The Mayor discusses bringing a community court to S.F. at the 2nd of 100 MeetLocally events. See more at BrianBlogs.
See for Yourself
Gavin Newsom keeps track – and measures the progress and results – of every one of his policy pledges. Take a look at the Mayor's Accountability Index.
Sign Our Petition
Show your support for the plan to provide free WiFi in SF through a public/private partnership with Google and Earthlink. Sign our online petition today!
Smart Solutions
Check here often for the top-rated blog posts on our site.
Pet Peeves
What's bothering you about San Francisco?
It bothers me that you have to search far and wide to buy a fast pass. We're trying to fix that.
Please sign our petition to support Marriage Equality!
Support Locally Owned Businesses for a Green Economy
By Ann Bartz
Program Manager, BALLE
San Francisco should be more like Philadelphia or Bellingham, WA. Why? Because by supporting strong networks of locally owned independent businesses working in various "building blocks" of the green economy – sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, local capital, zero-waste manufacturing, green building, independent media, and downtown retail – both cities are building healthy, diversified local economies. And a lot of greening is happening as a result. >Read more>Post A Comment
Calling the quality-of-life crimes that plague downtown San Francisco appalling and frustrating, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Friday he plans to clean up the area by opening a new courthouse to crack down on such infractions as public urination, aggressive panhandling, graffiti and prostitution.
Newsom returned Thursday from New York City, where he toured the Mid-Town Community Court. Opened in 1993, the court is heralded by supporters as one of the keys to former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's transformation of Times Square. Newsom said he will open a similar court in the Tenderloin as soon as this summer. >Read more>Post A Comment
Sign Our Petition
Show your support for the plan to provide free WiFi in San Francisco through a public/private partnership with Google and Earthlink. The Board of Supervisors will be debating the free WiFi plan on March 20th. So, make your voice heard and let them know you want your free WiFi. Sign our online petition today! >Read more>Post A Comment
San Francisco should take a hard look at how it accommodates parking in the city. While dense, the car culture is still promoted by providing acres of parking lots at odds with its transit-oriented approach. Increasing the charges for street parking would go a long way to promoting – and paying for – better alternatives.
Certainly change will not happen overnight, but change on the local level is essential and is the only way to find workable solutions to addressing the climate change crisis. >Read more>Post A Comment
Bending the Arc
If you support same sex marriage in California, the new Field Poll has some encouraging news. According to a release on their website, “Californians stand out for both their level of support for same sex marriage and the rate at which it is growing.”
According to the same release, about 43% approve of same sex marriages while about half of residents disapprove. This is pretty remarkable stuff when you look at it in the context of the rest of the nation. >Read more>Post A Comment
100 Reasons to Move Beyond the Street
Matt Tuchow writes today that foster kids graduating out of foster care are at great risk of homelessness, incarceration, teen pregnancy, and drug addiction. Larkin Street Youth Services is a model organization providing critical services to these and other youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Act today to give an hour, an afternoon, or a day to enrich the lives of San Francisco’s most vulnerable youth. >Read more>Post A Comment
On March 20, 2007, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will either approve or reject the Google-Earthlink WiFi contract which, when implemented (target completion date is end of 2007), will provide universal Internet access to all San Franciscans. The Board of Supervisors’ action to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a feasibility study – and another $10-$20 million to build the network if the Supervisors should vote for the municipally-owned version in March – is not based on sound judgment and does not reflect the sentiments of the people who have spoken at the public hearings to date. >Read more>Post A Comment
Get on Board with Innovation
All over America, the public sector is renowned for being slow to consider new ideas and innovation. For the past three years, the Newsom Administration has tried to shatter that notion at every turn.
Today, Gavin Newsom took another step in that direction by saying that he is willing to consider making Muni free. That’s right, free. Now, here is the important part: he said it is an idea worth considering. No commitment to do it, because it might be a terrible idea.
