C.W. Nevius reports in the San Francisco Chronicle that Gary Widman, President of the Presidio Historical Association, and his friends and supporters, have succeeded in blocking Gap founder Don Fisher's gift of a $100 million dollar art museum, which was to replace the abandoned buildings, old bowling alley, and empty roads that now litter parts of the Presidio, a former Army base. Mr. Widman is clearly very proud of himself, quoted in the Chron saying that the "The city ... and the public will greatly benefit if the Fisher family selects a more visitor-friendly location that does not destroy this unique National Historic Landmark."
Spare me. First, after royally dissing Mr. Fisher, does anyone really think he's going to give his collection to SF? And where's he going to put it? What is a more "visitor-friendly" site? Pier 39?
I'm getting very tired of the anti-business, anti-everything-interesting and fun attitude a lot of San Franciscans are developing. This was once a vibrant, indeed a boisterous, town. Now it's becoming about as interesting as Colma. Well, Mr. Widman, you can have the miserable little corner of the sprawling base where Mr. Fisher was going to put his museum. You and your friends can party there to your heart's content.
