The Board of Supervisors has not had a regular meeting for several weeks, so the mail from my fellow San Franciscans to the board has been piling up. Today we take a look at some of the colorful communications that arrived during the board’s hiatus. Read More

Poor Julian Davis. If only he had waited until Nov. 7 to assault a woman, supervisors John Avalos and David Campos (and Jane Kim and Christina Olague) would have been on his side. Instead, Avalos and Campos have dusted off their cheap, convenient masks of concern about violence against women and withdrawn their endorsement for Davis, who is a candidate for supervisor in District 5. Read More

In 2010, students at three underperforming middle schools sued the Los Angeles Unified School District on the grounds that seniority-based teacher layoffs unfairly impact poor schools. This is because difficult schools tend to be staffed by newer teachers, what with more senior teachers choosing high-performing schools. The case is still being litigated, but both sides agree that “evidence shows there is a distinct relationship between high teacher turnover and the quality of educational opportunities afforded. Read More

The Golden State cities of Vallejo, Stockton, Mammoth Lakes and San Bernardino have all declared bankruptcy, and city leaders in Compton are publicly pondering that option as well. Basically the roster of California cities has become a game of dead pool to see which one will drop next. Read More