The Worst-Run Big City in the U.S.

Spend more. Get less. We’re the city that knows how.

Comments (147) By Benjamin Wachs and Joe Eskenazi Wednesday, Dec 16 2009

Despite its good intentions, San Francisco is not leading the country in gay marriage. Despite its good intentions, it is not stopping wars. Despite its spending more money per capita on homelessness than any comparable city, its homeless problem is worse than any comparable city's. Despite its spending more money per capita, period, than almost any city in the nation, San Francisco has poorly managed, budget-busting capital projects, overlapping social programs no one is certain are working, and a transportation system where the only thing running ahead of schedule is the size of its deficit.

Yomi Agunbiade’s time atop the Recreation and Park Department was marred by mismanagement.

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It's time to face facts: San Francisco is spectacularly mismanaged and arguably the worst-run big city in America. This year's city budget is an astonishing $6.6 billion — more than twice the budget for the entire state of Idaho — for roughly 800,000 residents. Yet despite that stratospheric amount, San Francisco can't point to progress on many of the social issues it spends liberally to tackle — and no one is made to answer when the city comes up short.

The city's ineptitude is no secret. "I have never heard anyone, even among liberals, say, 'If only [our city] could be run like San Francisco,'" says urbanologist Joel Kotkin. "Even other liberal places wouldn't put up with the degree of dysfunction they have in San Francisco. In Houston, the exact opposite of San Francisco, I assume you'd get shot."

Who is to blame for this city's wretched state of affairs? Yomi Agunbiade, that's who. Metaphorically, that is.

An engineer by trade, Agunbiade was appointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom to head the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department in 2004. Even before Agunbiade's tenure, Rec and Park was the department other city departments pointed and laughed at — but under Agunbiade, it became Amy Poehler funny.

During his reign, an audit revealed, rec centers frequently didn't open, because staff simply didn't show up — and the department had no process to do anything about it. Good news: New rec centers were slated to open. Bad news: Agunbiade's department had no plan for how to staff them. But that wasn't enough to cost Agunbiade his job.

When the city controller's office made the common-sense recommendation that groundskeepers ought to be where they were assigned to be when they're supposed to be there, Agunbiade fought them on it for three years. Running a department where no one knows where anyone is — and no one even wants to know? Not a problem.

Then a report by the city's budget analyst found massive fiscal mismanagement at the Marina Yacht Harbor, which is run by Rec and Park. Perhaps so much money wouldn't have gone unaccounted for, the audit suggested, if the department had installed a cash register. Still, not a problem for Agunbiade. Other reports exposed one organizational or fiscal snafu after another, but his position was secure. In San Francisco, running a city department like a Franz Kafka nightmare doesn't cost a decisionmaker his job.

Then, in July 2008, we apparently discovered what does. Rec and Park spokeswoman Rose Dennis claimed that Agunbiade had been sexually and religiously harassing her for years, and produced letters he'd sent to her home as evidence. She confirmed to SF Weekly that Agunbiade's letters urged her to stop wearing revealing clothes so that she could get right with Jesus. Though she didn't release the letters publicly, Dennis did bring them to the city attorney's office — which determined that this could turn into a messy lawsuit.

Agunbiade was subsequently called in to chat with Newsom. The conversation between the mayor-who-slept-with-his-appointments-secretary and the department-head-accused-of-sexually-and-religiously-harassing-his-spokeswoman (in writing!) must have been one for the ages. Whatever was said, the outcome was this: Agunbiade resigned not long after, and Dennis this year received a $91,000 settlement from the city.

Minus the alleged harassment, city government is filled with Yomi Agunbiades — and they're hardly ever disciplined, let alone fired. When asked, former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin couldn't remember the last time a higher-up in city government was removed for incompetence. "There must have been somebody," he said at last, vainly searching for a name.

Accordingly, millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted on good ideas that fail for stupid reasons, and stupid ideas that fail for good reasons, and hardly anyone is taken to task.

The intrusion of politics into government pushes the city to enter long-term labor contracts it obviously can't afford, and no one is held accountable. A belief that good intentions matter more than results leads to inordinate amounts of government responsibility being shunted to nonprofits whose only documented achievement is to lobby the city for money. Meanwhile, piles of reports on how to remedy these problems go unread. There's no outrage, and nobody is disciplined, so things don't get fixed.

San Francisco is the city that simply will not hold itself accountable.

Here are a few examples of the best of San Francisco at its worst.

Finding books in the library is easy: There are logical, organized systems in place. Finding where the money to build libraries went — that's hard. Last year, the Civil Grand Jury could not find — we reiterate, could not find — up-to-date budget numbers for the city's Branch Library Improvement Program. The numbers that were available aren't pretty: Voters approved a $106 million bond in 2000 to rebuild 19 libraries, and $28 million more was ponied up by the state and private donors. That money was spent without a coherent building plan being formulated between the Library Commission and Department of Public Works — leading to such large cost overruns and long delays that the commission abandoned five of the projects. In 2007, the city went back to the voters, asking for another $50 million for libraries — without publicizing that this would fund the five unfinished projects voters had already paid for. Voters approved it. After all, who doesn't like libraries?

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Richard Katz 07/13/2010 5:59:48 AM

Hello SF Weekly, I think you're trying to do a good job. But I don't think you should lead by blaming some guy in "metaphore." Was that supposed to be useful? If you're going to do that kind of thing, then please kindly apply to replace Herb Caen so that the city once again has a permanent metaphorical resource. Many of us have heard of this guy. It would be great to get embarrassing news on a daily basis again.. Otherwise, this is your problem: "When everybody is politicking but nobody is accountable for the results, waste happens;" Not ours - your readers. Because instead of explaining to us what you think are some issue in dollars and cents, you failed to inform us of the dollar impact of any particular problem, and chose to bury it with this one guy. Him plus some grumblings about democracy just don't add up in the numbers. The city at least publishes a budget, in summary, and detail. Take a look. http://www.sfmayor.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/FINALFY10-11MYRProposedBudget.pdf Overall financials are on page 38 and the general fund is on page 26. The general fund is less than "Idaho..." and the overall finanicals include $1.9 Billion in charges for services, less $1.3 Billion in contracts. Also, do you account for lost revenue from the state that the city has to make up? A problem that "Idaho" also has. We don't need to know that "From 1932 until 1996, much of city government was handled by a powerful chief administrative officer" or whether you like the idea or don't like what you call "rampant" democracy. What we need are your views on the overall totals and where you think there are major issues and problems in dollars and cents, not necessarily on every numbers in the entire 451 page budget document with all its detailed breakdowns - or on the numbers you claim you can't find. So figure out what you think is wrong, add it up, and get back to us. Just saying...
Wake Up 07/12/2010 9:52:06 PM

All of you Liberals and Conservatives need to wake the F up. SF and CA are...no scratch that...have sunk. You forget that you're all the same. You're people who just want to live. When you start blaming and pointing fingers you lose sight of the real problem. The problem being that politicians are leading you around by the nose. They tell you what you want to hear and blame all the problems on "them". I'll let you in on a little secret...you're not Liberal nor are you Conservative. Those two words don't encompass you, they don't make you who you are. You're free thinking, living humans beings. Start acting like it. Put down your pride. This article doesn't insult you if you happen to call yourself Liberal and it doesn't vindicate you if you call yourself Conservative...it's pointing out the waste in the city and that's it.
Missy 07/12/2010 3:13:55 PM

Michael Savage is right. Liberalism is a mental disorder. I lived in SF in 1981-2005, and the city is ruined. It if wasn't for Google and the dot commers who love SF and want it to thrive it would be Detroit in seconds. There's far too much money thrown at non-profits - the GLBT center for one thing, illegal immigrants, sanctuary city bs, etc, and so many other things like that. Things that SHOULD MATTER like keeping MUNI running correctly, lowering taxes on businesses are not really helping keep businesses afloat in SF. Look at Williams-Sonoma, if the old gay guy that founded WS didn't insist that WS main offices were there the other owner would take it out of SF, he wants to. SF is anti-business.
George Alexander 04/30/2010 9:50:33 PM

I was born on Mount Parnassus, sacred to Apollo and the Nine Muses, in San Francisco. It is a marvelous city. The gods may level it at any time. We are not privy to the whims of the gods on high Olympos. Until then, let us delight in our lives.
kent Ashton 02/17/2010 3:32:58 PM

I have not read you before but after reading your swan-song post, I'm a fan. Let's have lunch. I'll buy.
Rhys 02/05/2010 4:35:21 PM

