»In which we are short of sight

A few months ago, I walked the length of Divisadero between Haight and McAllister, photographing the vacant store-fronts. I did ditto along Haight between Scott and Buchanan, and ultimately found the endevaour too unsettling to continue. Meanwhile, our hard-working supervisors have introduced legislation to ensure that this ""vibrant small business sector" continues without improvement. Unlike many residents in this area, I do not want to prevent chain stores from moving in -- our neighbourhood needs more incentives for small and individual business owners to hang out their shingles, but we should not prevent a hated or feared chain store from opening. The corner lot at Hayes and Divisadero, across from a chain fast-food restaurant!, has been vacant these three years because we fought tooth and nail to prevent a chain video-rental emporium from opening there, midway between two locally-owned video-rental places. The old fire house on Oak near Divisadero might have become an outlet for a locally-based chain clothing retailer, but the neighbourhood lobbied against that, as well. The building is now the temporary headquarters for the construction on the site at Baker and Oak. Meanwhile, we have liquor stores, check-cashing stores, and chalkboard cafés. But we have no book-shop, no bakery, no theatre, no delicatessen, no doctors (few professional offices at all) ....