Sean Elsbernd

SF Gov't InAction: 2,400 Square Feet in SF Renting for only $200. WHAT?

SF Gov InAction: Special "Budget Week" Edition! DO: Tip Your Skycap! DON'T: Pay Any Fees

When Hospitals Become 'Hoods: Evidence That Privatizing Security Guards is a Baaaad Idea

SF Gov InAction: Supes find New Ways to Threaten Newsom. Plus: Can You Feel the Ground Shaking? That's this Week's BIG Meeting!

News & Booze Friday: It's ELECTION-O-RAMA!

SF Government InAction: We blame everybody. EVERYBODY!

By Benjamin Wachs San Francisco has managed to come out of the most hopeful election in US memory more divided than ever. It’s not because Prop 8 passed – everybody loses at some point in a Democracy. It’s because our search for someone to blame has now got us hating each other even more ... More >>

Lawyer Brawl: Public Defender Says Supervisor 'Has No Idea What He's Doing.' Supe Retorts Public Defender Is a 'Horrible' Administrator

There's no love lost right now between Supervisor Sean Elsbernd (left) and Public Defender Jeff AdachiPerhaps disproving the scientific theory Mo' Money, Mo' Problems, a critical lack of the stuff has touched off a nasty feud between Public Defender Jeff Adachi and Supervisor Sean Elsbernd. After El ... More >>

Adachi! Elsbernd! Nasty to Each Other! In Public! On Video!

Earlier this week we wrote about how Supervisor Sean Elsbernd and Public Defender Jeff Adachi had transcended the bounds of normal government decorum and were now trading barbs that, in a more genteel time, would have resulted in tumblers of bourbon being emptied onto one another's faces and battles ... More >>

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 >>

The 25 Worst/Least Likely Names For the Newsom Baby

The French delegation humbly suggests "Marcel" for a boy or "Germaine" for a girlWhat the hell is going on there at City Hall? Sean Elsbernd, Ross Mirkarimi, Michela Alioto-Pier's staff, random statues -- everyone is cranking a kid these days. Can we tie this in to the Sean Penn scenes filmed on loc ... More >>

SF Gov InAction: Supes To Be Renamed 'The Super Friends' And Only Use Powers For Good. PLUS: Is Gavin Newsom a Cylon?

Monday, March 30, 1 p.m. - Land Use & Economic Development Committee I'm thinking of holding a garage sale. My worldly possessions -- not to brag -- include a bag of kumquats, a DVD of Waking Life, a book of commonly used Scottish phrases, and a bottle of something that this guy on the corner ... More >>

Ill-Conceived Law

Monday, March 30, 1 p.m. - Land Use & Economic Development Committee I'm thinking of holding a garage sale. My worldly possessions -- not to brag -- include a bag of kumquats, a DVD of Waking Life, a book of commonly used Scottish phrases, and a bottle of something that this guy on the corner ... More >>

Horns Aplenty

Monday, March 30, 1 p.m. - Land Use & Economic Development Committee I'm thinking of holding a garage sale. My worldly possessions -- not to brag -- include a bag of kumquats, a DVD of Waking Life, a book of commonly used Scottish phrases, and a bottle of something that this guy on the corner ... More >>

Point Adachi: Controller's Audit of Public Defender's Office Bolsters Claim Farming Out Cases to Private Attorneys Would Cost City More

Richard BuiJeff Adachi survived his probing by the city controller -- and is now proudly boasting the resultsSome of you may remember the very public tête-à-tête between Public Defender Jeff Adachi and Supervisor Sean Elsbernd earlier this year. Sparked by Adachi's request to hire more paraleg ... More >>

Pride Rides: Leno, Mirkarimi Give Shout-Out to City Car Share, Daly Gives Us The Finger

There's no legal argument Dennis Herrera can make to convince us this car ain't a beaut...Yesterday we began answering the eternal question: If a tree fell in the forest and no one was there to hear it -- what kind of cars would your elected representatives ride in Sunday's Pride Parade? Our persona ... More >>

Will Supes Vote to Save $31 million -- Or to Save Their Asses?

San Francisco likely won't be outsourcing any jobs in the near futureThe issue of contracting out city services to private firms has long been the third-rail of San Francisco politics. Even though outsourcing would save taxpayers a lot of money, the city's supervisors almost never approve a departm ... 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 >>

Charter Amendments Ahoy! Supes' Last Chance to Really Tool Around With City Today.

