Politics: October 2013 Archives

Here's the latest in a long series of the Obama Administration's spiteful shutdown of private businesses and open-air monuments.

The Cliff House, a landmark San Francisco restaurant and tourist attraction overlooking the Pacific Ocean, privately owned and operated without federal tax dollars and accessible by city streets, has been forced by National Park Service brownshirts to shut its doors, putting Americans out of work and depriving the Federal government of lease revenues paid by the restaurant and which help to preserve the historic site. The restaurant had decided to reopen to staunch an estimated $10,000 daily loss for each day the restaurant was closed, but the NPS, under orders from Washington, forced them to close once again.

Here is the full statement from the Cliff House ownership:

News Alert from Cliff House October 8, 2013 Cliff House closes doors (again)

In response to the Federal Government shutdown the Cliff House had decided to reopen its doors, Monday, October 7, 2013. While this bold move challenged the shut down order, the Cliff House, a privately owned business that does not depend on any tax dollars or federal funding, must have income in order to survive and meet its obligations to the public visitors, its employees, and the Park Service.

As of tonight, end of business day, Cliff House will once again shut its doors due to a mandate by the Federal Government. While the local Park Service officials have been sympathetic and helpful in relaying the Cliff House's concerns to Park Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C., the decisions are driven by D.C. which instructed that the facility must close.

So, despite its efforts to remain open and constant communication with the Park Service, the Cliff House had no choice but to close or face severe consequences which would have impacted the entire operation which the local operators of The Cliff House have worked so hard to maintain over the past 40 years.

The Cliff House operates 365 days a year and employs 170 staff most of whom are furloughed. Even though the Cliff House is not open for business there are daily operating costs, which include maintenance of the iconic Cliff House building, ironically for the benefit of the Park Service in addition to the visiting public.

Having been shut down for four days the Cliff House has already assumed considerable financial loss and will continue to incur losses of approximately $10,000 per day for so long as the shutdown order remains in force. Outreach has been done to donate unused food to local charities that would have otherwise gone to waste.

The Cliff House recently celebrated 150 years, is loved by the locals and is a
world-wide destination.

Cliff House
1090 Point Lobos
San Francisco, CA 94121