Reducing the Burden on the People of San Francisco

By Robert Northington "Rob" Power, III

Try to think of a part of your daily life that the City and County of San Francisco doesn't regulate. Go ahead. Try it.

Though he was making a joke, he had a good point. City government, kept to an efficient minimum level, should require no more of a Supervisor than a half day on Monday for the weekly meeting, and an hour or two each night after coming home from "normal" jobs. Similarly, that government should require so little of people living here in the City, that one doesn't have to hire full-time accountants and lawyers just to deal with the paperwork that every small business faces. Unfortunately, past and current Supervisors have made things so complicated, that Supervisor is now a full-time job, and small business are being forced out of the City by mountains of paperwork, restrictions, taxes, and fees. It's time to change that.

Just because I'm willing and able to put in the time and effort to navigate the maze of City government does not mean that I approve of such complexity. While in office, I would do everything in my power to repeal restrictions, remove barriers, minimize waste, and eliminate City government interference in our day-to-day lives. For a city its size, San Francisco has by far the most complicated, wasteful, and intrusive government in America. Is it any wonder that we're missing out on the economic recovery that's taking place across the United States?