NO New American Apparel on Valencia St!

Apparently AA want's to open a new location on Valencia St in the Mission, and a small boutique owner, DEMA, is leading the campaign opposing this. As a small business owner myself, I'll always support any resistance to a chain stores coming into our community, but I also oppose other forms of gentrification. The following was a comment I posted in response to her open letter to the Planning Commission of SF concerning AA (hopefully she didn't delete it from worldpress). (below my response is her letter)

My Comment:

I support your fight, and I'm sending a letter to the planning commission against AA. However, I would like to say that I don't agree with everything stated in your letter. I am very much against chain stores taking away from local businesses, but I'm also very much opposed to fancy shmasny expensive boutique stores like yours coming into the mission and bringing the rich obnoxious condo buyers. I would like to see local businesses that come into the mission offering something unique for the REAL Mission residents that lived here, live here, and want to continue living here. How about you sell something that most of us that live here in the Mission can afford and want to buy!

An Open Letter to the SF Planning Department

By Isaac

The following is an open letter from Dema Grim, local business owner, to Pilar LaValley of the San Francisco Planning Department:

Dear Pilar,

It has come to my attention that American Apparel  is interested in opening up on Valencia at 20th st.  I’d like to express my vehement opposition to them, or any other formula retailer, opening in the neighborhood.

I opened my shop in 1997 and since then have watched the Mission grow into the premier destination for small, independent designer boutiques.  This has been a long process involving convincing other business owners that it’s a viable neighborhood to do business in and convincing customers that their neighborhood need not consist solely of thrift stores and 99c stores.  The appearance of any formula retailer not only would lessen the sense of originality unique to the neighborhood but would also severely cut into our sales.  This would be disastrous especially in these volatile economic times when we are already struggling against the massive markdowns of the downtown retailers.

Please, please think carefully about the long term consequences of allowing formula retailers to invade our special neighborhood.

Thank you for your time,

Dema Grim

DEMA
1038 Valencia St
SF, CA 94110

USAirways Sucks!

The following is a slightly modified version of the letter I sent to USAirways:

Dear USAirways,

I will never fly with your company again. Your airline sucks, and the following are the reasons why:

- The fact that I have to pay to check in baggage is ridiculous. No other airline requires that. ($15 for the first bag, and $60 for the second).

- Additionally, the fact that the total weight allowed per bag (50 lbs). I have flown with airlines in the past that allowed me to check up to 75lbs per suitcase.

- I was furious that you don’t even offer free water on your flights. This is extremely inconsiderate considering that due to new preposterous US laws, passengers can no longer bring there own bottled water with them into an airport. Selling water for $2 a bottle to thirsty passengers on a long trip is ugly thievery.

- I was also insulted by the fact that on top of US Airways unbelievable frugalness, you had the audacity to sell advertising space on the surface of fold down tables, so that I was forced to be assaulted by marketing campaigns during my flight. I would expect that at the very least you can provide me with a glass of water while I’m being sold off to US firms.

My overall experience with your airline was horrendous and insulting. Recently I read about how a US Airways flight crash-landed in the Hudson River in NYC and US Airlines told reported that allegedly ducks were the cause of the crash. Despite that fact that you were successful in getting your lies printed in the NY Times, doesn’t convince me in the slightest. I truly believe that the real reason of the crash has to do with the fact that US Airways has become so cheep that you probably laid off airline mechanics or canceled inter-flight maintenance checkups in order to save money and maximize profits for your greedy shareholders.

I hope to see your services improve, or you company go bankrupt.

Sincerely,
Guy