February 29, 2004
The Great Housing Hoax
Rachel Brahinsky writes about Prop. J and the great housing hoax. The Guardian's political blog blog has also been updated and there are a number of other important articles in the Feb. 11th issue including profile of Ro Khanna and the controversy over Newsom's funding.
Noise Pop
Noise Pop ran Feb. 24-29. It features music and films. A Future of Music seminar was held Wednesday (above photos Chris Routh at Bimbo's Friday getting the word out on No on Prop J and Madigan Shive of Bonfire Madigan at the seminar). Music for America registered voters at many of the shows.
Joe Garofoli wrote an article for the Chronicle on Noise Pop, Music for America, and PunkVoter.
Fog of War
Anne Marks writes for us about the Fog of War which is now playing in San Francisco. The Errol Morris documentary on Robert McNamara is flawed but vital viewing in this time of war.
Mark Danner (who wrote about his trip to Iraq) interviewed Errol Morris and Robert McNamara. A webcast of the event is online (click on the icon in the upper right corner).
Morris also discussed the film Feb. 8th on Larry Bensky's Sunday Salon during the second hour on KPFA. And Bensky will play the Danner conversation with Morris and McNamara on March 7th starting around 9:50 am. A January 4th program with Matt Gonzalez is online (scroll down). The Fog of War show is also archived.
Fog of War won the Oscar for best documentary. Weather Underground which was co-directed by local filmmaker Sam Green and co-presented by KQED and ITVS was nominated. Weather Underground will be shown on Independent Lens on April 27th.
Proposition J - The Luxury Condo Initiative
No on J volunteer Julie Leadbetter talking with Matt Gonzalez and John Rizzo, Chair of the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Group (Chris Daly is behind him).
Rizzo wrote Proposition J – The Luxury Condo Initiative
Aaron Peskin speaking (along with four other Supervisors and community leaders) at the No on J mobilizationon Saturday.
Bao Yun Chan, 87, of the China Tenants Association and the Coaltion for Better Housing spoke at the Saturday No on J mobilization along with other community leaders and five members of the Board of Supervisors.
Wedding reception
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon at a wedding reception on February 23rd attended by over 2000 people. Bush announced his support for a constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage.
Photos taken at the reception. A list of newlyweds. For more info, subscribe to the BACW email list.
Justly Married
Derek Powazek took photographs last on February 15th and created the poster above. It benefits Don't Amend, a group working to stop any constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage.
He wrote an update on Feb. 15th. He also wrote a piece for Alternet (where is is online director), Weddings on the Brain.
Reversing Vandalism
Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were the first couple married at City Hall.
Above photo of the book Uncommon Heroes in the exhibit Reversing Vandalism which runs through May 2nd on the ground floor of the Main Library.
Politically Correct
Dennis Kucinich speaking to supporters and on the Politically Correct panel with Michael Parenti, Medea Benjamin, and Matt Gonzalez.
V-Day protest
Local activists participated in V-Day's protests of the murders of women in Juarez, Mexico.
Michelle Shocked playing for Kucinich
Michelle Shocked at a concert for Kucinich at the Women's Building.
She said she was composing a song for a documentary on Karl Rove based on the book, Bush's Brain.
Kucinich Other America tour
Evelyn Nieves reported in the Feb. 14th Washington Post on the start of Dennis Kucinich's Other America Tour. Cindi Deutschman-Ruiz writes about why it is important to cover the outsiders.
Dennis Kucinich walked through the Mission Friday with No on Prop J activist Eric Quezada.
Find out about more Kucinich events and how you can get involved at kucinichsf.org.
Digital democracy
Marc Powell of Indyvoter asking a question February 9th in San Diego at the Emerging Technologies Digital Democracy Teach-in.
$5.1 million to $899,000
February 4th
Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club president Michael Goldstein (pictured above) wrote in the San Francisco Sentinel about the loyalty oath Democrats are facing. Goldstein is running for DCCC on the Progressive Slate.
The Chron reports Newsom spent a record $5.1 million on his campaign to Matt's $899,000:
The Newsom campaign shelled out $1.2 million between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31 -- spending associated with his Dec. 9 one-on-one runoff contest against Gonzalez following the Nov. 4 general election. Newsom, who won the runoff with 53 percent of the vote, outspent Gonzalez by more than 2 to 1 during that period....Money to Newsom poured in from real estate interests, corporate executives, city officials, police and firefighter groups, the owners of the 49ers, a variety of businesses and thousands of residents, the disclosure report shows...
Money to Newsom poured in from real estate interests, corporate executives, city officials, police and firefighter groups, the owners of the 49ers, a variety of businesses and thousands of residents, the disclosure report shows...
Newsom opted not to abide by San Francisco's voluntary campaign spending cap, which is set at $600,000 for the general election in a mayor's race and an additional $400,000 in the runoff. Because of his decision, the Ethics Commission lifted the limit for all mayoral candidates.
Gonzalez said Tuesday he wasn't at all surprised by the big gap in spending by the two campaigns, and isn't ready to concede that money was the deciding factor.
"Certainly this race was close,'' said Gonzalez, who lost by 14,217 votes. "I don't want to be fatalistic and say that the winning candidate is always the one with the most money.''
