Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

For a brief, shining moment, San Francisco was clean. The arrival of world leaders for a high-profile summit earlier this month prompted the city to jump into action, hosing down its streets and sprucing up neglected downtown neighbourhoods. The change was dramatic. It was also shortlived. 

San Francisco is a city of stains. The sunshine glitters and the waters of the Bay sparkle but at street level, the centre is noticeably filthy. Some of these stains are palatable. Warm weather means fruit trees grow along the roads, dropping cherry plums and carob pods that get squashed underfoot. But most are man-made. Every year, the SF Department of Public Works receives thousands of reports of human faeces on its streets. 

Understandably, this is a subject that preoccupies locals. Not long after I moved here, a friend sent me an unusual guide to SF neighbourhoods known as the SF poop map. Created by a non-profit called Open The Books, the online map claims to show the location of every one of these reports made between 2011 and 2019. Zoom out and dots cover almost the entire city. Only a sliver of Pacific beach and the hills of Presidio park are clear. 

The problem persists. I looked up SF’s latest Street and Sidewalks report and found that nearly half of the busiest streets in the city are still affected. In Nob Hill, 89 per cent of the streets evaluated had human and animal faeces present. In the Mission, it was a comparatively clean 61 per cent. 

This is the side of San Francisco that the city was keen not to showcase when presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, tech leaders and the world’s press gathered for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. Hence the clean-up. There were grumbles from some residents that the efforts were being made for visitors, not for the people who live here every day. But there was also surprise that the city had proved it was possible, even if just for a few days. Unfortunately, it will take more than a one-off clean up to address the causes of San Francisco’s grime.

The more intractable problem for the city is a large homeless population plus a lack of public bathrooms. Officials point out that the city’s homeless population fell between 2019 and 2022. But the overall figure remains high. In 2022, there were 887 people without homes per 100,000 residents, according to a report by the City & County Of San Francisco Office of the Controller City Performance Unit. Many of those people live on the streets. Last year, there were 503 unsheltered people per 100,000 residents. Compare that to Washington DC, where the figure is 100 people per 100,000 residents. In central London, it is roughly 112 people per 100,000 residents.

This group is most at risk of illness from exposure to dirty streets. Although extra beds in shelters are being made available, the city has also become more active in simply moving homeless people away from some areas. 

San Francisco has been trying to tackle homelessness for decades. A lack of bathrooms seems like the sort of practical issue that might be easier to solve. Researchers at UC Berkeley tracked the impact of portable restrooms and found an immediate drop in reports of human waste on the streets. But in fact, the city already has a lot of public bathrooms. It’s just that many of them are closed. Proper maintenance requires attendants, which costs money. Recouping this from users is not possible. In California, as in many other states, it is illegal to charge entrance fees for bathrooms. 

Public spending on new facilities is controversial. When San Francisco planned to add a public bathroom to the well-heeled Noe Valley Town Square Park at an initial $1.7mn cost, there was instant pushback.

That leaves street cleaners. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu told a local news station that he hoped momentum from the Apec clean-up would make the situation sustainable. But walking through the Civic Center in the heart of the city, it is already clear that this is not the case.

If you live in San Francisco it is easy to get defensive. It has become famous for problems that are also found in other cities. But the publicity could be a spur to test out new solutions — making use of empty office space, for example, or expanding the number of supervised, portable public bathrooms. Clean public spaces make us happy. Living in grime does not.

elaine.moore@ft.com

The post San Francisco’s clear up ought to spur new metropolis options appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A Czech news crew was robbed of its camera equipment in during the APEC conference in San Francisco. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

San Francisco’s push to use a major international conference to reverse its image as a city in decline is getting off to a rocky start.  

A Czech journalist and his camera crew were robbed at gunpoint Sunday evening by three armed assailants, according to a statement from the San Francisco police. The incident occurred in the North Beach neighborhood, about two miles from the city’s downtown, where world leaders are meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. 

“The suspects demanded their production equipment and the victims complied,” the police said. “The suspects then entered their vehicle and fled from the scene.” 

North Beach is a busy tourist area known for its Italian restaurants and City Lights, a landmark bookstore made famous by beatnik poets such as Allen Ginsberg. The San Francisco Chronicle, which earlier reported the robbery, said Czech TV journalist Bohumil Vostal was filming the bookshop at dusk to capture the city’s beauty. 

The camera equipment was valued at $18,000 and San Francisco Mayor London Breed has promised the city will help replace it, according to the newspaper. 

The incident occurred as San Francisco hosts legions of international delegates, world leaders and journalists for the APEC event. While most of the attention is focused on a planned meeting between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping of China, San Francisco is hoping to use its moment on the world stage to encourage tourism and pitch itself as a thriving hub of innovation. 

Municipal workers have been been power-washing sidewalks, moving homeless people, and sprucing up buildings in its downtown core, all in hopes that visitors will see a positive side of the city. 

San Francisco has notoriously high property crime rates, and local television crews have been known to travel with armed guards. However, homicide rates are below those of cities such as Austin, Miami and Washington, DC, according to federal and local data.

The post San Francisco’s effort to wash up its tattered picture suffers a blow after a Czech information crew is robbed of digital camera tools throughout APEC Summit appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

HOULTON, Maine — After nearly six years of undrinkable chemically contaminated water flowing through their pipes at the Houlton Mobile Home Park, residents will soon get relief, according to the park’s owner.

Once the final piece of financing is approved that is.

State testing showed unsafe levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in the well water almost as soon as Tony Brettkelly purchased the mobile home park off the Old Woodstock Road in Houlton about six years ago, he said.

Park management has been supplying residents with bottled water ever since, although the contaminated water is used for laundry, showers and cleaning, according to resident Phil Pierce.