Please do not equate "liberalism" to corruption. Had you actually researched "corruption in politics", you would know "Conservative Republicans" have historically engaged in significantly more "immoral" and corrupt practices than the "Liberal Democrats". Perhaps the Democrats were a bit more discreet with their philandering and devious behavior? I don't know. There is plenty of evidence supporting the disgraceful actions of the opposing parties. Nonetheless, corruption can only be quashed through transparency. However, transparency leads to accountability and the majority of Politicians do not want to held accountable for their actions. Regardless of party, I will vote for the next politician who does not support "state secrets", "secret societies", or tries to suppress administration officials. I guess I am never voting again. Not that I have before....
Jeanine Mahl 01/29/2010 4:05:01 PM

The of people who vote in San Francisco keep electing the same stupidvisors. Several elections ago they voted money to renovate the stables in GGPark. Nothing has been done there, but handicapped ramps have been installed at the Angler's Lodge on a dirt path which was already flat. The City had to install curbs in order to install the ramps. What a waste. Stop funding the homeless and most of them will go somewhere else. That's what happened before!
Cecil 01/14/2010 7:46:38 PM

Well of course -- this is what you get with dimocrats in control. Now going nation wide with full-on Marxism from the top down.
Colonel Bleep 12/30/2009 1:25:40 PM

I been saying this for years: Give the City back to the city fathers -- the old guys who knew how to run the place. This article's mention of Mayor Christopher's wheeling and dealing to get Candlestick built is just one of many, many examples showing how the old boy network used to get things done. You want something done, get a conservative white man. The Eric Mars and Krissy Keefers just can't cut it. Ross Mirkarimi and his war on golf courses, Chris Daly and his mobile soap opera -- look what they give us? N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Thanks for this article. BTW, it's pretty easy to change your registration status to Republican. You can do it in private and keep it secret from your friends, if you want.
Fred 12/30/2009 12:39:43 AM

It is utterly absurd to blame one man for the problems of an entire city (�Who is to blame for this city's wretched state of affairs? Yomi Agunbiade, that's who.�) � especially a man who is not even the mayor. If you, Wachs and Eskenazi, dared to step outside your hive of ignorance, you�d realize it is impossible for one human being, metaphorically or otherwise, to create all of the damage you describe in your article. Try to think logically and since you�re in the business of journalism, it wouldn�t hurt for either of you to think or at least write fairly. If Mr. Agunbiade has sexually or religiously harassed anyone or mismanaged his office, he should definitely be held accountable. However, matters outside of his scope are the responsibility of others. Although you sight wrongdoings by agencies and individuals whom are not Mr. Agunbiade, you manage to come back to Mr. Agunbiade in the end, thereby making him the beginning and the end of all that is wrong with San Francisco, which is not only as I stated at the onset, utterly absurd, but also irresponsible on your part. Is it enough to have a bunch of seething conservatives herald your warped �reporting� as they have done in most of the comments listed here? I am sure they have been waiting to attack Mr. Agunbiade for quite some time now. So look at you, you two just gave them a reason to stop foaming at the mouth and pounce. Happy now? I usually look forward to reading SF Weekly, but this kind of blame-game tirade against one individual for problems and injustices that existed before his tenure and far beyond his office does not make any sense and has really got to stop.
Mikke 12/23/2009 12:49:02 PM

In the mid-1990s I moved to SF from the Midwest. Looking for an apartment was a nightmare. There was no organized, centralized, reliable system of advertising and rating rentals or landlords. Or even of determining fair rent. It all seemed extremely economically exploitive to me. What I remember the most horribly was my encounters with "liberal" landlords who broke federal, state, and city laws. This one lady was clearly in over her head in her GG Park area mortgage, and wanting to rent out this tiny outbuilding as a "cottage." It was small, damp, ugly, right on the loud major street...and $1,850, not including utilities. She evaded my questions, and kept asking me these touchy-feely questions. I kept piloting the conversation back to basics. Eventually I asked her why she kept changing the subject. "I am renting out my HOME," she snapped, "I must feel certain that a tenant Makes Me Feel Confident Of Our Alignment." What? Then she tried questioning me closely about my politics. When I refused to answer, she shut me down, saying, snippily, "We CARE about politics in San Francisco." (I am, in fact, a liberal. And came to the city as a political analyst.) I figured she was a random neurotic. Wrong! I tried the very next place--a garage/basement dealie in Bernal Heights. It didn't even have a real door, just the garage doors! Another lady in over her head, wanting to use sub-standard space to get someone else to subsidize her chic house upstairs. This one bled narcissism and controlling personality. "I trust you will not be making noise when I am upstairs meditating." How would one know when you're meditating? "I would expect a tenant to be aware of levels of noise all the time, including whether I am quiet. That would indicate I'm meditating or reading or sleeping." Then she demanded to know what my religion was. I stared at her. "Pardon me?" She said, "I want to make sure I don't get any CATHOLICS in here." I was a liberal, and I was appalled. Had I not been so pressed by finding a place to live, moving, and being ready for my new, complex (and non-accountable/BS job), I would have found out where to report these two women for violating renters' civil rights. But I'm not sure that would have mattered. Talking to new friends, I got the message that I was wrong for taking umbrage. Equal opportunity should apply only to NON liberal landlords! This level of intimate control and oppression I found unbearable. I don't consider SF to be liberal, but a new form of conservative, using liberal memes as masks. I ended up paying huge dollars to a rental agency that found me a sweet deal...in the East Bay. Fortunately my company moved out of SF when the Dot Con rent increases happened.
Fizbin 12/23/2009 12:20:58 PM

This is why I left SF in 1999. It was a heartbreak, but the writing was so plainly on the wall. I worked in the nonprofit human services sector and was appalled by how all we did was beat ideological drums to get money and further our own careers. San Francisco pioneered the Age of No Accountability (aka Age of Aquarius). We might expect it to be the first city to drown in it. Kudos, SFW.
Scott 12/22/2009 11:00:45 PM

corrected link: http://www.sfweekly.com/2009-12-16/news/san-francisco-s-annals-of-incompetence/
gul ducat 12/22/2009 12:18:32 PM

I get it, SF is really well run because only a non progressive would complain about the waste, and the life style bums get to stay wasted on the tax payer dime.
Nick Russell 12/22/2009 5:40:55 AM

The basic premise -- that San Francisco is mismanaged -- is fundamentally incorrect. And it's actually quite funny to see the comments. "Oh thank dog" and whatnot. If San Francisco were anywhere near Detroit in terms of mismanagement, the city would suffer the same fate and be shrinking. But guess what? It's not. Spending twice as much as Idaho on 800,000 people is also a completely errant premise made up to provide an illustration and context. If Idaho does spend $12.2B on 1.5 million people, the result is $8M per person. If San Francisco spends $6.6B on 800,000 people... guess what... the answer is $8.25M. Just to carry that on a bit, so the difference of $.25M is the difference between Boise and San Francisco? Seems actually like a tremendous value -- or is Idaho more grossly mismanaged than San Francisco? The more I think about this article, the more I laugh. Why do you think San Francisco is one of the most user-friendly cities in the world? Have you ever considered that all the money spent on homelessness is invested in supporting the homeless life style rather than moving homeless people out of homelessness? And before you have an opinion on homelessness, just remember that for many of the homeless, it is a choice. Perhaps it's not a choice that makes sense to you or that you agree with, but some homeless people prioritise ultimate freedom from interaction with the financial and labour markets over the value of... having a home. Granted, these people could probably sort themselves out in the Boise real-estate market but they want to be in San Francisco... where... property prices are extremely high... because... SO MANY PEOPLE ENJOY LIVING THERE! Mother Teresa said "don't invite me to an anti-war rally, invite me to a peace rally". Don't tell me all the bad things about San Francisco, why not tell me how for $.25M premium, the city enjoys and arts and social scene far more cosmopolitan than Boise? Oh because you live in San Francisco, where the biggest thing to complain about is in fact ideological disputes. Because whilst you're eating something from Alice Watters, drinking Blue Bottle Coffee and hanging out at Zeitgiest, you need something to complain about... because after all, if you admitted how fortunate you are to live in San Francisco and have the time and space to complain about things, then someone might ask you to work a little harder on something of relevance. And god forbid you go volunteer and say, help end homelessness. ;)
Tony 12/21/2009 9:24:08 PM

I guess the Liberal Faction is failing just like Detroit is. Liberal just use minorities to get the votes and lie about helping them.
Sr Cluba 12/21/2009 7:42:42 PM