However, he said money certainly helps, noting that he didn't have the cash on hand to successfully counter last-minute attacks by Newsom....
Final totals on the independent expenditures in the Newsom-Gonzalez contest were not available Tuesday.
The campaign filings are online.
In the Guardian, Savannah Blackwell (who will soon contribute to this site) reports on Jim Sutton "perhaps the single most influential individual behind the victories of Mayor Gavin Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris."
AC Thompson investigates a city funded drug rehab program. There are also articles on Trinity and Rincon Hill.
Adriel Hampton reports on the campign to halt the freeway ramp and other matters at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting.
SF Weekly reports on ways advertisers are getting around Prop. G, an anti-billboard measure passed by 77 percent of San Francisco voters in 2002.
Four activists were arrested Tuesday at San Quentin protesting the scheduled Feb. 10th execution of Kevin Cooper.
LA Sen. Gloria Romero has called on the California Youth Authority "to immediately end the use of 6-foot-tall cages in institutions, as advocates for incarcerated kids blasted the state for ignoring years of pleas to change 'barbaric' conditions inside the Youth Authority."
The Examiner reported on the impact city budget cuts may have on programs for the homeless (and Newsom announced a "homeless cabinet"). There also was an article on criticism of the PUC by the Sierra Club and Vote Solar.
Bush wants to raise the rent San Francisco pays for Hetch Hetchy from $30,000 a year to $8 million (it seems fees on mining companies and others using federal lands should be raised before cities who should actually be getting more federal money).
Ralph Nader was interviewed (audio online) on All Things Considered about running for president.
Fresh Air interviewed (audio is online) New Yorker writer Jane Meyer on her article about Dick Cheney & Haliburton.
Art, activism, and registration
Artivism discussion February 3rd at Southern Exposure with Mariah Ulinska, Jessica Tully, Becky Bond (Working Assets), and Claudia Bernardi
Packard Jennings, Pratap Chatterjee (Corpwatch), and Andy Cox aren't pictured.
Matt at the January 30th permanent absentee voter registration party in the Richmond
Registering as a permanent absentee voter with the Progressive Voter Project Friday
Digital Indenpendence
Matt spoke January 31st at Digital Independence before Paul Miller (DJ Spooky) gave a presentation
The conference featured a great lineup of speakers including Howard Rheingold, Nicole Sawaya, Jeff Chester, Pat Aufderheide, Balboa theater owner Gary Meyer, Rick Prelinger, Ruby Lerner, Jeff Perlstein, Eddie Wong (the SF Int. Asian American Film Fest is in March), Danny Schechter, and Sandy Close.
February 25, 2004
Lack of affordable housing
Arnold denied clemency to Kevin Cooper (photo from MLK, Jr. march)
Friday, January 29th
Lack of affordable housing
The Chronicle has a story on a report by the California Budget Project (it is on their website as a PDF) on poor and middle-income people are finding it harder than ever to find housing in California. Forum on KQED FM looked at the report Friday morning (audio is online - scroll down to Fri, January 30th, the 9 am hour or search for Housing Affordability).
In the Examiner, Ethan Fletcher covers the 10-1 Board of Supervisors vote to give initial approval to the Rincon Hill project with the additional affordable housing units negotiated by Chris Daly.
Newsom can afford to cut his salary 15 percent (or even 99%). It would do even more to close the budget gap if he proposed raising taxes say 15% on the richest San Franciscans (and not just as a last resort).
Rachel Gordon points out at the end of her column that the deadline to register to vote in the March 2nd primary is February 17th and that people can start voting Monday at City Hall.
Alison Soltau writes about how Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed budget cuts will impact programs in San Francisco to keep teens out of jail. And there is a related story Friday on the need for afterschool programs (Arnold launched his political career with his initiative, but didn't provide any funding).
Ann Harrison's Bay Guardian cover story looks at proposed November ballot measures in San Francisco and Bekeley to decriminalize prostitution.
Tali Woodward reports on the February 2nd closing of a group home for teen mothers (and the Chron has a story on a clinic closing partly because due to loss of grants).
Rachel Brahinsky examines the debate over whether to serve irradiated meat in school lunches.
Camille Taiara writes about the KPFA elections.
Radio, Radio (and some TV)
Democracy Now Thursday presented part two of their look at John Kerry (parts one two are already online and there is a transcript of part one). They also interviewed Tim Robbins about his play, Embedded, and an interview with Dennis Kucinich from Wednesday is online. Democracy Now airs at 6 & 9 am on KPFA 94.1 FM.
Your Call with Laura Flanders focused Thursday on independent film and guests included David Rosen of the Digital Independence conference and Jeff Ross of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival which runs February 5-15 (copies of the schedule are in the Jan 26th Bay Guardian). Friday is the weekly media roundtable. It airs at 10 am Monday through Friday on KALW 91.7 FM.<Democracy Now featured an interview with Kevin Cooper from KPFA's Flashpoints.
Your Call with Laura Flanders also looked at Al Sharpton's run for President (including a critical article in the Village Voice) and discussed books with Pat Holt of Holt Uncensored (and excellent free email newsletter).
Morning Edition on KALW and KQED ran a three-part series, My Name is Iran (there is a companion site).
