Archive for June, 2010

The body overseeing ferry service in the Bay Area approves a pair of contracts that will pave the way for increased service from the Ferry Building in the coming years.

The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau votes to remove Unite Here Local 2 from its membership roster due to the union’s efforts to boycott certain San Francisco hotels.

The City moves to create a registry of approved medical marijuana growers after a series of grow-house raids leaves the SFPD wondering who is legit and who is not.

The Board of Supes considers the SFPD’s $446.5M budget proposal and suggests that deeper cuts may be on the horizon.

Neighbors, businesses, Muni, drivers, pedestrians, the district supervisor, and bicyclists are fretting over what to do about a particularly unsafe intersection in the Outer Sunset.  Problem is, no one has any cash for the fix.  Here’s hoping that with all the attention on the problem, someone will come up with an innovative (and cheap!) solution.

It’s official!  BART has a new police chief leading the troops.  And one of Kenton Rainey’s first acts on the job will be to do what thousands of Bay Area residents do every single day: ride BART.

First stop Muni, next stop world domination. The Clipper Card is currently being installed on East Bay ferries, making the commute even easier for our Oakland, Alameda and Vallejo friends. (Alex, this one’s for you!)

…is another’s public nuisance.  Especially on days when it’s not explicitly permitted, apparently.  An orchestra (as it were) of elderly Chinese musicians is facing neighborhood complaints when they altered their usual Sunday schedule to accommodate the Lunar New Year.  And apparently their music is much more bothersome on Monday.  Who knew?!?

…the Department of Public Works is also facing cutbacks.  They’ve proposed reducing streetcleaning to allow for more parking.  Good news?  You won’t have to circle the block as many times.  Bad news?  You’ll have to park on top of an old pizza box and discarded beer cans.

Some Bernal Heights residents are saying “oh, h*ll no” to Police George Gascón’s proposed removal of a foot patrol officer along Cortland Avenue.

Chris Roberts of the SF Weekly covers an interesting angle on the current budget fight - the Mayor’s office, itself.  Roberts points out that the number of staffers is diminishing, and speculates as to the reasons why…

The Guardian takes a look at the results of local and state races, what things mean for November and beyond, and the state of the electorate’s mindset.  Get your Deep Analysis Here, folks!

My cat is pictured at right.  His name is Cat, and he just moved back to San Francisco from Portland, where he’d been living with my wife.  He wanted to help edit Suspects this morning.  I don’t usually let him edit Suspects, as he is a cat, and better at purring and sleeping than being snarky and insightful.  However, he did not ask me for permission, as is his wont, but instead just unilaterally made this contribution to Suspects while I briefly left my computer to make myself a shot of espresso.  So, here it is, for your reading pleasure.

p[-nhb n555555555555555555555555555555555
5555555554 asq/.,

I think the wisdom of his well-chosen words is self-evident.  Thank you, Cat, for your good work today.  But no, I’m not publishing the “editorial” about the state of our politics that you left in the litterbox.

Supervisor Carmen Chu has introduced legislation increasing the punishment for being a bad guy on the MUNI.  So, bad guys, please take jitney buses from now on.  Thank you.

The Board of Supervisors heard testimony on the Avalos/Maxwell resolution condemning the Israeli military’s raid on an aid flotilla.  While the resolution is non-binding, a bazillion people turned out to offer their two cents.  The Very Serious testimony lasted for more than five hours (at two minutes per person) and deputy sheriffs had to keep the peace between those who came to testify.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has introduced a ballot measure to prevent certain City officials from sitting on party central committees, saying it will prevent conflicts of interest.  Some members of the Board of Supervisors - and the Democratic County Central Committee - seem to have a different opinion.  And the voters shall decide this weighty issue come November.

City workers who have been claiming ineligible dependents on the City’s dime were encouraged to make some moves to get on the right side of the law.  The verdict?  The City has already saved $2 million dollars and your great aunt twice removed times one thousand can no longer receive SF City benefits.

Despite requests for reductions in salary by Mayor Gavin Newsom, few of the City’s department heads are cutting back their salaries to help relieve San Francisco’s all-but-right city budget.  If you’re curious about just how much mistermayor himself has given back to the City, the number is sixteen percent.  It may not seem like much when factored into the $483 million deficit, but that’s still one big meatball.  Kudos, mistermayor.

The Examiner team reports that Muni’s Board of Directors will be voting on stricter drug regulations for its transit providers on Tuesday.  Among the changes are a larger list of controlled substances and more frequent testing because the sight of intoxicated bus drivers barreling down the streets of San Francisco just sounds like a recipe for disaster.

After unanimous support from the Board of Supervisors, a plan to charge motorists clean up fees for major car accidents is slated for an October debut.

Matier and Ross tell us about the upcoming visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the latest poll numbers in the gubernatorial race, a strange domestic case involving a ninja nurse, and poor voter turnout in Southern California.  Mayor Brown tells us about what happened behind the scenes on election night, reviews a couple movies and the Oakland dining scene, talks about the upcoming sister city trip to Shanghai, and more.

Before Newsom takes off for his new digs in Sacramento, he’s working to cut the City’s budget by a cool $300 million.  If all goes according to plan, prepare for some major cuts - 20% to some departments  - and perhaps even a friendly knock on your door to search for a few stranded quarters under your couch cushions.

With the anniversary of September 11 this weekend, the City takes a look at its own homeland security devices that the feds have appropriated to Police Chief George Gascón and how he’s helping us all sleep better at night.

Having grown up in that sea of suburbia between Los Angeles and San Diego, this one is slightly painful for me to write, but Northern California officially kicked ass on Tuesday.  The Chronicle offers its congratulations to all the local candidates who made good and are headed to the general elections come November.  Gold stars all around!