TIGERS AND BEARS ON BENGAL ALLEY

“The suggestion (Supervisor) Elsbernd made that Bengal Alley has to be ADA compliant is untrue…there are hundreds of public pathways and right-of-ways all over the city not ADA compliant, including at least a dozen on Mt.Davidson alone.” —DAVE BISHO Read More…

By Doug Comstock

THE BEST OF THE NET

Rose Pak Makes Deals, Gains Influence

"…but how she acquired that power is something of a mystery. She is not registered to vote, is not a registered lobbyist, and is not reported to receive any remuneration from her sole reported place of employment" Read More…

By Matthew Robertson, The Epoch Times

Parkmerced Agreement Illegally Excluded Public

"…the last minute introduction of fourteen pages of amendments did not provide adequate time for members of the public to review and comment on them as required under Sunshine” Read More…

By Hope Johnson,
Chair, Sunshine Ordinance Task Force

Cyclist vs Commuters in Head-on Over Oak/Fell Lanes

"…separated bikeways on Oak and Fell Streets between Scott and Baker … a battleground among local residents who want to maintain precious parking spaces, auto commuters, who want to retain consistent traffic flow and bicyclist, who want to improve the safety of their commute." Read More…

By Doug Comstock

Ginsburg and Ballard's Official Misconduct Referred to Ethics Commission

"This is the first time a City department eventually produced documents from backup files … These public officials signed non-public e-mails using their public titles in an attempt to sway the Commonwealth Club to bias a forum…” Read More…

By George Wooding

BEST OF THE NET

The Dog Killer and the Art Commission

"…with animal rights activists especially upset … both the General Hospital rebuilding, and the proposed Chinatown Central Subway to Nowhere have $750,000 contracts for sculptures with Otterness…” Read More…

By Michael Strickland, sfciviccenter.blogspot.com

Around the Town December 2011

"Hail to the Chief…with all of the angst being written about Ranked Choice Voting, and how it would play out with the mayoral candidates the election turned into a big yawn, as Ed Lee put away the competition. Entering the race with a base of about 30% of the voters, he finished with 31% …” Read More…

SF PUC Declines Rec & Park's Lake Merced Deal

Is Joint Management With Rec & Park Off the Table?

"At its November 8 meeting, the SFPUC Commissioners declined to approve the MOU. That was the first sign in many years that the top people at SFPUC may be willing to step up to the plate and fulfill the agency’s responsibility to properly manage the lake"…

Hang Those Ornaments

"With all its spending, how tempting it must be to steer a little here, a little there, to worthwhile groups and interests about whom feelings are warm. Cheer, cheer! For bureaucrats it can be Christmas all year! Even better when the spending is debt spending; we all know how using a credit card is so much easier than parting with cash.” Read More…

By Steve Lawrence

West of Twin Peaks Central Council

November Meeting DAVID LATTERMAN Conservatives are 7% of the voters, Moderates 39%, Liberals 36%, Progressives 19%. Democrats lead with 54%, followed by 25-30% “decline to state,” 6% Republican and 3-4% for other parties. The Chinese vote is steady at 16-18% while the LGBT vote is 10% of the voters. Read More…

By Mitch Bull

Laguna Honda Charitable Giving Plummets — Again

"LHH’s replacement facility eventually cost over $40 million, but there have never been any reports that Renne’s Foundation ever raised any of the $15 million it told the IRS it would raise when seeking its non-profit designation." Read More…

By Patrick Monette-Shaw

Finally, the Bus Rapid Transit Study

"In November 2011 San Francisco released its first ever Draft Environmental Impact Study, EIS, for a Transit Project for Bus Rapid Transit, BRT. The purpose of an EIS is to list all of the possible impacts of a proposed project for consideration by involved public agencies and legislators, and to allow ample time for the public to respond …" Read More…

By Howard Strassner

Plain Talk, Straight Talk

A Belfast Thanksgiving Remembrance

"…we decided to open up another new front — one that would have an economic impact on those Northern Ireland businesses guilty of discriminating against Catholics. The goal was to reform, not destroy, those industries.” Read More…

By Joe O'Donoghue

Westside Observer Turns 25

This coming January the Westside Observer will celebrate 25 years in print. On Sunday Nov. 6, the owners Mitch and Alice Bull hosted a gathering at Que Syrah wine bar on West Portal Ave."It is our way of thanking everyone who contributes to the Westside Observer," said Mitch as he addressed the gathering of about 30 people that evening..” Read More…

By Jonathan Farrell

Money Matters

Time Right to Refinance?

Many have significant equity in their home refinance to “cash out” some of that equity for other purposes. But it can be risky; this strategy backfired on many homeowners when housing prices crashed in recent years. Those who took out too much cash were suddenly “underwater,” owing more on their house than it was worth when its value declined.” Read More…

By Brandon Miller and Joanne Jordan

December 2011-January 2012

Beach Chalet Soccer Fields - Public Comment Due

Written comments due by 5:00 p.m. on December 12, 2011

Scoping Meetings on MUNI's Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP)

Tues Dec 6 &Wed Dec 7 • 6:30 pm • One South Van Ness 2nd Floor Atrium (So Van Ness & Market St.)

Remember When

Market Street from Twin Peaks

(Note Bay Bridge construction). By permission of SF History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

This photo and many more from the San Francisco History Center.

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