Subject: Carmen Chu

• Halloween, New Years, and all San Francisco nightlife events to be run by new government agency: Is your right to party under assault? It’s …

  January 14, 2008

• SF Gov't InAction: The Yacht Club's in trouble! San Francisco is the Bermuda Triagle of cash! AND the Supes think street artists have disposable income!

  May 19, 2008

• SF Government InAction: Summer SanFranSchitzophrenia Begins! We're Saving Water! Use More Water! Keep Elections Safe from Candidates!

  July 7, 2008

• Sf Government InAction: Sauron up for Public Utilities Commission, Voldemort to select Chief of Police, Gandalf will bring a budget to save us all! Or something like that

  July 28, 2008

• SF Gov InAction: Supes Divide the City Amongst Themselves, have Big Plans for 19th Avenue, Try to Ban Smoking in Small Steps

  September 29, 2008

• Can PG&E Make Carmen Chu into a Star? You Bet, Kiddo!

  October 21, 2008

• SF Gov InAction: Superheroes, Stereotypes, and all of San Francisco to become One Giant Tourism District!

  October 27, 2008

• SF Gov InAction: These Are Not the Budget Numbers You're Looking For

  The excitement stops here. I know ... I know ... that today's the day Gubernatorial Candidate Gavin Newsom releases his budget for San Francisco (a California city he occasionally resides in for campaign purposes). And I know that, when he does, we're all going to die a little. I know. But, the action's still not likely to happen this week.The budget will be a big document. People will need time to go through it. Oh, sure, someone's likely to start shouting about it any second now, b

  June 1, 2009

• "What Do They Do About That Broccoli That They Didn't Actually Eat?" -- Gavin Newsom, on the Challenges Facing Education in SF

  Raising teachers' self esteem through massage - and other "education" moments from Gavin's enormous State of the City Address. By Benjamin Wachs Every now and again, Gavin Newsom finds his moment. In the last State-of-the-Citysode, it was a brief minute when he was talking about why the Laguna Hospital bond failed so badly, and why he thinks San Francisco General won't. I don't buy his explanation, but for that one minute he was clear, reasonably concise, passionate and convincing; you got

  December 3, 2008

• "Speaking of Responsibility, We've Taken It;" "Everything the 49ers Have Asked Us to Do, We've Done," - the Wit and Wisdom of Gavin Newsom on the economy

  By Benjamin Wachs What's that, you say? Didn't Gavin already give a Newsom-isode on the economy? Well, yes, but that was the "Economic Climate." This is the Newsom-isode on "Economic Development." What's the difference? Well, one kind of tells you what Gavin plans to do, and the other kind of explains why he can't. Personally, I can't believe anyone is actually still reading my notes about these things - isn't there enough misery in the world? But if you are, at least make it a dri

  December 11, 2008

• SF Gov InAction: The Supes are Dead! Long Live the Supes! Plus: Why It Doesn't Matter Who the New Board President Is

  By Benjamin Wachs I cannot imagine a board without Aaron Peskin, Jake McGoldrick and Gerardo Sandoval - let alone Tom Ammiano. As the old board reaches its end and transitions to the new this week, I find myself hoping that - like a bad sitcom - our departing cast members will come back as guest stars doing walk-on appearances. Maybe the new board will be discussing a bill to put some historic sea otter habitat up for development, and then Aaron Peskin will walk in (to thunderous applause)

  January 5, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: The First Rule of Rules Committee Is That There ARE NO RULES!

  Is it any wonder that the mayor who could go on for 7.5 hours about the State of the City without ONCE mentioning a half-billion-dollar deficit has been in Switzerland when the city has to decide how to deal with it? How fitting that he married an actress. Let's review. After being elected in the middle of the city's greatest financial crisis since that time Willie Brown announced that was investing the city's reserve fund in hats, the new Board of Supes has: • Spent $500,000 on the Har

  February 2, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Supes Dream of Presidency, Take the Week Off -- Except For a Major Budget Showdown that Could Doom Us All

  For the last eight years in San Francisco, "President's Day" was a cruel joke on a city with no sense of humor about politics. Sure, America could boast Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and TWO Roosevelts -- but we were stuck with Bush. None of our traditional coping strategies worked. No matter how much we visualized change, no matter how many social networks we joined, no matter how "sex-positive" we were, and no matter how much fun we made of people who weren't visualizing sex-positive so

  February 17, 2009

• Wall Street Journal Highlights How 86-Year-Old Badminton Fanatic Aced San Francisco

  The comedian Alexei Sayle used to say that "you can't fight city hall -- but you can take a crap on the steps and run away." Well, he was wrong. You can do both, and Ed Leong is living proof of it -- at least the fighting part. An article appearing today in the Wall Street Journal recounts how the rail-thin, 86-year-old badminton aficionado did what virtually no other individual or city department has been able to do of late -- he fought the draconian cuts and actions the city has undertaken i

