Local Politics

Mayor Ed Lee Blocks Plan to Let Shuttered Pot Clubs Operate on City Property

The boom and bust cycles that have created jobs and driven up rent and home prices in San Francisco apply to things other than technology. A year ago, there were nearly 30 medical marijuana dispensaries in town; they were paying permit fees and taxes. Now, a year after the federal Justice Depar ... More >>

Small-Town Southern Mayor Fires Employee Over Nasty Facebook Exchange

​Small-town politics is often times far more entertaining than bad TV.  Why do you think writers were so successful at collecting enough fodder to create the mockumentary Parks and Recreation?Well here's some more material for NBC: A paramedic who had been working for the small-town city of V ... More >>

Wanted: Mayor or Former Mayor to "Pen" Column

Almost Nobody You Know Will Vote For the Next Mayor of San Francisco

Leland Yee Flipflops When Talking About Mayor Ed Lee

Serious competition is creeping up behind Yee​We recently gave readers a little insight as to why State Sen. Leland Yee is ahead in the polls -- because he's mastered the art of telling everyone what they want to hear. This political chameleon gave us a brand new example of his doublespeak over wh ... More >>

Mayor Ed Lee Blows Off Supermodel Niki Taylor

Not good enough for Mayor Ed Lee?​Who does Mayor Ed Lee think he is?A couple months ago, Mayor Lee was a no-name city administrator known by few outside of San Francisco politics. And for someone with no clout among American celebs, we'd expect he'd be a little more excited to be seen with a super ... More >>

Mayor To Answer Questions in Public-- Finally

Eleven players​Former mayor Gavin Newsom squirmed his way out of City Hall just in time to dodge the one thing he dreaded more than a an interview with former CBS reporter Hank Plante: mayoral question time. Last November, voters approved Proposition C, which  forces the mayor to have face ti ... More >>

Chiu, Lee Talk About Repairing Relationship Between Mayor and the Board of Supervisors

White Flag ​If there is anything that the new Board of Supervisors can learn from their predecessors, it's that provoking the mayor can only backfire. After a tense week that shook San Francisco's political circles, Supervisor David Chiu today invited City Administrator Ed Lee, who is expected to ... More >>

Ed Lee Would Take Cut in Pay as Mayor of San Francisco

Ed Lee ain't in it for the money. Right? ​When progressives were all but begging Assemblyman Tom Ammiano to be San Francisco's next mayor, one of the unstated incentives for entering into the thankless job of interim mayor of a broke city would be the massive pay increase for the longtime city pol ... More >>

America's Cup: 'Not One Cent' In Private Funding Guaranteed

This city knows a bit about being under water...​Budget analyst Harvey Rose today defended a report his office released Thursday, which claimed that hosting the America's Cup regatta would lose San Francisco up to $143 million. "I don't think everybody understands. We say there'll be huge benefits ... More >>

4505 Meats Offers World Series CSA Cooler, New Pickup Location

4505 Meats/FacebookThe 4505 Meats World Series cooler is available for Wednesday pickup at Local Mission Eatery.​Those lame wagers mayors make with each other before events like the Super Bowl and World Series? Where the mayor of Dallas, say, pledges half a dozen rib racks to the mayor of New ... 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 >>

Dennis Herrera, Running for Mayor, to Farm Out City Attorney Cases

Dennis Herrera doesn't want to hear your legalistic questions about the mayoral race...​City Attorney Dennis "He's Running For Mayor!" Herrera last week announced that, yes, he's running for mayor. Less publicized was a memorandum Herrera sent around the city announcing he plans on recusing both h ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensary Kneecapped by Disability Access Rules

Greg Schoepp is feeling a bit beaten down by the city...​ Handicapped dispensary owner told his dispensary isn't handicapped-accessible Greg Schoepp knows what it's like to be disabled -- the owner of Crown Lock and Hardware on Balboa Street has been in a wheelchair for almost 30 years since ... More >>

Cut and Run: On his way out, Mayor Newsom guts his staff

City Councilman: 'Shut the Fuck Up!'

Local city councilman Michael Ceremello, angry over colleagues' criticism of his weed-infested lawn, bellows 'Shut the fuck up' at colleague during meeting. Nice work if you can get it.  Here in San Francisco, we sometimes lose track of how good we've got it. It's sunny on Memorial Day weekend, ... More >>

S.J. Pot Rush Over? City Shuts Down First Club, Albeit Briefly.