The park’s current sewer system flows into the Houlton Water Co. system, but because of its age — perhaps 70 years old — it’s failing, and the water containing PFAS is getting into the wastewater, according to Houlton Water Co. General Manager Greg Sherman. The town has to take additional steps to process the wastewater.  

The park project funding includes a new sewer system that will be installed after the water is fixed.

The imminent repairs of the water and sewage systems will finally bring the mobile home park in compliance with state and local regulations, and make the water safe for people to drink.

Houlton Mobile Home Park in Houlton, Maine, pictured on July 11, 2018. Credit: Jen Lynds / BDN

“We are in the final stretch. It has taken years to get this done,” Brettkelly said. “I am pleased we have finally gotten to this point. It has taken so much work from so many people to make this happen.”

After the initial testing showed contamination, more state testing in 2022 reported PFAS levels at 183.4 parts per million; 20 parts per million or below are considered safe, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services guidelines.

A recent U.S. Geological Survey study found that more than half of the water taps in the nation have unsafe levels of PFAS or forever chemicals in the drinking water. And the Houlton Mobile Home Park water issues are not uncommon in The County.

Since state mandatory testing of public water systems for PFAS began last year, several County schools tested with unsafe levels of PFAS and lead in their water, including Hodgdon Middle High School and Mill Pond Elementary School, where students have been drinking bottled water since last November. An extensive carbon treatment system is being installed at the two schools, with completion slated for late fall.

The County’s water contamination problems are largely due to municipal sewage sludge spread onto farm fields. In 2019, after rural residents contacted the Maine Environmental Protection Agency with concerns about the sludge safety, testing revealed unsafe levels of forever chemicals in the sludge fields. Later that year, the EPA stopped all sludge spreading in the state.

Pierce, originally from Vermont, has lived at the mobile home park for three years, and in addition to his other work in road traffic control, he helps with repairs and maintenance at the mobile home park, he said.

“It’s never really been a problem for me. Because of my job and working outside, I always drink spring water,” he said.

Even so, Pierce is excited to see that the Houlton Water Co. lines are already up to the hydrants near his home, he said

“I think it is very good they are doing it,” Pierce said. “It will make a huge difference for people.”  

Eliminating the chemicals is difficult and costly.

Without the coordinated and sustained efforts of the town, the Houlton Water Co. and the  Maine Drinking Water Program, this more than $1.6 million fix would not have been possible, owner Brettkelly said.

It took several state and federal grants, Brettkelly’s own financial contributions and a pending Maine Municipal Bond Bank loan to bring the Houlton Mobile Home Park to this level. If all funding approvals go through, the 80 or so people living at the park may soon be able to turn on their taps and get clean water.

Brettkelly’s matching funds, as required by the state Drinking Water Program, are close to $500,000. He said he sold a property along with applying for a Maine Municipal Bond Bank loan to help with his portion of the funding. He expects to hear about the state bank loan next week.

Other funding for the project which, also includes a new sewer system, came from a $614,137 Community Development Block Grant, according to Houlton Director of Economic Development Nancy Ketch.

Because of escalating costs, Ketch also applied for $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Aroostook County that were recently approved.

The Houlton Water Co., with grant funding from the Maine Drinking Water Program, just completed their end of the drinking water project by bringing a 12-inch water main to the edge of the mobile home park, said Greg Sherman, Houlton Water Co. general manager.

“We’ve done all we can do at this point,” Sherman said.

Now, Brettkelly, also with the help of the Maine Drinking Water Program, is responsible for completing the water distribution system within the park that will hook into the Houlton Water Co. main line, Sherman said.

Brettkelly lives in San Francisco, but spends a lot of time in The County, he said. His two daughters live in Portland and they often went on adventures in Aroostook County. He loved the County so much, he said that if he ever had an investment opportunity there, he would take it.

When the Houlton Mobile Home Park came on the market, he purchased it because of its beautiful setting, unaware of the water issue, he said.

And while he could have sold the 19-acre property, he stuck with it through the water and sewer problems. At the same time, Brettkelly and his team started the hard work of turning the mobile home park around to make it a safe and family-oriented place to live.

Initially riddled with drug and crime issues, the police were at the park nearly every day,  he said.

But along with the help of his resident manager, Paula Russell and her husband Jarret Russell, it has slowly transitioned into a family park, Brettkelly said.

“I’m really excited. The whole team has put their heart and soul into trying to turn this around, and with this new infrastructure in place, it will be like a brand new park,” he said.

More articles from the BDN

The post A Houlton cell house park is getting clear water after 6 years appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A construction worker walks on what will be the top of a new home being built in Brick, N.J. on July 10, 2023. Government pushes to move buildings and vehicles away from burning fossil fuels to help address climate change are generating pushback in New Jersey and around the nation, with opponents worried about the cost of switching. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

BRICK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is pushing an ambitious agenda to move its more than 9 million residents away from natural gas and gasoline to heat their homes and power their cars, in favor of electricity to do the job of both.

But like many other places in the country, the moves, designed to lessen the harmful impact of burning fossil fuels on the planet’s climate, are garnering significant opposition from foes who warn that the government is coming to take away your stove and your car.

New Jersey utility regulators on Wednesday approved a series of “decarbonization” measures designed to incentivize buildings to switch from natural gas heat to electric. Participation in the programs is strictly voluntary, according to the chairman of the state Board of Public Utilities, who lashed out against “misinformation and lies” being circulated by opponents.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has said he wants only “zero-emissions” vehicles to be available in the state by 2035.

Taken together, they represent aggressive steps to move away from fossil fuel use.

“We build upon our nation-leading record of bold climate action while delivering on our promise to utilize every tool at our disposal to combat the intensifying climate crisis,” Murphy said earlier this month in announcing the requirement that manufacturers ramp up their production of electric vehicles, reaching 100% by 2035.

