Doomsday Clock: Five Minutes to Midnight

February 03, 2012 | 1 Comment

Obama taught constitutional law. As President, he has ordered the assassination of at least two US citizens. Not only is this unconstitutional, there was no public discussion of whether or not it was justified. Like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, it is the sudden “Off with their heads!” The Founding Fathers could not imagine such disregard for their craft of openness and free argument.

Collection Agency Picked On the Wrong Lou Correa

February 03, 2012 | 2 Comments

Collection agencies and their attorneys file hundreds of thousands of lawsuits every year in California, many of which are filed against debt-free individuals such as Senator Correa with no connection to the original creditor. Incredibly, these lawsuits rarely include the information needed to prove the claim is legitimate, because current law doesn’t require it. Consequently, innocent Californians wind up with a judgment on their record or have their wages garnished because they were sued for someone else’s debt.

Group Seeks Condo Lottery Bypass,
Raise Funds for Affordable Housing

February 02, 2012 | No Comments

The City instituted a curb on condo conversions in response to increases in “no fault” tenant evictions, limiting conversions via a lottery to 200 per year. Currently there are 2,391 homeowners waiting in line for their chance to convert their tenancy-in-common mortgages into less costly and restrictive joint tenancy instruments.

Bill Would End Journalist Lockout at State Prisons

February 01, 2012 | No Comments

This month, the Assembly Appropriations Committee unanimously passed AB 1270, also known as the “California Prisons: Media Access” bill, and it is expected to sail through the Senate in March.

Of course, lawmakers have repeatedly approved nearly identical legislation in the past, only to see it fall victim to vigorous lobbying by the Department of Corrections and victim rights groups.

But neither opposes the current bill, which was sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano.

Michael Goldstein Remembered

January 31, 2012 | No Comments

Eileen Hanson, mistress of ceremonies, painted a sensitive and authentic picture of a “complicated person,” who could be “sweet,” but also “really bitchy.” According to Hanson, Michael loved gossip and the “blood sport that is San Francisco politics.”

Herrera Files Lawsuits Against Tenderloin Markets
for Alleged Facilitation of Drugs Trafficking

January 30, 2012 | No Comments

The lawsuits were filed following a two-year undercover police investigation which documents “numerous instances in which the markets operated as virtual safe havens for the sale of cocaine, crack, heroin, prescription painkillers and other drugs,” in violation of the Drug Abatement Act, according to Herrera.

Violent Clashes with Police Mar Occupy Oakland Move-In Day

January 29, 2012 | 7 Comments

Before it was over early Sunday, demonstrators had broken into City Hall, pelted police with rocks, and were thrice turned back from establishing a new headquarters. Police responded with tear gas, flash grenades, bean bag bullets and, at times, excessive force. By days end, more than 300 people were arrested. Several injuries were reported, involving both police and protesters.

San Francisco Legitimizes Urban Farming

January 27, 2012 | 1 Comment

This ordinance allows properly permitted and code-abiding gardeners and farmers to sell any produce they grow directly to the public on site. Growers were previously required to haul their bounty to a third party commercial zone, like a farmers market, or sell through a distributor. The permit does not, however, allow for value-added products, such as pickles or jam, or animal products, such as honey and eggs, to be sold at garden sites in residential areas. These products can, however, be sold on production sites within commercial zones. Growers can apply for a permit through the Planning Department for approximately $350.

Remembering Vietnam

January 27, 2012 | 2 Comments

General William Westmoreland commanded the U.S. military operations in the Vietnam War (1964–68) during the Tet Offensive. Tet is the Vietnamese New Year. We on the ground knew that Westmoreland’s highly publicized, overly optimistic assessments of the war were not true. We “won” every battle, but lost the war. The 1968 Tet Offensive, in which communist forces, having staged a diversion at the Battle of Khe Sanh, attacked cities and towns throughout South Vietnam. U.S. and South Vietnamese troops successfully fought off the attacks, and the communist forces took heavy losses, but the ferocity of the assault shook public confidence in Westmoreland’s previous assurances about the state of the war.

Judge Refuses Change to Mirkarimi Stay Away Order, Prosecutor Reveals Lopez Messages

January 27, 2012 | 2 Comments

Judge Breall refused to modify the order, stating that she found no change in circumstances in the week since the order was first imposed; that she saw no reason to depart from the usual domestic violence court procedures of separating alleged abusers from their alleged victims.

Sheriff Mirkarimi’s Trial Date Set,
Attorney Says Case “Overblown”,
Second Woman Files Complaint

January 23, 2012 | 5 Comments

When asked how Mirkarimi’s family is doing, McElroy said, “Every night his son, Theo, asks for ‘Daddy.’ This is tearing the family apart, doing more damage than good. Isn’t it supposed to be the exact opposite of what family court is about?”

Hundreds Celebrate Life of Labor Leader Walter Johnson

January 23, 2012 | 2 Comments

The ceremony was simple, but the celebrants were remarkable. No less than the Episcopal Bishop of California, Marc Andrus, and the Dean of Grace Cathedral, Jane Shaw, presided over the service. In attendance included Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Attorney General Kamala Harris, State Senator Mark Leno, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, Supervisor Eric Mar, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and former Mayor Art Agnos.

Occupy West Protesters Decry Bank Foreclosures, Corporate Personhood

January 22, 2012 | 3 Comments

The day was organized by Occupy SF and numerous other groups. It started before sunrise, with sometimes overlapping demonstrations focusing on corporate greed, foreclosures, war and immigration crackdowns. Demonstrators noted their connections, such as profits from building incarceration facilities. There were a few breaks, but for the most part the rain was constant.

Occupy Wall Street West Ends Hibernation
in Quest to Right America

January 21, 2012 | 2 Comments

Protesters also decried the role that the Supreme Court case Citizens United, now two years old, has played in pulling representative democracy out of the grasp of ordinary citizens. As many as 2,000 protesters took part in all of the activities. Thirteen people were arrested in actions at Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

Threaded throughout the Financial District, Occupy affinity groups engaged in various forms of non-violent activity such as chaining themselves with lock boxes to all the entrances to Wells Fargo’s headquarters on California Street, staging a rally at the “bankers heart” sculpture at the foot of the Bank of America building, performing guerrilla theater as military personnel arresting “terrorists” (American citizens), and marching from Justin Herman Plaza throughout the financial district.

Mirkarimi Pleads Not Guilty,
Court Extends Protective Order

January 20, 2012 | 7 Comments

Prosecutors allege Mirkarimi hurt his wife during an argument in the presence of their two-year old son and told her not to discuss it with anybody.

Campos Draws Broad-Based Support for Re-Election Bid

January 17, 2012 | No Comments

A Guatemala-born immigrant first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2008, Campos was joined on the steps of City Hall by as many as 100 supporters including several colleagues on the Board as well as several labor leaders.

Labor Council Honors Martin Luther King,
Celebrates Poor People’s Campaign

January 17, 2012 | 1 Comment

A place was symbolically set for beloved labor leader, Walter Johnson, who passed away on January 12 following a heart attack. An enlarged photo of Johnson (taken by Linda Post) “sat” at the head table along with Mayor Ed Lee, newly-appointed D5 Supervisor Christina Olague, Assemblymember Fiona Ma, and SFLC Executive Director Tim Paulson. Various speakers recalled the Poor People’s Campaign, Dr. King’s last project, that highlighted our nation’s economic disparities while continuing to confront racism, militarism, and a self-centered society.