The Wall: San Francisco Politics, Policy, & Government

The Twinkie defense has been one upped

feeds@yuku.com (The Ludovico Treatment) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:26:22 GMT

Grizzly Grotto Trial Had it All -- Even Tyson Beckford

By Joe Eskenazi in Law & Order

Thu., Nov. 5 2009 @ 8:15AM

There's a fine line between bizarre and transcendentally bizarre, and the just-concluded court trial of Kenneth Herron blazed over it. Herron is the man who, for astounding reasons the public only...

Is Newsom Having a Nervous Breakthrough?

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:04:47 GMT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi...009/11/05/BA5U1AFAU8.DTL

Bay Area Commute and its Expense

feeds@yuku.com (Able Dart) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:24:25 GMT

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ixGFHx58LjEgPfdtDqlGQanam1uAD9BPFNKG0

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Bay area households spend up to two-thirds of their income on transportation and housing costs, a severe burden that leaves...

Jim Hammer Seeks Police Commission Job

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:16:45 GMT

On Thursday, Nov. 5, the supes' Rules Committee will vote on a replacement for Theresa Sparks on the Police Commission. The appointments of the commissioners are divided between the mayor and the supes, and Sparks was one of the board's people.

There are 13 candidates seeking the open slot. The frontrunner is Jim Hammer, a former Assistant D.A. under Terence Hallinan. Hammer, who is gay, has much support in the gay community and is backed by Chris Daly.

Hammer...

Tim Redmond Reflects on Theresa Sparks

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:48:29 GMT

The current issue of SF Bay Guardian has a piece by Tim Redmond on Theresa Sparks, who is considering running for supe in District 6, currently represented by Chris Daly (link below).

Redmond's piece is not as hostile to Sparks as the recent article by Daly in Fog City Journal. However, Redmond objects to the fact that Sparks is a strong supporter of public safety, which Redmond views as...

A Provocative Essay by Jeff Adachi

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:45:06 GMT

Public Defender Jeff Adachi has published a little-noticed op-ed piece in the Ex that pushes the envelope on some things most SF politicians don't want to talk about -

"skyrocketing pension costs, inflexible spending requirements and salary negotiations made without regard to The City's ability to pay for them."

The city's unions don't like to hear such talk. Their...

C.W. Nevius on Gavin Newsom's Flaws

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:08:38 GMT

A good piece by Chron columnist C.W. Nevius on Mayor Gavin Newsom's character flaws (link below).

Nevius may be too optimistic in hoping that Newsom's bungled run for governor will prompt him to take stock of himself and improve his character.

I hope I'm wrong, but this is what may be the outcome:

Newsom will withdraw into pouting solitude, hit the bottle again, get divorced again, and end up as a born-again...

How Are You Voting?

feeds@yuku.com (Able Dart) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:56:38 GMT

A- Yes. The introduction of multi-year budgeting, contract deadline, and other parts of this measure are long overdue and will at least allow the controller's office to sway some elements of the policy process into long-term thinking.

B - No. Most of the current Board Members are stupid, venal, and fascistic. They don't need more minions to try and force their Room 101 visions of city policy on ordinary citizens, and they don't need more patronage to dole out either. Do...

David Campos Challenges Mayor to Debate

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:10:34 GMT

David Campos has challenged Mayor Gavin Newsom to debate with Campos on the merits of his immigration ordiance (link below). The mayor, to no one's surprise, has declined.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi...id=55&entry_id=50802

Happy Halloween to All!

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:22:35 GMT

The Board of Supervisors Sends You Halloween Greetings

Bicycle Utopia On Hold.

feeds@yuku.com (LEBHAN) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:51:06 GMT

October 31, 2009
French Ideal of Bicycle-Sharing Meets Reality

By STEVEN ERLANGER and MAÏA DE LA BAUME
PARIS - Just as Le Corbusier's white cruciform towers once excited visions of the industrial-age city of the future, so Vélib', Paris's bicycle rental system, inspired a new urban ethos for the era of climate change.

Residents here can rent a sturdy bicycle from hundreds of public stations and pedal to their destinations, an inexpensive, healthy and...

Credit to BART when it is due.

feeds@yuku.com (LEBHAN) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:30:56 GMT

Paying Off In Ridership Numbers
by Bay City News
October 30, 2009 11:49 AM
For the second day in a row, BART trains carried a record number of passengers Thursday during the continued closure of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a BART spokesman said today.

A total of 442,000 people rode BART trains Thursday, the highest number in the agency's 37-year history, according to spokesman Linton Johnson.

The ridership total was about 86,000 people higher...

Newsom is out of the race.

feeds@yuku.com (RandySF) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:18:56 GMT

Just heard he quit. I'll try to verify it.

Got it!!

Hamstrung by both a lack of money and political momentum, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom withdrew from the California governor's race today.

"With a young family and responsibilities at City Hall, I have found it impossible to commit the time...

Valleywag Declares War on San Francisco Values

feeds@yuku.com (Able Dart) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:08:52 GMT

http://gawker.com/5393063/the-depraved-and-criminal-mayors-of-the-san-francisco-bay-area/gallery/1

I wonder if we're simply becoming inured to the criticism.

Feds Balk at D.A.'s Sweetheart Deal with Gang

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:42:25 GMT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi...me/detail?entry_id=50563

Letter from the Governor to Tom Ammiano

feeds@yuku.com (The Ludovico Treatment) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:41:04 GMT

Payback for Tom's breach of decorum or foreplay?

(read the first letter of each line)

Forbes Ranks SF as Fairly Dangerous City

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:18 GMT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi...entry_id=50465&tsp=1

An Overview of Local Measures

feeds@yuku.com (Able Dart) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:05:45 GMT

By Melissa Griffin and the Examiner:

http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/melissa_griffin/Do-you-know-your-city-measures-67092072.html

So how is everyone voting on these?

Bay Bridge closed indefinitely: unanswered questions

feeds@yuku.com (el Greco SF) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:39:31 GMT

Bay Bridge closed indefinitely: unanswered...

Campos Rebukes Mayor on Immigration & Gay Marriage

feeds@yuku.com (Chrysippus) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:14:01 GMT

At a meeting of the board of supes on Tuesday (Oct. 27), David Campos rebuked Mayor Gavin Newsom for saying he would not enforce Campos' immigration law because the mayor believes it violates federal and state law. If passed, Campos' law would require city police officers to shield young illegal immigrants from federal authorities if the immigrants are felony suspects.

In defense of his rebuke, Campos invoked a famous 2004 decision by the California Supreme Court. This...