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Op Eds

California canards rise again in the media

It’s utterly amazing at times how brain-dead the East Coast political media, both partisan and independent, can be about California’s politics. The canards about California abound and become more entrenched with every election, such as the so-called Bradley effect. Read More

Science and math education are key to our future

Throughout the election season, we heard a lot about ensuring that everyone in this country has economic opportunities and a shot at the “American Dream.” As we search for answers to high unemployment and wage stagnation, many worry that not enough jobs are being created, that too many people are competing for the same positions so there must not be enough positions. But, there’s another side to the story. Read More

Ballot initiative needed to stop the SFMTA’s taxicab medallion sales

The San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency’s medallion sales programs should end. These programs do not benefit taxi drivers or taxi riders. Rather, these sales and leases benefit cab companies and the agency itself. These sales, and specifically leases to cab companies, will greatly reduce the quality of cab service in San Francisco. Read More

San Francisco is constructing a greener path

This week, thousands of building professionals from around the world will be in San Francisco for the Greenbuild conference to share ideas about sustainable design and construction practices. They picked the right spot. Nine years ago, The City adopted the Green Building Ordinance aimed at reducing water and energy use, diverting waste from the landfill and improving indoor air quality. Even before that, we began leading by example. Read More

State demographic shift fuels voters’ blue streak

This wasn’t your father’s electorate, much less your grandfather’s. Even as California’s white population declined sharply in the last generation to well below 50 percent, middle-age white homeowners still dominated California’s elections. And this widening gap between voters and the overall population contributed to chronic political gridlock. Read More

President and Senate must quickly replace federal judges to vacant posts

U.S. District Judge James Ware recently retired after 22 years of service. This means that the Northern District of California now has four vacancies in 14 judgeships. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has designated all four as emergencies because of the district’s heavy caseloads. Read More

Improving service should be No. 1 Muni goal

Between 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the day of Game 1 of the World Series, Muni melted down in a spectacular way. During this 90-minute period, three light-rail vehicles in the subway broke down because of inadequate maintenance. Nice way to showcase our world-class city during the World Series, though unfortunately not an isolated occurrence. Read More

Simpler rules could solve campaign disclosure woes

Let’s begin with the bedrock principle that voters deserve full disclosure of who’s giving money to whom for what. In fact, we’d be much better served to make full and immediate disclosure of campaign funds our sole regulation of political money, rather than the complex melange of federal and state laws, regulations and court decisions that now purport — but fail — to protect the political process. Read More

Tech businesses aren’t only players in San Francisco’s thriving economy

San Francisco’s tech sector received a lot of attention last month — and for good reason. California announced the expansion of San Francisco’s Innovation Hub (iHub) in Mission Bay to include the entire city and county of San Francisco. Mayor Ed Lee declared October to be Innovation Month to spotlight local tech companies. And leading technology firms, such as Square Inc., announced plans for expansion in our city. Read More

Teachers seeking new direction for school board, better future for kids

Everyone knows that Chicago teachers went out on strike this school year. Read More
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