Archive for September, 2010

MTA officals are looking to withhold year-end payouts to MUNI operators because of the tough economy.  The union representing them is threatening legal action.

Supervisor Bevan Dufty is exploring the possibility of providing City housing for chronic alcoholics that will keep folks off the streets and under medical supervision…but where they’ll still be served alcohol.  Cheers?

The BAR reports that San Francisco’s Perramont Hotel, which houses queer youth, is facing claims that management has been abusive to some of its residents.

It turns out not everyone is racing to be served by former Supervisor Chris Daly, including a local plumbers union that would rather not drink and be merry with the former Supe, urging their members to boycott his bar.

The soon-to-be termed out Supervisor Chris Daly has announced that he will be running Buck’s Tavern on Market Street.  He hasn’t picked out a new name for the joint quite yet, but I’m not ruling out any four letter words that start with F.

Yeah, I know, it’s Wednesday, and we all want to see what the Weekly and the Guardian are saying about local politics.  But the Guardian’s website is kaput (at least between the hours of 5:30 and 6:30am today, when your humble narrator updated Suspects), so you get bupkes from them.  Sorry.  We’ll upload later, should they feed their hamster and get their server farm running again.   (And yes, whenever possible, I always go for the cheap, hamster-powered server farm joke - because the imagery is always worth it.  Sorry - it’s my thing.)

While it may not be ok to for gun toters to fire wildly into the air in celebration (that just may make the SFPD think twice about their decision and result in the dispatch of several paddywagons), the city’s firearm enthusiasts can rejoice after the San Francisco Police Department’s decision to approve the store’s permit.

So I’d venture to guess that many of you know Linda Post.  A fixture on the San Francisco politics circuit, Linda has been running a blog that gives advance notice of lots of San Francisco events at http://sanfranciscofyi.blogspot.com/ - and we at Suspects/Barbary Coast are fans.  Linda is also quietly and ego-less-ly and evenhandedly making the rounds of events, kickoffs, literature drops, debates, and so on - and documenting what she finds, both on her blog, and (of course!) on Facebook.  Curious about what campaign literature for various candidates looks like?  Who’s showing up at which events, and which events have lots of folks at them?  Linda’s trusty camera is seemingly everywhere, and she’s uploading lots of stuff to Facebook.  And as her Facebook Friend, I get to see her simple yet information-packed pictorial illustrations of this campaign cycle.  (And yes, I think she’s doing a nice job of covering everything she can, not just campaigns with a certain point of view - she’s always been a diplomat that way.)  You should consider making a friend request to the lovely Ms. Post … and count yourself lucky if you’re allowed in!

Golden Gate Park’s historic Music Concourse (which closed in 2005 for a year-long renovation that took a leeeetle longer than planned) will finally re-open this Friday, just in time for its 110th birthday bash.

…nope, it’s a guy climbing Millennium Tower using only suction cups.  He says it was to make a point about the vulnerability of skyscrapers.  Critics say it was a publicity stunt for his new book.  Hmmm, perhaps a little bit of both?

For the first time ever, San Francisco is poised to consider using recycled water to hydrate its parks, helping to reduce the reliance on Hetch Hetchy and save the potable stuff for drinking.  So much for running through the sprinklers on a hot summer day…  Oh, wait.  We don’t have those either.

This battle might be about more than just happy meal toys.  We learn that the McDonald’s at Haight and Stanyan Streets is making changes to its menu, and some claim the restaurant’s changes are targeted towards the homeless population in the area.

As is customary, you can’t read what Matier and Ross and Willie Brown have to offer on Sundays if you don’t have a print copy.  For those of you who are solely internet-readers these days, here it is: Matier and Ross tell us how the San Bruno inferno may impact the race for LG, the November election and what it means for Democrats, the looming Muni worker sickout, and the Oakland mayoral race.  Plus, in Willie’s World, the former mayor recaps on who wore what to the Opera, money and the gubernatorial race, and invites us all to a tea party.

Hundreds of Ron Paul supporters gathered at the Civic Center to hear the libertarian hero speak.

The race for four open seats on the Board of Supervisors is heating up as we move into the Fall.

… (”in the middle of the street”) is not in San Francisco.  The Bay Citizen reports on which high salaried San Francisco employees live beyond the city’s borders.

We learn about SFMTA’s plan to charge folks who reserve parking meter spaces for special events and why it has raised a number of concerns in the community.

After Blue Bottle Coffee abandoned its approved permit for a coffee cart spot in Dolores Park, a new taco trailer has been approved but isn’t necessarily being welcomed to the neighborhood with a plate of fresh cookies. 

Since the 1840s, there have been a few changes to the City’s law enforcement structure, namely….EVERYTHING.  That is the truth except if you are talking about the City’s Patrol Special Police.  That all may change if leaders heed the recommendations of a recently published study describing the shortcomings of the ”Only in San Francisco” community enforcement officers.

Today is the big day, folks.  That’s right, it’s Election Day, a personal favorite for your friends over here at Usual Suspects.  (Not to be confused with Day After We Won the World Series Day, which is also pretty exciting.)  If you need any last minute information or a recap of recent media coverage to aid in your decisions (and there’s a lot of ‘em this go-round!), head on over to our Political HQ, where we’ve got everything you need to help you pick your favorites.  Now get thee to a poll and vote!

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Union Street Enrichment Association.  They have apparently been formed to coalesce the group of folks who want to say “Yes!” to new things, and one expects that there might be a Sharks/Jets old-school throwdown with an existing community organization or two in coming months.  MAN, I hope they all sing really cool songs whilst doing that awesome knife-fighting stance in West Side Story…

Fiscally, you know.  Soon.  Or soonish.  And so say City leaders at a conference.  I hope they’re right - I would really enjoy taking caviar and buttermilk showers and lighting Cuban cigars with hundred dollar bills, like I used to.  Ahhh, 2007 - those were the good old days…

The SFBG says that there’s a coordinated anti-Margaret Brodkin campaign going on in the School Board Race, and it doesn’t like it even one tiny bit.  And that it should stop.  And if it doesn’t stop, there are going to be dunce caps and people sent to sit in the corner.  And then someone’s going to get beat up behind the cafeteria at recess.