Articles Posted June 2012

  • Quintin Mecke. File photo by Luke Thomas.

    Mecke Withdraws D5 Candidacy

    Citing a change in circumstances, Quintin Mecke, the former aide to Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, today withdrew his candidacy in the race for District 5 Supervisor.

  • Experts discuss the future of the United States' transit system, in San Francisco, Calif. Photo by Jessica Schimm.

    Transit Reshaping Bill Stalled in Congress for 1,000th Day This Week

    With public transit showing ridership at an all-time high, a transportation bill that could help to fund new projects for transit hit its 1,000 day in congress this week, where the house and senate continue to debate its merits.

  • Oakland man, Allen Widner, 27, checked into Alameda county hospitals Alta bates and Highland General a total of four times before leaving to Salinas in order to see a specialist. Photo courtesy of Jodi Hernstrom.

    California’s Gamble on Obamacare Pays Off, But State’s Uninsured Still Suffer

    Even before the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday to uphold the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, California has been expanding health care coverage to the uninsured under a program called “Bridge to Reform.”

  • President Barack Obama.  File photo by Luke Thomas.

    Obama Woos Latino Voters

    Latino voters have a chance to influence the outcome for president in at least 24 states. The top ten states with high concentrations of potential Latino voters are California, Texas, New York, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, New Mexico, Virginia, and Nevada. In 2008, Democrats won California, New York, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Virginia.

  • San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr held a press conference today at the Hall of Justice to announce the arrests of 68 wanted suspects in an effort to stem a recent spike in gun related homicides. Photos by Luke Thomas.

    Deadly June in San Francisco Results in 68 Arrests During Citywide Sweep

    With ten gun-related homicides in June adding to a tally of 38 in 2012, San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr announced today the arrests of 68 wanted suspects resulting from a multi-agency sweep of the city.

  • 19th and Capp, Mission District, San Francisco

    Police Investigating Connection Between Two Mission District Sexual Assualts

    Investigators looking into the June 18th incident have discovered some similarities between the previously unreported incident, and a separate attempted sexual assault case, which was reported to police on June 15th and occurred just five blocks away. On June 15, 2012 on Erie Alley near 13th Street, a woman was approached from behind by two men who grabbed her from behind and attempted to sexually assault her.

  • Members of CWA and Jobs for Justice hold a banner in front of the Verizon store on Market street in San Francisco on Friday June 22 as part of a rally put on to encourage customers to boycott the company due to executive pay raises and workers pay cuts. Photo by Andy Sweet

    Workers say, ‘Verizon is Verigreedy’

    Can you hear me now?

    More than a dozen demonstrators gathered at a Verizon Wireless storefront on Market Street today as part of a national day of action protesting executive raises as worker health care costs go up and wages are cut.

  • The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force was established by Chapter 67 of the San Francisco Administrative Code in 1999. The purpose of the Task Force is to protect the public's interest in open government .  File photo by Luke Thomas.

    Supervisors’ Vendetta Against Sunshine Panel Incumbents

    Open-government activists believe, and with good reason, that the Board of Supervisors’ May 22 vote to oust three incumbents from the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force was in retaliation for a pair of task force actions that cast the board – and particularly President David Chiu and Supervisors Scott Wiener, Malia Cohen and Eric Mar – in an unfavorable light.

  • P1261274

    From Raisin in the Sun to Clybourne Park

    Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday in the United States commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth is a combination of the words June and nineteenth. While it is a celebration, it should also be a remembrance of race and real estate, part of the dark side of Black history in this country.

  • L_Rosie_RobinHoo_001-500x334

    Nurses Rally Support for Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street Transactions

    Dressed in red scrubs and chanting “Wall street says cutback, we say fight back,” members of National Nurses United gathered Tuesday outside JP Morgan Chase in downtown San Francisco to rally support for a “Robin Hood Tax” that aims to tap Wall Street investment transactions to fund social services.

  • Scott Wiener

    This is currently a hot topic

    Wiener’s Mendacious Attack on City’s Sunshine Panel

    In moving to push Bruce Wolfe off the city’s Sunshine Ordinance Task Force on May 22, Supervisor Scott Wiener attacked the 11-member body in a way that was venomous and mendacious.

  • P6182409_std

    Parents, Students, Teachers Occupy Oakland School Slated for Closure

    In an effort to prevent the closure of elementary schools in the City of Oakland, a group consisting of parents, students and teachers began a sit-in on Friday at Lakeview Elementary school.

  • Right to work

    Right-To-Work Laws: A GOP Assault on Unions

    Right-to-work laws are a potent political symbol, causing serious adverse financial consequences for unions. The Democratic Party receives significant support from organized labor, who supply a great deal of the money, grass roots political organization, and voting base in support of the party. Thus, RTW is not only an assault on unions, but also on the Democratic Party, who rely on labor for support.

  • mw2w0015_std

    This is currently a hot topic

    Mayor and City Attorney Subterfuge Exposed

    Efforts by Mayor Ed Lee and City Attorney Dennis Herrera to avoid a costly and potentially embarrassing Ethics Commission inquisition into whether suspended Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi is guilty of official misconduct have been tainted by falsehoods and false accusations, a Fog City Journal investigation has revealed.

  • MW2W7123_std

    Nurses Strike Sutter Health Over Demands for Worker Concessions

    For the fourth time since September, nurses across nine Sutter Health hospitals went on strike Wednesday in response to management demands for worker concessions that include reductions in healthcare coverage, increased pension contributions and changes to workplace rights and conditions. The nurses are also protesting widespread cuts by Sutter to in-patient care services.

  • mw2w2310_std

    Reports of Occupy’s Demise Greatly Exaggerated

    It should be no surprise that the mainstream media is eager to report on Occupy’s supposed demise. Even ignoring the fact that the corporate-owned media has a strong desire to never see social movements such as Occupy succeed, the media, as a rule, generally needs to put a dramatic narrative to everything it reports. To them, every story ought to have a captivating story arch with a beginning, middle, and an end.

  • Hope Johnson

    This is currently a hot topic

    Hope Johnson: Fourth Woman to Enter D5 Contest

    If elected, Johnson said she would donate as much as 30 percent of her supervisor’s annual salary ($105,000) to schools; sponsor legislation to provide low-cost loans to small businesses; address traffic calming along the busy Oak and Fell thoroughfares via the installation of bicycle lanes; and work towards improving Muni bus performance through the District.