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 …

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!

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

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

"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 o ... More >>

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 th ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 thr ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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 passe ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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-sce ... More >>

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

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-sce ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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: Aaro ... More >>

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 u ... More >>

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 ... More >>

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. ... More >>

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 pa ... More >>

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

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 pa ... More >>

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 may ... More >>

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 sa ... More >>

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 t ... More >>

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 Ci ... More >>

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 Aliot ... More >>

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 h ... More >>

At the Jersey Shore, Everybody Has a Nickname. Even San Francisco Politicians

Yes, San Francisco's politics suffers from bouts of dysfunction. But let's face it: The exploits of the boys and girls at City Hall can't hold a candle to the high drama on display in MTV's new blockbuster reality series, Jersey Shore. The show features an eight-count of self-styled "guidos" and "gu ... More >>

Your Rundown on the Week in S.F. Government

C'mon, Mr. Mayor -- shave that follicle helmet for Google!​Puzzling technological initiatives, close studies of dense municipal bureaucracies, garage regulations -- this week at City Hall ain't exactly a stroll down the carnival midway, but there's some important stuff on the table. And if you pay ... More >>

Drug policy: Pot-club paranoia

C'mon, Mr. Mayor -- shave that follicle helmet for Google!​Puzzling technological initiatives, close studies of dense municipal bureaucracies, garage regulations -- this week at City Hall ain't exactly a stroll down the carnival midway, but there's some important stuff on the table. And if you pay ... More >>

Your Rundown on the Week in S.F. Government

A Tea Party slogan unknown in San Franciso government​Should be a fun week -- the Board of Supervisors is weighing in on the fiasco involving narcotics analysis at the San Francisco Police Department crime lab, the Police Commission is trying to reform its process for disciplining wayward officers ... More >>

Will Angry Asians Deluge Board of Supervisors Meeting -- Again?

It's unclear if black-on-Asian crime is on the rise. But it's very clear that coverage of said crimes is on the rise, largely due to a string of violent attacks along the T-Third line. One left 83-year-old Huan Chen dead; the above attack on a middle-aged woman was caught on video and quickly dissem ... More >>

Will Milton Marks Take On Carmen Chu in District 4?

Will Milton or won't he? ​If you believe what you hear from progressive members -- and former members -- of the Board of Supervisors, Carmen Chu may have a little competition next time around in her thus far uncluttered race for District 4 supe. Her purported competitor is City College Board Presi ... More >>

Burning Man Ends, and S.F. Supervisor Eric Mar Returns Home

Eric Mar isn't the first S.F. supe to go to Burning Man. But he was the first to go to Mars. ​The smoke is rising from Burning Man, and its participants are straggling back into town. Hardware store workers, lawyers, and architects are heading back to so-called "real life." And, if you live in the ... More >>

Judge Smacks Down Challenge to San Francisco's Ranked-Choice Voting

​A federal judge has rejected a legal challenge to San Francisco's system of "ranked-choice voting," in which voters can select their three preferred candidates in a race. The lawsuit, filed by failed supervisorial candidate Ron Dudum, had asserted that the system was flawed insofar as it did not ... More >>

Supes Pass Alcohol Fee -- By Non-Veto-Proof 7-3 Vote

Demon rum lives to fight another day...​The Board of Supervisors has just passed the controversial "Charge for Harm" Alcohol fee, which aims to fund the city's detox centers by raising $16-odd million from San Francisco alcohol wholesalers. The proposal stands about as much chance of making it int ... More >>

Attention, Guardianistas: Here are your endorsements.

Demon rum lives to fight another day...​The Board of Supervisors has just passed the controversial "Charge for Harm" Alcohol fee, which aims to fund the city's detox centers by raising $16-odd million from San Francisco alcohol wholesalers. The proposal stands about as much chance of making it int ... More >>

The Identity Card

Voting by race has made the city's political representation more Asian. It could be what puts 33-year-old Jane Kim on the board of supervisors.

