Cammy Blackstone is exceptional for many reasons.
She’s the voice you hear at each animal exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo, a winner of a Poddy Award for her foodie podcasts (she beat Rachael Ray!) and, as a legislative aide at the Board of Supervisors, Blackstone has worked for four supervisors — Sean Elsbernd, Michela Alioto-Pier, Carmen Chu and Katy Tang. That’s more than any aide in recent history.
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A self-described “blue-collar politician,” the 63-year-old Norman Yee is set to become the oldest member of the Board of Supervisors when he’s sworn in Jan. 8. He said he wants to bring a thoughtful, independent style with a mix of progressive and moderate politics to his new job.
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In this dangerous world of apocalyptic predictions and government showdowns, where even Elmo was forced to resign amid scandal, it’s nice to know that some things never change. As we reflect on the 38 meetings of the Board of Supervisors in 2012, you’ll be comforted to know that supervisors’ penchant for printing powerless sentiments continues to override any commitment to conserving trees.
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Starting in July, each member of the board was allocated $100,000 in city funds to spend as they chose. Halfway through the fiscal year, some supervisors have spent all or a portion of their allocations, others none at all. The spending varies from community events to rebuilding playgrounds, and provides a glimpse of the respective supervisors’ priorities.
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The holidays are upon us and City Hall is decorated beautifully, complete with an enormous tree. So far, there are no gifts for our supervisors under the tree, so here is my list of what each should receive:
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After Friday’s tragic shootings in Connecticut, all eyes are on President Barack Obama and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s efforts to introduce federal gun control legislation. But real action is happening on the local and state level, too. As a number of states have Democratic legislatures and governors — including Illinois, Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut and, of course, California — look for them to dust off previously shelved gun control laws.
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Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting was the last for Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who is sadly termed out. The party for him that night at the Irish Cultural Center was packed with elected leaders and City Hall staffers wishing him well and thanking him for 12 years of service as the voice of reason at the board.
Here are some juicy tidbits of gossip I picked up while mingling at the shindig.
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In November 2007, voters passed Proposition I, creating the Office of Small Business and directing it to issue, by April 2008, a report that recommended possible streamlining and consolidation of regulatory functions supervised by that agency. The idea was to make life easier for The City’s often-beleaguered small business.
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At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, David Campos announced that he is asking the budget and legislative analyst to conduct a performance review of the San Francisco Housing Authority. He repeatedly stated (so you know it’s true) that “the focus is not on individuals or personalities” but “what is happening to address the needs of the residents.”
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Supervisor Scott Wiener is trying hard to fix Muni, but no one wants to pay for it. With $420 million in deferred maintenance and a $100 million deficit each year, the prospect of getting our public-transportation system on track is getting more remote.
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