Unfortunately, a paywall blocks most of the article so I can’t see any
details, but it sounds like a “safe / free speech zone” for right wingers
in SF.
I think it’s an interesting concept, but I suspect it is intended primarily
for MAGA folks with policies/initiatives that libertarians would not want
to be associated with: trade wars, restrictions on abortion, large-scale
deportations, drug war escalation, etc.
I’m sorry Y’all weren’t interested in ramping up your LPSF marketing & tech abilities ( with my assistance ), but, since Richard’s uninformed/ignorant comments were so off base, I reckon it’s in everyone’s interests to get you ( fellow cheapo’s like Me, having worked in this corrupt industry, when it was far less corrupt, I have no qualms about undermining their elitist & censorship-riddled profit schemes & snagging important community related intel for FREE … from Our formerly free press… now suffering from poor to non-existent advertising revenue due to equally poor readership/subscribers due to even lower quality/gutter journalism … ).
So, the article, in full, is attached, below, in text & pdf, form for everyone’s information; since most paywalls are no match for ----ers like me who understand the nuts&bolts.
Key points from my perspective, having lived in Washington DC when Trump’s favorite first daughter Ivana Marie “Ivanka” Trump spearheaded the spectacular renovation of the nightmarish Old Post Office — former Trump Int’l Hotel/Now Washington DC’s Waldof Astoria ( turning a massive US$200M investment into an astonishing windfall US$375M flip on resale for the Trump Family ) — another decrepit #USgovt site — Renovated UNDER BUDGET & AHEAD OF PROJECTED DEADLINES & WITHOUT LEGAL / STRUCTURAL CRISES which plague most #USgovt redevelopments ( à la those insane “transit centers” ), the real opportunity to ReCreate this area with respect for NATURE & addressing Community needs in a FREE-MARKET / OPEN & fair processes for Contractors, Workers & Future Residents from ALL walks of LIFE are astounding while also Creating another Spectacular Innovative ( think state of the art geothermal & solar energy opportunities to reduce future costs for Residents ) Iconic World-Class Development.
It would be great if the LPSF might someday secure an office/meeting room in those new developments — if that is not too forward thinkin & hopeful for those with TDS.
[ I’m not sure how impotent out of touch SF electeds & Mr Weiner will have any say since #47 & his loyal developer-oriented sycophantic henchman Interior Secy Doug Burgum now control the total future makeup & agenda of The Board… ]
Since firewalls probably still prevent most of Y’All from accessing pertinent msmSnews articles about your neck of the woods, here’s an update on the #47/tRump’s Presidio plans which demonstrate that — while he’s super busy in DC & Palm Beach, Florida Mar-a-Lago Club, White Houses, 1.0 & 2.0, renaming Gulfs & staking claim to Greenland & Canada/The51stState & Ukraine’s precious mineral treasures & Mars & ending Wars — California ( HSPR ) & SF will not escape his egomania & tyrannical fingers.
When I bike through the Presidio, I always ask myself why 90% of that precious high end real estate is sitting there fallow when it could be better utilized to serve SF Residents & TaxPayers & boost Tourist Revenues for the City in such desperate need of funds for various programmes.
In a stunning executive order Wednesday evening, President Donald Trump attempted to make sweeping cuts to the Presidio Trust, the federal agency established by Congress in 1996 to oversee the 1,500-acre San Francisco park.
The order also targets the Inter-American Foundation, the United States African Development Foundation, and the United States Institute of Peace, saying they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
The impact of the order was not immediately clear Wednesday evening, but Trump’s move is almost certain to result in legal action — and swift condemnation from San Franciscans.
“It’s insane,” said Phil Ginsburg, general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, which oversees city parks but not the Presidio. “It is such a thriving and successful space for everyone — not to mention its ecological and environmental importance. … Everyone enjoys the Presidio, no matter who you voted for.”
The Presidio is a former U.S. Army post that was transferred to the National Park Service in the 1990s. |
The order states that the head of each agency must submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget within two weeks confirming compliance.
The Presidio Trust said in a statement that the organization has abided by the 1996 law that created it. It added that the park remains open while awaiting the OMB’s review.
“We are confident that our activities are all statutorily based,” the statement said. “The Presidio [is] a one-of-a-kind national park site, and all of its services and business will continue to operate as normal, welcoming visitors and serving all who live and work here.”
Marie Hurabiell, a former Presidio board trustee who was appointed by Trump in 2018, called for patience as the order is implemented. Because the park has a self-sustaining financial model that makes it largely independent of federal funding, the repercussions could be minimal, she said.
“In my experience, the trust is an extremely well-run, self-sustaining entity – it is NOT funded by taxpayers,” she wrote in a statement. “The trust does a really good job of keeping that place running efficiently and effectively.”
The trust’s most recent budget filings, for fiscal year 2025, show projected total operating revenue of $184 million, with $139 million in projected costs. This leaves a surplus of around $46 million. The trust’s reserves appear to be in good shape, with an $87 million surplus forecast for 2026.
The park has 200 commercial tenants and 2,900 people in housing.
The park, originally a Spanish fort from the 18th century and later a U.S. Army post, was decommissioned in the late 1980s after the U.S. Department of Defense decided to close down military bases around the country. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi helped establish the Presidio Trust after debates over what to do with the green space that holds numerous military buildings.
The trust is controlled by a seven-person board. Six are appointed by The President, while the seventh is chosen by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. [ I’m not sure how impotent out of touch SF electeds & Mr Wiener will have any say since #47 & his loyal developer-oriented sycophantic henchman Interior Secy Doug Burgum now control the total future makeup & agenda of The Board… ]
In a statement provided to The Standard, Pelosi’s office said the order is being carefully reviewed.
“In 1996, the Presidio Trust Act was passed in a bipartisan way when Republicans held the majority in Congress and has retained bipartisan support ever since,” the statement said. “The Presidio Trust is statutory and it has been protected from assaults over time by its statutory strength.”
Her office helped secure $200 million in federal funds for the Presidio in 2023 for maintenance projects, “bolstering the Presidio’s climate resilience and ensuring that the park remains free and open to the public for years to come,” the trust said at the time.
Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement that his office is ready to “support Speaker Pelosi and our federal partners” to protect the park.
“The Presidio is a crown jewel of San Francisco and a national model for how public land can serve the public,” Lurie said. “San Franciscans can rest assured the Presidio is not going anywhere.”
Guadalupe Ceja works for Futures Without Violence, which has offices in the Presidio. She expressed concern that cuts to the trust would have far-reaching impacts.
“It’s a ripple effect,” Ceja said after getting off a shuttle bus in the park Thursday morning. “You downsize something, you have to cut a lot of things in order to downsize. And cutting those things is going to affect something else.”
Scott Jampol, who was dropping his child off at a high school in the Presidio, said the park is “indispensable” because it has housing, businesses, arts organizations, and special events.
“To have it kind of seemingly be attacked for no real reason other than malice seems inappropriate,” he said.
State Sen. Scott Wiener said Trump’s order is legally dubious.
“The Presidio Trust is a national treasure — a self-sustaining trust that’s created a flourishing and vibrant Presidio,” Wiener said. “But Trump can’t tolerate success if it’s not about him or enriching him. So he’s trying to kill it off. This action is legally questionable at best. We’re not going to go quietly. When it comes to the destruction Trump is inflicting, we will have the last word.”