From the article..."The room exploded with outrage. This wasn't fair. "What if we can bring in a family we've helped?" one nonprofit asked. Another offered: "We can tell you stories about the good work we do!" Not every organization is capable of demonstrating results, a nonprofit CEO complained. He suggested the city's funding process should actually penalize nonprofits able to measure results, so as to put everyone on an even footing. Heads nodded: This was a popular idea." What kind of reporting uses quotation marks for unattributed quotes? If you have a quote, use it. Who said these things? What CEO was complaining? Did they refuse to go on record? How do you know they said it? "This kind of reporting isn't really reporting at all" one editor said. "Opinion is fine, but don't pretend it's hard reporting," opined another. Heads around the country nodded: This was baloney.
al harris 12/21/2009 1:29:36 PM

This article was so right on, i could not put it down. People need to know that this is exactly the case with this city, and the future does not look bright.Without a middle class to shoulder the burden, crime will take over this place, as the underclass strives to keep up in a city where it costs a lot of money to live./
Tom 12/21/2009 2:36:54 AM

As much as I wish it was, this isn't a "Liberal" issue. It would be much easier to fix if it was that easy to spot. This is an issue of incompetence, corruption and short-sighted negligence. Sadly those issues aren't exclusive to any one party. Considering the per capita income and the high tax rate, this city should be a utopia. Instead our absentee mayor used our money as his personal campaign fund, robbing our services and infrastructure to pay for flashy, headline grabbing initiatives that he thought would make him look good for the governor's race. Newsom and his culture of unaccountability have to go.
gul ducat 12/20/2009 3:25:05 AM

North Beach and 16thn street libraries are perfect examples of SF good intentions gone wrong. It seems SF progressives and liberals can't read books in old libraries, like sports fans who can't watch football or baseball in old stadiums, the SF liberal just can not put up with an old building in when reading. SF' board supervisors deserve a brand new building to pass laws in, I suggest one in another state.
Shatter 12/19/2009 6:00:03 PM

After years of kissing Willies ass, it's nice to hear the truth for a change.
oatka 12/19/2009 3:36:34 PM

The Democrats main purpose is to live like kings, retire at 40. San Francisco is a model of what really good Democrat politics can extort from a population. Look at Detroit. With hardly anyone living there, it still provides good Democrat jobs at good wages...and benefits...and pensions. San Francisco is where Detroit was 30 years ago. I�d say there is another couple of generations of graft, theft, jobs, contracts still left in the old girl. Why mine rock for gold when you can work politics for money? Sheeple are for shearing. On the whole, though, I refuse to care more about the city than their voters do.
Datzaright 12/19/2009 2:39:08 PM

A wonderful article that needs two additions: 1) Peskin's Prop A legislation gave MUNI employees millions of dollars to compensate for the proposed new rules for increased accountability. When as stated he caved to the civil servants unions and retracted rules for minimum performance standards he THEN should have pulled the legislation. Peskin knowingly gave MUNI employees more money by legislating and upporting a measure without any teeth. It was his failure that caused that huge boondoggle. Bottom line: Peskin is in the muck just as deep as Newsom or any other politico. 2) A review of the number of unnecessary projects that are really job preservation measures should have been made. If you are a city planner, project manager, designer, architect, or work for agency parasite DPW you only exist if there is NEW blood. Take a look at North Beach where the city wants to tear down a 50 year old library. That building was made to survive for a few centuries (provided there be regular maintenance). The city has planned a $9 million dollar new library for that neighborhood even though a renovation could be done for less than half that amount. The city spent tens of million of dollars renovating the Moscone Playground field house/gymnasium into a party/event venue. Unused and costly party/event venue. Marking Yomi Agunbiade as the shining example of SF's dysfunction was right on the money.
WetSocksInSeattle 12/18/2009 10:28:59 PM

Man, I will never complain about Seattle again.
Xen 12/18/2009 9:23:32 PM

I'd like to think the SF is the worst, but I know so many horror stories about corruption in Denver that I know it ain't so. Denver gets by on a flood of money from the airport we built back in the '90's. Without that, we're screwed. How bad? We couldn't even count the votes in the 2006 election. A corrupt appointee to the election commission gave a contract to friend from her church for all of the new balloting systems. Problem was, he didn't know anything about how to do it - had NO history at it, and it was a non-compete contract. System that he came up with suffered major failure the first time they used it, on election day. Denver, by the way, is a very union Democrat machine city. They hide it better than SF, but it's there.
SoCal 12/18/2009 7:08:44 PM

Wow, I thought LA was bad.
Noah_Fing-Whey 12/18/2009 5:12:04 PM

It is clear that all you people who want to see Yomi fired are nothing more than a bunch of racists. Besides, good luck firing the incompetent S.O.B.
Erik H. 12/18/2009 5:02:11 PM

Yes San Franciscans are to blame...but we need to do something about this. We need to get a firm hand back in control of government and run this place like a business. Get a Giuliani or Bloomberg type in here to fumigate
Juan 12/18/2009 4:42:44 PM

This article finally made it crystal-clear, just how broken the city government is. I won't be fleeing the city in response, but seeing how I can effect change. Maybe crusading for a MUNI reform, to show the union people that the normal people have the power (get the votes needed) to re-draft any labor contract in a way that best serves THE CITY is a place to start....
Judy 12/18/2009 4:30:03 PM

How can I contact the artist? I want a t-shirt with that *great* front-page artwork on it! I think grey, long-sleeved...
those dudes 12/18/2009 4:05:57 PM

This article would have benefited from some research of other cities and suggestions on how SF could learn from them or improve. Intead its just the usual SF weekly gripefest.
ad 12/18/2009 12:39:14 PM

Everyone can agree the city is horribly mismanaged, but to blame it on "liberals" is a cop out. Under W and a repub congress the country as a whole slid pretty far down hill, it didn't magically turn into a utopia when republicans were in control.
SFgoth 12/18/2009 12:15:02 PM

This is what happens when a one-wing-of-one-political-party town is controlled by, and in bed with, unions. There are no checks and balances. There is no competition to do things right. There is no accountability. There are only friends, payoffs, and enemies. Nothing is going to change until San Francisco fundamentally changes the way it votes.
David Brown 12/18/2009 8:32:15 AM

SF could be Denver. Or mayor (the Hick) is a profligate spender when it comes to 'nonprofit' social service agencies. He's never seen one he don't love or give money to. Actually there is a name for this type of spending...try Tammany Hall...No? Just ask yourself why these 'nonprofit' agenices don't have audited financial statements...Cause they couldn't pass an audit.
E_Escaped 12/18/2009 6:38:18 AM

A fantastic piece of reporting - well researched, well explained and well needed. Sadly, as was so eloquently pointed out in the story - it's unlikely anything will change. People are so enamored with saying, "I support the homeless, I support the elderly," that they'll keep voting to SAY those things without being concerned the city DOES nothing. Lip service has always been a higher priority than REAL service in SF, because REAL service involves work and people don't want to - they want to play. But they want their jobs to be secure WHILE not working.
Patrick 12/18/2009 1:20:26 AM

This isn't just a San Francisco problem -- it's a California problem. We have a taxation structure that promotes renter scenarios, and thus it's created cities like San Francisco that have transient populations (I can't imagine myself living here for more than a few years, unless I win the lottery :) ) and citizens that aren't willing or able hold their elected representatives accountable. And seriously, for most of the renters like me, we don't care, because there's no way we could live here or want to live here for an extended period of time. As far as I'm concerned, Proposition 13 was the worst thing to happen to California. If there were Prop. 13, there's no way in hell all the landlords would be able to afford to buy in this city, and you could almost make the case they don't care what happens to the city as long as they can collect rent. On the bright side, everyone complains about Muni, and I see a bus system that gets me from point A to point B on a regular basis (I waited a grand total of 10 minutes to get cross town both ways, try that in Los Angeles). Regarding the homeless problem, why there is one here is because the city spends so much money trying to cure it. Stop spending, they leave (or find jobs). Some of the roads need repair, but nothing like what I drove through on a regular basis in Long Beach and Southern California. In many ways, the city is better than when I was here in the mid 90's. As far as the people complaining on this list, how about going to city meetings if you care so much? Get involved if you want to fix it.
Bob Bogus 12/17/2009 6:37:27 PM

Now, now people, try to remember that these people are selfless public servants, the Mother Teresas of our time. Rember, it takes a village, everything they do is "fer da childern" and your rulers and their minions love you. :) But still, ya gotta wonder how much longer it can last.
Brady Lee 12/17/2009 6:33:35 PM

