David Chiu

Fat Cats and Big Fish: New Rules Won't Starve Those at the Top of the Political Food Chain

Scott Wiener Will Be Next Land-Use Chair, Mark Farrell to Head Budget

SF Weekly has learned that Board President David Chiu will award both of the city's most influential committee chairmanships to his moderate colleagues. Supervisor Scott Wiener will be the chairman of the land-use committee. Supervisor Mark Farrell will be named the chair of the budget committee.&nb ... More >>

Pier 29 Blaze Contained, Traffic Backed Up Along the Embarcadero

(Update 4:35 p.m) America's Cup officials released a statement saying they do not anticipate this fire hindering plans for the big race. "We look forward to moving ahead with the future construction of the America's Cup Village at Pier 27/29," the statement read. (Update 4:02 p.m.): Supervisor ... More >>

On Second Thought, the Guardian Is Perfect and Progressives Are Doing Great

​A strange thing happened at January's farewell "roast" for Supervisor Chris Daly -- something that neatly encapsulated the spirit of San Francisco's progressive movement. Earlier that week, David Chiu had betrayed progressives by championing Willie Brown's candidate for mayor. But even though Chi ... More >>

List: Now That Ed Lee Is Really Mayor, What Will He Do?

​Now that he's no longer a "caretaker" mayor, what is Ed Lee's agenda?         *  Promise the Board of Supervisors that he won't seek re-election      *  Have Willie Brown's coffee ready at 8 a.m. sharp      *&n ... More >>

Does David Chiu Have a Chinatown Problem?

It's Chinatown, David. It's Chinatown. ​Also, is John Avalos really feeling it in District 11? Absorbing a beating is never enjoyable -- unless, of course, you're into that kind of thing. Presuming you aren't, getting your behind kicked is even less palatable when it takes place in your home terri ... More >>

Supervisor David Chiu's Campaign Headquarters Burglarized

​Police are at Supervisor David Chiu's campaign headquarters investigating a burglary that happened overnight, according to staff. Staffers were at the headquarters, located on Van Ness Avenue and Clay Street, until midnight yesterday preparing for Election Day tomorrow. Everything was in order wh ... More >>

List: What We Can Learn From Ed Lee's Broken Promise

Board of Supervisors Seem Afraid to Address Medical Marijuana

Supervisors won't acknowledge the green leaf in the room ​Urban planning in San Francisco is a very big deal -- and so is the city's Planning Commission, the appointed officials who call the shots on urban design. So what does one of the city's more important entities need to do to get some respec ... 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 >>

Yellow Pages Legislation Would be a Boon to Local Economy, Environment, Report Says

The economic analysis of the Yellow Pages legislation is a real page-turner​Earlier this year, SF Weekly concluded that Supervisor David Chiu's jihad to cutback on the number of Yellow Pages directories piling up in recycling centers is a keen political move. And a new report shows it's a smart ec ... More >>

Who Wants a Date with a Smokin' Hot Progressive?

How much would you pay for a date with him?​The question of whether mayoral candidates can technically be bought has been answered. Yes, they can. Some of San Francisco's mayoral candidates will be auctioning themselves off at a fundraiser for the New Leaders Council on Wednesday, April 27 -- and ... More >>

Which Pol Will Forgo a Pay Raise?

Or don't take the money and run​Yesterday, SF Weekly told you about the amazing news that your elected officials were looking forward to getting pay raises -- despite the city's $300 million budget deficit. We wondered whether this would upset voters, who will experience yet another round of unfor ... More >>

David Chiu Gets 'Do Not F*ck With Me' Letter from Mayoral Opponent

Villa-Lobos loves Gavin Newsom, dislikes David Chiu​David Villa-Lobos, San Francisco's perennial candidate, fired off a letter to Supervisor David Chiu, warning his mayoral opponent: "Do Not Fuck With Me."The off beat Villa-Lobos claims that Chiu's campaign recently "stormed" down Polk Street aski ... 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 >>