Of course this is the city's charter! Don't you recognize Chris Daly's handwriting? ​San Francisco supervisors have long known that there ain' t no party like a charter amendment party because a charter amendment party don't stop. Unless you don't get five other votes from your colleagues. Then th ... More >>

Supe Confronts Unions, Runaway Health Spending With ... MATH!

​In San Francisco politics, brazenly picking a fight with powerful labor unions is the equivalent of wandering into Yom Kippur services while wearing an outfit entirely made of bacon -- with shellfish for the buttons. And yet, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd has done just that. At today's final board mee ... More >>

Who Will Be Thrown Under the Bus? Supe, Muni Union Up Ante in Duel.

Lo, what's this on my seat? Ah, a polemic! ​Muni riders yesterday may have discovered something unexpected on their seats -- no, not that. Thousands of pamphlets penned by Transportation Workers Union president Irwin Lum decrying Supervisor Sean Elsbernd and a recent article written about him in t ... 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: Hearing About Muni Is No More Disturbing Than it Needs to Be

  Dear Alleged Readers: I'm burned out on politics. The meetings, the hearings, the the petty egos ... and that's just Bevan Dufty's schedule last week. I need to take a break. So over the next several weeks I'll be asking some of my favorite local analysts, writers, bloggers, and perso ... 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 >>

SF Gov InAction: 'Special Tax' Not To Be Paid By 'Special Taxpayers'

Hello government watchers: I understand there was a sighting of a red-crested Avalos last week! Very exciting! I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you to share such a great moment. However, I do have exciting news. No longer am I going to waste my vacation with frivolous pursuits like finding the ... 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 >>

Speier Not Running for AG, Horde of Upwardly Mobile Pols Staying Put

Rep. Jackie Speier, seen here with Stephen Colbert, will continue her ride in Washington, D.C. ​Rep. Jackie Speier's newly minted spokesman Nathan Ballard just informed the world that his boss will not be leaving Congress to run for state Attorney General. Congressional seats rarely open -- especi ... More >>

Will Hard Times Bring Out the Progressives' Inner Elsbernd?

Does pension reform seem like a good idea now? ​It doesn't seem likely that many elected members of San Francisco's government want to stand up and bellow about how pension reform is bunk -- they're just fine with the way things are. At least that's what Supervisor Sean Elsbernd is counting on. Yo ... More >>

The Odd Couple: Former Combatants Adachi, Elsbernd Bond Over Pension Reform

Felix, Oscar; Sean, Jeff. Sean, Jeff; Felix, Oscar.​When we last covered the interaction of Public Defender Jeff Adachi and Westside Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, the latter was cutting the former off in mid-sentence -- and the former was giving the stare-of-death to the latter. In the epic battle ove ... More >>

Will City Manage to *Lose* Money on Pension 'Reform'?

It's like gaining weight on a diet...​You'd think even San Francisco wouldn't manage to formulate a "solution" for pension reform that actually costs millions more in both the long-run and short-run. Right? Right? Well -- apparently not. We've written a bit about Supervisor Sean Elsbernd and his p ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Expect Muni-Related Drama at Today's Supes Meeting

Bryan DemplerWe predict service cuts will miss their train...​The Board of Supervisors today will weigh in on a highly technical matter -- but one that affects hundreds of thousands of people, and draws hundreds of enraged commentators at city meetings. Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, for one, is expect ... More >>

San Francisco to Boycott Arizona

​The Board of Supervisors today approved a resolution calling for a boycott of the state of Arizona -- but how sharp the teeth are of said boycott remains to be seen. The resolution that passed today does a lot of "urging." It encourages -- but does not mandate -- cutting ties with Arizona "to the ... More >>

Gavin Newsom Attempting to Grab Reins of 'Fix Muni Now' Bandwagon

It's my happening -- and it's freaking me out! ​Any adult who has ever suffered through Teletubbies or Blues Clues quickly discerns this about the toddler set: They thrive on repetition. Say what you will about San Francisco politics, but it's much the same. Once again, Mayor Gavin Newsom is arriv ... More >>

Can Anything Stop 'Fix Muni Now'?

​Supervisor Sean Elsbernd yesterday turned in his trove of signatures for the "Fix Muni Now" petition, which will almost certainly qualify the transit reform measure for the ballot. And once it's on the ballot, it's hard to foresee a scenario in which the measure would lose -- as the supervisor wa ... More >>

Baseball in Candlestick Park? Millions of Reasons to Say No.