An example of liberalism at it's finest!
gul ducat 12/17/2009 6:07:55 PM

The problem with identity politics is that people like Tom Ammiano, David Campos and Mark Leno are the face of Bay Area gays, those three also lead the parade of liberal stupidity in San Francisco. Toss in the ravings of people like Daly who take orders from gay activists on such things as the aircraft carrier plan from years ago. If I were a moderate gay I would not be into those losers representing my views to the world. If gay activists speak for gays as they claim, then gays are part of the problem here in SF, just like all the other special interests are part of the problem. The SF progressive "theory of everything" is that everyone is a victim and every group needs; a community center, city commission, special days proclaimed for them, special targeted programs and other various entitlements. Since everyone is special and a victim, all these groups need hand outs from the city, and since liberal racialism is so common here, these hand outs translate into votes.
FM 12/17/2009 6:07:48 PM

Equating having gay marriage with not having wars? Matter of factly. Only in San Francisco!
Peter 12/17/2009 4:13:12 PM

I'm not surprised at all of the "blame the gays" comments from out of state, but here's a little reality check for you: most of my gay friends and I, especially those who (like me) live in Chris Daly's district, absolutely loathe him and the rest of the Bay Guardian crowd. If you don't know who Chris Daly is, Google him.
David M. Lowe 12/17/2009 3:54:34 PM

Thank-you for telling the truth. So, now what do we do ?
Concerned Renter with kid 12/17/2009 2:35:31 PM

Brilliant article! The single largest problem with San Francisco and California as a whole is the unions. They rule the state and the city and there is no system of checks and balances, nor are they held accountable. I won't even get started on the non-profits, having worked for two of them. It's so sad that such a great City has come to this...my husband and I just had our first child and we are now ready to flee the City. The cost of living here on top of the exorbinant child care costs, a school system that is hemoraging students and is one of the worst in the nation and the simple fact that there are more dog parks in the City than playgrounds, makes it clear that San Francisco is not a kid friendly city. When will San Fracisco politicians wake up and see the priorities of real people- and there are real people stil living in the City for all those haters out there.
concernedSF 12/17/2009 2:18:53 PM

Whats even Worse about the LAGUNA HONDA Fiasco is that its ward C2 Hospice is going from 25 beds to 15 and loosing the memorial garden. Last word was that we may not even have the volunteers trained by Zen Hospice Project who pays $200,000 per year to the city for the Privilege to Train them!
Federale 12/17/2009 2:16:23 PM

The only surprise is that it took years for this story to be written. And it wasn't in the Chron unsurprisingly. Of course, you did not mention most of the special interest groups that help this, like the party line voters in the gay and black communities, or the Chinese community that is bought off with benies as well. The people here don't want good government. They want the benies that being a whining minority group brings.
Paul 12/17/2009 12:39:00 PM

When the thinking is, "people deserve jobs," then the problem becomes "this person doesn't know what he's doing, doesn't care to find out, and is doing far more harm than good. But we'll keep him on anyway, because people deserve jobs." San Francisco has forgotten the difference between policy and management. It's also forgotten any sense of accountability and discipline - and because of this, its leadership has rung hollow for years. The suggestions the authors make are good ones, but I would take it a step further. The city should, for the next three years, fire 15% of its lowest performing employees. Just go all Intel on this. The next two years, fire 10%, then 5%, then do away with the mandatory cuts, but maintain the ability to can people who can't do their jobs. To be perfectly frank about this, the unions in this town could easily become superflous. If they don't start ensuring that their workers are at a certain level of quality, then why should anyone engage the services of a particular union? Let the contracts run out and start over, folks. One last thing. The city absolutely has to evaluate the effectiveness of its spending. If there is no way to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular NPO's good or service, then said NPO shouldn't receive a city contract.
PC 12/17/2009 11:47:05 AM

I guess everyone needs their justification for hating liberals, Obama and whoever else. The fact of the matter is, very few people at the administrative level are progressive or even liberal. Many of them are actually closet conservatives. Newsom, for instance, is just a charlatan posing as a democrat. Nobody considers him very progressive. Agunbiade, the example given in the article, doesn't sound like a liberal to me. Much of civil service is about serving vulnerable populations, and most of these cronies only care about themselves. Incompetence and waste doesn't hold a political affiliation.
simon 12/17/2009 11:38:23 AM

One word for the Failure - LIBERALISM!!!
Tina 12/17/2009 10:30:32 AM

This has been going on for years. Nothing was or is going to change which is why we moved our business to S. California. Best move we've ever made thus far. When we offered moving allowances for our executives to relocate, all took the concession and love living in Santa Monica and Malibu. This city is a wretched place and I was more than tired of making excuses to visiting customers because I don�t lie well. Again, the best move we ever made.....and won't go back until we see radical organizational improvement but more importantly recognizing some semblance of what seems the elusive collective intelligence of this city's counsel members. Hasn't happened yet and I don't expect it too otherwise we would have kept our 800 employees static with no reason to see this once wonderful city get smaller and smaller in our rearview mirrors. Good luck San Fran but without us.
Stephany 12/17/2009 10:16:49 AM

Oh, thank you, thank you, amen, hallelujah! I moved from Chicago nearly three years ago, now, and have not yet recovered. I could not believe, and still cannot accept, how much I pay for how little we have in city services, compared to how much less I used to pay for so much more. I have been astonished at how poorly run the city is, and now I have information to fill in the "why" and the "how." Thank you, thank you, thank you. This story is LONG overdue!
Bob 12/17/2009 9:23:07 AM

Truth: liberals in city governments are incompetents.
robertsgt40 12/17/2009 9:03:17 AM

It is difficult to feel sorry for San Francisco. The reason: two ancient cities come to mind....Sodom and Gomorrah
Ferrell Gummitt 12/17/2009 8:44:16 AM

Sounds like your man Eddie Newsom has gotta go. I thought Chicago was run bad....
Satch 12/17/2009 7:50:38 AM

You think SF is run bad,just wait until Obamacare kicks in.
pitter43 12/17/2009 6:45:28 AM

SF is a city made up of loons. You expect dolts to be able to run something?
gul ducat 12/17/2009 3:22:54 AM

No-one seems to be debunking that fact that SF is mismanaged here in the comments section, there are no apologists for the out of town progressives who have run the city into the ground. What I want to hear is is an explanation of why SF's liberals who have been given the chance to run a city have made such a wreck of it. W
Jonathan Newberry 12/17/2009 1:02:53 AM

This has been a very eye opening article but I feel there is not much a good number of people who use the city like I do can change. I live out in the east bay and Bart every day into work. I actually like the train ride in and out every day I know there are ways and a lot of people who say that it can be made better. I am honestly just glad to have some public transportation. Frankly I do not know any better growing up in a rural area. One of the other cementers brought up carpetbaggers. I am guessing it is true that we are a big part of the problem. I come in the city every day put in my 9to5 spend some money and head home. I stick to the nice enclaves I know and really do not see the problems of the city or really even care. We complain about how the city stinks and is dirty and this and that. I feel dis-empowered to do anything since I do not have a say in most of the city politics. Really what can or should I do? There does not seem to be all that many options to me. The most likely thing would be that my coworkers and I just pick up the office and move it to someplace else. Is there really an insensitive to fix SF for any group at large? The rich will move to were ever it is fashionable to live, Corporations will go to were they can get good incentives to set up shop and there is a talent pool to draw from or relocate with them. The middle class has already show it is willing to move as long as they can set down roots for a generation that is were they will be and the next will move on again.
Jacko 12/17/2009 12:17:43 AM

San Francisco style city management will be the model that the nations new Obamacare will be modeled on. Just watch and see. I have been telling my friends back east for years about how our city is mismanaged. They all laughed and said I must be kidding and making this stuff up, they refused to believe me. Now they watch Nancy Pelosi in TV news clips in horror. I warned them that this out of control style government management started in San Francisco and now it has infected our nations capital. I e-mailed this story to them, now they are really panicked. Can't say I didn't warn them.... Thank God Newson ran out of money on his bid for the governors seat....can you imagine what that would have been like...I can.
redc1c4 12/16/2009 11:59:51 PM

well, as usual, LA beats Frisco. not by much, since the same morons that dominate your voting dominates ours, but at least, for now, the Valley is a generally conservative check on the idiocy of the Left Side, and gimme more mentality of south central and east LA. Texas is looking better and better every day to this Californian.
MDX 12/16/2009 11:51:35 PM

