Supes Approve Twitter Tax Holiday
Without Community Benefits

April 07, 2011 | 8 Comments

The legislation was passed by an 8-3 vote amid concerns of gentrification impacts and without a promised Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) in place. The legislation’s sponsor, Supervisor Jane Kim, who said the legislation would be continued until a CBA had been formulated and ratified by the Board, told FCJ after the Board vote Tuesday the tax exemption legislation is not enforceable until a CBA has been approved.

SF Progressive Movement Needs a Shot in the Arm

April 07, 2011 | 6 Comments

There were no protests in the streets the other day when the Board of Supervisors passed, by an eight-to-three vote, legislation to give Twitter and other companies six-year tax breaks to move into the mid-Market/Tenderloin area which could effectively gentrify neighborhoods where the city’s poorest folks (many of them queer, transgender, immigrant and/or of color) currently reside. Three of the eight votes were cast by Supervisors who call themselves “progressives.” (Supervisor Jane Kim, David Chiu and Eric Mar). The three progressives Supervisors who opposed Twitter deal were John Avalos, David Campos, and Ross Mirkarimi.

SF Unions Rally to Support Wisconsin Workers, Condemn Corporate Greed

April 05, 2011 | 4 Comments

The rally, organized by the San Francisco Labor Council and part of a nationally coordinated “We are One” AFL-CIO campaign, began at the San Francisco headquarters of Bank of America, terminating at the San Francisco Federal Reserve building after passing by the offices of Chase Bank, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and the Hyatt Regency Hotel along the way.

Bait and Switch: A Walk Down Twitter Lane
(Part Two)

April 03, 2011 | 4 Comments

The corporate hucksters have really piled it on since I wrote my March 23 Fog City Journal article about the Great Twitter Tax Break. Predictably, once it became clear that our current City Fathers will kowtow to Twitter and give them a multi-million dollar dollop of corporate welfare, every Big Business crony and wanna-be in town has rushed to Silly Hall with their hands out. And, just as predictably, the majority of our Stupervisors have rushed to greet them, eager to win their favors.

Overheard in Fog City: Avalos Considering Mayoral Run, Peskin and Campos Out

April 03, 2011 | 9 Comments

The development provides former Supervisor Chris Daly a temporary reprieve on following through on his pledge in February to enter the race should no other leading progressive candidate enter the race.

Marketing and Promotion of Tobacco Products

April 02, 2011 | No Comments

Smoking is linked with lung cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year about 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, and another 8.6 million live with a serious illness caused by smoking. Despite these risks, approximately 46.6 million U.S. adults smoke cigarettes. And cigarette smoking costs more than $193 billion, $97 billion in lost productivity plus $96 billion in health care expenditures.

Hellman to Run for Mayor of San Francisco?

April 01, 2011 | 3 Comments

The gruff and casual millionaire – who is not particularly given to public speaking – is expected to declare his candidacy in song while strumming a banjo on the steps of City Hall shortly before 11 a.m. this morning.

Hellman, who is also the chairman of The Bay Citizen, will bar The San Francisco Chronicle from the press event, according to Hellman insiders.