“No one is coming for anyone’s gas stove,” the governor said. “No one is walking into anyone’s kitchen. No one is going to be forced to do anything, in any way.”

But to opponents, the moves represent serious and costly government overreach, which will inevitably need to be enforced by bans.

“New Jerseyans are learning that the ultimate goal of ‘building decarbonization’ and Gov. Murphy’s extreme green energy plan is the elimination of affordable natural gas and the extremely costly replacement of gas stoves, furnaces, and hot water heaters,” said Republican state Sen. Anthony Bucco. “They’re realizing there’s no way to fully electrify the entire state without bans, mandates, expensive conversions, and higher energy bills.”

The programs approved Wednesday by the Board of Public Utilities include goals and targets for buildings to install heat pumps instead of natural gas cooling and heating equipment.

These devices move heat between the air inside a home and the air outside a home, while ground source heat pumps transfer heat between the air inside a home and the ground outside a home. Low-income households would qualify for financial assistance to purchase and install them.

“Without a doubt, this will kick-start to the next generation of energy efficiency in New Jersey,” said the board’s chairman, Joseph Fiordaliso. “We are encouraging folks to move to energy efficiency. Notice I said ‘encouraging.’ We are not requiring. We are not mandating anyone to give up their gas stove. I cannot emphasize more that we are not mandating anything. So, enough of the misinformation out there.”

Decarbonization of buildings is a critical component in New Jersey’s energy master plan and is the focus of an executive order by the governor to install zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties, and make 10% of all low-to-moderate income properties electrification-ready by 2030.

It’s already happening in places like Berkeley, California, which in 2019 voted to ban natural gas connections in all new construction. San Francisco and New York City soon followed.

But other places, particularly those with Republican-led governments, are resisting. As of June, 24 states have adopted laws prohibiting natural gas bans. They call the laws “pre-emption” measures.

New Jersey’s business community is concerned with the cost of Murphy’s proposals, which some opponents have put at more than $1 trillion.

“While we should all work to reduce carbon emissions, the ban of gas-powered cars in such an expedited time frame does not take costs or feasibility into account, and it is likely to result in a major increase in New Jersey residents who actually won’t be able to afford to drive,” said Ray Cantor, an official with the New Jersey Business And Industry Association.

“The governor’s plan will make new cars virtually unaffordable for working and middle-class consumers and will severely limit vehicle consumer choice,” added Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers.

But the state’s environmental community strongly supports the switches.

“Building electrification is environmental protection from the inside out,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, state director of the Sierra Club. “Modern electric technologies are crucial to making our communities more resilient to extreme weather and are far more efficient than fossil-fuel alternatives. Our clean energy transition not only happens out there on our grids, but also right here in our homes and shared spaces so that we can all breathe easier while taking action to reduce harmful climate pollutants.”

___

Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

The post Clear power push in New Jersey, elsewhere met with warnings the federal government is coming on your range appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

BRICK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is pushing an ambitious agenda to move its more than 9 million residents away from natural gas and gasoline to heat their homes and power their cars, in favor of electricity to do the job of both.

But like many other places in the country, the moves, designed to lessen the harmful impact of burning fossil fuels on the planet’s climate, are garnering significant opposition from foes who warn that the government is coming to take away your stove and your car.

New Jersey utility regulators are to vote Wednesday on a series of “decarbonization” measures designed to incentivize buildings to switch from natural gas heat to electric.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has said he wants only “zero-emissions” vehicles to be available in the state by 2035.

Taken together, they represent aggressive steps to move away from fossil fuel use.

“We build upon our nation-leading record of bold climate action while delivering on our promise to utilize every tool at our disposal to combat the intensifying climate crisis,” Murphy said earlier this month in announcing the requirement that manufacturers ramp up their production of electric vehicles, reaching 100% by 2035.

“No one is coming for anyone’s gas stove,” the governor said. “No one is walking into anyone’s kitchen. No one is going to be forced to do anything, in any way.”

But to opponents, the moves represent serious and costly government overreach, which will inevitably need to be enforced by bans.

“New Jerseyans are learning that the ultimate goal of ‘building decarbonization’ and Gov. Murphy’s extreme green energy plan is the elimination of affordable natural gas and the extremely costly replacement of gas stoves, furnaces, and hot water heaters,” said Republican state Sen. Anthony Bucco. “They’re realizing there’s no way to fully electrify the entire state without bans, mandates, expensive conversions, and higher energy bills.”

While Murphy said the electric vehicle rules do not impose any obligations onto consumers or car dealerships, Brad Schnure, a spokesman for Senate Republicans, said there is no way New Jersey can reach the governor’s stated climate goals without mandates.

A spokesman for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities said the agency will not comment until after it votes on proposed decarbonization measures on Wednesday. Those steps include goals and targets for buildings to install heat pumps instead of natural gas cooling and heating equipment.

These devices move heat between the air inside a home and the air outside a home, while ground source heat pumps transfer heat between the air inside a home and the ground outside a home. Low-income households would qualify for financial assistance to purchase and install them.

Decarbonization of buildings is a critical component in New Jersey’s energy master plan and is the focus of an executive order by the governor to install zero-carbon-emission space heating and cooling systems in 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial properties, and make 10% of all low-to-moderate income properties electrification-ready by 2030.

It’s already happening in places like Berkeley, California, which in 2019 voted to ban natural gas connections in all new construction. San Francisco and New York City soon followed.

But other places, particularly those with Republican-led governments, are resisting. As of June, 24 states have adopted laws prohibiting natural gas bans. They call the laws “pre-emption” measures.

New Jersey’s business community is concerned with the cost of Murphy’s proposals, which some opponents have put at more than $1 trillion.