John Avalos Wants a Little More Excitement from David Chiu

John Avalos has a question: why is question time so lame?​The whole point of mayoral question time is to put the city's chief executive on the spot and get some raw debate going for public viewing. Needless to say, Supervisor John Avalos was deflated --but not surprised --last night by Supervisor ... 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 >>

Ed Lee Is Back From Taiwan, Chiu Acting Mayor Starting This Afternoon

Act 1, Scene 5​The political hullabaloo that's monopolized City Hall over the last week is finally dissipating. After a week that included tense debate, bitter accusations and bizarre threats that further crystalized San Francisco's political dysfunction, the city can only hope for a bre ... More >>

George Gascon Is District Attorney

Shawn CalhounGeorge Gascon, who always seemed more comfortable in a suit than his police uniform, has found a novel solution to that problem​Police Chief George Gascon confirmed to SF Weekly moments ago he will be sworn in as District Attorney at 2 p.m. today by Mayor Gavin Newsom. The chief's nam ... More >>

Art Agnos For Mayor Deal Would Come as Surprise to Art Agnos

Art Agnos certainly can dress the part if chosen to be mayor...​A Monday Chronicle article rehashing the many roads board president David Chiu may take to cling to power included an eye-catching  reference to a hypothetical "deal" to "support the likes of former Mayor Art Agnos" as the city's ... More >>

Facebook, Twitter, Texting Barred from Mayoral Succession Process

Come to think of it, a Sorting Hat would be a very easy way to settle on the next mayor​Earlier this year, we reported that several members of the Board of Supervisors are Facebooking up a storm during meetings. Eric Mar is even known as "Supervisor Facebook." No one seemed to give a damn. The tim ... More >>

Supervisors Settle on 'Clusterf*ck' Process to Pick Next Mayor -- Possible Decision on Dec. 7

Supervisor Chris Daly twice described today's process of deciding the next mayor as a 'clusterfuck.' He may be right. ​The process of deciding how the Board of Supervisors will pick the next mayor required tedious procedural discussions recalling consumptive Dostoevskian soliloquies, an hourlong r ... More >>

David Chiu Kills Muni Charter Amendment -- Which Would Have Failed Miserably

Jim HerdEnd of the line for the progressive Muni charter amendment​Call Supervisor David Chiu what you will, but don't call him sentimental. The Board of Supervisors' president last night tossed the "Progressive Muni Charter Amendment" he'd crafted alongside Ross Mirkarimi, Eric Mar, and David Cam ... More >>

We Still Have Entertainment Commission to Kick Around -- For Now

Regulate this, Entertainment Commission...​The much-maligned Entertainment Commission isn't going to be scrapped immediately, despite growing  opposition to the group of appointees that regulates the city's nightclubs and other entertainment venues. That's what David Chiu, the president of th ... More >>

SF GovInAction: So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen, Adieu

There's virtually no government happening this week, and the few meetings scheduled are so pointless that you'd be excused for calling them vanity government. David Chiu just likes to call stuff to order -- and can you blame him? But before I cover this week's vanity meetings to reveal once agai ... More >>

Unleashed

A brutal dog attack in Nob Hill has revived the city's battle over canine control. Here's why it's going to get worse.

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 >>

List: City meetings open up to mo' comments

Entertainment Commission Reform Legislation Passes in Supes' Committee, Headed for Full Board

Legislation that would reform how San Francisco's nightclub-industry watchdog agency operates was approved by the Board of Supervisors' City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee today, and is headed for a vote by the full board next month.Are changes coming to SF nightlife?​Following a t ... More >>

'Friends of Entertainment Commission' Web Site Traced to Controversial Entertainment Commissioner

The San Francisco Entertainment Commission has been having a rough go of it lately. The seven-member board of political appointees, tasked with regulating the city's nightclubs, has presided over a local nightlife scene that has become infamous for its violence. The commission has also come under fi ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: The Supes Have SUCH Good Intentions This Week That One of These Laws Just HAS to Work!

Monday, Aug 17 11 a.m. - Public Safety Committee A lot's happened to the Public Safety Committee since the last time I wrote about it -- and there's one thing I just don't understand. Ross Mirkarimi used to be the chair of the Public Safety Committee, and he was exceptional at pulling the many t ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Big money! Big money! Oh God, Make It Stop!