​It wasn't a raid by kevlar-clad law enforcement and no medicine was seized, but medicinal cannabis advocates still felt a twinge of anxiety -- you can take something for that, we hear -- when the city's first pot club, the San Jose Cannabis Buyers Collective, received an eviction notice from ... More >>

On Eve of 'Gavin's Law' Debate, Supes Gallivant Around City, Security-Free

Gavin Newsom -- all alone​At tomorrow's Rules Committee meeting, a measure will come up for debate about how city officials should be mandated to reimburse the city for security costs when they travel out of town. Gavin Newsom's name isn't mentioned in this bit of Ross Mirkarimi legislation -- fit ... More >>

City Hall Insiders: So Gavin's Nowhere to Be Seen. What's New?

Will HarperAh, the sociable days...​For those who don't walk through the tall, ornate doors of City Hall on a regular basis, the ongoing elusiveness of formerly gadabout Mayor Gavin Newsom comes off as bizarre -- or even surreal. Mayoral Spokesman Nathan Ballard's daily pronouncements that the may ... More >>

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' ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Your 'Labor Day' Guide to What the F*#@k Happened in the Last Eight Months

With a federal holiday appears on the calendar, city hall's motto becomes: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but how much time off you can take from your country". In this particular case, The supervisors like to celebrate Labor Day by pretending to have labored, while their staff likes ... More >>

All hail the new police chief

Chronic City: Dispensary Ban -- Hey, Goleta, Nice Job Helping Patients!

The Goleta City Council has unanimously passed a "temporary" ban on medical marijuana dispensaries -- while still claiming the city is "voicing support" for medical marijuana patients.The Santa Barbara Independent reports that the council voted 5-0 in support of an ordinance banning dispensaries wit ... More >>

Posterized: Public Defender Takes Budget Battle To the Streets

In this space we've detailed the increasingly strident and -- at times -- surreal game of "budget chicken" between Public Defender Jeff Adachi and the mayor and his allies. Mayor Gavin Newsom is set to submit a budget on June 1, and Newsom Spokesman Nathan Ballard has repeatedly said that if Adachi ... 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 >>

SEIU: Mayor Agrees to Push 'Tax Hike' For November Ballot

Following a marathon negotiating session with the mayor's office, the SEIU last week agreed to a series of concessions that could save the city scores of millions of dollars. The details of those concessions were not released to the public, but SF Weekly tracked down an inside SEIU source who explai ... 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 >>

Adachi Straps Brick to Accelerator in Game of Budget Chicken With Mayor

Jeff Adachi personally showed up for this photo, tooAfter last week grumbling to SF Weekly that Mayor Gavin Newsom had welshed on his promise to provide a "couple of attorneys" to staff the city's fledgling Community Justice Center, Public Defender Jeff Adachi has resorted to theatrically ridiculing ... More >>

Would-Be Newsom Neighbor Criticizes Mayor's Wanton Parking, Fuel Consumption

This 'green' vehicle is missing only the turretAn irate citizen looking to invest in property a Vitalis bottle's toss from Mayor Gavin Newsom's Russian Hill penthouse dialed The Snitch in a huff over the mayor's much-ballyhooed hybrid Chevy Tahoe. Apart from the fact that a hybrid Tahoe is the trans ... 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: The Supes are Back. Do We Need Them?

SF Government InAction: If Anyone at City Hall was Paying Attention to the Civil Grand Jury Report, They'd be Furious. Fortunately, That Never Happens!

Who You Gonna Call?

Gavin hopes it's 311.

Last Night: Margaret Cho Day at City Hall

Supes Spread Manure

Their anti-Newsom campaigning is preventing more affordable housing

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 …

Cesar Chavez Area Stabbings and Shootings Contribute to Failed Fanatics Sports Bar and Grill: The Derf Butler Story

San Francisco Mayoral Candidates Get Arrested

America, The Violent: Guns End More and More Spats

Daly Reconsidering Run for Mayor

Quality of Hype

Aggressive panhandlers are not getting the gentle, loving care they so need from the city

Top Prize

Not that we'd hound the mayor's former mistress, but if we did, here's a list of questions we'd promise not to ask.

Raiders of the Lost Key

In which we search - and search, and search - for the missing Key to San Francisco

Mecklin

Get Me Rewrite

Rage Against the Machine

Tom Ammiano's mayoral bid: inside the campaign that has become a cause

Exile's Return

A bete noire of the liberal juvenile justice crowd reappears -- maybe

State and National Candidates

Civilian Brass

Hook, Line, & Stinker

Everyone loves the 49ers. But even love has its limits. Are taxpayers willing to subsidize millionaire owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr.'s dreams of a new stadium when economists say it's a bad deal

Dog Bites