I think Bush visited SF once so it must be his fault.
bbtru 12/16/2009 10:49:07 PM

I really disagree that the poor state of San Francisco's affairs is due to "liberals" or "liberalism." On the contrary, I think both "liberal" and "conservative" Americans fail miserably at accountability and have a bunch of wishy washy ill-defined outcomes with no measurable results. Depending on your definition of a "conservative" or a "liberal"-- "conservatives" seem to have ill defined notions of success in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and "liberals" seem to have all the faith in the world in ill-fated social programs... particularly by folks who view these issues in simplistic terms "liberal" and "conservative"...words that have no real meaning.
Uncle Jefe 12/16/2009 10:12:34 PM

Commenter PC...how fitting, your name. I bet everything you dislike reminds you of George W Bush. I'm no conservative; I just left the dem party, as have my parents. My paternal grandfather marched with Harry Bridges and was in the Longshoremen's riots. I'm an independent. But I'm damn tired of America-hating, capitalist-hating, blame it all on white/hetero/male/Bushcheneyhitlerburton. And SF embodies ALL THAT.
Uncle Jefe 12/16/2009 10:07:05 PM

Comment at 75, you made my point. Nancy Pelosi- born in Baltimore. Barbara Boxer- born in Brooklyn. As for the comment about the SFFD and SFPD, those once-great departments were gutted due to affirmative action and consent decrees that were enacted due to liars (as found by the FBI's investigations into allegations) by a communist judge (Marilyn Hall-Patel, daughter of CPSU's Gus Hall). First responders?!! A friggin' joke. The very last of the old heroes are finally retiring, and while some of their kids are carrying on family tradition, the monkeys run the zoo in those depts as well.
PC 12/16/2009 10:01:11 PM

It's interesting how conservatives, mostly from out of town, think incompetence, waste, and lack of accountability is solely a "liberal" issue. What is described in the article actually reminds me of the George W Bush administration, where incompetence and the patronage system was rampant. As a city employee, I will say that I really appreciate this article. The problem with so many in civil service is that nothing is results driven. Everything is based on loyalty and patronage. How does this clown even get to be in charge of a huge city agency such as Rec and Park? Because he is loyal to whoever put him there, and because he knew there was no accountability system in place. The same goes for many of the cronies managing city agencies. Unions are only part of the problem, because they only protect the worker bees who are incompetent and making big bucks doing very little. For every incompetent worker they support, there is an incompetent manager who makes an even larger mess.
tortillapete 12/16/2009 10:00:41 PM

Agunbiade looks like something that escaped from Fleischaker, and SF deserves its' fate...
akw 12/16/2009 9:48:32 PM

Outstanding article, SF Weekly! I lived in SF during the 90's, and have always thought that I would love to live there again one day. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities in the country, and it makes me sad to see what is happening to it.
Uncle Jefe 12/16/2009 9:30:53 PM

I love it. The hippies of the 60's, followed by the gays, multi-cultied and pc-ed a great City into the freakshow it is today, and has been for 40 years. You're a bunch of carpetbaggers. I'm 5th generation San Franciscan, and watched this crap happen. I feel sorry for my friends and family who still live there; they are outnumbered. The City gets what it deserves, otherwise. You wanted the monkeys to run the zoo, and now you see the results. It would be hilarious, except that a once-great City is a national, and yes, international laughingstock. You nailed down the long-term solution: the idiots need to die off in order for the City to begin the long journey back to some semblance of reality and solvency. Sadly, true San Franciscans (and the rest of us Californians) will pick up the tab for this idiocy until then.
some joe smo 12/16/2009 9:29:15 PM

just because it feels good doens't mean it is good. stop feel good politics.
Andy 12/16/2009 9:16:07 PM

You made this mess, San Francisco. You made this one-party state and refused to consider alternatives, all the while blaming Republicans for every problem the city had while there wasn't a single one in elected office for 100 miles. But go on, keep blaming them and voting so slavishly for Democrats. Refuse to consider libertarians or even moderate Democrats. Preserve our one-party shithole. It's this way because the people in power know you will NEVER THROW THEM OUT.
jay spry 12/16/2009 9:09:28 PM

Such a beautiful city. Such a shame.
Dave Robertson 12/16/2009 8:20:28 PM

What's even more frightening is that OUR COUNTRY is being run by people of the exact same mindset as those who are currently running San Francisco into the ground.
Philip 12/16/2009 8:12:42 PM

That was B E A utiful! I can only imagine how much fun that was tor write becuse it was an ablsolute pleasure to read. It is nice to see that someone in CA has the backbone to tell it like it is when it comes to union abuse, government waste and failure, and how liberal feel good programs only make those in political power actually feel good. Well done. Well done indeed.
Bryan 12/16/2009 7:58:02 PM

Let's see, Barbara Boxer and Nancy Pelosi both come out of the San Francisco political machine. Obama agrees with both of them on most things. Hmmm. Looks like the USA will be just like SF in a few years. Too bad. Time to move to Australia, Mates.
John Predny 12/16/2009 7:53:16 PM

These types of articles are what keep newspapers relevant! Keep up the investigative journalism, hopefully we can put some of these white collar criminals behind bars (with no pensions!)
Brendon 12/16/2009 7:39:48 PM

Someone made a comment about renters not being interested in our joke of a local government, since we don't pay mortgages or property taxes. Well, I AM a renter, and I care deeply about our ineffectual government. I pay nearly 1/2 my annual salary on rent, when in turn goes to the owner's of the building, which in turn goes to pay for the property tax... not to mention other local taxes that get taken out of my paycheck, so I DO have a vested interest in what happens and how the city is governed... they're playing with my money too, and I find it offensive that you would lump all renters together like that. Anyway, THANK YOU SF Weekly for such an AMAZING and in-depth article. It's very fair and balanced and LONG overdue. People wonder why, despite our best efforts, we have such a big homeless problem and why, despite continually voting to devote more funds to Muni, they continue to raise fares, cut service, and be incredibly inefficient... well, this article really puts it all into perspective. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Now let's DO SOMETHING... like give the chief administrative officer (is there even still a CAO?) their power back.
Peter 12/16/2009 7:32:00 PM

@ Dan - where did you get the idea that I'm defending SF city government? I most certainly am not. As for the pay cap idea, I actually don't know how salaries for managers (who I assume are not unionized) compare to those of union workers. My proposal is targeted at the former, not the latter. But in any case, workers who don't want their pay capped would still have the option of submitting to a performance audit. I still think that a measure limiting city workers' pay to the average SF income would be a sure bet at the polls. Maybe, just maybe, the parasites at City Hall would finally get the message that "public service" is supposed to entail, you know, service to the public. Oh, and how about a hiring freeze? 5 years should do it. If the SF city government is as overstaffed as this article implies, that shouldn't affect the quality of service one bit. Re: police and fire pay, the reality is that if we slash it to below the prevailing rates in other cities, the SFPD and SFFD will quickly find themselves bereft of first responders. Not a good idea here in earthquake country.
Marco 12/16/2009 7:31:35 PM

Well done article. I've lived here in SF since approximately 1994. And while I truly love so many aspects of living in SF, I'm fed up with the incompetence, corruption, and fiscal irresponsibility in SF and CA in general. I've had it. When my lease is up in April, we're voting with our feet and moving somewhere else.
Peter 12/16/2009 7:14:02 PM

Thanks for publishing this article. I've been working with Rec and Park for 4 months now trying to get permits for an event that will bring in money for the city and boost volunteer hours. In four months we've made no progress because that department is so backwards, I'm glad I've got an article to backup my thoughts. Thanks you, now let's see if they try and improve.
middleclsr 12/16/2009 6:25:27 PM

as one of the few remaining middle class families, thank goodness I'm not the only one who is horrified at how corrupt and backwards this city can be. Even LA is run better - yes, LA. Good work by SF Weekly. Hey city leaders, try these "radical" ideas on for size: 1. how about creating a city where criminals don't feel like SF is a great market for buying drugs, robbing people and destryoing property. Maybe if you did, SF would be the kind of place that doesn't have some weird guy on every BART train and people getting beat up on buses. This is one of the few things I think could actually get better because you've hired Gascon. He's great. Good move. 2. Build on your success and create a school system where my kids could go to a good school in their neighborhood and where parents who send their kids to preschool, speak english at home, have the gall to still be married and if mom is decently educated aren't treated like the the smelly kid in school. Oh, I forgot, we value diversity more than effectiveness. 3. While you're at it, you could tear down all those appalling projects. I'm not suggesting replacing them with "market rate" developments that only rich retirees can afford, but maybe with humane housing. Oh, I forot, this stupid city was too incompetent to apply for federal matching funds to actually accomplish this goal. Good god, is this NYC in the 70's? Mr. Newsom and that insane board of Supes, how about NOT hiring another consultant, and arguing for hours about who is spending what on security details and WORK on creating an atmosphere of responsible, competent leadership. Try not to be so tribal and reward good work, not your closed circle. I know that probably sounds boring and cliche, but the tone is set at the top, and if this is true, then here is the tone you've set: uncaring, arrogant, clueless and incompetent. Shame on you all.
Dan 12/16/2009 6:20:57 PM

