Articles Posted in the Politics Category
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System Failure: “Technology Mayor” Ed Lee’s City “Stuck in 1999”
But there’s a problem for Lee and his image as an innovative tech mayor, one that he inherited from former Mayor Gavin Newsom – the city’s antiquated information technology systems.
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OccupySF Occupies Vacant Building
Owned by Catholic ChurchAs San Francisco police looked on, as many as two-hundred occupiers entered the vacant building – located at 888 Turk Street – owned by the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
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Chiu Declares Re-Election Bid
Chiu, 42, was elevated to the Board presidency in January 2009 – the first Taiwanese-American to serve in this capacity – due in large part to an unresolved grudge match between former Supervisors Chris Daly and Ross Mirkarimi. He later drew the ire of Daly and progressives when Chiu voted for then-City Administrator Ed Lee, an establishment pick, over former Sheriff Michael Hennessey, an independent, for interim mayor last year.
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OccupySF to “Liberate” Vacant Building
The building location will not be disclosed, organizers say, until OccupySF marchers arrive at the secret location following a 4 pm rally at Union Square. Only a few organizers are aware of the building location, an organizer told Fog City Journal, and stressed the direct action will be non-violent and will not result in property damage.
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Trayvon Martin Killing:
Let Investigations Run Their CourseThe Justice Department will determine whether Zimmerman violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which among other things, outlaws major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation. The 911 tape indicates Zimmerman may have used the word “coon” when referring to Martin. Martin is Black while Zimmerman’s father is White and his mother is Latino.
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Judicial Council Pulls Plug on $1.9 Billion Case Management System
The Courts Case Management System (CCMS) is years overdue, 800 percent over budget and still not ready for primetime. Meanwhile, funding was diverted from court operations to pay for the massive cost overruns while the public experienced court closures and long delays in accessing justice.
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Puerto Rico: The GOP Primary, Latino Vote and Statehood
There are about 21.5 million Latino voters now eligible to vote in the November 2012 presidential election, with about 60 percent registered to vote compared to 70 percent Black and 74 percent White. If registration drives are successful between now and the election, the number of eligible Latino voters will increase. Latino voters have a chance to influence the outcome for president in at least 24 states.
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Mirkarimi Defense Files Writ to Overturn Lee’s Suspension
According to Waggoner, “Because Mirkarimi was not sheriff at the time of the alleged misconduct, Lee’s suspension amounts to an abuse of discretion. We are a city and nation of laws, and there is a legal standard that must be followed. By suspending the Sheriff for conduct that occurred before he assumed office and is not directly related to his job duties, Mayor Lee failed to follow the law.”
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San Francisco Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Aarti Hotel
Following an uplifting musical program by Larkin Street Glee, TNDC Executive Director Don Falk addressed about 100 guests in the verdant Tenderloin National Forest (a previous alleyway alongside the hotel transformed into a sustainable green/art space).
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Mar Declares Re-Election Bid,
Says Board Vote on Mirkarimi “A Difficult Decision”Asked if a potential Board vote on whether suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi should be removed from office is “weighing heavily” on his mind, Mar told Fog City, “I really cannot make any comment about my former colleague, Ross Mirkarimi, but I’ll just say that I always will be a fair person that listens to all the evidence and does my best to be fair – and I know that is going to be a difficult decision.”
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National Day of Action: Workers Fight Back Against Corporate Greed
In particular, the Day of Action, which brought demonstrators out in cities across the U.S., trained its sights on Verizon Communications, where management and unions have been locked in a fight over benefits since a contract lapsed in August.
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Mayor Lee Suspends Sheriff Mirkarimi, Interim Named,
Peskin Calls on Mirkarimi to ResignLee, who had asked Mirkarimi to step down Monday or face suspension, announced his decision to suspend the Sheriff following Mirkarimi’s announcement that he would not resign. Mirkarimi now faces an Ethics Commission probe into whether his conviction rises to the level of official misconduct as defined in the city Charter, a finding that will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for a vote. Nine of eleven supervisors must vote in the affirmative to remove an elected public official from office.
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Supervisors and Community Groups
Rally to Suspend ForeclosuresFollowing the rally, Supervisor Avalos introduced a resolution – co-sponsored by Supervisors David Campos, Christina Olague, Jane Kim, Eric Mar and David Chiu, “Urging city and county officials and departments to protect homeowners from unlawful foreclosures.” The measure also urges mortgage and banking institutions, “especially San Francisco-based Wells Fargo,” to “suspend foreclosure activities and related auctions and evictions.”
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Avalos Calls for Suspension of Foreclosures
in San FranciscoSupervisor Avalos will introduce the resolution at the Board of Supervisors meeting at 2pm. The resolution expresses support for the California Homeowner Bill of Rights which are 5 legislative measures introduced at the California State Legislature and designed to provide basic standards of fairness and transparency in mortgage processing, community tools to prevent blight, tenant protections, enhanced law enforcement to defend homeowner rights, and a special grand jury to investigate foreclosure crime.
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Eliana Lopez to Hold Press Conference Tuesday
Lopez is expected to tell the untold story of what happened on December 3 that led to an altercation between Lopez and her husband, an argument that resulted in Ms. Lopez sustaining a bruise on her right arm. Court documents paint a picture of a couple experiencing marriage difficulties with concerns over a possible divorce and child custody battle.
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Gascón Takes Mirkarimi at His Word
Gascón said he recognized that there are those who wanted him to “go for the jugular” and keep the trial going; others felt that the prosecution of Mirkarimi was a political vendetta. Gascón concluded that since “ideologues on both sides” may be disappointed in the plea agreement, “This gives me comfort and reassurance that I have not politicized the case and that I have done my absolute best to treat it like any another domestic violence allegation.”
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Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi: “I’m Sorry”
Missing from his prepared statement was a recount of the events that occurred on December 31 that led him to this point. When pressed, he stated, “I understand that some of this continues and that I should be guarded.” He also did not respond to the question of whether he had the moral authority to continue running the Sheriff’s Department.
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