Eric Mar

SF Gov InAction: Anti-smoking legislation, African Americans leaving SF, and whistleblower protection. Plus: It's cover-your-ass Thursday at City Hall!

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 >>

An Odd Tradition: Thousands of Dollars Flood to Winning S.F. Supes After Polls Close -- From Their Enemies

Joe EskenaziSupervisor John Avalos admits that taking post-election donations from former political enemies looks bad -- but having a massive campaign debt is badYou'd think making a donation to a San Francisco supervisorial candidate would be a bit like a horse race: You make your "bets," you cheer ... More >>

Eric Mar's students say he's easy like Sunday morning

Joe EskenaziSupervisor John Avalos admits that taking post-election donations from former political enemies looks bad -- but having a massive campaign debt is badYou'd think making a donation to a San Francisco supervisorial candidate would be a bit like a horse race: You make your "bets," you cheer ... More >>

Change Hasn't Come to S.F.

Blacks should look to Washington and not to City Hall for hope.

The Ackerman Election

The school board races focus on a superintendent's future and progressive versus downtown political infighting. Kids aren't much mentioned.

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: 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 >>

S.F. Inquiry Regarding Disability Placards May Miss the (Disabled) Elephant In the Room: It's Just Too Damn Easy To Get a Disability Placard

Who wants some?Supervisor Eric Mar was on the side of the angels yesterday when he convened a hearing looking into the Municipal Transportation Authority's enforcement of potential disability placard fraud; if Mar can help bring the legal hammer down on able-bodied folks who fraudulently represent t ... 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 >>

Union President: Supervisors' Resolution Supporting Alleged Cop Killers is 'Spitting in the Face of Every Cop in San Francisco'

The Ingleside police station, where Sgt. John V. Young was killed in 1971The president of San Francisco's police union railed against supervisors Eric Mar and Sophie Maxwell today for their sponsorship of a resolution asking that charges be dropped against the seven men charged with killing a city p ... More >>

The Blue Placard Blues: Bill Would Seriously Fine Disabled Placard Scofflaws, But Doesn't Note It's Still Just Too Easy to Get One

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma's bill to crack the financial whip when it comes to billing disabled parking placard outlaws is moving through the State Senate -- and local leaders are singing its praises. And why not? Seriously, who could object to a plan to ding those who falsely pass themselves off as dis ... More >>

Pride Rides: The Mayor's Convoy, The Public Defender's Truck, The Assessor's Last-Minute Call -- and a Big Surprise From Eric Mar

Janine KahnAn artist's rendition of Jeff Adachi's dump truckAnswers are trickling in from our elected officials on how they plan on cruising at this weekend's Pride Parade. Starting at the top, Mayor Gavin Newsom takes the same approach with vehicles as he does with spokesmen -- if one is good, then ... 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 >>

Cutting the Deficit: How Can Newsom, Supes Bring in Some Cash?

There's a slight chill in the air and that lovely smell of Northern California winters is upon us. And you know what that means -- the city's broke. Again. Mayor Gavin Newsom is a restaurant man, so he's familiar with eateries' tradition of framing their first dollars. Perhaps San Francisco can fra ... More >>

Supervisors Try to Save Jobs of Those Who Got Them Their Jobs

​For the past two weeks, the progressives on the Board of Supervisors have been falling all over themselves to protect the jobs of health department workers who belong to SEIU Local 1021. Why are lefty board members going to such lengths to protect these jobs in the midst of a financial meltdo ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Everybody's Doing the Eric Mar Dance of Futility

  Monday, Jan. 11   10:30 a.m. - City Operations and Neighborhood Services committee   There is so little going on at this meeting that physicists have yet to quantify an amount this small.  1 p.m. - Land use & Economic Development Committee When local small business ... More >>

Supes Lambaste Academy of Art at Hearing -- Whether They'll Deliver More than a Tongue-Lashing Remains to Be Seen

​Elisa Stephens had an admission to make today. "We have made a few mistakes," she said at a public hearing regarding the controversial housing practices of her family's for-profit Academy of Art University. And that, claim the Academy's many critics, is one hell of an understatement. For d ... More >>

Committee Assignments are Here! Which Supes Got Screwed?

