Archive for December, 2010

While we’re eager to welcome 2011 with open arms, we’ll be doing it on January 2nd.  Instead of offering our daily political news round-up, the Suspects team will spend the day tomorrow reflecting on the past year (perhaps with our eyes closed and Advil nearby). See you on the other side!

After losing its contract with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, Arc Ecology files suit against the City.  The organization alleges that by exercising its right to free speech, its bid to continue on the Hunters Point Shipyard project was adversely impacted.

Former Supervisor and mayoral candidate Tony Hall pays a $6,000 fine and closes the book on the ethics investigation that’s been open against him since 2008.

In efforts to close the remaining budget deficit, Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to release a plan for his successor.

The Bay Guardian’s Steven Hill tells us how we can apply the lessons we learned from November’s ranked choice voting elections to the upcoming San Francisco mayoral election.

The Examiner discusses Supervisor-elect Mark Farrell’s top priorities for District 2 and how he plans to work with his colleagues to better all of San Francisco.

It’s the SF Weekly’s turn to profile District Six Supervisor Jane Kim and her representation of the TL to date.

Rachel Gordon of the Chronicle takes an in-depth look at the state of African-American politics, and politicians, in San Francisco. Our town’s ever-diminishing black population precipitates this story - the 2010 census shows that it currently stands at about six percent.

The Examiner takes a look at a possible solution for the gooey mess that they call BART escalators.

Mssrs. Ross and Matier talk about college football, namely the Pac-10’s financial windfall, the Street Sheet’s donation strategy, who’s not gonna be DA (Katherine Feinstein) and new names of who might (Christine Pelosi, Michael Yaki), and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma’s NYE party.  Willie Brown covers gubernatorial books and inaugurations, interim mayoral strategies, the Niners’ personnel situtation, and strangely enough, no one-liners from a cabbie.  Are the drivers no longer amusing, Mayor Brown?

The Suspects team will be on hiatus tomorrow to spend the day playing with the new video games and Lego sets that are sure to be under the Christmas tree. Thus, when you’ve ripped through your present before sunrise and come here to seek information/entertainment you will be SOL, my friends.

San Francisco’s small business community is making efforts to respond to complaints regarding the ADA compliance at their buildings before it’s too late.

Construction is scheduled to start soon for Phase I of the Hunter’s Point Shipyard project

After the years-long fight in trying to shut down the Potrero Hill power plant, Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and her colleagues are finally celebrating a successful closure of the outdated, polluting plant.  The Bay Guardian gives us the scoop.

We thought we’d recognize Mr. Jackson’s natal anniversary by reminding you of why the Internets were invented.  Yep, I see a few of the youngest of you, looking up, tugging at my skirts, and inquiring, with well-scrubbed and earnest faces, “Why, Mr. Clemens, why did Al Gore invent the Internets?”  Well, cherub, he did it so you could have a handy quote by Samuel L. Jackson ready to go - one that suits any and every occasion.  This site is an oldie but a goodie, and I dare you to click fewer than three of the available options.  (And do not link over if you are not a fan of the full variety of words available in this here English language…)

The Examiner reports that citywide furlough days are taking place during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Martin Macks on Haight Street has lost the permit for its beloved parklet due to neighborhood complaints over its lack of maintenance. While the bar’s owner is considering his next steps, the removal of the tiny urban oasis could be imminent.

Big Brain David Latterman has just released his in-depth analysis of what happened with RCV in this past election - both in San Francisco and in Oakland.  The information is fascinating, naturally - and required reading for anyone who considers themselves a campaign expert.  We’re grateful to David for allowing us to post it here, and we hope you’ll enjoy it.  latterman-rcv-results-11-10-sf-oak

Police Chief George Gascon continues to advocate for increasing the number of civilians who do police work.

As is the custom over at the Chronicle, a couple of stories are reserved for the print edition.  Well, we want to give you a glimpse of what you are missing.  Matier and Ross tell us the latest about the America’s Cup, Oakland’s dubious plans to spend money and make money, a federal law passed to quiet those loud commercials, and more.  Meanwhile, Willie Brown tells us about George Shultz’s 90th birthday, the induction ceremony for the California Hall of Fame, Jerry Brown’s first budget moves, a visit to Texas, bicycle lanes, and a review of “Black Swan.”

A group of local leaders and residents celebrated the historic repeal of the military’s discriminatory policy against gays.

…don’t go round and round here in San Francisco, where the School Board has voted to cut funding for more than half of its public school buses in order to save some dough.  And kids, before you get your hopes up, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to go to school - you just have to find another way to get there.

Seems that crimes against the people who live in our parks aren’t reporting when they get the &#^@ kicked out of them by jackasses, which means that Supes are quizzing cops about how bad the problem really is.  It would be swell if there was a bed for everyone, yes?  And it would be additionally swell if everyone was willing to go sleep in that bed, yes?  Ahhhhhh, you fabulous, intractable urban ills - how we all so respect you and tip our caps to your intransigence and persistence…

The SFPD is looking into a claim by the Ingleside District Captain that perhaps some of his officers ratcheted down the citations in the past few pre-election months because they didn’t want folks getting ticked off and voting for Proposition B - which would have increased public employee costs for health and pension benefits.  On one hand, [insert many many jokes here] - and on the other hand, YIKES.  Stay tuned…