On his new tv show, Tavis Smiley interviewed Danny Glover. If you missed the show, a transcript is online.
Wednesday, January 26th
Brass Liberation Orchestra at the Saturday Safeway picket
KQED TV repeated the locally produced Frontline documentary Modern Meat. The website for the show also has a section on the meat industry's influence in Congress. It was orginally shown in 2002.
Kevin Philips was interviewed on Fresh Air.
Democracy Now looked at John Kerry (parts one two). They also interviewed Tim Robbins about his play, Embedded, and an interview with Dennis Kucinich from Wednesday is online.
Your Call with Laura Flanders focused on independent film and guests will include Jeff Ross of the San Francisco Independent Film Festival which runs February 5-15 (copies of the schudule are in this week's Bay Guardian). It airs at 10 am on KALW 91.7 FM.
Democracy Now and Your Call have email newsletters people can sign up for on their sites.
From 7 to 9 pm, KPFA broadcast a live debate from Sacramento between Peter Camejo and Norman Solomon on the best presidential campaign strategy for the Greens in 2004.
Wednesday evening, KPOO 89.5 FM and KPFA 94.1 FM broadcast the FCC Town Hall hearing on localism from San Antonio, TX (there will be an archved version - we'll link to it when it becomes available). To keep informed about an upcoming Northern California hearing, sign up for Media Alliance's email list.
Commons Forum
Tuesday, January 27th
Former head of the Department of the Environment Francesca Vietor and Chris Daly at the SF Commons forum
Aaron Barnes reports on the SF Commons Forum which took place on Tuesday, January 20th.
Mays Field
Chris Daly made the front page of Sunday's Chronicle with a proposal to require "restaurateurs to post letter grades, based on the cleanliness of kitchens, prominently in the windows of the city's 4,000 bars and restaurants." Daly discussed the proposal on KQED's Forum Tuesday morning. Audio is available online (scroll down to the 9 am Tuesday Restaurant Safety Proposal show).
George Will filed a muddled column from San Francisco which ran in the Washington Post on Sunday. It seems he talked to Newsom and read a lot of the poor coverage of the campaign. Doesn't seem like he managed to talk to any Gonzalez supporters, and he failed to go beyond the standard stereotypes of the city.
Will could have talked baseball with Chris Daly. They might even have agreed that Pacbell Park should be renamed Mays Field. That big Texas telecom company amd the Giants think it should keep the ugly name, SBC Park. Daly and Matt Gonzalez are sponsoring a resolution (PDF) which was postponed until after a public hearing.
So, now he tells us (after the election): Newsom told the Chamber of Commerce on Monday that San Francisco may have to raise taxes. Though perhaps he's just listening to the Bay Guardian.
Radio
Your Call with Laura Flanders talked with Naomi Klein about profiteering in Iraq. It airs Monday through Friday at 10 am on KALW 91.7 FM.
Fresh Air interviewed Charles Lewis of the Center for Public Integrity Tuesday (audio online). He is author of The Buying of the President 2004: Who's Really Bankrolling Bush and His Democratic Challengers -- and What They Expect in Return.
Compare & contrast
Monday, January 26th
Rick Galbreath (candidate for DCCC in the 13th AD) picketing outside Safeway at Church & Market on Saturday
Compare & Contrast
The differences between Adriel Hampton's January 15th Examiner story on the February 23rd minimum wage hike passed by voters and the Chronicle's story this morning are striking. And the the end of Ex story has a link to information on the law and a number (554-6743) businesses can call if they have questions.
Chris Daly made the front page of Sunday's Chronicle with a proposal to require "restaurateurs to post letter grades, based on the cleanliness of kitchens, prominently in the windows of the city's 4,000 bars and restaurants." KQED's Forum will examine the issue.
Anastasia Hendrix wrote on Saturday that the District Attorney Kamala Harris has opened an investigation into the SLUG controversy and they will review over 150 complaints documented by Gonzalez campaign workers. There is more on the issues raised in Thursday's voter fraud press conference archived on our blog.
Hampton also has a story on proposed legislation to allow people 18, 19 or 20 to remain in clubs or at dance parties after 2 am. There will be an afternoon hearing youth can speak at on Thursday, February 12th.
David Steele's column in the Chronicle is on NBA player Steve Kerr's apology for calling Yao Ming a "Chinaman."
Radio, Radio
Democracy Now is covering the New Hampshire primary this week. It airs at 6 & 9 am on KPFA 94.1 FM.
Your Call with Laura Flanders talks with Vandana Shiva about the recent World Social Forum in Mumbai, India. It airs at 10 am on KALW 91.7 FM.
San Francisco writer Todd Oppenheimer talks about his book, The Flickering Mind: the False Promise of Technology in the Classroom and How Learning Can Be Saved, at noon today on Talk of the Nation on KQED 88.5 FM. Each program will be archived online later today. Democracy Now and Your Call have email newsletters people can sign up for on their sites.
The Contra Coasta Times has a story on the picket at Safeway. The Chronicle also covered the picket.
The SF Ethics Commission held a meeting at City Hall. Topics on the agenda included:
INAUGURATIONGATE - Executive Director Virginia Vida and Deputy Executive Director Mabel Ng ordered staff to destroy a document that was possible evidence of a crime.