But that's a loser committee!​The day the board president hands out committee assignments to the city supervisors always feels just a bit like junior high school. Who's the new boy? Who got all his electives? Who's stuck taking woodshop in seventh period? Who'll sit at the cool kids' table? Who'll ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Mayor and Supervisors Still Not the Get Along Gang

  Oh bleary eyed passengers on San Francisco's ship of fools: I have to say I'm getting quite the kick out of my vacation. Last week I went a whole six days without thinking of Sean Elsbernd!  Honestly, life is too short to think about Sean Elsbernd. I don't know how he does it. Instead ... More >>

Et Tu Elsbernd? Supe Apparently Latest To Enter Jackie Speier Sweepstakes.

When Sean Elsbernd had this photo taken, he ostensibly wasn't interested in running for higher office. Now he is. Also, watch out for that truck. ​The Chronicle's Marisa Lagos has done a bang-up job handicapping the myriad political possibilities that could result if Rep. Jackie Speier leaves Cong ... More >>

Controller Confirms Amendment to Pension 'Reform' Plan Would *Cost* City Millions

San Francisco finds innovative new ways to lose money...​We've written a bit about Supervisor Sean Elsbernd's proposed Charter Amendment, which would save the city a modest bundle by altering San Francisco's pension system. We couldn't help but notice, however, that an amendment Supervisor Eric ... More >>

Controller: Labor-Backed Pension 'Reform' Would Cost City $13.2M Per Year

Look! "Reform"! ​We've reported a bit on Supervisor Sean Elsbernd's attempts to save the city a modest bundle via pension reform, and the SEIU's attempts to amend the plan via Supervisor Eric Mar. While Mar claimed his amendments wouldn't cost the city any additional money, Elsbernd disagreed -- a ... More >>

D'oh! Labor-Backed Pension 'Reform' Would Cost City Millions More Than Earlier Estimate.

​On Wednesday, we reported how a pension reform bill intending to save the city money was affixed with a union-crafted amendment that would actually cost San Francisco more than $13 million annually.The notion of pension reform actually costing the city more in both the short- and long-term is bad ... More >>

Supe's Tweet: Hey, I Just Almost Got Killed!

Image | Audrey FukumanSupervisor Mar! Both ways! Look both ways! ​For some legislators, Twitter is a useful means for letting people know that you've passed a bill. This weekend for Supervisor Eric Mar, however, it was a means for letting folks know that he'd almost passed into the great beyon ... More >>

Elsbernd Handicaps His Pension Plan's Chances

​The Board of Supervisors are meeting as I write (Supervisor Chris Daly is upbraiding Supervisor Sean Elsbernd and all is right in the world). Before he headed into chambers, Elsbernd gave us his best impersonation of Carnac the Magnificent, predicting how his pension reform measure would be recei ... More >>

Eric Mar Pushes Non-Binding Resolution to Save Louis' Restaurant. Naturally.

Feds threatening to board up your 73-year-old restaurant? We got a non-binding resolution for that! ​We've written a bit about the plight of Louis' Restaurant, the 73-year-old city institution perched over the remains of Sutro Baths. The restaurant has lasted this long despite the arbitrary decisi ... 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 >>

List: Physical graffitti

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 >>

Supes Approve Lennar Hunters Point Project

​If you had 1:35 a.m. in your Lennar Hunters Point Naval Shipyard pool as the hour the Board of Supervisors would vote on the massive project -- you're the big winner. The board approved the gargantuan redevelopment plan by an 8-3 vote this morning following at least 10 hours of meetings and oft-i ... More >>

Happy Meals May Be Banned By San Francisco

You guys -- out of this city! ​The moment your humble narrator heard that legislation was introduced at yesterday's Board of Supervisors meeting aiming at regulating how nutritious a meal must be for a restaurant to be permitted to hand out a toy, I thought "This must be Eric Mar's doing." Yup.&nb ... More >>

Eric Mar Unleashes on the Happy Meal. But What About Public School Lunches?

Public Enemy No. 1? ​San Francisco has been abuzz about Supervisor Eric Mar's proposed legislation that would take the toy out of the Happy Meal. Some say it would improve the health of children. Others say it's like, totally socialist. Our online news editor, Joe Eskenazi, found it a little distu ... 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 >>

Happy Meal Ban on San Francisco's Plate Today

Will we hear from them during public comment? How about the Fry Guys?​Supervisor Eric Mar's proposal to take the toys away from Happy Meal-like menu items that don't meet city-imposed nutrition standards ignited an Internet firestorm. Today we'll see if it can do the same in the flesh. The "Health ... More >>

'Happy Meal' Legislation Will Be Back for Seconds

​After the introduction of perhaps the first "multigrain amendment" yet brokered in City Hall, Supervisor Eric Mar's controversial proposal to forbid restaurants from including toys with Happy Meal-like menu items was yesterday continued, and will be debated again next week. In addition to the gro ... More >>

Happy Meal Ban: Middle Schoolers Write to Supes, Critique Toys

Here's what I think you should say, kids​Six dozen students at a middle school in Brentwood, a suburb 55 miles to the east, wrote to San Francisco City Hall Oct. 15 to voice views on Supervisor Eric Mar's proposed ban on Happy Meal toys, which is scheduled to be heard at today's board meeting.Unli ... More >>

Is Car-Sharing Business Coming to Garage Near You -- Even in Your Building?