  March 4, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Meet the Guardian's Imaginary Friend and Congratulate the Department of Technology on Its Fictitous $750,000 Tech Center

  When your whole government shuts down so that it can go to Washington D.C. and lobby for handouts, you know you've reached a point of no return. Economically it's a sign of total defeat, an acknowledgment that we are a zombie municipality that needs fresh infusions of federal blood just to go through the motions. Culturally it's a sign of egos run rampant over common sense. Or is there somebody in this town, besides David Chiu, who actually thought "Thank God David Chiu's going to Washingto

  March 16, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: What Kind of MONSTER Wouldn't Get a Candle Permit? Plus: Save the Budget Analyst!

  Monday, April 6 11 a.m. - Public Safety Committee Who watches the watchers? Why, the Public Safety Committee does. Every other week. Its recent agendas haven't actually involved DOING much -- there's not much legislation coming out of these meetings -- but they've been crammed with hearings looking into things. They've examined police procedures, crime trends, and best practices - to the extent that the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice has any. Today's agenda continues the committe

  April 6, 2009

• What’s in David Chiu’s political baggage?

  February 18, 2009

• Building Racism

  Segregation and racism are used to pit black and Latino carpenters against each other at a low-income-housing site

  March 26, 2008

• SF Gov InAction: Toxic Babies Are Not an Option!

  Sometimes ... and I want to make it very clear that this is not drug-induced ... I don't think San Francisco is a real city at all. I think that maybe we're a Lego city, populated by Weebles. It makes as much sense as anything Sophie Maxwell's said lately. Why would I think this? Well, have you ever seen our parades? Gavin weebles and wobbles...In addition, I've noticed that Gavin Newsom weebles and wobbles but won't fall down, and that an earthquake will eventually reduce us to

  April 27, 2009

• Supes Condemn Raid on San Francisco Pot Club, Call For DEA to Mellow Out

  Fair enough, it was somewhat lost in the glare of our governor -- once caught on film wearing a shirt emblazoned with the sentence "Arnold Is Numero Uno" while smoking a joint and eating a massive piece of cake -- said he's open to debate on marijuana legalization. But, yesterday, a resolution passed by our very own board of supervisors fired another shot in favor of the herb. By a 9-2 vote (Carmen Chu and Sean Elsbernd were very un-Dude here), the supes blasted the March DEA raid of Emmalyn's C

  May 6, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Madatory Composting -- And Your Mother -- Are Back In Town

  Well, that's the thing: I thought my mom would know the Snuggie was a gag gift, but she actually thought it was a real gift. So here I'd planned this completely ironic moment, and she was starting to tear up. She actually said "It looks so comfortable, and I get so cold in winter!" Shit! So what could I do? I ... Oh! Hello! I didn't see you there. It's all right, you're not interrupting anything. I was just explaining how my mother got arrested on her special day. Funny story: Apparently

  May 11, 2009

• MTA Budget Showdown Leads To ... Wait For It ... A COMPROMISE!

  Jim HerdThat sound you heard earlier today was every City Hall journalist in San Francisco slapping his palm on the table when the Board of Supervisors vote over the controversial Muni budget was continued. And continued again. And more time went by. And now ... after several hours of behind-the-scenes intrigue, a compromise budget has been announced. Chris Roberts at SF Appeal has been live-blogging this thing -- a Godsend for those of us chained to our desks -- and SF Weekly's Peter Jamison is

  May 12, 2009

• During budget talks, the mayor is on the job - technically

  May 20, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Supes To Spend Week Memorializing Extra, Extra Hard

  Most Government offices in America took Monday off to honor those who fell in our nation's defense. For the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, however, Memorial Day is really about honoring what all the other holidays, from Veterans Day to Christmas, are really about honoring: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. That's why, whenever there is a holiday -- of any kind, at any time -- they try to take the entire rest of the week off. Because to take any less vacation time would be to disho

  May 26, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Mandatory Composting Gets Some New Sponsors. Which Bin Do We Put 'Futility' In?

