In the hotly contested race for the open District 9 Supervisor seat, School Board President Mark Sanchez announced Tuesday he has garnered the coveted endorsement of the Sierra Club.
“Proven leadership skills combined with sound policy goals championing the environment make Mark Sanchez the clear choice for District 9,” Sierra Club Political Chair John Rizzo said.
Sanchez adds Sierra Club to a growing list of organizations giving him their exclusive endorsements including The United Educators of San Francisco and the San Francisco Green Party.
“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Sierra Club, which has long been at the forefront of the progressive movement for sustainability,” Sanchez said. “In my years of public service, I have always stressed the urgency of addressing issues of sustainability and global warming.”
With the August 8th filing deadline rapidly approaching, it’s fish or cut bait time in the hotly contested races for Supervisor.
The last week of July brought us two early indicators of campaign strength– signatures in lieu of filing fees and six-month fundraising totals. Even the strongest grassroots campaigns need to raise tens of thousands of dollars to print literature, pay office and phone bills, and send mail. Our new system of public financing, however, greatly levels this playing field, making $87,500 in public monies available to candidates raising $52,500 in contributions from San Francisco residents. (Additional public dollars are available if the voluntary spending limit is broken.)
Signatures in lieu of filing fee are far more valuable to campaigns than the $.50 waived by elections for each valid signature. They represent voters more likely to support the candidate and typically get rolled into campaigns’ “get out the vote” program. They also are a good show of on-the-ground campaign strength.
While the ability to collect signatures doesn’t necessarily equal success, the inability to put together a successful signature drive is a distress signal of a flagging campaign. Signatures and fundraising taken together help frame the races, and, with the exception of District 5, it looks like we have a bunch of interesting head-to-head contests.
San Francisco –San Francisco Animal Care & Control is asking the public for help to find the person – or persons – responsible for stabbing to death a seven-month-old puppy in foster care with Grateful Dogs Rescue.
The puppy – named Pogo – was being exercised by his foster parent at Ocean Beach in San Francisco at Sunset on July 22. He disappeared behind a sand dune and wasn’t seen again until his body was discovered dumped in an unincorporated area of the Bayview on the morning of July 29. Pogo had been brutally stabbed to death.
Pogo was a friendly, trusting pit bull puppy who had been taken from Animal Care & Control – SF’s open-door animal shelter – by Grateful Dogs Rescue. He had a genetic defect that required the amputation of one hind leg. The surgery to remove the leg was partially donated by San Francisco Veterinary Specialists - Pogo had fully recovered and was expected to lead a long and normal life. Grateful Dogs Rescue is one of the most active animal rescue groups working with Animal Care & Control. Their volunteers have taken and re-homed hundreds of needy dogs from the shelter.
Pogo was a brindle pit bull puppy with a white blaze, white around his nose and a white chest. He weighed approximately 40 pounds, was missing his right rear leg and was wearing a red collar when last seen.
Anyone with information about Pogo’s death – or info on Pogo being taken from Ocean Beach - should call Animal Care & Control at (415) 554-9400. A $2000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator has been established by Grateful Dogs Rescue and The Friends of SF Animal Care & Control. To contribute to the reward fund, please contact Animal Care & Control at (415) 554-9412.
Animal Care & Control is always grateful for the public’s help in identifying cases of animal cruelty. Residents of San Francisco can call (415) 554-9400 to report potential animal cruelty or neglect.
If we’re addicted to oil, our twelve-step program should begin with admitting that we have a problem. As the price of oil creeps higher, finding new energy sources is more important than ever. But the search for alternatives, combined with environmental disruptions, is putting new pressures on other essentials like food.
There are some things that are going well in the world. Right now, the economy is not one of them.
Animation & Design by Chris Weller
Directed by Max Joseph
Music: “Genesis” by Justice
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