Anyone interested in San Francisco budgets should read the 2005 San Francisco civil grand jury report, which alleged that then-Supervisor Kevin Shelly directed considerable money to a Chinatown nonprofit to build a community center that was never built.
The money went instead to Shelly’s political campaign for state office. The report is entitled “The Difference Between Grants and Contracts.”
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While I do not support removing bargaining power for unions, member dues should not be used primarily to advance the liberal Democratic agenda. Let us stop pretending. The AFL-CIO and teachers unions have joined forces with California progressives in moving America to the left on social-policy issues.
Case in point: The Dodd-Frank hidden quotas bill would effectively overturn Proposition 209 by establishing 20 offices to implement federal hiring ratios (quotas) for minorities and women, as well as with federal contractors and subcontractors.
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The caption under the late Mayor Joseph L. Alioto’s photo accompanying my March 10 op-ed, “San Francisco’s anti-job payroll tax,” erroneously stated that Mayor Alioto in 1970 “imposed a city income tax upon all who resided and worked in The City.” He did not and could not do so under state law. However, the Board of Supervisors and he did in 1970 enact the payroll tax and gross receipts tax.Judge Quentin L. Kopp (Ret.)San Francisco
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Congress is debating whether to cut or even eliminate AmeriCorps and VISTA national service. That would be a bad move.
Some local AmeriCorps and VISTA programs are operated by Bay Area Community Resources in collaboration with about 50 other nonprofit community organizations. The federal government puts up only 40 percent of the money, while our communities pay 60 percent.
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The Henry Hotel should be shut down. Such places have proven to be havens for drug dealers and users. Instead of releasing videos of the cops doing alleged illegal searches, why doesn’t the hotel owner release videos of all the illegal acts that happen in the hallways of his hotel?I see all the violence and daily crime in this area, and I am disgusted by it. The one time I read that police are doing something to clean up Sixth Street, the officers get reprimanded for it?
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Supervisor Eric Mar’s legislation to bar all chain pet stores from Geary Boulevard, as reported in the March 9 Examiner, is a misguided assault on a reputable business that creates jobs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
As a Richmond district resident, I see the numerous vacant storefronts along Geary Boulevard, Balboa, Clement and California Streets on a daily basis. With unemployment in San Francisco currently at about 9.5 percent and increasing, it is counterproductive to bar new business development.
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President Barack Obama has once again retreated into passivity in response to the murderous bloodbath being inflicted on the Libyan people by the despotic Moammar Gadhafi. Rather than lead a coalition of countries in stopping indiscriminate bombing of Libyan civilians through imposition of a “no-fly zone,” Obama withdraws into inaction.
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The San Francisco Unified School District’s move to give proximity more weight in school assignments is a move in the right direction, but it’s not enough — San Francisco should move to a true neighborhood schools model.Too many families have “opted out” of San Francisco’s public schools, either moving out of The City when their children reach school age, or choosing private schools. A neighborhood school system would give parents greater certainty in the assignment process, and help coax more families back into the public school system.
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President Barack Obama should “put up or shut up” regarding his national high-speed rail vision. In France and Japan, the high-speed rail systems were built, paid for, operated, and heavily subsidized by the national governments. If Obama can’t convince the U.S. Congress to fund or share his national vision, then high-speed rail talk should end now.
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Thanks for The San Francisco Examiner’s March 2 story covering the Sierra Club’s efforts to protect the endangered California red-legged frog and the San Francisco garter snake from dying off, due to mismanagement of the Sharp Park golf course.
Our goal in pursuing litigation is to ensure that San Francisco follows scientific recommendations and takes action to protect the threatened animals.
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San Francisco handicap placard abuse is rampant and has been since 1996. The current law is unenforceable, and catching these offenders is based on good timing and some luck.
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I am writing in response to the Sunday letter titled “Taxpayers stuck with the bill on a technicality.” The letter contains false allegations that my office was responsible for an alleged failure to serve an unnamed sheriff’s deputy a one-page notice of termination, and as a result the deputy received back pay, benefits and interest in the amount of $800,000. No such thing occurred.
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The Board of Supervisors approved the construction of a $528,774 wheelchair ramp for its chambers.
Here are some items one can purchase for about $528,774: a condo in Pacific Heights at $529,000; a new Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Roadster for $495,000 (the ninth most expensive car in the world); a used Cessna Citation 500 Longwing jet for $495,000; a 66-foot trawler yacht at $480,000; salary for newly elected supervisors throughout their entire four-year terms. Or the Department of Public Works could prop up another five trees at $107,000 each.
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I live in Bernal Heights and commute daily to Stanford via Caltrain. I’m deeply concerned about Caltrain’s impending service cuts, such as eliminating evening service. This would have the effect of making Caltrain unusable for me.
So many San Franciscans use Caltrain to commute to work. Driving is expensive, dangerous, time-consuming and bad for the environment. It would be disastrous to cut San Franciscans off from Peninsula jobs — from restaurant workers to technology executives.Scott KlemmerSan Francisco
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I was dispirited after reading the Thursday letter, “Unpleasant life in SF.” I’m one of the invisible throng that is law-abiding and who calls out scofflaws on their bad behavior. I’m a 57-year-old grandmother of six who’s been riding bicycles and commuting for 40-plus years, logging tens of thousands of miles. My son and I have ridden seven AIDS rides.
At times I pedal about with assorted grandchildren and nephews. I’ve been hit by a car in which the driver was under the influence, unemployed and uninsured. The car wasn’t registered and didn’t even belong to him.
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