  I hope you'll forgive me if I keep this week's Gov InAction curt: I told WAY too many David Chiu jokes over the weekend, and now I'm worn out. I've got to remember to pace myself. However, in case you're wondering, here's how many David Chius it takes to change a light bulb: • None: Aaron Peskin already changed it. • One: and he will change it, assuming no one else can agree on a consensus candidate for the job. • Two: it takes two David Chius to gloat about a major accomplishm

  June 8, 2009

• Supes' Proposed $82M Cuts to Cops, Firefighters are 'Symbolic' -- But Portend Bare-Knuckle Budget Battle

  The budget battle is under way...A shot across the bow. A brushback pitch. A dropping of the gauntlet. Call it what you will, but when the Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee yesterday approved $82 million in cuts from San Francisco's police, fire, and sheriffs' departments it was a statement. In essence, the Supes are putting it this way to Mayor Gavin Newsom: "You wanna cut social programs and health services and give the police, sheriffs, and firefighters more? Not without gett

  June 11, 2009

• The Wire: San Francisco's Orthodox Jews Rejoice, as They Can Now Legally Schlep Their Children On Sabbath

  Stacey PalevskyRabbi Joshua Strulowitz of San Francisco's Orthodox Adath Israel watches as Supervisor Carmen Chu and Police Chief Heather Fong sign papers granting Jews the right to carry objects on the Sabbath. The chances are exactly 100 percent neither Chu nor Fong ever thought they'd be called upon to do this.In a story that may have slipped under the wire -- somewhat literally -- San Francisco last week got its first eruv since at least the days when Levi Strauss decided to make pants out o

  June 23, 2009

• Pride Rides: How Will Our Elected Officials Be Cruising This Weekend?

  Bevan Dufty's sweet ride...In case you missed the proliferation of rainbow flags and the huge influx of prideful people heading into our fair city, things are ramping up for the big Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28.As the knives begin to come out behind the scenes in the city's simmering budget battle, the parade offers a chance for our city's elected officials to traipse down sunny streets and toss trinkets to adoring onlookers. You'd think a politician skipping the gay pride parade in San Franc

  June 24, 2009

• San Francisco's Campaign Finance Laws Are Complex. Eluding Them? That's More Simple.

  'It's good to be the king' -- and it's always good to have powerful folks in your corner pulling some stringsSan Francisco's campaign finance rules are so beastly complex that professional treasurers with decades of experience have been known to drive sharpened pencils through their palms in fits of desperation. Yet eluding these Byzantine laws need not require the greatest level of legal or administrative sophistication. In fact, you can employ the same strategy the rich kid in your high school

  June 29, 2009

• Sf Gov InAction: Special Faux-Guest Edition!

  Do you ever get tired of doing the same thing every week? Me too. So this week I decided to imagine how SF Gov InAction would look if it were written by five of this city's most ... um ... noteworthy ... pundits. You say "parody," I say "homage." Either way: Enjoy. Monday, June 29 11 a.m. - Budget & Finance Committee (as written by TIM REDMOND, San Francisco Bay Guardian Managing Editor) I was driving back from a trip to wine country last week and noticed that there were a lot fewer

  June 29, 2009

• Unhappy Hookers: Supervisor Carmen Chu Meets Anti-Harlotry Crusader Melissa Farley Today

  Lucky for them, Texas ain't in Carmen Chu's jurisdictionPetite, understated, and measured Supervisor Carmen Chu isn't the first person one might choose to face off against crowds of angry hookers. But after months of chaperoning controversial legislation that tightens the City's reigns on massage parlor brothels, Chu has gained a reputation as San Francisco's top neutralizer of harlots. Today, in fact, she was scheduled to meet with anti-porn and -prostitution crusader Melissa Farley,

  July 17, 2009

• Possible promises Gavin Newsom made to keep Levi's in S.F.

  July 22, 2009

• San Francisco Has a Budget -- and Chris Daly Has Left the Building

  Once more, for old time's sake. Lost somewhere between the news of Sacramento's impending raid upon municipal revenue streams and President Obama's comfy jeans, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors yesterday passed the city's contentious, agonizing $6.6 billion budget. This wasn't done without Supervisor Chris Daly's acknowledged "best friend" John Avalos -- whom he so designated during an awkward public browbeating/recitation of the second-most famous line from Jerry Maguire earlier this month

  July 22, 2009

• Ethics Commission Whistleblower Lawyers Up, Charges Retaliation

  ​Some of you may remember a June 29 article we ran here about how the city's Ethics Commission sure seemed to be going out of its way to not cite and fine Supervisor Carmen Chu -- a moderate represented by lawyer and mayoral svengali Jim Sutton. Meanwhile, progressive Supes Gerardo Sandoval and Chris Daly had been cited and fined for virtually identical campaign finance transgressions. When Ethics Commission staffer Oliver Luby sent his bosses a note noting the Sandoval and Daly precedents he

  August 20, 2009

• Mayor's Choice to Replace Wealthy Supporters on Arts Commission -- His Own Employee

  Nan Park ImagesAh, but is it art? ​In San Francisco, the term "Arts Commission" is misleading. This is not merely a roomful of wealthy dowagers deciding where to place a bust of Adolph Sutro. A small percentage of funds expended on development projects in the city, by law, are sent the commission's way -- and that translates into millions of dollars a year. The city owns nearly 3,300 works of art valued at roughly $86 million. The Arts Commission is a big deal. So it was a commensurate big dea

  August 28, 2009

• The Wrong Stuff

  September 9, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: Pot Farming Illegal Immigrants Threaten to Bring DJs to City Hall Meetings!