Now he can set up a car-sharing network right in your apartment. Or can he?​Come January, a new statewide law will allow you to adjust your insurance to use your car as a shared vehicle. Meanwhile, legislation coming up at tomorrow's Board of Supervisors meeting will more easily allow you -- or yo ... More >>

S.F. Supes Officially Pass Happy Meal Ban

gadgetdude/FlickrIt's done. But are fast-food companies considering legal action against the city?​There was never any doubt that it wouldn't but still: San Francisco's Board of Supervisors today officially passed the so-called Happy Meal ban, reports our sister news blog, The Snitch. From Sni ... More >>

Happy Meal Ban Architect Supervisor Eric Mar on 'The Daily Show'

Eric Mar is ready for his close-up!​After poking fun at San Francisco's Happy Meal Ban not once but twice, The Daily Show took the next natural step: It had the creator of the ban, Supervisor Eric Mar, on the air. Our calls to the District 1 supe to see how it went haven't yet been returned. But i ... More >>

How the Happy Meal ban explains San Francisco

Eric Mar is ready for his close-up!​After poking fun at San Francisco's Happy Meal Ban not once but twice, The Daily Show took the next natural step: It had the creator of the ban, Supervisor Eric Mar, on the air. Our calls to the District 1 supe to see how it went haven't yet been returned. But i ... More >>

San Francisco Improves Its Antismoking Score, Nanny Government Is Working

San Francisco Puts Cigarettes Out ​This week, we wrote about San Francisco lawmakers and their compulsive need to intrude on residents' rights to be as unhealthy and wasteful as they want. Yet this prolific banning is starting to bear some benefits -- at least on paper. Just today, the American Lu ... More >>

List: David Chiu's Mayoral Platform

San Francisco Puts Cigarettes Out ​This week, we wrote about San Francisco lawmakers and their compulsive need to intrude on residents' rights to be as unhealthy and wasteful as they want. Yet this prolific banning is starting to bear some benefits -- at least on paper. Just today, the American Lu ... 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 >>

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 >>

Privatization Bill Seems Designed to Destroy Parks

Sold to the highest bidder.​There's no doubt that lefty supervisors John Avalos, Eric Mar, Ross Mirkarimi and David Campos meant well when they moved to put a measure on the ballot to prevent the privatization of parks.Strivers and sharpies have for too long treated the San Francisco's Recreation ... More >>

Happy Meal 2.0: McDonald's to Cut Back on Fries

Healthier Happy Meal makes S.F. ... happy​San Francisco became the nation's laughingstock -- and Public Enemy No. 1 for children -- when it rolled out the controversial Happy Meal ban. You might recall the epic Daily Show episode where Aasif Mandvi gave the man behind the ban, Supervisor Eric Mar, ... More >>

Where Have All of San Francisco's Kids Gone?

San Francisco has long battled the growing trend of families with kids leaving the city for the suburbs, where rents are cheaper and tots can eat as many McDonald's Happy Meals as they want without Supervisor Eric Mar watching over them. A new census survey showed that there are 5,000 fewer kids tod ... More >>

San Francisco to Protect Birds from Flying into Buildings

​Unless you're part of a small cadre of environmental activists, the danger posed to birds by high-rise buildings is probably not an issue in the forefront of your mind. Unless, of course, you are a member of San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, which just saw fit to pass a new set of development ... More >>

Happy Meal Ban: McDonald's Outsmarts San Francisco

He's got good lawyers, that one​On Thursday, Dec. 1, the city's de facto ban of the Happy Meal commences. San Francisco has accomplished what the Hamburglar could not. Or has it? In order to include a toy with a meal, restaurants must now comply with city-generated nutritional standards. Those are ... More >>

Rose Pak's Vulgar Display of Power

The video of power broker Rose Pak's triumphalist tongue-lashings of the city's elected officials as they rolled beneath her feet at the Chinese New Year's parade is enjoying its 15 minutes of Internet fame.Online commentators relish heaping scorn upon San Francisco when our attempts at progressive ... More >>