“While we should all work to reduce carbon emissions, the ban of gas-powered cars in such an expedited time frame does not take costs or feasibility into account, and it is likely to result in a major increase in New Jersey residents who actually won’t be able to afford to drive,” said Ray Cantor, an official with the New Jersey Business And Industry Association.

“The governor’s plan will make new cars virtually unaffordable for working and middle-class consumers and will severely limit vehicle consumer choice,” added Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers.

But the state’s environmental community strongly supports the switches.

“Building electrification is environmental protection from the inside out,” said Anjuli Ramos-Busot, state director of the Sierra Club. “Modern electric technologies are crucial to making our communities more resilient to extreme weather and are far more efficient than fossil-fuel alternatives. Our clean energy transition not only happens out there on our grids, but also right here in our homes and shared spaces so that we can all breathe easier while taking action to reduce harmful climate pollutants.”

Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, called the BPU proposals “a necessary step toward reducing emissions from our buildings, the second-highest polluting sector in the state, while delivering clean air and healthier homes.”

___

Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Follow @ktar923

The post Clear vitality push in New Jersey, elsewhere met with warnings the federal government is coming in your range appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

On a Google Maps street view of Belding Cleaners in lower Kercheval, the man with a broom sweeping the pavement is Joe Hebeka. He owns the company.
More on that soon.
On a predominantly gray marble plinth near the corner of Hebeka’s desk in his second floor office overlooking Kercheval are two books between white marble bookends of the Indian chiefs: West’s Business Law and Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
Both volumes are accessible reminders of a businessman’s need to balance protocol and ambition.
“One of the most important things I took away from reading The Art of War was how to use your knowledge and your team to improve your business,” said Hebeka. “A lot of that comes when your team sees their leader as one of them, someone who does things that most leaders wouldn’t do. That is a leader that others will follow.”
Which brings us back to the Google image of the top man working the bottom tier.
“It’s difficult to find staff at the moment, but the people I have are fantastic,” said Hebeka. “It’s almost a give and take with them. I take care of you; They take care of me. That’s how things grow. I can’t do it without my employees.”
Hebeka, 41, bought the company in 2007 from his father, who had owned it since the 1970s.
“I had a vision for Belding Cleaners when I was working for my father,” said Hebeka. “I knew there could be more. I saw the final product in the distance. Over the years I have tried to get closer and closer to this vision step by step.”

Photo by Brad Lindberg
Joe Hebeka does the paperwork in his office at Belding Cleaners.

He has almost reached his goal.
“I see that we’re getting very close to the vision I saw years ago,” he said. “We do first class work. We have completely new devices and machines.”
He cleans the uniforms of public safety officers in Grosse Pointe for free. All Pointes, not just the park.
“They do a lot for us,” said Hebeka. “I love Grosse Pointe. I love my family. I want this whole area to be successful.”
In the 1996 film The Big Night, a fraudulent restaurateur justifies the fake good relationship with everyone. It’s a cynical sales strategy: “I’m a businessman. I am everything I need to be at all times.”
For Hebeka, compatibility is a matter of course.
“I try to be nice to everyone,” he said. “I try to see both sides of everything. That’s why I guess I get invited to be a part of things because people know I’m balanced.”
When he founded the Grosse Pointe Park Business Association, he invited himself.
“It had to be done for the association,” said Hebeka, president of the group. “It’s a fair amount of work, but it benefits the well-being of business owners and local residents. I say this because we serve all residents. Of course, they want to be in a community that has successful businesses to buy from.”
Membership entitles you to business-to-business discounts, inclusion in an online listing on visittheparkgp.com, promotional opportunities and more.
It is part of Hebeka’s two-way philosophy, which also extends to communal relations.
“The city is open to the needs and problems of the club,” he said. “We’re doing the same for the city. If there’s an event they need help with, we step in.”
The cleaning trade is over 100 years old.
“Belding Cleaners was founded in 1918 by the Belding family in Kercheval, Detroit,” Hebeka said. “This site (on Kercheval) was built in 1929 as the first dry cleaning facility in Grosse Pointe.”
Belding Brothers & Company is the namesake of Belding, Michigan, northeast of Grand Rapids.
“They were silk makers,” said Hebeka.
According to advertisements in Hebeka’s files, more than 100 years old, Belding had mills in four states and one in Canada. The offices and sales rooms ranged from Manhattan to San Francisco.
In the corporate town of Belding, the Belding Library is a half-block from the Belding Museum, a former boarding house for women who worked at one of the town’s three silk mills, the only surviving one of which is now a residence.
“I think they funded one of their cousins ​​to build this building,” Hebeka said of the Kercheval site.
Aside from his history and employee connections, it’s the fact that Hebeka was the victim of a surprisingly brazen theft in Detroit Metropolitan Airport North Terminal’s Big Blue parking deck in late November that brought him interest to television news viewers throughout the Detroit metro area.
He and his oldest of three children, 14-year-old daughter Juliana, were returning home from visiting relatives in Florida during Thanksgiving. His wife Angela stayed behind for a few days with sons Jonah, 10, and Jordan, 7.
Hebeka and Julianna turned a corner on the second floor of the parking deck and found his new Jeep Wagoneer and a big surprise.
“It was on blocks with nuts and bolts on the ground and cars were parked around it,” Hebeka said.
The four stolen wheels and tires caused a total damage of nearly $8,000, which was secondary at the time.
“My daughter had to go to school,” said Hebeka, “she didn’t want to miss dance training.”
He arranged private transportation for more than $100, drove her to school, went home, got another car, and returned to the airport to file a police report.
“They almost scolded me, ‘Why did you leave and then come back to report it to the police?'” Hebeka said. “I said, ‘I have to take my daughter to school. I will do whatever it takes to get my daughter to school and then come back and deal with this mess. She doesn’t have to deal with it.’”
Julianna feared the thieves knew where the family lived.
“No, I told her those guys are gone,” Hebeka said. “You’re facing your next theft. They’re probably doing it right now while we’re talking.”
A wagoneer on blocks tells a story. A Wagoneer stands on blocks in a busy airport parking deck and asks questions.
Hebeka cannot imagine how in a post-9/11 airport, where everything is said to be under surveillance, everyone is suspected of something, and every bag, purse, luggage and pair of shoes is scrutinized, a group of thieves could run off with someone’s wheels and tires.
“No one called us,” said Hebeka. “So nobody patrolled the parking lot and saw it. No security guard in a car with a little orange light. Nothing. (Reporters) said that 30 cars were stolen this year. That’s one car every 12 days. I don’t know what else it takes until they put up cameras.”
Its wheels will be replaced.
“I’m lucky, but God knows what’s going on in that parking lot,” Hebeka said. “I don’t want little kids to get hurt.”