    Monday, Oct. 5   10 a.m. - Public Safety Committee   On the whole, people are in favor of "Public Safety," so most of the time the Public Safety Committee is pretty uncontroversial. The chairman arches his eyebrows and asks the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice "Why aren't you making us safer?" and nobody ever thinks "Hey, that's a really unfair question, you oppressive bastard!" Not today. Today, a full two-thirds of the agenda (okay, two items out of three) are l

  October 5, 2009

• Use Your Good Judgment When Donating Lascivious Outfits to Supervisor's Costume Givewaway For Kids

  WonderfulWorldOfAnimation.comYou were expecting, perhaps, 'Sexy Peanuts'?​Is there any limit to the Halloween costumes that can be rendered prurient via the placement of the word "sexy" ahead of the outfit's description? There's sexy nurse, sexy cop, sexy inmate, sexy construction worker, sexy mayor, and of course, sexy sewage treatment plant worker.   So, be smart when it comes to donating costumes to Supervisor Carmen Chu's Halloween giveaway. "This is not burlesque," says Chu's legisla

  October 14, 2009

• SF Gov InAction: City Brings Hammer Down on Anti-Prostitution Program, Then Forms a Glee Club to Sing Social Services to Sleep

    I've had a really busy few weeks, and I haven't been able to catch up on any of the new fall shows yet. So I tried to cram a lot of television in this weekend while writing SF Gov InAction. Just so you know. Monday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. - Public Safety Committee Somebody has to say it: the Public Safety Committee we have in San Francisco isn't nearly as good looking as the one they have in CSI Miami. Can we get them re-cast? I wouldn't mind if the supervisors stay around a

  October 19, 2009

• Board of Supervisors Vote To Give Undocumented Kids Their Day In Court

  I'll take credit for that....​The Board of Supervisors made a statement today against Mayor Gavin Newsom's 2008 decision to report undocumented juveniles accused of felonies to immigration authorities. Supervisor Carmen Chu cast the only vote against David Campos' resolution that would push back the reporting of  undocumented juveniles to immigration until after they are convicted of a felony, not when they are merely charged with one. Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, who has also weighed

  October 20, 2009

• What Did Gavin Newsom Bring Everyone From Hawaii?

  ​On the one hand, following Mayor Gavin Newsom's abrupt withdrawal from the governor's race, he spent quality time back in a beautiful city nestled in the bosom of the Pacific. On the other hand -- it was in Hilo, Hawaii. When you take off for an impromptu jaunt several thousand miles away from City Hall and even your top aides don't know where you are -- well, gifts are in order. Here's a gift guide from the Aloha State: Acting Mayor Carmen Chu: T-shirt reading "I was controversial acting may

  November 6, 2009

• Ethics Commission Whistleblower Beats 'Retaliatory' Complaint

  ​Our most eagle-eyed readers may remember a series of stories we wrote about a whistleblower within the Ethics Commission being hit with a series of oddly timed threats regarding his employment culminating in an anonymous complaint that could have resulted in his ouster from city government. Ethics staffer Oliver Luby lawyered up after receiving that curiously timed complaint in June, and charged that this was all retaliation against a whistleblower. That charge may never be truly put to rest

  November 9, 2009

• Breaking: Supes Override Newsom's Veto on Sanctuary Policy

  Lauren SmileySupervisor David Campos meets the press after initial passage of his ordinance in October​As anticipated, the Board of Supervisors this afternoon beat back Mayor Gavin Newsom's veto of Supervisor David Campos' sanctuary policy legislation. With a vote of 8-3 (Carmen Chu, Michela Alioto-Pier, and Sean Elsbernd dissenting), the supes adopted a new policy in which law enforcement would not be required to inform immigration authorities of a juvenile's status until after he or she is c

  November 10, 2009

• Mayor's Office: Supes' Veto Override on Immigrant Policy 'Cannot Take Effect'

  San Francisco's Board of Supervisors today mustered enough votes to override Mayor Gavin Newsom's veto of a law softening the city's treatment of juvenile undocumented immigrants who are arrested. But the mayor's office was quick to dismiss the widely expected vote as a symbolic gesture that would have no effect on city policy.A crowd gathers around Supervisor David Campos after today's veto override​"This veto override cannot really take effect," Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard said immediate

  November 10, 2009