Obama Woos Latino Voters

June 29, 2012 | No Comments

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.

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

June 29, 2012 | 3 Comments

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.

Police Investigating Connection Between Two Mission District Sexual Assualts

June 23, 2012 | No Comments

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.

Workers say, ‘Verizon is Verigreedy’

June 22, 2012 | 2 Comments

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.

Supervisors’ Vendetta Against Sunshine Panel Incumbents

June 22, 2012 | 2 Comments

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.

From Raisin in the Sun to Clybourne Park

June 22, 2012 | No Comments

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.

Nurses Rally Support for Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street Transactions

June 20, 2012 | 6 Comments

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.

Wiener’s Mendacious Attack on City’s Sunshine Panel

June 19, 2012 | 10 Comments

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.

Parents, Students, Teachers Occupy Oakland School Slated for Closure

June 19, 2012 | 3 Comments

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 Laws: A GOP Assault on Unions

June 15, 2012 | No Comments

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.

Mayor and City Attorney Subterfuge Exposed

June 15, 2012 | 44 Comments

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.

Nurses Strike Sutter Health Over Demands for Worker Concessions

June 14, 2012 | 3 Comments

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.

Reports of Occupy’s Demise Greatly Exaggerated

June 12, 2012 | 2 Comments

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: Fourth Woman to Enter D5 Contest

June 12, 2012 | 11 Comments

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.

Independence, Equitable Growth – Central Planks to Mecke Campaign for D5 Supe

June 07, 2012 | 4 Comments

Former legislative aide to Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Quintin Mecke, who officially filed to run in the ranked choice race for District 5 Supervisor today, says political independence and a check on excessive development will be central to his campaign message and platform.

Bananas Over Fair Trade

June 06, 2012 | 1 Comment

Bananas are the most consumed fresh fruit in the U.S., and represents 50 percent of all U.S. fresh fruit imports, a large portion of which are produced in Latin America. The 27 Fair Trade producers supplying bananas to the U.S. market are located in Ecuador, Costa Rica, Perú and in the northwestern Urabá region of Colombia. According to Fair Trade USA’s Product Impact Report, imports of Fair Trade bananas almost doubled from 2008 to 2009, reaching 49 million pounds.

AT&T, Verizon Contract Agreements With CWA/IBEW Workers Remains Elusive

June 06, 2012 | 7 Comments

Despite soaring revenues and profits, AT&T and Verizon continue to seek concessions from employee unions, a demand which has led to stalled contract talks and threats of strike action by Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.