The post Forging his personal future with a clear sweep appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items purchased through our links.

Everyone poops… I read that somewhere. Of course, that also means that everyone has to clean up afterwards and no matter whether you swipe to the right or to the left, you don’t get everything from a purely mathematical point of view.

Today’s top offers

Mankind has been trying to solve the remaining post-Dookie problem since records began. The ancient Greeks used potsherds (I still don’t understand how that worked or why they didn’t take fig leaves into account). The Romans were quite adept at devising a sponge attached to a stick (but it was communal, which perhaps hastened the fall). (Their civilization.) In the 13 Colonies era, some used discarded corn cobs. (WTF?) Eventually, North America “discovered” the paper solution, something the Chinese figured out no later than the 14th century.

Enter the bidet. In 17th-century France, a true genius decided to combine the chamber pot with a sink set into a stool. Who knows why this took so long. Finally, a pump was added to spray upwards, which was improved with the advent of plumbing – a real game changer.

I’m not sure if it was my first encounter with a bidet, but I remember seeing Crocodile Dundee at the theater and wondering why we didn’t have one at home. Looking back, the bathrooms in the house I lived in at the time were too small to accommodate a bidet and toilet. At some point during my college days, my mother was renovating a bathroom and insisted on adding a bidet.

It was wonderful! My solution has always been to follow the general sequence of events—shit, shower, decide not to shave. But now I could drop a twosome without having to undress and cum, which is time consuming and not always possible when traveling the world. As I write this, I’m pinching bread in the United lounge at San Francisco International Airport after an early morning transcontinental flight. The TP was rubbish and I’m not exactly feeling fresh.

The story goes on

I would have much rather floated a trout at home, which has a TOTO Washlet bidet toilet seat, but I had to catch a cab before 5am and wasn’t ready yet. If nature had called, I could have enjoyed a bootie spray with an almost magical spray that allows me to adjust the pressure and temperature to my liking. Because it mounts to the toilet, it takes up less space than a traditional bidet and I can stay on the heated seat when it’s time to wipe up. With four settings, I can be comfortable in a place so beautiful it tempts me to snag a spot, even if it’s just a number one spot.

While you sit on your throne, an air deodorizer switches on automatically and the TOTO creates a pre-mist to avoid slip marks on porcelain. When you’re done, there’s a hair dryer at your disposal, so in theory you’d never need toilet paper again. It’s nice to have on hand, however, in case you want to double-check the TOTO’s work.

The maintenance effort is minimal. The spray wand actually cleans itself and the seat has a quick release buckle so you can scrub underneath with ease. But one of the coolest features is the energy-saving mode, which learns your behavior and heats the seat when it anticipates you need to make room for lunch.

Using a bidet seat not only makes life as a mammal more comfortable, it also has health benefits. The process flushes bacteria away from your naughty spots, which can prevent infections like bacterial prostatitis or urinary tract infections.

The warm jet of water from a bidet seat is also good for your home’s plumbing, as it minimizes the use of toilet paper and eliminates the need for wet wipes that strain down the pipes.

Honestly, a bidet seat is an incredible, relatively inexpensive life improvement that will make cleaning your tuchus easier. If I could I would put one in every bathroom on the planet. Unfortunately, I don’t have that power. If you choose one, remember: the need to clear after doo may go away, but if you want the log to go away, you still need to flush.

C2 Washlet electric heated bidet seat against a white background

C2 Washlet electric heated bidet toilet seat for extended toilet in cotton white

Buy Now: $426.00

buy now

More top offers from SPY

The best of SPY

Click here to read the full article.

The post The Bidet is the Finest Method to Get Your Bottom Clear appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

When they found the apartment on San Bruno Avenue in San Francisco in 2017, Kwong Ying Yu, then 79, and his wife Kam To, 71, were thrilled.

The complex seemed affordable, taking advantage of Section 8 vouchers that subsidize low-income people to live in off-the-shelf buildings. The couple speaks no English and their new landlords were Chinese.

“We didn’t think long,” Yu said while his daughter translated.

The former restaurant worker and his wife moved in, happy to find a home in San Francisco that he could afford and that would allow him to be close to his daughter and other relatives.

But Yu soon realized that his new apartment in the Portola district was too good to be true. His landlords had flouted the city’s building codes, resulting in unsafe living conditions for Yu and his neighbors – many of whom are monolingual and on low incomes.

The owners illegally built 29 housing units in a row of adjacent buildings on San Bruno Avenue when they had been allowed to build 10 and failed to build a required second exit for tenants, creating a potential fire trap, authorities said.

After years of negotiations with city officials, building owners were given permission by the city’s planning commission on Thursday to begin work to legalize the troubled lot at the 2800 block of San Bruno Avenue.

