The roof of the California Academy of Sciences has not been replaced in 30 years. Effective Academy leaders, working with Supervisors, would have demanded and gotten a regular line item in the annual city budget for repairs and maintenance. We say, fix the budgeting problem first. This phantom money, however, will not reduce bond costs to property owners. While science industries are making record profits, the Academy must tap more sources around the state and nation.
Homeowners find their property taxes going up hundreds of dollars a year because of bond measures.
And renters find their rents going up significantly because of pass-throughs. Therefore, the Academy must raise more money so that San Francisco property owners and renters do not have to bear an unfair share of the burden. The Academy trustees must raise much more private money and ask for much less public money. Since 1996, the Alliance for Golden Gate Park has maintained that San Francisco's general obligation bonds should be spent on projects for which private funds cannot be raised, such as Laguna Honda Hospital, General Hospital and the Juvenile Center. No plans have been presented, and the master plan was developed without public input and has not been shared with the public.