BUDGETGATE - Reform minded commissioner Joe Lynn is proposing that, if Ethics is going to continue to avoid enforcing the law against serial corporate criminals (while dinging County Committee candidates for $100 here and there for technical violations) then let's just suspend enforcement until we can engineer a reliable law enforcement operation.
Lit at the Canvas: The Govt. - what can be said about it? Kevin Smokler (emcee), Melinda Adams (producer - see her site for future events), Kirk Read, Ian Philips, Mikl-em, and Kevin Fergusan. Canvas Cafe (9th Ave & Lincoln).
The 9th season of Independent Exposure short film screenings opened. Admission $5. The screenings will be the last Monday of the Month through October at 111 Minna Gallery.
Safeway Protest
Saturday, January 23rd
Protesters risking arrest by marching inside Safeway at Church & Market on Saturday
Supervisor Jake McGoldrick at last Saturday's Safeway picket
There was a protest Saturday morning at Market & McCoppin to halt the contruction of a freeway ramp. More details at halttheramp.com.
Fraud Press conference
Friday, January 23rd
Alvin Jones spoke Thursday on the steps of City Hall about the intimidation he and his eighty-one-year-old mother experienced on election day.
There was a press conference Thursday on the steps of City Hall to "demand that the City Attorney, the Secretary of State, and various City Commissions expand their investigative probe into DPW officials alleged misconduct in December’s Mayoral run-off contest." Read the full press release.
Adriel Hampton covered it for the Examiner. Anastasia Hendrix reports in the Chron that SLUG workers also say they also had to work on Willie Brown's 1999 campaign. She also covered the press conference.
Willie Ratcliff who spoke Thursday writes in this week's SF Bayview about the firing of whistle-blower Kevin Williams. More on William's firing and the scandal at the San Francisco Ethics Commission are discussed in the posts below.
The Bayview also has an excellent weekly events calendar.
University of San Francisco professor Stephen Zunes provided an annotated version of the foreign policy sections of Bush's State of the Union for Common Dreams (which features progressive viewpoints and an excellent collection of links).
February 21, 2004
Swearing
Thursday, January 22nd
The SF Sentinel broke the story on Newsom's swearing-in committee. Savannah Blackwell advanced the story Tuesday night (the original story is below hers). Adriel Hampton also had the story in the Examiner on Wednesday. Blackwell writes:
Two staffers at the San Francisco Ethics Commission have complained to the city's Sunshine Ordinance Task Force that their bosses at the agency ordered the destruction of documents potentially damaging to newly-elected Mayor Gavin Newsom and his campaign treasurer, Jim Sutton.
On Friday, January 16, Oliver Luby, who handles collecting fines for the commission and Campaign Finance Assistant Kevin De Liban filed a complaint with the task force against Executive Director Ginny Vida, Deputy Executive Director Mabel Ng, and any city attorneys who may have advised the two in their decision to force the deletion of records accidentally sent to De Liban by a staffer in Jim Sutton's office.
Since the documents pertain to campaign finance issues -- a matter of public interest over which the ethics commission has direct jurisdiction -- they should most likely be considered public documents, Terry Francke, the general counsel to the California First Amendment Project, told the Sentinel.
"Look at it this way: If someone involved in a possible crime accidentally emails some evidence to the District Attorney's office, would the D.A. then feel compelled to destroy that document and ignore its contents? I don't think so," Francke said.
In their complaint, De Liban and Luby explain that shortly after De Liban received the e-mail on Jan. 5, Tricia Weber, an employee with Sutton and Partners, called De Liban and asked him to destroy the e-mail. Weber intended to send the document to a Sutton staffer with the same first name -- Kevin Heneghan -- and had erred in sending it to Kevin De Liban.
Since De Liban had already forwarded the e-mail to other commission staffers, including Vida and Ng, he told Weber he could not honor her request. Later that day, Ng sent an e-mail to commission staff members instructing them to destroy the email at the request of Sutton's office. Luby refused, and suggested that Ng consult the city attorney's office.
Ten days later, the same day the Sentinel published a story revealing the contents of the Sutton document, Vida called De Liban and Luby into her office and ordered them again to delete the email. They refused, and told Vida that destroying a public record is a violation of state law. Ultimately, Vida walked over to Luby's computer and deleted the document herself.
Her move most likely amounts to a misdemeanor or felony, Francke told the Sentinel.
"I do not understand why Vida felt compelled or authorized to order (the e-mail's) destruction, Francke said.
According to De Liban and Luby's complaint, Vida and Ng have undermined the public's interest.
"Ms. Vida and Ms. Ng have disabled the commission and the public from exploring the full extend of the document's legal signifance," the complaint says.
Sentinel editor Pat Murphy writes today that the next San Francisco Ethics Commission meeting is Monday afternoon in in Room 408 of City Hall. There will be a public comment period at 5:30 pm.
Another neighborhood victory
Daphne Bernard wrote last night (drawing on an Examiner story) on the SF Indie Politics Yahoo group:
Following approximately six hours of public testimony, the Planning Commission last week denied the clothing store from opening. Urban Outfitters became the second chain store to be denied a permit by the Planning Commission in as many weeks. The commission earlier prevented a Starbucks coffee house from opening in the Outer Sunset.
