Archive for February, 2013

Well, that didn’t take too long… The Chronicle reports on the reaction to the Chamber of Commerce’s proposed tweaks to City Hall. The two items really catching people’s attention: the proposed changes for introducing new City legislation, and contracting out for services.

When I try to understand this whole sequestration thing going on in Washington, I feel like I’m back in fourth grade trying to understand long division. Apparently, in addition to a bunch of other undesirable impacts, the budget impasse is going to cause delays at SFO. What’s next? No more helicopter dates on the Bachelor franchise? Oy vey.

The bad? More than 100 teachers will receive preliminary layoff notices next month (this doesn’t mean they are immediately let go). The good? If not for Prop. 30, hundreds more notices would be sent out. So, remember, send your kids to school with a shiny red apple for their hard-working teacher… or, if you can afford it, just send them to school with a $30 million School Improvement Grant. And hey, at least their ride to school on Muni will be free.

San Francisco Magazine covers Supervisor Katy Tang’s start as a Supervisor in City Hall and the differences between her experience as a Supervisorial appointee and Ex-Supervisor Christina Olague.

San Francisco may become the first major city in the U.S. to regulate mobile businesses, proving - once again - that we show others how it’s done. While our fair city, has seen an explosion in mobile businesses - from clothing companies to food trucks - we don’t have legislation to regulate these new ventures - something that’s caused distress with both mobile and traditional businesses.

Two transportation-related tax measures that could wind up on the ballot in November 2014 would bring in a whopping $790 million over the next 10 years; however, that still wouldn’t be enough to cover the city’s transit improvement needs - which will be roughly $3.1 billion in the same amout of time. Man, getting around ain’t cheap!

Legislation addressing the sale and possession of particular ammunition in the city passed through committee with positive recommendations. The two ordinances, sponsored by Mayor Ed Lee and Supervisor Malia Cohen, will now move on to the full Board.

A report detailing the maintenance scores of all parks in the City system was release by the Controller’s Office this week. It seems that parks in Districts 10 and 11 frequently ranked lower on the list and that strikes some as a bit unfair, and perhaps unsurprising.

The price of metered parking close to Giants games is going up significantly this year. And just in case you were thinking about taking that ferry from Marin to the game, those prices are going up also.

Mayor Ed Lee has put together a task force with an ambitious goal of addressing persistent transit issues in San Francisco and the Bay Area. If I had a magic wand and a big pile of cash, I’d hand them over to the Smart People on the panel (Chiu Metcalf Nolan Wiener, to start) to help them make change, because DAMN it would be a good thing if they were successful.

The Examiner reports what’s happening behind the scenes as the City’s long-time power provider and its union goes after the new CleanPowerSF program, which is getting its renewable power from Shell. Word is that PG&E has challenged Shell to meet it behind the cafeteria after seventh period, and it’s a super-chicken if it doesn’t. Also, PG&E is saying that Shell wrote those dirty graffiti words in the bathroom and that Shell has a crush on Stacy’s mom. Fight!

You may have played on the old fighter jet in Larson Playground, but kids today haven’t had the same opportunity. The jet hasn’t been there since ‘93, but another one is on the way, thanks to D4 Supe Carmen Chu, her legislative colleague Cammy Blackstone, and an entire herd of other folks who helped bring it to fruition.

Starting on Monday, bicyclists will have a one-week trial run to take their bikes on BART any time of the day. And, yes, I also mean that 8:00am train from Pittsburgh-Bay Point.

The Keystone XL oil pipeline debate has made its way to San Francisco. Thousands of climate change activists - including Supervisor John Avalos - rallied in downtown San Francisco on Sunday to urge President Obama to reject the fossil fuel project. With similar protests being held in other major US cities, the question remains: what will Obama choose to do?

Supervisor David Campos has developed a plan that would help young people leave gangs. Fortunately, they wouldn’t be excluded from joining any San Francisco political clubs!

So there are crazy people and then there are Crazy People. Thankfully, someone falling into the latter category was nabbed before he could do real harm to state Senator Leland Yee.

City Hall was but one site of the annual V-Day dance mob meant to raise awareness of violence against women. I mean, is there really any better way to empower females than the Electric Slide? I think not.

A plan, brokered by then Mayor Gavin Newsom, to outfit San Francisco with electric taxis now hangs in the balance as the company charged (get it, charged) with installing needed battery swapping stations has pulled out of the deal due to financial troubles.

The Bay Guardian writes about how several new condominium projects remain empty during a significant part of the year because they are owned by rich individuals who only spend part of the year in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Planning Department is considering temporarily adding staff so that it can clear a backlog of projects that are waiting to get their approvals.

…so you almost certainly read other hyper-local sites, too. The Chron writes up what it’s like to run one of these operations - the rewards (not monetary) and tribulations alike…

Apparently, watching porn and partaking in some online gambling while at work is frowned upon by the establishment and is a fireable offense. And by “establishment,” I mean pretty much any employer. But more specifically in this case, the PUC. What’s next, you can’t sexually harass someone? Geesh, sooooo many rules…

Bayview residents are threatening  to protest and possibly prevent the construction of the new Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School if the school district doesn’t agree to hire local residents for the work. And we all know, there is nothing better than Men (and women!) at Work.

Chronicle columnist Debra Saunders makes the case that reusable grocery bags can actually be unhealthy for consumers. Yet, despite the recent study she points to, it seems that the train has already left the station on the plastic bag ban.