting to piss me off.