But, it might be a brilliant idea that will change this city and show how acting locally really makes a difference in the world. >Read more>Post A Comment
Sometimes it's hard to realize that you are on the verge of something. Often it's difficult to understand that you are balancing on the edge. And most of the time it's hard to predict that one specific issue will define a period in your lifetime. But today – as an avid student politician and youth environmentalist – these are all clear to me: climate change is quickly becoming, and will be, the defining issue of our generation. >Read more>Post A Comment
Foster Care Should Not Lead to Homelessness
By Matt Tuchow
Since Mayor Newsom took office in January 2004, the City has housed more than 2,430 homeless individuals in permanent housing with wrap-around services to address mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction and lack of job skills, and 95 percent of them are still housed. That is a great achievement, but to contain the problem of homelessness we need to hit at all of its root causes – including the prevention of homelessness among kids graduating out of foster care. >Read more>Post A Comment
"The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote today on Jake McGoldrick's nonbinding resolution urging the city to study building a municipal wireless network rather than proceeding with the public-private partnership Mayor Gavin Newsom worked out with Earthlink and Google. The resolution is ridiculous and redundant. The city's budget analyst already completed a study that thoroughly examines the municipal idea, and it's not pretty."
Indulge your inner techno-geek and get involved with one of the many local organizations working to bridge the digital divide in San Francisco. It’s about a lot more than WiFi – like providing basic education and training to help our underserved communities reap the benefits of technology that many San Franciscans take for granted. Our thanks to The Media Alliance for providing this resource of groups who are acting locally and changing the world: >Read more>Post A Comment
The Debate Continues...
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What
Do You Think?
staging: Do you support construction of a bus rapid transit lane on Geary Boulevard?
Votes so far:
Yes (176)
No (52)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
Do you support the creation of a Baby Savings Bond program that will deposit $500 dollars for every new resident born in San Francisco, with the proceeds offered to every graduating high school senior who participates in public service?
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Do you support tax breaks for small businesses that hire returning veterans to prevent another generation of San Franciscans from becoming at risk for addiction, despair and homeless?
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Do you support the expansion of job training programs for non-violent offenders, particularly those casualties of the War on Drugs, so that they can earn a second chance?
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Do you support crime surveillance cameras in your neighborhood?
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No
Do you support the plan to offer a city-issued ID card to all San Francisco residents?
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Do you support the creation of a small business assistance center in San Francisco?
Votes so far:
Yes (2)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
Do you support a code of conduct for the Board of Supervisors and other city officials to prohibit personal attacks?
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Yes (1)
No (1)
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No
Do you support Community Benefit Districts that assess local businesses to fund services like street cleaning and greening?
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Yes (1)
No (1)
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If the city has extra money left over from this fiscal year, should the funds be used for new programs that need ongoing funding or one-time capital projects like street repaving and park improvements?
Votes so far:
New programs (1)
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New programs
1-time projects
Do you support a state wide ballot measure to get us out of Iraq?
Votes so far:
Yes (2)
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Yes
No
Should the Mayor have the authority to open charter schools?
Votes so far:
Yes (2)
No (2)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
Do you support the institution of a community court in Union Square to address quality of life concerns?
Votes so far:
Yes (2)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
staging: Does SF need more taxicabs?
Votes so far:
Yes (6)
No (4)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
staging: Should SF invest $100 million as part of a program to rehab / rebuild every public housing project?
Votes so far:
Yes (3)
No (3)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
staging: Do Should the Board of Supervisors approve free universal wireless internet access for SF?
Votes so far:
Yes (63)
No (10)
What's Your Vote?
Yes
No
Do you support congestion pricing to protect our environment and help draw residents out of their cars?
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Community
Correspondents
Join the Debate!
Check out what's happening in your community (below) and add your comments to our Correspondents' blogs.
Brian Blogs: Our Editor Brian Purchia on what's happening at ActLocallySF.org. Cliff Waldeck:A green look at SF business. Ron Miguel: Blogging from The Richmond...
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By Ann Bartz
By Heather Knight
Show your support for the plan to provide free WiFi in San Francisco through a public/private partnership with Google and Earthlink. The Board of Supervisors will be debating the free WiFi plan on March 20th. So, make your voice heard and let them know you want your free WiFi. Sign our .gif)
By 
If you support same sex marriage in California, the new Field Poll has some encouraging news. According to a release on their website, “Californians stand out for both their level of support for same sex marriage and the rate at which it is growing.”
Matt Tuchow writes today that foster kids graduating out of foster care are at great risk of homelessness, incarceration, teen pregnancy, and drug addiction. Larkin Street Youth Services is a model organization providing critical services to these and other youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Act today to give an hour, an afternoon, or a day to enrich the lives of San Francisco’s most vulnerable youth. 
By Anni Chung
All over America, the public sector is renowned for being slow to consider new ideas and innovation. For the past three years, the Newsom Administration has tried to shatter that notion at every turn..gif)
By Zoë Caron
By Matt Tuchow.gif)
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial
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