how can we serve the rich better?

by giving them their own mega yacht slip, right on a prime part of the bay! (top pic) well, not "giving" of course, but the city stands to make some big bucks by taking one of the last open stretches of west-facing bayfront, just north of the star of india boat, and installing 8 moorings for super (100-400 foot) yachts. what's particularly galling about it is that the slot in question is directly across from the san diego county administration building, a fine example of 1930's art deco architecture and one of the most attractive buildings downtown; on the building (and in the middle picture above) are the words "the noblest motive is the public good". while the county is not in charge of the land in question, its message provides a head-smacking lesson on what government used to represent in this country (the building was built as part of the roosevelt's wpa program) versus what it does now - sell out to the rich. how does this project in any way further the public good?

one argument would be that by bringing in revenue, it will benefit the city, and in theory, the public. but don't we already do that all over the bayfront, with the rental car parking lots and the parking meters everywhere? not to mention the restaurants and touristy boats that fill in the rest of harbor drive here? and while it will be neat to see these big behemoths (i'm talking about the boats, not union tribune publisher david copley suntanning on his mega yacht), can't we do it somewhere else?

here's an idea - move the car rental lots to pacific highway, where they belong. take that land and convert it to a mega yacht rich prick hangout. pay for the conversion with jacked-up slip fees. of course, that would mean borrowing money, and the city's in big-time debt... scratch that.

well, let's hope it's not a done deal. meanwhile, down harbor, the broadway pier is closed, being fortified so it can return to its role as a... parking lot! (bottom pic) not one pier that sticks into the harbor is available for public park use. and finally, further down broadway, what is up with the former old police headquarters project? i see that construction is set to start in mid-2007, but nothing appears to be going on there, or about to. of course, when you attempt to rip off your future tenants (like diane powers, who used to hold the lease on old town's bazaar del mundo, which is a ghost town now), causing them to pull out, what's the big rush?