@ Peter, you are out of your mind if you think Labor Unions will not sue right away at any measure capping their pay. Also, why not have some sort of pay cap for police and fire? I love the fire department just as much as anyone, but that does not mean they are somehow exempt from the same laws as everyone else. The cops on the other had, well that's a much different story, this department needs to be looked at with a freaking microscope every single day. If you do not cap fire and police every other union will sue on this basis alone. I know since you live there you like to think it's so great and you actually run your city, but you don't Big Labor does as this article details and the only way to change that is to kick the far left wing government out on its butt. However nothing will change because the political types in your city know you will never do that, and as such they are not accountable to you and other voters.
Rick Matz 12/16/2009 6:04:44 PM

In your estimation of the worst run city in America, I don't think you're giving Detroit full marks. I think there's a bit of home town bias.
Mike51 12/16/2009 5:41:54 PM

This is what happens when government is more concerned with diversity than competence.
Daly City Resident 12/16/2009 5:15:48 PM

Thank you for having the balls to stand up and say what is plainly clear to everyone, but no one will acknowledge. You just won yourself a ton of respect and a new reader. Here is to hoping we can start making some changes.
Peter 12/16/2009 4:43:10 PM

@Jim C -- do you have any actual proof that anti-heterosexual / anti-Christian "bashing" happens in SF on a regular basis, or did you just make that up?
Janet 12/16/2009 4:28:43 PM

This is an extraordinary article and I can vouch for a good portion of it especially regarding Rec and Park Department. Well researched and well written. Just so sad...Glad I am not a homeowner in SF or I would be royally pissed off!
Jim C. 12/16/2009 4:23:45 PM

"Rose Dennis claimed that Agunbiade had been sexually and religiously harassing her for years, and produced letters he'd sent to her home as evidence. She confirmed to SF Weekly that Agunbiade's letters urged her to stop wearing revealing clothes so that she could get right with Jesus." I suspect that there's a lot more religious and sexual harassment in SF that gets swept under the rug, the former probably anti-Christian, and the latter being same sex or against religious people.
gordo 12/16/2009 4:11:06 PM

I love San Francisco - done a lot of business there and taken my family there for vacation. Over time I noticed a lot more people begging on the streets and a general downturn in its character. A liberal philosophy doesn't work but it makes some people feel better about themselves, especially those elites who run things. And I am sure they sleep well at night knowing that they hold the moral high ground.
Peter 12/16/2009 4:10:45 PM

A couple of thoughts. (1) The article mentions that the average income of an SF resident is $75K. So fine, let's get a measure on the 2010 ballot that caps all city salaries, except fire and police, at $75K. Any employees earning more than that would be subject to such Draconian performance audits that most of them would probably choose to take the pay cut. (2) The middle class is fleeing The City, but there's one group of non-indigent, non-rich people that continues to flock here with a determination to make it their home. I'm referring, of course, to the LGBT population. I'm not aware of any mass exodus of gay people from SF; but if that ever happens, i.e. if SF becomes so dysfunctional that it can't even hold on to us gay folks, then it's truly screwed. And who knows? No one else seems to care about The City, so maybe we're the ones who will ultimately fix it. Stranger things have happened!
LJM 12/16/2009 3:37:16 PM

It's not about liberalism or conservatism. It's about competence and honesty. Republicans and Democrats lack both of these qualities.
Aquila 12/16/2009 3:36:29 PM

Many years before Hurricane Katrina, a friend of mine who'd been to Louisiana on a scientific field project made a telling observation about New Orleans. He looked at the city's utterly corrupt political leadership and nightmarishly dysfunctional public services, and said, "The attitude there among residents seems to be, 'We don't care, so long as we can drink and look at bare boobies in the streets.'" Change that to, "We don't care, so long as we can smoke 'medicinal' marijuana and give each other bl*w j*bs in public at Folsom Street Fair," and you've pretty much summed up San Francisco as well.
darwin 12/16/2009 3:16:42 PM

San Francisco is a glimpse of what the country would look like if liberals could run it the way they wanted.
Dave 12/16/2009 3:12:21 PM

So is all the hate in here vs. progressives coming from the midwest like I think it is? Yeh, I don't live in SF, I don't have an opinion, and unless you live in the city, neither should you. However I suspect that most of this is because people think of San Fransisco as a haven of homosexuality or something, and that makes them feel icky. Well you know what.. your husband or your son is probably banging dudes at the gym or the truck stop right now so get over yourself.
a lot of truth here AND... 12/16/2009 3:07:40 PM

The reporters are correct the city is very poorly managed and for many of the reasons they cite. Maybe the weekly could start an online tool with a web 2.0 startup like spot.us to collect all examples of waste in the city? Nonetheless it is sad that the SFWEEKLY in it's hatred for the Guardian chooses to unfairly demean the few citizen watchdogs who use the Sunshine ordinance and Public Records laws to expose much of this behavior. The SFWEEKLY rarely gives good press for these tools of accountability and the people who use them.
DL13 12/16/2009 2:58:26 PM

These are some of the reasons why I turned from Progressive ideas to more moderate, even conservative. I don't fault Progressives as being wrong; they just have formed too many ideas that are just plain not workable. We have listened to too many "experts" with questionable abilities that have gotten us into this mess. California is bankrupt with one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and our politicians in Sacramento seem to think it is OK to manage our money irresponsibly. San Francisco is no different. The major similarity is they both have similar political views and would rather grow government and cave to our unions and other special interest groups than take care of the people that elected them. Once we moved out from mom and dad's house we were expected to be able to take care of ourselves and not rely on government to hold our hand like mom and dad did. The more self-reliant we become, the better off we will be. I just hope it is not too late.
alwyr 12/16/2009 2:54:49 PM

Please don't waste anymore bandwidth trying to explain/justify the present condition of SF. Quite frankly, the rest of the country doesn't give a sweet flying f**k what happens to SF. PLEASE, just disappear....ALL OF YOU!
Greg 12/16/2009 2:46:00 PM

This is how liberals want to run the entire country. Approve anything that makes you -- personally -- feel good in the immediate short term, and assume someone else somewhere will pick up the tab. It's like they're all mentally still living with their parents.
Rodney 12/16/2009 2:40:30 PM

The only question that matters is are you mad enough to vote in conservatives no matter their political affiliation? If the answer is no enjoy the waste and graft. If the answer is yes enjoy a better city. And for all the people whining "It's not liberals fault!" Well whose is it then? Liberals run every square inch of city government, what other ideology has any spoace in the decision making of city government? Show me the city that is run effectively and has a majority of liberal leadership? Just one... The list of cities run exactly like San Francisco that is bleeding cash and can't provide services is long indeed. What do they have in common Democrat hegemony... But it is not liberals, okay. Wake up quick Detroit style collapse is just around the corner.
jon 12/16/2009 2:27:47 PM

If it's good enough for private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's sure good enough for S.F.
Juan Pablo Valenzuela Lopez 12/16/2009 2:10:44 PM

