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Examiner Connect

Op Eds

Save reservoir, vote no on Proposition F

This week, the San Francisco Superior Court confirmed the ballot summary language used to describe Proposition F. While there was much debate over the measure’s wording, its underlying purpose remains abundantly clear. If passed, Prop. F will require The City to prepare a costly plan that, if enacted, would drain the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and jeopardize The City’s water rights, resulting in huge water rate increases to construct a new delivery system. Read More

Legislation would help protect vulnerable immigrants

I used to be a teacher, so I have to correct mistakes where I see them. Don’t worry, no rulers. The recent San Francisco Examiner editorial, “Ammiano’s bill is wrong approach to immigration,” has one big fact wrong. The Examiner wrote that my bill — AB 1081, the Trust Act — would order local law enforcement officials, “with the force of state law, to ignore federal law.” This is simply untrue. Read More

Fast-track legislators stall on reform

A late-blooming, business-backed drive to significantly alter the 42-year-old California Environmental Quality Act died late last week when it crashed into a wall of opposition from influential environmental groups. That wasn’t the official reason, of course. Rather, legislative leaders insisted that putting off CEQA modification was a good government decision not to rush something so significant. Read More

State Senate panels are wasting time and money

The Sacramento Bee published a lengthy article recently about the proliferation of special committees in the California Senate that rarely, if ever, meet, just as rarely produce worthwhile research, and appear to exist mainly to give senators extra, off-the-books staff. Bee reporter Jim Sanders spent many hours poring through Senate documents, looking — mostly in vain — for evidence that the special committees serve some valid public purpose. Read More

California's new fight in medical turf wars

No session of the California Legislature would be complete without at least one “scope-of-practice” bill. What’s that, you ask? Health care is the largest single piece of the California economy, involving about $200 billion a year. That cornucopia fuels competition among medical specialists over the legal scope of their practices. As some seek to expand their fields, they encroach on others’ turf. Read More

California reconsiders key environmental law

For years, even decades, business groups have complained that the California Environmental Quality Act’s complex provisions were being misused to block worthwhile projects, often for reasons that had nothing to do with the environment. Read More

California legislature poor at handling scandals

Given its record on other issues, such as the deficit-ridden budget, it’s not surprising that the California Legislature doesn’t handle scandal very well.It almost always ignores internal scandal, including its members who run afoul of criminal laws. It’s difficult to say how outrageous a legislator’s conduct would have to be to earn censure. Mass murder, perhaps? Read More

Programs help catch mental illness early

It’s unlikely that anyone would say it is “frivolous” to exercise and eat well to guard against heart disease and diabetes. Both of those preventive measures have been proven to be highly beneficial in avoiding more serious health problems. Read More

New school year gives San Francisco more opportunities to nurture youths

The 2012-13 school year is right around the corner, and on Monday, 54,200 public-school students and 8,189 staff members will fill 131 child development centers and elementary, middle and high schools throughout our beautiful city. Read More

Ross Mirkarimi deserves another chance

After Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment in connection with an argument he had with his wife, Mayor Ed Lee suspended him and brought charges to remove him for official misconduct. Mirkarimi exercised his right to contest the removal before the San Francisco Ethics Commission and Board of Supervisors. Read More
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