Oh those bygone days of handsomely built, well-funded public schools! (Although -- a little voice whispers in my ear -- those would, of course, have been the schools the white kids attended ...)

I'm struck, also, by their saying that SF is in no way reminiscent of America, because Calvin Trillin [ETA: or, oh gosh, maybe it was Spalding Gray!] once called NYC an island off the coast of America -- this was during some prior Rethuglican presidency or other, I think. But much though I love my home city and much though I am inclined to kiss its filthy pavement every time I come home to it, I do have to concede SF's beauty. :^)