I worked for the City and County of San Francisco for fifteen years. I served in the Department of Human Resources for ten years, and the Juvenile Probation Department for five years. I was always puzzled by how departmental funds were spent, and equally puzzled by how such funds were NOT spent. During a staff meeting called by the Department of Human Resources, we were presented with a line-item list that we were told reflected what Departmental funds were being spent on, and we were asked to discuss what cuts we would make. The list was apparently devised by somebody with a lively sense of humor, since one "item" it included was "Postage Stamps and Oral Boards." The cost of postage stamps could not possibly have been significant, since even at that time, nearly all communication was by email or phone. Members of the public who wanted to receive job notifications or other material had to provided their own postage stamps for the service. For the uninitiated, "Oral Boards" were panels of people who putatively had expertise in various jobs offered by the City, and were called upon to judge the expertise of applicants during exams for City jobs. Costly? Not really. The personnel analysts would drag anybody off the streets or away from their desks and assign them the honorary title of "Expert," then have them sit through interrogations of job applicants who, more often than not, were being asked questions having little bearing on the jobs they were applying for. I personally served as an "Oral Board Expert" in the job categories of accounting, bus driving, and various Public Utilities positions. I have never had experience as an accountant, I don't drive, and I have no idea what people do as public utilities employees. That in no way threatened my honorary title of "Job Expert." But, back to the cost of my services: I was paid nothing for sitting through these interrogations and asking people questions on matters I knew nothing about. I'm taking the Fifth Amendment on stating what years I served as an "expert" member of oral board panels, but I can tell you what the experts were paid: Nothing. The rest of the line-item list was just as fantastic as the "Postage Stamps and Oral Boards" item, so my chief activity during the meeting on how to "save money" for the Department was my noble effort to keep a straight face. Now, having said that, let's be fair. Let's check out how some of our Federal funds are spent by Pentagon "Experts" on "defense." I have no doubt that San Francisco's reputation as the worst-run city may be in part because other government entities have not been recently audited - and many have quite possibly NEVER been audited. San Francisco is not the only municipality to have experienced a mysterious drain of funds on such imaginary expenses as "Postage Stamps and Oral Boards. Those of you who don't live in San Francisco should not be too quick to pat yourselves on the back, and you might want to hesitate about taking pride in your own municipality's squeaky clean handling of funds until a careful audit is conducted. Your taxes and municipal treasury may be funding "Condom Disposal and Stain Removal" at astronomical cost, and you've just never bothered to check out where your tax dollars are going.
AC 12/16/2009 2:06:47 PM

Detroit and DC would like to have a word with you regarding which city is the worst run.
CRS 12/16/2009 1:21:28 PM

Amazing read. Great research and putting the pieces together. The only thing needing more emphasis is the role of the BOS in it. I've often observed that initiating the level of incompetence we have come to know today was Ammiano back in +/- 1997.
sparafucile 12/16/2009 12:52:55 PM

Not due to hyper-liberalism?? Really? Public employees' unions are the bain of efficient and effective government; and they exist and extort because of ..... liberals. A program for every perceived problem, and a comission to oversee it, with the taxation to fund it -- brought to you by .... liberals. Let us not forget the expense of feel-good programs to replace proven cost-effective ones (welcome solar panels and insanely-expensive 'green' buildings), all championed by, you guessed it .... LIBERALS.
I'mMadToo 12/16/2009 12:45:54 PM

Folks, I'm a long time renter and I'm just as ticked off at this incompetent city government as any landord or homeowner. Heck, maybe even more so - the City seems devoted to creating 2 classes of people here - the very wealthy and a mix of very poor service workers, illegal immigrants with lots of benefits, and overpaid city workers. many of whom don't even live in the City anymore. More to the point - this is not a very big city. But so long as people vote based on feelin' groovy and not on policy, they will get the shitty government they so richly deserve. But, please, don't lump all renters into the category of liberal dimwits. Most renters are too busy working to deal with the mass of incompetence City Hall is. That is, those who actually work for a living and not the precious few the nonprofits deem worthy of help. Ironic, you can be a renter and if you're an enterepeneur, everyone says FU, but if you're a welfare collecting bum, you get the 4 star treatment. Says a lot, dontcha think? Which one is likely to help build the city, and which one will be a leech? To say nothing of the many overpaid middle management types Willie and the gang added to the payroll who will collect pensions for life? Yes, I'm a renter, and this is F--ked UP!
hahafoolyrself 12/16/2009 12:38:04 PM

$6.6 billion does not come from the 800,000 residents? hhahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhhahahahahhaahahahhahahahahhhahahahahha
gul ducat 12/16/2009 12:27:09 PM

One thing not noted is that the public employee unions are in deeper than just writing their own contracts, the leadership is made up of lobbyists who give orders on all sorts of things to their employees on the board. The leadership of these unions consider themselves to be advocates for all the special interest groups in the city "without a voice" that the city caters to already. In the same way Pat Robertson considers himself an advocate for all Christians the public employee union considers themselves as "voices for the community" and they lobby for more spending in all these areas that have nothing to do with their union employees, other than it may mean more useless union jobs somewhere along the line somewhere. The board members begging for votes to climb the ladder of incompetence to mayor are happy to obey their masters. No one voted for these people in the public employee unions to be their advocates, and yet they get to pretend to speak for all these groups they claim, and the cities elected representatives go along.
Chris Roberts 12/16/2009 12:10:12 PM

Nothing like a solid investigative piece to bring the wingnuts out of the woodwork -- hey, I hear there's a Morford column over at SFGate about Sarah Palin's c-section. Good, that got rid of half of them. This has nothing to do with liberalism -- it's about corruption, graft and cronyism, which is alive in well in American politics whatever your party (ask an American serviceman about the quality of his overseas food sometime). It's about accountability. Now it's up to SF voters to hold themselves accountable.
Whungor 12/16/2009 11:40:23 AM

Typical whining by a bunch of rich idiots. If it weren't for unions this city would have sunk into the ocean long ago. You NEED us to handle things, and we DESERVE the money we make. It's easy to criticize when you haven't ruined your back by spending thirty years bent over scraping human shit out of pipes!
anna45 12/16/2009 11:38:04 AM

This is old news, but it still continues under new Management. Rose Dennis filed charges that were true and what happened she was let go by the Wreak and Park Dept. Nothing makes sense in this City anylonger. People are put in high positions that know nothing about the Dept that they are now running and then have others telling them what to do. It was a shame what YOMI did too bring the Dept down...Shame on City Hall for allowing this to happen.
pgauge 12/16/2009 11:01:05 AM

What could possibly save San Francisco? One more gigantic earthquake and an even larger fire.
Joe12Pack 12/16/2009 10:58:57 AM

Does anyone seriously believe that the voters/unions/politicians are ready to "fix" the problem by agreeing to a City Manager now???
vanderleun 12/16/2009 10:57:26 AM

Just re-name your utopia Shit Francisco and get down in the wallow. All you people deserve the city you've built.
dan 12/16/2009 10:46:26 AM

Excellent article. Bravo SFweekly for finally pointing out what most of us suspected all along. Good intentions-zero results? welcome to hyper liberalism. I am so glad I got out of that godforsaken city when I did.
nathan 12/16/2009 10:00:09 AM

honestly? the fact that this is a surprise to anyone goes to show that the problem will never be fixed. every time the hard working, focused, and determied people become comfortable, lazy, and liberal, the riches and resources will be wasted. american industrial epicenters, once the beating heart of the world's wealth, have been laid waste by generations of liberal policy-making. the only reason SF isn't detroit is the steady flow of tourists and the rich and ungrounded local population who've managed to sustain an area only interested in "equality" and "social justice". keep spending on the things that really don't matter though. you'll get there.
Ronin 12/16/2009 9:12:51 AM

All the great cities of America were built from nothing by a hard working, moral middle class. When it became illegal to enforce there own standards of civilization the middle classes fled the cities and there were not enough decent people left to vote for responsible government. These big cities have been running on Federal handouts, debt, borrowed time, and sheer momentum. Eventually they'll all stumble along in Third World mediocrity like Detroit, a city turned to ruin when it was abandoned by the people that built it.
CA Native 12/16/2009 9:04:28 AM

Thank you for dedicating the time, effort and resources needed for this story. Hopefully this resonates with the public and changes are demanded or the rest of CA (and the country) will end up picking up much of this tab. Amazing city - amazing ineptitude. Thank you SF Weekly for pushing this discussion.
August 12/16/2009 9:00:19 AM

The city of SF spends NOTHING ON THE HOMELESS! Not one penny of the homeless funding ever touches a homeless person's hand. A $5,000 a month mat on the filthy church's basement floor IS NOT HELPING THE HOMELESS!
J Berner 12/16/2009 8:53:32 AM

The article shouldn't pick on Houston. Our taxes are low are services are fine -AND- we now have Aniise Parker, the first openly gay (lesbian in this case) mayor of a very large city (three times the population of San Francisco, many times larger than the next largest city to elect an openly gay mayor--Portland, OR and Providence, RI). San Francisco has the worst of both worlds, high taxes and poor services. I'm sure Houston's services for the poor aren't as good as they should be (our mass transit is non-existent)but at least we don't pay for services that aren't delivered. The state of California seems to have the same problem. Oh and Houston's median home price in 3Q 2009 is $160,000 (+0.2% vs 2008) vs $538,000 (-12.6% vs 2008)in San Francisco (maybe that explains the huge number of homeless people in San francisco)
Ken 12/16/2009 7:56:42 AM