Supes Races Too Close to Call

Four supes-to-be will be 'crowned' on Friday, leading to a memorable weekend. Their identities are not so clear. ​It's going to be a hell of a weekend for a quartet of San Franciscans. While the vast majority of San Francisco votes have been counted, late absentees and others will keep the city fr ... More >>

Proximity of Sunset District Pot Club to School Sparks Outrage

Four supes-to-be will be 'crowned' on Friday, leading to a memorable weekend. Their identities are not so clear. ​It's going to be a hell of a weekend for a quartet of San Franciscans. While the vast majority of San Francisco votes have been counted, late absentees and others will keep the city fr ... More >>

David Chiu Makes Committee Assignments That 'Complete the Coup'

Is the Coup Complete?​Former supervisor Chris Daly noted on his Facebook page that the "coup is complete," referring to the new committee appointments for the Board of Supervisors.Board president David Chiu on Tuesday afternoon announced the new sitting members of the seven Board committees, makin ... More >>

Premium pay nets city workers millions in bonuses for just doing their jobs

Is the Coup Complete?​Former supervisor Chris Daly noted on his Facebook page that the "coup is complete," referring to the new committee appointments for the Board of Supervisors.Board president David Chiu on Tuesday afternoon announced the new sitting members of the seven Board committees, makin ... More >>

Did Rose Pak Pad Travel Gift Reports?

Where it comes from, nobody knows​Kibitzer Jon Golinger, who last month compiled Ethics Commission travel gift reports to show that the Chinese Chamber gave $19,506 in travel gifts to politicians, isn't dropping the subject.Chamber bigwig Rose Pak has been quoted as saying that Golinger's figures ... More >>

Fake Pot Crime Stats Continue to Gall Police Commissioner, Cannabis Patients

Giving the green light​Petra DeJesus isn't angry -- she's just frustrated. The criminal defense attorney and San Francisco Police Commissioner last year publicly remonstrated then-Captain Denise Schmitt of the SFPD's Taraval Station for Schmitt's claims that medical cannabis dispensaries cause cri ... More >>

San Francisco May Save $15 Million Via 'Coordinated Healthcare'

Now he'll be required to send the doll's data to the hospital -- and vice versa​When SF Weekly yesterday broke the story that the city is entering into a novel "coordinated healthcare" program that may save millions of dollars, we noted that the pitch sounded an awful lot like something you'd hear ... More >>

Japan Relief Auction Stunts We'd Like to See

We'd buy that for a dollar...​As reported earlier on this page, our Board of Supervisors raised $11,000 for Japan -- and did so by doing what it would do anyway. David Chiu was going to ride his bike. Now he gets some company, and $250 goes to disaster relief. Eric Mar was going to go to the Acade ... More >>

Board of Supervisors: What Kind of Dog Would They Be?

This took us literally all afternoon to make.​Earlier this week, city supervisors voted 10 to 1 to oppose the Golden Gate National Recreational Area's proposal to severely restrict dog owners from walking their pups off-leash in certain parts of San Francisco, namely Fort Funston and Ocean Beach. ... More >>

San Francycle: Did David Chiu Drive on Bike to Work Day?

​Wasn't Bike to Work day fabulous this year? We certainly saw a lot more cyclists out than usual, and we hope to see them out again on the remaining 364 days until next year. Let's do a quick roundup of the best of the bikes. According to the Chron, the mayor and "almost every member of the Bo ... More >>

Have S.F. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Reached Critical Mass?

Is there such thing as too much pot?​On Monday, The Apothecarium will finally open its doors, making it San Francisco's 26th medical cannabis dispensary. Far from having as many pot clubs as Starbucks, vast swaths of San Francisco are, thanks to restrictive zoning laws, completely devoid of dispen ... More >>

Leland Yee Promises to Fight for Medical Marijuana, Except When He's Opposing It

Leland Yee REALLY wants to be mayor, even if it means supporting and not supporting medical marijuana​State Sen. Leland Yee will stand up for medical cannabis. Even against his own interests and against the cannabis-opposed Chinese community of San Francisco, the mayoral candidate is your man, he ... More >>

List: Another Year, Another Board of Supervisors

​Supervisor David Chiu, president of the Board of Supervisors, this week announced the new committee assignments for the Board this year. What's different this year? Nobody actually cares what David Chiu does anymore Eric Mar has to sit in the back Mark Farrell is the new chair of the Government ... More >>