What an exciting week! Your Host Gaaaaaaavin Newson! will be giving away big money prizes! And how much would you pay for this PUC headquarters? Find out in our Showcase Showdown! That's not actually a joke. In fact, there is an awful lot of government happening this week, squeezing big money ... 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 >>

Terminus: Progressives Stymied as Supes Can't Muter Votes to Reject Muni Budget

Today's very special noontime Board of Supervisors meeting clocked in at an extremely svelte 50-odd minutes. But, as was always the case in the ongoing wrangle over the Municipal Transportation Agency's budget, you could have boiled the whole thing down to a momentary exercise: Clerk: What'ya think, ... 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 >>

Building & Trades Unions Say City Hall Protest Isn't Political Show -- It's All About Jobs, Jobs, JOBS!

Joe EskenaziMike Theriault, head of the Building & Construction Trades Council, wants jobs. When does he want them? Now.A crowd of 300 to 400 soggy, hardhat-and-overalls-wearing union men and women -- many of whom, sadly, had no other engagements at noon on a working day -- stood at City Hall Pl ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Gavin Newsom Will Be Told That David Chiu Is Rejecting MUNI's Budget Sometime In Early 2011

From a numerical standpoint, the Supes are finally getting their act together. At the beginning of the year, we were lucky if they made it through four meetings a week. Now they're hitting six or seven almost every time. That's the good news. The bad news is that the number of meetings appare ... 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 >>

What’s in David Chiu’s political baggage?

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 ... More >>

Mayor, Board President's Payroll Tax Plans are Different; Supes Notified Via Press Release

It turns out the mayor does have a device for communicating with David Chiu. It's called a press release.Yesterday we wrote about how Mayor Gavin Newsom announced at the San Francisco Business Times breakfast that he was proposing an overhaul of the city's payroll tax -- which came as news to Board ... More >>

Déjà Vu? Newsom's Big Announcement: He Wants to Cut Payroll Taxes -- Which David Chiu Proposed Two Weeks Ago

Is this what is necessary for Gavin Newsom to deign to speak to David Chiu? Or would a phone call suffice?The "economic forum" Gavin Newsom needed to attend rather than accompany the mayors of San Jose, San Diego, and Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. to stump for federal funds turned out to be this m ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Supes Stand by Each Other After Little John Avalos Has His Bar Mitzvah

This is the week the new Board of Supervisors goes from JV to Varsity. I know it felt like they'd hit the big time before, what with hundreds of people crowding the hearing rooms to yell at them about stuff they hadn't done -- but that's just the crowd getting fired up by San Francisco's airheade ... More >>

David Chiu's Proposed Vehicle License Fee Could Net City $70M -- But Requires 'Hail Mary'of a Senate Bill to Pass

These guys could make San Francisco lots of moneyThe Vehicle License Fee proposed this week by Supervisor David Chiu could net the city as much as $70 million. And the lottery ticket you bought this week could net you $70 million, too. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, and the VLF won't benefit local ... More >>

New Board prez David Chiu meets da mayor

How Could Progressive Coalition Shatter? Let Us Count the Ways

Will it be the House of Harmony or the House of Pain? The answer is: Yes. Progressive Supervisors banded together last week to elect a compromise-candidate Board President, which raises a crucial question: "Since when have progressives compromised on anything?" In a town that views compromise ... More >>

Rookie of the Year: David Chiu Just the Latest Young, Inexperienced Smart Guy to Obtain Presidency

Chris Daly Twirls His Mustache, Cackles at Ross Mirkarimi as Chiu Ekes Out Win By Joe Eskenazi Watching a man with mutton-chops every bit as stylish as his white overalls engrave the word "President" on Supervisor David Chiu's office door, one couldn't help but recall good ol' Will Shakespea ... More >>

SF 2008 Election Winners & Losers

SF Dem Values: Friendship Don’t Mean Shit

Chiu on This

Troublemaker H. Brown makes trouble in District 3 supes race.