The move is the latest in a fiasco that has now lasted a decade. Owners Tam Yin Kwan, Lee Yun Ling, Cindy Zhou, Tong Yin Kai Ton and Dufin Tsang first received permits in 2013 for five four-story buildings that would have included retail and office space and 10 apartments.

The project became a scandal after a corrupt senior building inspector failed to properly approve the final inspection of the property in 2017. In 2018, inspectors investigated a complaint and found that the building’s owners had defected and built a project that was inconsistent with what was approved.

For example, in 2018, investigators found that developers had built 30 dwelling units in the buildings, dividing larger dwelling units into smaller ones; and conversion of office space into other housing. Contractors had installed electrical wiring and plumbing without proper permits; and it was also unclear whether the site, which was built on a former gas station, was safe from contamination at all. Officials said the owners engaged in “extensive unlawful construction” without permits and deviated from approved plans regarding the facade, design features, parking lots, stairs, toilets, driveways and landscaping.

Investigators also discovered that a now-disgraced city official had signed off on the building’s final inspection without conducting other necessary building inspections. The officer, former senior inspector Bernard Curran, has pleaded guilty to corruption charges and is awaiting sentencing in federal court.

Ryan Patterson, an attorney representing the owners of the troubled project, declined to say Thursday why his clients deviated from the plans they initially showed the city, but said his clients were “backed up.” Compliance with all applicable laws and regulations is required to ensure the security and long-term success of the property.”

He said that after the city raised concerns about the project, his team “submitted at least 22 separate building plans, including a carefully constructed proposal to legalize and ensure safety for virtually all housing units built.”

“It is unfortunate that the proposal was rejected,” he said, “but we look forward to completing the work required and appreciate that today’s proposal has been approved.”

At Thursday’s hearing, the commissioners expressed shock at the project, including new revelations that the developers had apparently not completed the soil reduction required at the former gas station site.

The commissioners eventually agreed to approve the developer’s application for a conditional occupancy permit, which would allow them to obtain the necessary permits to begin refurbishing the units in a manner consistent with the project’s original proposal. While some tenants have moved out and their units are vacant, at least 40 people still live in the buildings.

Commission Vice President Kathrin Moore said it would likely take years to complete the work.

“We’re talking loosely another 3 to 4 years, if not longer, before anyone can consider moving back into these units,” she said, calling the situation “completely untenable.”

The scandal comes amid an ongoing public corruption probe into the San Francisco government that has resulted in criminal charges against more than a dozen former city officials, local developers, permitting officers and other contractors. It highlights the challenges the city faces in providing adequate housing for its most vulnerable residents, while holding bad actors accountable and deterring future fraudulent behavior.

“These owners have completely disregarded the process and now a lot of people are losing their homes,” said Mark Hooshmand, an attorney representing dozens of tenants at the property.

Neighborhood residents are angry, said Alex Hobbs of the Portola Neighborhood Association. When developers first unveiled their plans for the project, residents in the neighborhood hoped it would be a much-needed investment in a community that had long felt overlooked. But it soon became clear that the developers were building something completely different from what was approved.

“It was clear that the concept was to fill as many units as possible with as many people as possible because the city wasn’t going to kick them out because we’re in a housing crisis,” Hobbs said. “That’s what happens. People who are fighting for their homeland live there. But if you let that happen, the developers win.”

Hobbs argued that the potentially unsafe building should be demolished and the residents relocated at the owners’ expense.

“It is very disturbing that this building has not been condemned and demolished,” he said.

The city has tried to clean up the mess by holding owners accountable and protecting tenants living on the property.

“These buildings had far more people living in them than the code allows for, how they were designed, approved or built,” Patrick Hannan, spokesman for the Department of Building Inspection, said in an email. Inspectors eventually found 16 violations and estimated $27,000 in charges for enforcing the code, although more may follow.

The city attorney general sued the developers and eventually settled the lawsuit for $1.2 million.

Inspectors also asked owners to install scaffolding to give tenants a second route out of the building. The scaffolding is there and has spoiled the streetscape for years.

“This story isn’t over yet,” said Dan Sider, chief of staff for the city’s planning department. “The settlement is part of that puzzle – there will clearly be a significant cost to the developer to fix this. Possibly through legal costs, construction costs or the tenant move.”

Residents sued the owners last month, citing negligence and breach of contract, alleging that homes “were built in substandard conditions and many lack warmth” and arguing that the owners’ failure to rectify breaches of the regulations caused undue stress and anxiety caused.

Superintendents Hillary Ronen and Shamann Walton recently proposed that the city’s affordable housing programs prioritize tenants evicted from illegal housing units.

“With good legal representation and increased ability to access permanent, affordable housing elsewhere in the city,” she said, “tenants will get some justice out of a terrible situation.”

Now the property owners want to restore it to how it was originally supposed to be built. But critics worry that allowing bad actors to do the work is essentially rewarding.

“These guys should be required to provide housing for all the people they lured into their illegal, dangerous units,” Supervisor Aaron Peskin said. “They knew what they were doing. They should have to face the consequences.”

Contact St. John Barned-Smith: stjohn.smith@sfchronicle.com

The post S.F. builders who flouted guidelines need to clear up housing mission appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

House Republicans won a victory Wednesday night on their sweeping measure to raise the debt ceiling — a victory they won by offering myriad concessions, including cutting billions of dollars in clean energy tax incentives.

They passed HR 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act, 217-215, with four Republicans — Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, and Matt Gaetz of Florida — all supporting Democrats in joined the opposition.

The GOP leaders could only afford to lose four votes, and after days of bickering, they lost exactly that.

In a press conference immediately after the vote, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) triumphed.

“We’ve removed the debt ceiling,” he said at Statuary Hall. “The Democrats don’t have that.”

The bill addresses many longstanding Republican priorities, including energy and regulatory policy, and represents the GOP’s first attempt to extend the government’s borrowing powers before the mid-June deadline.

