Optics are everything for a politician during reelection season, so it is not surprising that California Governor Gavin Newsom is threatening to nix funding for a $1.7 million public toilet in San Francisco’s town square.
(Video Credit: NBC Bay Area)
Newsom is the ultimate political animal and during normal times the powerful progressive Democrat probably would have shrugged at the cost. But with his reelection at stake and purported presidential aspirations, it’s a bad look even for a tax-and-spend Democrat like Newsom.
San Francisco residents are overwhelmingly outraged by the price tag of the 150-square-foot toilet.
Assemblyman Matt Haney has been bucking for a year to build the communal toilet ever since city officials said there was not enough funding to build a restroom when the square was constructed in 2016.
He got the thumbs up for the funding from the Recreation and Parks Department for the three-year plan but now Newsom is weighing in on a toilet that costs what a single-family home in that area runs for. The average home price there is somewhere around $2 million, according to the Daily Mail.
Can someone explain to me why building a public toilet in San Francisco costs as much as a HOUSE
— Zahra Hajee (@zahra_hajee) October 19, 2022
The San Francisco Chronicle revealed the potential cost of the toilet. Newsom, who is the former mayor of San Francisco, looked at the fallout from potential voters and threatened to block the funding.
Newsom is running against state Sen. Brian Dahle who wants to unseat him as governor. He once again denied on Sunday that he has aspirations of becoming president even though he has visited the White House while Biden was out of town to ostensibly measure the drapes. He’s asserting that he would serve a full four-year term if reelected in November. Not even Democrats are buying that drivel.
Nonetheless, Newsom is expected to win reelection easily one year after a recall against him was attempted over his authoritarian COVID policies.
“A single, small bathroom should not cost $1.7 million,” Erin Mellon, who is a spokesperson for Newsom, told Fox News Digital on Sunday. “The state will hold funding until San Francisco delivers a plan to use this public money more efficiently. If they cannot, we will go back to the legislature to revoke this appropriation.”
“I support not spending the money — the cost is ridiculous, and it will take far too long,” Haney told the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Noe Valley should get a bathroom, but $1.7 million should pay for seven bathrooms, and it should happen much quicker. … I fully support and agree with the governor here, and we’re going to work together to get this done cheaper and quicker and also send the message that San Francisco needs to fix its broken processes,” he added.
San Francisco is budgeting $1.7 million to build a single public toilet and the procedure required to get it done is mind boggling: pic.twitter.com/VqvSd2WeCP
— Alec Stapp (@AlecStapp) October 20, 2022
It seems ridiculous that San Francisco is having a meltdown over this considering the rampant crime and homeless rate there, but that’s California. With inflation out of control, skyrocketing taxation, and the state spending itself into oblivion, many agree the city would be nuts to foot the bill for a toilet that costs almost $2 million.
San Francisco Recreation and Park officials claim they are working to lower the price of the toilet. They are blaming the costs of construction which have risen approximately 30 percent over the past few years.
“It’s also important to note that public projects and their overall cost estimates don’t just reflect the price of the erecting structures,” a spokesperson told Fox News in an interview. “They include the cost of planning, drawing, permits, reviews, public outreach, and construction management.”
“We estimate high — not because we want to spend more money, but because we want to ensure we can deliver projects to communities even if we are hit with unexpected costs,” the spokesperson said justifying the cost.
As bad as the toilet costs in San Francisco are, New York City cheerfully says, “Hold my beer,” as one parks bathroom reportedly cost a whopping $6 million. The average cost is $4 million.
San Francisco can build a toilet for just $1.7 million?
Get that bidder over to NYC where our *average* public bathroom "comfort station" cost is $4 million https://t.co/WwV22Dax90 pic.twitter.com/5f59KNl6Bc
— Alex Armlovich 🏗️🌐🔰🚋 (@aarmlovi) October 21, 2022
Just to highlight how bonkers leftist spending has gotten over toilets, San Diego spent roughly $5.8 million to demolish an existing one and built a new one in the same location, complete with an accessible pathway. In Staten Island, NY, a toilet planned for Seaside Wildlife Nature Park that has been in the works since 2018 will cost somewhere between $5 million and $10 million when it’s completed, according to Market Watch.
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