Articles Posted in the News Category

  • National Writers Urge End to Oakland “Crackdown on Free Speech”

    National Writers Urge End
    to Oakland “Crackdown on Free Speech”

    Dear Mayor Jean Quan:

    The violent crackdown on peaceful, nonviolent “Occupy Oakland” protesters by your city police department is an outrage and a disgrace. As writers, authors, editors, filmmakers and artists from across the country, we believe free speech and assembly are paramount to democracy. We urge you to cease the police crackdowns immediately, and stop trampling on protesters’ First Amendment rights. As Mayor, you are ultimately responsible for the actions of your police department, and by all accounts they have behaved shamefully—attacking, beating, and tear-gassing people who were assembled peaceably in nonviolent protest. Mayor Quan, let free speech and assembly have its day, and its night, and stop your police from these terrible and entirely unnecessary attacks. The country is watching. Let the protesters speak and assemble, and end the attacks—now.

  • Dark Cloud Hangs Over Lee Campaign

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    Dark Cloud Hangs Over Lee Campaign

    With hundreds of thousands of unregulated special interest dollars on the line, not to mention Lee’s reputation and poll numbers, Lee’s campaign announced Lt. Governor and former Mayor Gavin Newsom would be joining Lee to “make an announcement about Mayor Lee’s campaign” following a walk-thru at a tech startup in SOMA.

    The press turned out in force, not to focus on Newsom’s late endorsement of Lee, but to question Lee about his involvement in the allegations of vote tampering by an independent group of campaign volunteers wearing Ed Lee for Mayor T-shirts in Chinatown on Friday, allegations first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bay Citizen and the Epoch Times.

    The reports allege Lee supporters working for SF Neighborhood Alliance for Ed Lee for Mayor 2011, the same independent expenditure committee that financed Lee’s unauthorized biography, “The Ed Lee Story: An Unexpected Mayor”, were actively engaging in vote tampering at makeshift polling tents erected in Chinatown on Friday at the intersection of Stockton and Pacific streets.

  • Behind the Protest Signs: The Voices of Occupy San Francisco

    Behind the Protest Signs:
    The Voices of Occupy San Francisco

    The clarion call of “We are the 99 percent” has driven home a blaring message about what protesters argue is a host of inequalities — of wealth, income, education, housing, economic opportunity, political clout, access to decent food and healthcare, and much more. Some protesters want to see corporate economic and political power reined in and others call for capitalism to be reformed, transformed or replaced. Proposals include enforcing existing regulations on corporate finance, breaking up corporate bank chains, creating a city-run municipal bank or expanding off-the-grid barter economies and alternative currencies.

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    Bay Citizen Poll: The Mayor’s Race is Over, Ed Lee’s Your Next Mayor

    That’s the takeaway message one gets a from the latest poll published by The Bay Citizen and the University of San Francisco in the early hours of Monday morning, the results of which has Lee winning after 9 rounds of ranked-choice ballot tabulations.

    New Jersey-based Maximum Research, Inc conducted the poll of 551 likely registered voters between October 7 and October 13. The poll was commissioned and paid for by the BayCitizen at a cost of $10,000, confirmed newly minted BayCitizen managing editor Steve Fainaru.

  • Overheard in Fog City: Pearce, Ho, 86ed from Buck Tavern

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    Overheard in Fog City: Pearce, Ho, 86ed from Buck Tavern

    It all started off around 11:30 pm when Ho and Pearce arrived at the city’s favorite political watering hole following a successful, well attended No on E and F campaign fundraiser organized by CitiReport.com founder Larry Bush and Democratic Party chair Aaron Peskin.

  • Adachi Renews Debate Challenge
    to Lee Over Pension Reform

    Sponsored by Lee and backed by public employee unions, Prop C was placed on the ballot by Lee and the Board of Supervisors. Sponsored by Adachi, Prop D is a voter-approved ballot initiative qualified with over 70,000 signatures.

  • Occupy Wall Street Protesters Shut Down Wells Fargo
    Over Foreclosure Crisis

    While suit-clad Wells Fargo employees watched on – most refusing to talk to reporters, some disparaging the protest, a couple whispering their support – police carted away 11 of the 30 people who barricaded the bank’s doors at about 7:45 a.m. A coalition of labor and anti-war groups, communities of color including Causa Justa/Just Cause and Chinese Progressive Association, along with Occupy SF, filled downtown streets with chants and music, in a festive and feisty protest that went on for five hours.