To borrow a phrase from Whoopi Goldberg’s character in the movie “Ghost”: Proposition 13, you in danger, girl.
Backers of Proposition 32 smacked a beehive, inadvertantly handing the Democratic Party its first supermajority since 1888. The tax increases and constitutional amendments that are certain to follow are the true legacy of the Yes on 32 campaign.
Prop. 32 would have prohibited unions and corporations from giving to candidates’ campaigns and from raising money through automatic deductions — a death knell for the political clout of public employee unions.
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When I first began writing about local politics, the Board of Supervisors was depressingly funny. There was former (and current) comedian Tom Ammiano, wry Aaron Peskin, “supervisor straitjacket” Chris Daly and the lovable, poetry-quoting Jake McGoldrick. But that was then. The class of 2010 has been relatively calm and grown-up, enjoying a decent working relationship with each other and with Mayor Ed Lee. As a citizen, this makes me happy, but as someone who watches board meetings, it just makes me sleepy.
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At an aptly titled “special meeting” of the City Operations and Neighborhood Services committee last Friday, supervisors Sean Elsbernd, Carmen Chu and Scott Wiener heard public comments on Wiener’s proposed ban on public nudity, except for specific events. It was bound to be entertaining.
Wiener set the stage by explaining that, “Freedom, expression and acceptance don’t mean we don’t have any standards of behavior whatsoever. This means people can’t do whatever pops into their head no matter the impact on others and the neighborhood.”
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On Election Day, there will be more than just a presidential race and statewide tax initiatives on the ballot. Local measures include a soda tax in Richmond and El Monte and the “Porn Actors Required to Wear Condoms Act” in Los Angeles County. Also, Mendocino County, San Francisco, and the cities of Chico, Richmond and Arcata are considering resolutions declaring that corporations are not entitled to a constitutional right to political free speech.
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Welcome to the second installment of a four-part series examining the laws enacted in 2012 thanks to our local electeds. Last week, state Sen. Mark Leno was in the spotlight and this week we turn our attention to Assemblywoman Fiona Ma. Like Leno, Ma began her political career as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Elected to the state Assembly in 2006 and again in 2008 and 2010, Ma is now running to be a member of the state Board of Equalization, the body that collects and distributes certain state taxes.
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It is amazing what a single vote can do.
Once not even worthy of a second- or third-choice endorsement by progressive leaders, Supervisor Christina Olague is now lapping up her reward for voting to reinstate Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi.
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FX Crowley, a candidate for supervisor in District 7, has mailed out his pro-woman flier, “Equal Pay for Equal Work,” in which he lists his fancy endorsements from U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, state Attorney General Kamala Harris and Assemblywoman Fiona Ma.
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On Oct. 16, we learned that our fair city is a finalist to host the 2016 Super Bowl. The other finalist is Miami, and our campaign to win is in full swing. While the headline at sfsuperbowl.com says, “Bring the Bowl to the Bay” it’s abundantly clear that “the Bay” means “San Francisco.” Although the stadium for the 49ers is being built in Santa Clara, that city’s mayor, Jamie Matthews, has been rather subdued compared to our jubilant Mayor Ed Lee.
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If hypocrisy were money, Elizabeth Emken’s troubles would be over.
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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.
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Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi may be hoping for a smooth transition back into his job, and supervisorial candidate Julian Davis may hope the claims that he groped a woman will blow over. But there are machinations behind the scenes that are just getting started. Also in the crosshairs? The three members of the Board of Supervisors who voted to reinstate Mirkarimi and are up for re-election on Nov. 6 — John Avalos, David Campos and Christina Olague. (Jane Kim is not up for election this year.)
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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.
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With the Vice-Presidential debate behind us, all that remains of the mano-a-mano matchups before Election Day are the final two presidential debates.
According to a Pew research poll, before the first presidential debate, 51 percent of respondents believed that President Barack Obama would win. Many of us were surprised at his dismal performance, but perhaps we shouldn’t have been.
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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.
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