The hearing for the 8,700-square-foot store, proposed for 1728 to 1748 Haight St., was remarkably similar to the Starbucks proposal. In both situations, neighborhood residents mobilized in force against a well-known national chain store, while the proposed store involved mobilized mostly employees to defend it.
Yay! I say "Ha!" to those people who I talked to in the Haight whothought fighting this was impossible. And there were a bunch of 'em
KQED TV aired Chasing Saddam's Weapons on Thursday. Frontline has an extensive web companion online for the BBC documentary.
Kansas City Star TV critic Aaron Barnhart has called on CBS to take the Moveon Voter Fund's $2 million and run the winning Bush In 30 Seconds ad.
BAVC had a free screening of films from the Media That Matters festival Wednesday night. The films are online or on DVD for $6 (the cost of shipping).
Media that matters
Wednesday, January 21st
Media That Matters
The No on Prop J website is online at www.NoOnPropJ.org (caps aren't needed, www.noonpropj.org works too).
Street Sheet editor Chance Martin writes about the "CHANGES" program.
The Bay Guardian declares the sleaze continues. A.C. Thompson reports on the firing of a whistle-blower on Willie Brown's last day in office (and mentions a related story from December 24th).
Tali Woodward writes about the debate over whether SF General should be rebuilt to withstand an earthquake or moved to another site (details on a Feb. 11th neighborhood meeting are at the end of the article). There is also controversy over changes at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic.
David Bacon traveled to LA to write about the struggle over health care in the grocery strike. Here, Safeway has evicted community recyclers. On Saturday from 1 to 5 pm, there will be a protest at the Safeway at Church & Market and there is a need for ongoing support for picketers.
Susan Gerhard reviews the Fog of War while Tim Redmond provides a different perspective. Look for yet another view here soon on the documentary on Robert McNamara which opens in theaters Friday.
BAVC will be having a free screening of films from the Media That Matters festival tonight from 6:30 - 8:30 pm at 2727 Mariposa St(and Bryant), 2nd Floor. Arrive early because space is limited. If you can't make it, the films are online or on DVD for $6 (the cost of shipping).
BAVC co-produces the weekly arts show, Spark which airs tonight on KQED at 7:30 pm (with a repeat Friday at 11 pm). And you can take BAVC classes and use their facilities to make your own media that matters.
Wes Boyd and Eli Pariser of Moveon are interviewed today on Fresh Air which will be on KALW 91.7 FM at 9 am and 6 pm and on KQED 88.5 FM at 2 pm and 7 pm. It will also be online sometime this afternoon. KQED FM plays a National Press Club speech by FCC Chair Michael Powell at 8 pm and 2 am.
Madigan walked precincts in the rain the last weekend of the campaign right after returing from tour (she turned their van into a Mattmobile). Her band, Bonfire Madigan plays tonight at the Hemlock Tavern. They also have a new live CD, Plays for Change.
Supervisor Alioto-Pier
Tuesday, January 20th
Supervisor Alioto-Pier
Gavin Newsom named his District 2 replacement to the Board of Supervisors and it's a name you may recognize: Michaela Alioto-Pier - her grandfather was Mayor and her aunt endorsed Newsom (and is a former Supervisor). She was the Democratic nominee in the first congressional district in 1996 and for Secretary of State in 1998, but lost in the primary the second time she ran to Kevin Shelly.
Alioto-Pier will represent Newsom's district which includes the Marina and Pacific Heights neighborhoods. Last week, Daniela Kirshenbaum wrote about some of the issues whoever Newsom appointed will confront. Kirshenbaum is also quoted in Adriel Hampton's story on the appointment. And Alex Clemens is keeping track of who is running (or rumored to be running) in the fall.
The Art Auction for Matt Friday raised $8,500. You can still donate to help pay off the campaign's debt.
You may have missed Christopher Cook's call for a progressive summit which appeared in the Bay Guardian over the holidays.
Tonight at 7 pm at SOMARTS, there will be a forum asking, "what is next?" Participants include Adam Werbach, Chris Daly, Matt Gonzalez, and Van Jones. See the upcoming events listings at the bottom of this page for more details. The Kucinich campaign is having a program tied to the State of the Union.
Matthew Hirsch
Brown was honored at the Martin Luther King, Jr. event Monday. The photo above is from the march, and Renee has more photos online.
David Lazarus wrote excellent columns on Thursday and Sunday on how California can lead the way in implementing a single-payer health care system. Health Care for All is working to pass the Sheila Kuehl's legislation Lazarus highlights. People interested in getting involved can contact Don Bechler at dbechler@value.net or 415-695-7891.
KQED aired Life Matters which tells the story of a Texas Pentacostal Minister who became a doctor to perform safe abortions in Texas in the 60s before Roe V. Wade. It is part of Independent Lens which is produced by ITVS.
The San Francisco based ITVS has seven films at Sundance and is sponsoring the Digital Independence conference Jan. 30th - Feb. 1st. Tickets can also be purchased for a block party on Friday and performance by DJ Spooky on Saturday at 7 pm (scroll down to the bottom of the schedule for details).
Celebrating MLK, Jr.