"A belief that good intentions matter more than results" That pretty much sums up the entire philosophy of liberals. Outcomes never matter, just feel-good intentions. I spent every summer as a child in San Fran, and came to love the city. It's an absolute pity what it has become, but when you put hyper-liberals in charge all you ever get is a disaster.
Ken 12/16/2009 7:56:23 AM

"A belief that good intentions matter more than results" That pretty much sums up the entire philosophy of liberals. Outcomes never matter, just feel-good intentions. I spent every summer as a child in San Fran, and came to love the city. It's an absolute pity what it has become, but when you put hyper-liberals in charge all you ever get is a disaster.
Lt. 12/16/2009 6:56:22 AM

Waiting for the inevitable "progressives" to come in and bemoan the notion that San Francisco is only in such dire straits because it isn't being governed as liberally as it could be.
Leslie 12/16/2009 6:40:33 AM

Affirmative Action.
bongo 12/16/2009 6:28:52 AM

U R nuts if you think it can't happen here. EsF's uber-liberal political class are just like the idiotistas in Detroit, D.C., Baltimore, Newark, and every other morally rotten big city in the country. They are so filled with themselves and their sense of entitlement and their visions of faux-grandeur that they'll drive this bus right off the cliff and smile self-rightously until the point of impact. By then, of course, all the real tax payers will be long gone and the pols will be left to point fingers and demand bail-outs. Fools, all.
Dave Boz 12/16/2009 6:27:01 AM

"Despite its spending more money per capita on homelessness than any comparable city, its homeless problem is worse than any comparable city's." The word 'despite' should be replaced with 'because of.' It's the miracle of the market (that so many lefties denigrate): San Francisco has increased the demand for bums by expending great sums on them, and the market has responded by supplying them.
Mark 12/16/2009 6:08:00 AM

6 page story, and not once did I see mentioned what major national party most of these politicians are members of. Weird, isn't it, how 3 major urban strongholds of said shall-not-be-named national political party all seem to be basket cases of corruption, incompetence, and graft? Sounds like good material for a study of some sort. As for worst city, Chicago would like a word with San Francisco, after Detroit has it's way with the city.
Former Resident 12/16/2009 5:57:27 AM

I lived in SF for 3 years in the 80's and even then it seemed inefficient in many ways, but it sounds like it has become a nightmare. If the wealthy residents want to spend their money this way - fine, just don't ask the rest of the country to chip in. The middle class is making the decision it does not have the money to spend this way and so the city continues to lose them. I don't think there is the political will to fix the problem. As long as the city remains attractive to the wealthy, it will bumble along. If for some reason the wealthy abandon it, you have Detroit on the Bay. Finally, nice to see real journalism practiced. Newspapers could survive if they reported as this article does instead of reprinting press releases from the politicians.
Bill the Cat 12/16/2009 5:56:47 AM

How much more evidence is needed of California lunacy - bankrupt cities - bankrupt public pensions - bankrupt state. And keep in mind California's Federal representatives are making decisions that impact the country for years to come. How do most things financially irresponsible continue to originate from California?
Reno Sepulveda 12/16/2009 5:56:35 AM

I don't think they'd shoot a guy for that in Houston, they'd just fire his ass and make him such a laughing stock the only place he could get hired would be San Francisco.
Kerry 12/16/2009 5:40:49 AM

Give it another 25 years and SF will pass Detroit.
RW 12/16/2009 5:20:16 AM

Where does the money come from? The $6.6 billion does not come from the 800,000 residents...who's paying?
l.a.guy 12/16/2009 5:17:06 AM

Great article. It's so good it makes me sad that newspapers are going away. Who will take the time to do the hard work these investigative pieces require in the future? Google? TMZ? On the plus side it makes me happy I live in LA.
Skip 12/16/2009 5:02:18 AM

Just your run-of-the-mill Marxist Utopia. Mr. Schwartzneger, tear down this zoo!
Ralph Gizzip 12/16/2009 4:57:31 AM

Wow, they don't call it San FranFreakShow for nothing. And this is the city that gave us Nancy Pelosi? San Fran today is the United States in 10 years. At least this explains the state's ad campaign urging people to immigrate to CA. It would appear all the people with any common sense are leaving in droves. There's your real Hope 'n' Change.
Larry 12/16/2009 4:00:59 AM

Thank you, depressing, very depressing, but thank you just the same. Which will die first, newspapers or muni? Without the newspapers, I'm afraid so much of the corruption and incompetence in SF would just continue to grow in the dark...
PacRim Jim 12/16/2009 1:31:27 AM

Democrat. Dim a city.
Mike 12/16/2009 12:57:02 AM

Thank you! It goes to show that maybe the ownership of the Weekly by the Phoenix is not a bad thing at all. While the Gaurdian dedicates another cover story to the latest minutia of drag queen culture or some conspiracy theory about PG&E, the SFWeekly deals with the reality that we who have made this our long term home have to live with.
Aileen Fuentes 12/16/2009 12:24:54 AM

Only San Franciscans are to blame for this circus...they voted these clowns into office.
Unemployed 12/15/2009 11:06:53 PM

Y'know, I'm from the Midwest and I've been here 5 years. I've struggled with the culture here of "no one's accountable, no decisions get made, and spend like there's no budget." I'm currently unemployed. I have the management and administrative skills, experience & education to lead these departments and turn them around (and the common sense), but I can't even get a freakin' interview with the City. If you don't know someone in this administration, or go to the political party functions, or are an "insider" of some sort, you just don't get hired at these types of jobs.
billybob33 12/15/2009 11:03:28 PM

just more proof that there is no amount of money in the world that can finance the liberal/idealistic agenda, and no amount of money can make the liberal/idealistic agenda work
Mike 12/15/2009 10:24:35 PM

The only agency trying to keep these corrupt politicians under control is the Civil Grand Jury. But of course, The Chromicle doesn't care to dwell or report thoroughly on the CGJ's findings and reports!
SFResident 12/15/2009 10:15:25 PM

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Noirsilk 12/15/2009 10:08:02 PM

I am sick and tired of the excuse of it's either liberals or people not from California. To bad the Mexicans didn't say that about the people who took their land and renamed it California. Also when living in Oregon so called Californians came in bought up property charged outrageous rent to the point Oregonians had bumper stickers DO NOT CALIFORNIATE OREGON. So stop that dump statement and just figure why the city is run by a bunch of clowns. Because someone from California voted them in.
bolo2 12/15/2009 8:11:34 PM

What do you expect from a city run by liberals who are not even from San Francisco, let alone California born natives?
brian 12/15/2009 7:47:39 PM

Tolerace became license and license became entitlemen Liberalism is a disease Retired and now I only visit several times a year Thats more than enough
wordfool 12/15/2009 7:19:11 PM

I became a property owned in SF a few years ago and now I pay property taxes and have more of a vested interest my eyes have been opened to how appallingly this city is run. Taking 30 minutes to drive a few miles along roads in desperate need of repaving while dodging homeless panhandlers at every junction is just indicative of the wider problems in this city and not what I expect in such a wealthy place (and don't even get me started on the perpetual snafu that is Muni). Between the ineffectual mayor, the utterly clueless board of supes and the crazy ballot propositions I really cannot fathom who exactly votes for this status quo. Perhaps it's related to the high proportion of renters in the city. If they had to pay a mortgage AND property taxes, perhaps they'd realize its time to vote for people and measures that actually spend their tax dollars wisely.
gul ducat 12/15/2009 7:03:48 PM

We have a transitory population that crappy government will never effect, they will be back in the mid-west town they grew up in when the city goes utterly broke, still proclaiming how great a truely liberal city is run. I would love to see the coffee shop carping "I can't believe how regressive things are here in _any other city in America but NYC_, in San Francisco I helped elect pro labor candidates like David Campos, Tom Avalos, Chris Daly, Tom Ammiano and Ross Mirikirmi."... "You say that SF is swimming in a sea of debt and went bankrupt? they must have elected republicans"
Chris Tolles 12/15/2009 6:57:48 PM

Oh thank god. Nice piece of work. Now if we could only vote in someone who doesn't suck rocks.
John O'Brien 12/15/2009 6:50:03 PM

Finally! Thank you SF Weekly for telling the truth!

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