Archive for March, 2011

With labor costs being one of the largest ticket items in our City’s budget, some are concerned about the effects a new statewide law on workers’ comp would have on our spending habits.

While CitiApartments has agreed to a settlement for mistreating tenants at their various properties around town, people are still not pleased with the situation.  And who can blame them?  I, too, would be PO-ed if my utilities kept shutting off for no reason.

According to PETA, quite a bit. The animal rights organization has requested that San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood be renamed something that refrains from evoking a butcher, cow, steak, the HOPR, or pretty much anything else related to meat (mmmmm, meat). In the words of one local resident, whose wit made me laugh out loud despite the early hour, “What, am I going to say, ‘Yo, I’m headed down to the Mixed Salad?’” Amen, brother.

With the federal funding tap expected to run dry, Mayor Lee and Supervisors Carmen Chu and John Avalos introduced a resolution, asking the Obama Administration and Congress to limit cuts to a minimum - well aware less money from the Feds means less money for social and community programs at home.  Let’s hope our national representatives don’t just let us eat cake.

From the halls of 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place to the terminals at San Francisco International Airport, Peter Nardoza was a lifelong public servant, dedicating his life to making the City by the Bay a better place to live, work, and visit. His kindness and generosity of spirit will be sorely missed. Peter’s memorial service will be held April 21 at 5 p.m. at City Hall’s North Light Court.

Some Alamo Square residents have had quite enough of tour buses hauling gawking tourists around the neighborhood without paying their fair share, and have suggested the SFMTA charge buses to fund local area improvements.

With over 100 cops expected to hang up their hats by the end of the year, the SFPD is working to find quarters, dimes, and even nickels under couch cushions to restore funding for training programs.  Members of our Board of Supes weigh in.

The Bay Citizen reports that MTA Chief Nat Ford has been conspicuously absent from work over the last year.

The Bay Citizen/New York Times covers San Francisco Controller Ben Rosenfield and his battles to keep our city solvent.

You’ll have to pony up the three dollars at the newsstand to read this article today.  The Chronicle reports that a number of candidates who are running to be the next mayor of San Francisco have been raising and spending money in creative ways.

The Chronicle columnists are at it again.  Matier and Ross tell us about the proposed payments for the outgoing BART General Manager, Twitter’s tax breaks, Attorney General Kamala Harris at the border, Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom in Presidio Heights, and Mayor Ed Lee’s perspective on frogs and snakes.  Meanwhile, Willie Brown tells us about Terminal 2 at SFO, downtown construction, a dinner honoring Bill Russell in Oakland, a California Shakespeare Festival fundraiser, the Barry Bonds trial, the local winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, two movie reviews, and dinner with Mayor Ed Lee.

Things are looking up for the SF Unified School District. 110 formerly laid-off workers will be back at work, thanks to an improved budget outlook.

From the halls of 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place to the terminals at San Francisco International Airport, Peter Nardoza was a lifelong public servant, dedicating his life to making the City by the Bay a better place to live, work, and visit. His kindness and generosity of spirit will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be held this Thursday, April 21 at 5pm in City Hall’s North Light Court.

After finding that several of its students were not actually San Franciscans, the SFUSD takes a long, hard look at its definition of “resident,” coming up with a new set of regulations aimed to keep the fibbers out of the classroom.

Tim Redmond of the San Francisco Bay Guardian offers his $0.02 on the City’s Housing Master Plan.  After two years in the making (yes, two frickin’ years), according to Redmond, it still ain’t perfect.

We usually don’t post obituaries when someone transitions to the other side who is not a local political player; however, for Velvet Brown/Martha/Cleopatra/Queen of Diamonds, we made an exception.  Screen siren Elizabeth Taylor passed yesterday at the age of 79.  Thank you, Ms. Taylor, for your years of glamour, entertainment, Hollywood gossip, and contributions to the arts.

Tired of the Game of “Psych!” Board President Chiu introduces legislation to regulate bioterrorism detection devices after concerns were raised that such contraptions are not tested or adhere to standard requirements, causing public alarm and oodles of money when they go off unnecessarily.

The Bay Guardian shines a spotlight on the issue of San Francisco’s working class moving to the East Bay. The paper echoes this belief in an editorial that SF is losing much of its diversity and creativity because of its lack of affordable housing options.

Positive economic news? No need to clean your glasses, this story is real and ready to make you optimistic. According to a recent report from the Controller’s office, tourism is close to being back up to it’s pre-recession numbers. Those crazy, map packed and camera wielding Iowans might just be the ones to raise our revenues. So the next time you see a tourist, help them turn their map right side up and offer directions. Represent and make San Francisco proud.

After a series of neighborhood complaints and one too many accidents, the BoS City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee will be tackling the issue of pedestrian safety at its meeting today.

A major deal between Lennar and two Chinese companies appears to have fallen apart amid reports that the Chinese companies were looking for increased control over the developments at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Treasure Island. Not a problem, Lennar. There’s gotta be some young tech entrepreneur who’s got a cool $1.7 billion lying around, awaiting investment. Because all of their capital is liquid…right?

Do you know what the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is responsible for?  I do - but according to the Examiner, it’s because I’m a geek.  So in efforts to draw attention of the SFPUC outside of the geek community, the agency is revamping its image with a new logo (which to me, looks like a raindrop AND a lightning bolt).

The BAR reports that Mayor Ed Lee has appointed Cecilia Chung to serve as the first out transgender person on the commission, receiving cheers from the LGBT community and beyond.

One national retailer with 1700 stores seems to be flying under the local radar in our chain store wars.  Could it be the pantaloons rouge that they have on sale?  Or are we just tired of Daly City having all the fun?