It also has no chance of passing the Democrat-controlled Senate. Democrats have not yet backed away from their position that a debt ceiling hike must be “clean,” while Republicans insist there must be policy concessions. And President Joe Biden has pledged to veto it if it gets on his desk.

Furthermore, the process by which the legislation was created signals how difficult it will be for the party to reach consensus — even among itself — if negotiations with Democrats begin in earnest and a summer deadline looms.

First, GOP leaders agreed to zero out a set of clean energy tax incentives codified by the Inflation Reduction Act, which a group of grassroots Republicans initially called for as a condition of supporting the Debt Control Act.

But then the leaders had a problem: The four-member delegation from Iowa and other Midwestern Republicans didn’t like that the law would eliminate tax credits for biofuels and other alternatives vital to their state.

In the middle of Wednesday night, leaders agreed to reopen the bill protecting three specific tax credits of the Anti-Inflation Act backed by the Midwest contingent.

At the same time, Republicans took the opportunity to introduce new, additional billions of dollars in cuts in the Inflation Reduction Act to various pollution reduction, energy efficiency, and environmental justice initiatives.

“No crazy machinations”

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) in the Capitol. | Francis Chung/Politics

House Republicans involved in the negotiations downplayed the scope and scale of the 11th-hour changes throughout Wednesday, insisting they were only “technical” in nature — to clarify the text, to complement the talks taking place in the Outdoors have taken place to better reflect weeks.

“Last night’s changes, to be perfectly clear, simply honored what we had already publicly said we were going to do,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the House Freedom Caucus who also sits on the Rules Committee,” Wednesday said. “There was no crazy machinations.”

Roy was referring to an agreement between members to target only Inflation Reduction Act subsidies and roll back the Energy Tax Act to 2022, pre-IRA terms.

Some Republicans acknowledged that the reopening of the bill to address biofuel subsidies presented an opportunity to secure cuts elsewhere.

“There were some other things — as we’ve had more time to consider the bill — where we saw where there were savings that got broad support,” Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), Deputy McCarthy, said um to conduct internal Republican negotiations the debt limit proposal, added. “So we captured those things too.”

One of the new funding cuts not included in the original plan was a $200 million cut in deferred maintenance projects earmarked for a national park. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands, held a hearing last week highlighting that the entire sum for the modernization of San Francisco’s Presidio — located in the District of former spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi – has been provided. although that wasn’t on the bill.

Home Secretary Deb Haaland testified that she understood the result as “Congress’s intent” — an admission that angered Congressional Republicans (E&E Daily, April 20).

“I think leadership saw that and said, ‘That’s a change that we should make,’ because it was really inappropriate,” Tiffany said Wednesday.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) agreed, saying, “It’s a target-rich environment when you look at the wasteful things that Democrats have put out there.”

“More than incomprehensible”

While Republicans feel they’ve taken a big step toward solving the debt limit drama, Democrats said the GOP has opened up to criticism.

Environmentalists and their Capitol Hill allies continued to pound on some Republicans for supporting the debt ceiling bill that would eliminate clean energy tax credits, which would also boost job creation in their counties.

“Many of these Republican members have been at home in their districts and have recognized the new projects that the IRA tax credits are starting in their districts,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (DR.I.), chair of the Senate Budget Committee. at a press conference convened by the League of Conservation Voters on Wednesday. “They go home, they claim tax credits; They come here and they vote to reverse the tax credits.”

Democratic members were joined by clean energy workers to discuss how their investments in communities across the country would be jeopardized by passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act.

The event also came amid a new seven-figure national ad campaign by LCV and Climate Power, which criticized House Republicans for “risking a global economic catastrophe to remove the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy stimulus.” who have helped supercharge America’s economic boon for clean energy, including in their own counties.”

Last week, an E&E News analysis of Climate Power data confirmed that at least 21 projects in Republican-run districts were the direct result of benefits from the Inflation Reduction Act (E&E Daily, April 21).

“We’re ready to call [Republicans] out on their hypocrisy,” Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) at the LCV event.

“What you’ve seen over the last 24 hours with our Republican counterparts in Iowa — we’ve seen them struggle through each other because they know the utility of these subsidies that are benefiting their communities,” she continued. “And that’s why it’s beyond irresponsible. It is beyond incomprehensible.”

“Big Victory”

MP Nancy Mace (RS.C.) backed the debt ceiling legislation. | Francis Chung/Politics

The four Republicans who make up the Iowa delegation in the House of Representatives — Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Randy Feenstra — released a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon, praising their “huge victory for the biofuel industry” and ours whole state”. in shielding ethanol subsidies from the budget knife of the debt ceiling.

In an interview later that day, Nunn called the early-morning meetings with his Iowa colleagues a “marathon.” He stressed the importance of the ethanol industry and drew a sharp contrast between the biofuel and electric vehicle loans, which he said were aimed at middle- and upper-class families.

“It’s something everyone uses,” he said of ethanol, noting that without ethanol, the price of gasoline goes up every summer.

At the same time, Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.) — who was undecided earlier Wednesday in part because of the Debt Limit Act’s removal of wind and solar tax credits — ultimately chose to support the measure without having precisely addressed concerns at all.

She told reporters she would vote “yes” after a call with McCarthy, where she said she felt “heard” about her desire to have a more substantive conversation about how Republicans are leading the way in reducing the federal deficit can take.

“We talked about it [the tax credits] too,” she said as she exited the spokesman’s office after their meeting. “I appreciate his time today and the opportunity to work with his office on what the balanced budget will look like in the future.”

When asked about Republican districts that would benefit from funding the Inflation Reduction Act for solar or battery factories, Graves dismissed the question, instead criticizing Biden’s energy policies.

