Monthly Archives: October 2012

October 31, 2012 · 2:27 pm

Proposed legislation seeks to limit bars along Lower Polk Street

by JOSHUA SABATINI
San Francisco Examiner

Sustained neighborhood complaints about raucous nightlife have led one San Francisco official to suggest prohibiting new bars, liquor stores and shops selling tobacco products from opening along a six-block stretch of Polk Street. Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, whose District 3 includes the portion of Polk Street dotted with such businesses, said the concentration of watering holes has resulted in unruly behavior that causes problems for area residents. Read more →

1 Comment

Filed under crime watch, entertainment

October 24, 2012 · 5:27 pm

Would you pay extra to have somebody else hose your sidewalk off for you?

Community Benefit Districts (CBDs) are spreading all over South of Market, spurred on by new residents who are horrified by the detritus of urban living and facilitated by the increasing proficiency of organizations like MJM Management Group to satisfy this newfound need. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under community services, quality of life

October 12, 2012 · 8:28 am

Affordable housing, parks bond and taxes on this month’s agenda

Former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin will argue the case against Proposition B, a ballot measure that asks voters to approve $195 million dollars in general obligation bonds to improve parks, at next week’s meeting of the SoMa Leadership Council. Prop B was put on the ballot by an 11-0 vote of the Board of Supervisors but is opposed by Peskin, two other former Board Presidents (Matt Gonzalez and Quentin Kopp) and a host of community organizations. Taxpayers passed an earlier bond measure worth $185 million in 2008. Opponents say that giving them another $195 million would just encourage more bad management and irresponsible spending. This measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Continue reading →

Tech industry posts “soft-sell” pitch for Gross Receipts Tax ballot measure

The San Francisco Citizens Initiative for Technology and Innovation (also known as “sf.citi”) has posted a video that shows proposed tech solutions to make San Francisco “smarter.” The video also advocates for passage of San Francisco’s Proposition E, a business tax reform measure.

It ends with an advertisement for Proposition E, a ballot measure on the November ballot that’ll be the subject of next week’s SoMa Leadership Council meeting. Prop E proposes to reduce the payroll tax paid by San Francisco firms and replace it with a tax based on gross receipt sales.

“The biggest gift the tech community today can give San Francisco is passing Proposition E to create jobs in San Francisco and small business,” angel investor Ron Conway said last month at a tech industry event. Conway is also chairman of sf.citi.

Kim casts decisive vote to retain Mirkarimi as sheriff

After almost nine hours of discussion and testimony, members of the Board of Supervisors finally prepared to vote on whether Ross Mirkarimi should be removed as sheriff at 9:00 last night. Under current Board rules, Supervisor Jane Kim casts the first vote.

Concluding that “I think it wasn’t shown that when the sheriff grabbed his wife that he used the power of his office to commit violence against her,” Kim voted against removal. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under politics