​Not long ago, Supervisor Sean Elsbernd had an idea that was either wonderful or terrible or wonderful because it was so terrible. Since 2010 is the 50th anniversary of the first Giants game at Candlestick Park, why not have a game there to commemorate it? At first blush, the notion of giving up a ... More >>

Can Scott Wiener Ride 'Fix Muni Now' Bus to Victory?

Scott Wiener's new roommate is very electable. Will he be, too?​District 8 supervisor candidate Scott Wiener has announced that not only is he a big supporter of the "Fix Muni Now" measure -- he's its new roommate. The moderate candidate and Supervisor Sean Elsbernd's campaign to force Muni driver ... More >>

Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper Grab Some Pine at Board of Supervisors Meeting

Kruk and Kuip win the pennant. Actually, it's an honorary resolution. ​Back when Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper played for the Giants at Candlestick Park, fans brave -- or foolhardy -- enough to stick around for an extra-inning night game received a Croix de Candlestick pin. The duo -- the team's br ... More >>

Muni Drivers Set to Receive $8 Million in Raises

Your driver ought to be cheery today​In a development that figures to play about as well as whipping out a boom box at a funeral, Muni drivers are set to receive millions in raises in the wake of a finalized city budget balanced by a quarter of a billion dollars in union give-backs. The folks ridi ... More >>

Fix Muni Now Prop. G Will Lead to Fewer Pee Breaks, Driver's Union Claims

The charter amendment backed by San Francisco Supervisor Sean Elsbernd to end the guarantee that Muni drivers earn the second-highest wages in the nation could have some pretty far-reaching repercussions.For one, said Irwin Lum, president of Transportation Workers Union Local 250-A,Expect to see mo ... More >>

Will Supes Approve $600K Ramp in Board Chambers?

It'll be a hell of a lot nicer than that...​Tucked away among $48 million worth of funding, the Board of Supervisors Budget Committe yesterday approved the funding of a $600,000 ramp in City Hall. We've written a little bit about this -- the ramp was originally priced at more than $1.1 million, bu ... More >>

City Hall Meeting 'Torture' For Giants-Loving Supe

SeanElsbernd.comThis is a happy baseball fan. Really.​The Board of Supervisors held their least productive meeting in recent history Tuesday, with Supervisor Sean Elsbernd -- the West of Twin Peaks representative known for his fiscal conservatism and no-nonsense manner -- absent from his seat for ... More >>

San Francisco's Next Mayor Is Royally Screwed

Our new city flag? ​Much speculation is under way as to who the Board of Supervisors will tap to succeed Gavin Newsom, who has finally managed to flee San Francisco politics. Less attention has been paid to the gift-wrapped turd Newsom presents his successor, whomever it may be. With a foot out th ... More >>

Harvey Milk's Chair -- Can It Be Given Away?

Won't anyone take Harvey's chair?​You'd think snagging Harvey Milk's old chair in the Board of Supervisors chambers would be an honor his political heirs would stand up for to sit down in.But you'd be wrong -- three times wrong. Supervisor Sean Elsbernd should know. He's been sitting there five ye ... More >>

Can San Francisco Tap Into Deborah Madden's Pension?

Deborah Madden is still smiling...​Disgraced former crime lab technician Deborah Madden will not face any criminal charges, despite triggering a scandal that led to millions of dollars in city costs and a literal Get Out of Jail Free card for thousands of accused drug criminals. Madden is now free ... More >>

Labor-Backed Plan for "Smoothing" Pension Plans Deemed Illegal

Deborah Madden is still smiling...​Disgraced former crime lab technician Deborah Madden will not face any criminal charges, despite triggering a scandal that led to millions of dollars in city costs and a literal Get Out of Jail Free card for thousands of accused drug criminals. Madden is now free ... More >>

The Billion-Dollar Bet: Which Pension Reform Measure Will Pass and Survive Legal Challenge

Deborah Madden is still smiling...​Disgraced former crime lab technician Deborah Madden will not face any criminal charges, despite triggering a scandal that led to millions of dollars in city costs and a literal Get Out of Jail Free card for thousands of accused drug criminals. Madden is now free ... More >>

"Emperor Norton Bridge" Turns 75

The man, the bridge, the resolution...​Other than partially collapsing, falling apart, and swelling into a costly boondoggle, San Franciscans don't think much about the Bay Bridge. For 75 years now it's been an ugly duckling and an afterthought. So most of us probably don't remember that our Board ... More >>