He noted that the debt ceiling bill includes the GOP energy package — HR 1, the “Energy Cost Reduction Act” — and called it “a solid step forward in American energy.” The Debt Act also contains legislation that requires Congressional approval for important rules.

Finally, Graves added, “We’re not going to set a clean debt ceiling, period. … [W]We will demand that the development of the financial situation of this country change.”

Reporter Mia McCarthy contributed.

The post Home passes debt invoice with extra clear power cuts appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

LAS VEGAS, February 01, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Plumbing Manufacturers International’s leadership and staff are leading a crusade for safe, clean water for future generations. Their latest stop is the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2023, where they are working this week to persuade policymakers and potential allies about the urgency of the association’s PMI’s Rethink Water initiative.

“All across the globe, we all need to rethink how we use water every day,” says Kerry Stackpole, PMI’s CEO and executive director. “Not only how do we use it, but how do we save as much as possible and make it safe for those who will need it in the future. Of all the facets of climate change, its impact on water may be the most profound. “

The enormousness of the challenge makes it somewhat intimidating to address. Where does one begin? Looking at it from the perspective of plumbing manufacturing, Stackpole said he believes you start with your strengths. “For more than 15 years, our industry has been making toilets, showerheads, faucets and other plumbing products that use water more efficiently than the older products most people still have in their homes. We simply need to install more of these WaterSense products, and the water savings will be substantial,” he explains.

That’s why PMI’s first Rethink Water project is legacy product replacement – replacing older, inefficient products with new, more-efficient WaterSense models. At KBIS, PMI hosted a Power Break and Briefing today to inform members, policymakers, other guests and media about the urgency of this project and the need to establish a robust public-private partnership to accomplish it.

EPA’s successful WaterSense program has proved its ability to save water

An Environmental Protection Agency program started in 2006, WaterSense has so far saved 6.4 trillion gallons of water, including 1.1 trillion in the last year counted alone, according to the program’s latest accomplishments report. To be certified to bear the WaterSense label, a plumbing product must use at least 20% less water than a product meeting federal standards established in 1994 by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct).

Story continues

American households use about 10 trillion gallons of water each year – which means last year, WaterSense products saved an amount equal to 11% of the total amount used by US households. That’s no easy achievement, but it’s nowhere near the potential of the WaterSense program. That’s because many households still don’t have WaterSense plumbing products installed.

A 2022 GMP Research study commissioned by PMI found that only 23% of California residences have toilets meeting WaterSense standards. More than half of these residences have WaterSense showerheads and faucets, but a strong minority does not, the study found. An earlier GMP study commissioned by PMI found that most states have WaterSense statistics similar to California’s.

PMI estimates that up to 326 billion gallons of water can be saved over 30 years in California by replacing the 26.1 million toilets not up to WaterSense standards with WaterSense toilets. By accelerating the replacement of these toilets, 65.3 billion gallons can be saved within five years, and 95.7 billion gallons within 10 years. Achieving similar savings in all 50 states can increase the gallons saved into the trillions.

But numerical estimates do not reflect the current situation. Because water-efficiency standards are currently set by states, PMI and its allies have started advocating state-by-state for robust legacy product replacement programs, starting with California and other western states having water supplies hit hard by the drought. PMI California government affairs consultant Jerry Desmond and PMI technical director Kyle Thompson have broached legacy product replacement with California water officials, with the hopes of building the idea into a bill this year.

Legacy product replacement isn’t a new idea

In California, toilet replacement or rebate programs have been implemented in Southern California, San Francisco, and other regions and municipalities.

San Antonio, Texas, had a decade-long program that delivered and replaced toilets free of charge until virtually no inefficient toilets were left to replace. Programs replacing toilets free of charge or via rebates have been implemented throughout the nation, primarily at the county or municipal level, in places including Dallas/Fort Worth, Maui, New York City, Seattle, and Tucson. Some of the programs have low income requirements.

Because these programs save water, PMI would like to see legacy product replacement scaled up into statewide programs through which the total savings would be immense. “Part of our challenge is to get policymakers and allies comfortable with audacious, bold solutions,” Stackpole stated. Compared to other water-related solutions on the drawing board, such as desalination and rainwater catchment, legacy product replacement on a larger scale is relatively modest, he explained. “Half-way solutions won’t solve the water crisis. We have to think bigger.”

PMI Board of Directors President Sal Gattone of LIXIL is working closely with Stackpole and the PMI board members on the legacy product replacement challenge. “During this time of climate change and uncertainty, we all need to acquire the role of a conservationist,” Gattone stated. “Modern life relies on the easy availability of water. This access assures our health and safety and our very survival. Hence, we need to collectively respond to water crises and actively work together on sustainable solutions.”

About Plumbing Manufacturers International

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) is the trade association of plumbing product manufacturers that produce more than 90% of the United States’ plumbing products, represent more than 150 iconic brands, and develop safe, reliable and innovative water-efficient plumbing technologies. PMI members contribute more than 464,000 jobs and $85.5 billion in economic impact to America’s economy.

With a vision of safe, responsible plumbing – always, PMI advocates for plumbing product performance contributing to water efficiency and savings, sustainability, public health and safety, and consumer satisfaction through its Rethink Water initiative and other programs. PMI members manufacture water-efficient toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads and other products at more than 70 locations across the country and market them online and in more than 24,000 home improvement stores, hardware stores and showrooms in all 50 states. For more information on PMI, contact the organization at 1750 Tysons Blvd., Ste. 1500, McLean, Va., 22102; phone: 847-481-5500; fax: 847-481-5501. safeplumbing.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230201005140/en/

Contacts

Ray Valek, ray@valekco.com, 708-352-8695

The post At KBIS, Plumbing Producers Worldwide Promotes Rethink Water Initiative – A Campaign for Protected, Clear Water for Future Generations appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.