Monday, January 19th
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
There was a MLK march and ceremony in San Francisco.
American Experience's Citizen King aired Monday on KQED Ch. 9 (info will be posted if it airs again or is released on DVD). It explored the last six years of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., which includes a period Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon have written is usually not explored on television:
[The] national news media have never come to terms with what Martin Luther King Jr. stood for during his final years...
King began challenging the nation's fundamental priorities. He maintained that civil rights laws were empty without "human rights" -- including economic rights. For people too poor to eat at a restaurant or afford a decent home, King said, anti-discrimination laws were hollow.
Noting that a majority of Americans below the poverty line were white, King developed a class perspective. He decried the huge income gaps between rich and poor, and called for "radical changes in the structure of our society" to redistribute wealth and power.
Noting that a majority of Americans below the poverty line were white, King developed a class perspective. He decried the huge income gaps between rich and poor, and called for "radical changes in the structure of our society" to redistribute wealth and power.
"True compassion," King declared, "is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."
By 1967, King had also become the country's most prominent opponent of the Vietnam War, and a staunch critic of overall U.S. foreign policy, which he deemed militaristic. In his "Beyond Vietnam" speech delivered at New York's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967 -- a year to the day before he was murdered -- King called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today."
The documentary includes clips from speeches many people have never seen before. Filmmaker Orlando Bagwell says his film is "the story of a man losing fear, gaining courage and becoming great." The photograph above of King at 1963 March on Washington is courtesy of American Experience/Corbis.
Democracy Now played King's "Beyond Vietnam" and "I have been to the mountaintop" speeches at (it airs daily at 6 am 9 am on KPFA 94.1 FM). King was also the subject Fresh Air today and the noon hour of Talk of the Nation on KQED FM will include a segment on Citizen King and another withSheldom Rampton of PR Watch (their Spin of the Day is worth bookmarking). Each program will have audio online later today.
Bagwell was interviewed on the Tavis Smiley Show which airs daily at 11 am on KALW 91.7 FM and focuses on King today (and at 10 am, Your Call with Laura Flanders looks at King and the current state of social activism). Smiley's new tv show airs daily at 1 am on KQED TV.
Bagwell also produced Matters of Race which has an excellent website and is repeating next month on some PBS stations.
Global Exchange and Code Pink present Ain't Gonna Study War No More, a flash animation in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
It seemed like the March 2nd election campaign kicked off this weekend. On Friday, Matt Gonzalez spoke to members of the Green Party and later at an Art Auction (you can still help to retire the campaign debt). On Saturday morning, he spoke at the opening of the Kucinich headquarters/progressive nerve center at his old HQ (which is now open to volunteers 9 am to 9 pm).
On Friday, Matt endorsed a Democrat, Ro Khanna, who is challenging Rep. Tom Lantos in the Democratic primary on March 2nd for the 12th Congressional District.
Sunday night, Chris Daly spoke to SF peoplePAC encouraging people and acknowledging all the good work being done working towards the March elections. He also highlighted the need for localized community building including the measure San Francisco Neighborhood Assemblies Network plans to put on the November Ballot. Marc Tognotti spoke about their plans. For more information, people can join the SFNAN yahoo group and tribe or email Marc at marctognotti@pacbell.net.
San Francisco writer Stephen Elliot last week wrote in the Village Voice about Dennis Kucinich in Iowa.
As always, Adriel Hampton's Body Politic column last Monday in the Examiner was full of interesting items including a mention of this site (long before we expected any press).
Transitions
Saturday, January 12th
Transitions
It seemed like this weekend kicked off the March 2nd election campaign. On Friday, Matt Gonzalez spoke to members of the Green Party and later at an Art Auction (you can still help to retire the campaign debt). On Saturday morning, he spoke at the opening of the Kucinich headquarters/progressive nerve center at his old HQ (which is now open to volunteers 9 am to 9 pm).
Rachel Gordon notes:
Sign of the times: Matt Gonzalez certainly created some true believers when he ran for mayor last fall. More than a month after he lost the runoff to Newsom, a lot of his supporters still have his yellow and black campaign signs posted in their windows, particularly in the Mission and the Haight, his political strongholds.
Perhaps Gonzalez's backers just want to send a message to Newsom, who bested Gonzalez with 53 percent of the vote, that they're still out there. As for Gonzalez, he took down his house sign. But don't take that as a signal. The board president isn't about to let Newsom forget he's out there.
A glowing report on the Police Department and the Office of Civilian Complaints from Newsom's transition team has been criticized by PoliceWatch and the ACLU of Northern California.
They are part of the Public Safety (PDF file) section of the transition report. The section on the OCC begins on page 5 and the one on the Police Department beings on page 17. The entire transition report is online.
The San Francisco Sentinel reports Newsom's Swearing-In committee collected donations beyond the $500 limit and is using the funds to pay campaign staffers.
Newsom responded Thursday to allegations street cleaners working for the city were pressured to do campaign work and vote for him. Four workers also charge they were laid off in retaliation for talking to the Chronicle.
Salon reports CBS refused to allow the Moveon.org Voter Fund to purchase time to show the winning Bush in 30 Seconds ad during the Superbowl. It will be shown 30 times on CNN. Salon also has an interview with the creator of a satire of the ads and introduce a campaign coverage blog.
Rob Morse profiled Markos Moulitsas who started his political blog, Daily Kos, in May 2002. It now draws 70,000 visitors a day. Several contributors will be posting from Iowa.
And it looks like former San Francisco resident Dan Perkins (better known as Tom Tomorrow) has resumed blogging.
Clean sweep?
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Clean sweep?
A front page Chronicle story by Anastasia Hendrix begins:
Nine members of a city street-cleaning crew say a top official of the San Francisco Department of Public Works and supervisors of a nonprofit organization funded by the city agency pressured them into voting for Gavin Newsom for mayor and walking precincts for his campaign on election day.
Rachel Brahinsky looks at how the "the policies Newsom has pushed over the past two years are already having negative impacts on the city's street dwellers." This week's Guardian also examines Newsom's inaugural speech and the progressive agenda of the Board of Supervisors.
Adriel Hampton reports in the Examiner on the implementation of the $8.50 minimum wage starting Feb. 23rd. He also reported on Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting.
In the Chronicle, Sean Penn files a report (Part one and two) from a visit to Iraq in the week before Saddam Hussein's capture and a year after he first visited Iraq. Perhaps Phil Bronstein will let Penn use his press credentials to occasionally report on City Hall (He doesn't rule out future pieces, "We are always glad to have contributions from local residents if they are interesting and relevant.").
The Chronicle profiled former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun the same day word leaked out she was dropping out and endorsing Howard Dean (who has often praised her).
Dennis Kucinich earlier told the Chronicle, "Northern California is key to my strategy for winning the White House. The response here has empowered my campaign."
On KQED 88.5 FM, Forum focused on
film noir with Eddie Muller and Barry Gifford (audio is online).
Muller has organized the second Noir City festival with the San Francisco International Film Society. The theme this year is "This Time, the Women are on Top." It runs Friday through January 29th at the Castro.
Leslie Scalapino & Eileen Myles read at City Lights on Jan. 15th. More City Lights events.
Budget shortfall
Wednesday, January 14th
Adriel Hampton wrote Tuesday about a projected $260 million San Francisco budget shortfall. The Legislature's non-partisan budget analyst has said that Arnold's budget numbers don't add up and tax increases must be considered to prevent deep cuts in social services. And while Arnold talked about his support of the environment, his budget doesn't live up to the trailer.
As of 8 am, 7,700 San Franciscans in the Mission, Noe Valley and the Castro are without power, and the state PUC complained Tuesday that PG&E has been "tardy" in providing information on the December blackout.
The latest column by Matier & Ross has a number of interesting items including a proposal by Mark Leno to restore the vehicle license fee in San Francisco and that San Francisco SOS (which was founded by the Gap's Donald Fisher) has already started polling and set up a $20,000 seed fund to defeat progressive Supervisors.
Newsom wants an overhaul of city contracting, but a city worker who "repeatedly sought to blow the whistle on suspected contracting fraud at the city's $1.8 billion airport expansion project, said he was fired from his $99,000-per-year post at the city's Human Rights Commission shortly after Mayor Gavin Newsom's inaugural."
Newsom is also being criticized (including by Bevan Dufty, one of only two Supervisors to endorse him) for not including the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender community in an essay on diversity read at his inauguration.
He met with Bush's homeless czar and pledged to end homelessness in San Francisco in ten years. A Field poll shows Bush's rating in California improving.
Every Tuesday, San Francisco writer Stephen Elliot is filing a campaign diary for SFGate. He is working on a a book about the 2004 campaign and recently edited the collection Poltically Inspired.
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neil is interviewed today on Fresh Air.
Arts advocates were able to save the California Arts Council from total elimination last year, but the vital agency's budget was cut by over 90% to about $3 million. Arnold keeps it at that level in his 2004-2005 budget. With about $1 million, coming from the NEA, California only contributes about $2 million, less than 10% of what Arnold would get paid for one movie.
The California Arts Council is holding a meeting from 10 am to 3 pm, on Wednesday titled, Arts Funding Cuts in California: A Critical Response on the State of the Arts by State and National Leaders (agenda - PDF file). If you can't make the whole meeting, the session from 1 pm to 3 pm includes public commentary. It takes place in the Judicial Council Board Room (third floor) of the Hiram Johnson State Building, 455 Golden Gate Ave.
The Guardian now has a political blog. Their runoff election blog is archived here and here.<
Do you really want Gavin to appoint you as District 2 Supervisor?
Tuesday, January 13th
Neighborhood Network co-founder Daniela Kirshenbaum asks, "reports on the SF Commons Forum which took place on January 20th.
Street Sheet editor Chance Martin writes about the "CHANGES" program. Plus another Street Sheet article on San Francisco's homeless policy from the February issue.
Neighborhood Network co-founder Daniela Kirshenbaum asked in early January, "Do you really want Gavin to appoint you as District 2 Supervisor?"
">Do you really want Gavin to appoint you as District 2 Supervisor?"
You heard it here first! Read h. brown's "Watching City Hall" column, What is a progressive?
Neighborhood Network co-founder Daniela Kirshenbaum asks, "Do you really want Gavin to appoint you as District 2 Supervisor?"
After Newsom swore in Heather Hiles as a member of the Board of Education Monday, we listened as KGO asked him about his D2 decision. He told them he wanted someone who was familiar with the district, could run for reelection, shared his vision and had intergrity, and would act independently when appropriate.
Matt Smith advises Newsom not to appoint Janet Reilly. He also mentions an earlier SF Weekly story on Clint Reilly.
Supervisor Chris Daly announced his support
for a Rincon Hill project after the developers agreed to include 95 additional affordable units, fifty percent more than was originally planned. Daly "called the affordable housing percentage the highest he has seen outside of a redevelopment area."
Heather Hiles said Monday she wants to make sure that teachers and other workers at our schools can afford to live in San Francisco.
Randy Shaw wrote in his
The Sentinel also has the email Matt sent out last week. In addition to defeating Prop. J, he mentions supporting Prop. I which bans MUNI diesel buses and Prop. E which curbs dissemination of private information by city departments required under the Patriot Act. We'll be posting information on Props I and E as well as more on J.
In November, California voters will decide if the state's freedom-of-information law should be strengthened.
Child's Play was chosen as the winner in the Moveon.org Voter Fund's Bush in 30 Seconds ad contest. It will be shown more than 30 times 30 times January 17 – 21, the week of President’s State of the Union address. You can watch it and the other finalists online.
Monday, January 12th
Though there is NO replacement announced yet for District 2, he names his fire chief, appoints campaign communications director Heather Hiles to replace Emilio Cruz on the School Board, and is putting the mansion up for sale.
Also, top ticket cop does campaign work for Newsom in her office on city time (it would be interesting to hear John Shanley's comment on this). An earlier story showed a Deputy Police Chief who gave $750 to Newsom voted in the Dec. 9th election while living in San Bruno. In more positive news, residents of the Outer Sunset who gathered over 4,0000 signatures and testified against a planned Starbucks were able to change the minds of planning commissioners who voted 5 to 2 to deny a permit.
Sunday night at Cafe de Nord, the Infotainment Posse kicked off a series of events presenting speakers and information with a clear political perspective in the usually apolitical environment of clubs and music venues.
Activist/author David Harris, Geoff Hoyle, Penelope Houston with Pat Johnson, and Michael Ward with Dogs & Fishes & VJ Luna too part. Visuals were provided by Guerrillas News Network.
Harris told the crowd that this is the most important poilitical year. and we need to make sure all the people who support us vote and we have to change the minds of those who don't. He said everyone needs to do three things, "Register to vote if you aren't already, register other people, and walk precincts for a candidate."
Producer Michael Ward said, "our goal is to tweak apathy where it lives, to energize different audiences, and create new forums for the discussion of the critical and unavoidable choices facing us as citizens in the 04 election season, and have a good a time doing it."
Check out the website for info on future events which will promote voter registration, build partnerships and assist local organizing efforts.
* Line of the week "are you meeting in the men's room? where are the women in that effort?" Thanks Sheila! You made your point and gave everyone a laugh!
h. brown's last column of what was an extraordinary year originally occupied a place of honor as the first content on this page. We now link to Closing the books on 2003 partly because the version on his site is easier to read than it was here, and partly in the hope you'll start going through his archive (the most recent columns are at the bottom) to catch up if you haven't been reading him as avidly as we have.
Article archive
Some SF Progressive articles not directly related to the March 2nd primary:
Anne Marks, who worked for Colin Powell at the State
Department, examines why the seemingly dovish Powell led our nation down the path to war a year ago. She also wrote about the Oscar winning Fog of War.
Peter Bufiy writes about 350 affordable housing units scheduled to be demolished at 8th & Market.
Resistin' and gettin' heard!! by Tejal Shah. An important Poor Magazine program needs financial help to continue.
Aaron Barnes reports on the SF Commons Forum which took place on January 20th.
Marc Salomon on Housing Smoke and Mirrors
Fernando Martí on the Prop J: The Work "Farce" Housing Initiative
John B. deCastro and Greg Asay wrote about Prop. J in the SF Bayview.
Street Sheet editor Chance Martin writes about the "CHANGES" program. Plus another Street Sheet article on San Francisco's homeless policy from the February issue.
Neighborhood Network co-founder Daniela Kirshenbaum asked in early January, "Do you really want Gavin to appoint you as District 2 Supervisor?"
February 07, 2004
No on Prop J Mobilization images
This is a better image test
87 year-old Bao Yun Chan of the China Tenants Association and the Coaltion for Better Housing spoke at the Saturday No on J mobilization along with other community leaders and five members of the Board of Supervisors.
February 06, 2004
Electronic voting on Talk of the Nation
This is another test (is there a way to make sure the title isn't in all caps?)
Talk of the Nation is examining electronic voting in the 11 am hour Friday on KQED FM. An audio archive will be available later today.
On FreshAir Thursday, Raphael Lewis, a reporter for The Boston Globe, talked about the decision by the Massachusetts high court in support of full equal marriage rights for gays -- as opposed to civil unions. Plus David Moats who received a Pulitzer for his editorials in support of civil unions and is author of the new book, Civil Wars: The Battle for Gay Marriage.
Liftoff
Affirmative - We have liftoff on the movable type!