The Bay City Beacon

ICE Detains Union Worker, Labor Union Fights Back

June 06, 2017 | By Jordan DeAngelo

Protesters chanted, “Free Rodrigo Now” and “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” Most were members of District Council 16, a local union that represents painters and allied workers, gathered in front of ICE’s San Francisco location yesterday to protest the detainment of one of its members and a member of another local union, Carpenters Local 68. (Read More)

“Market” Isn't a Dirty Word, Nor is “Government” [UnintendedConsequences]

June 06, 2017 | By Cathy Reisenwitz

“Market” and “Government” aren’t bad words - you’re just using them wrong. (Read More)

Risky Business: Inclusionary Zoning Compromise Good Politics or Good Policy?

June 05, 2017 | By Jack Segal

After a protracted fight on the Board of Supervisors over setting new on-site affordable housing requirements, Supervisors Breed and Safai have joined forces with their former adversaries, Supervisors Kim and Peskin. (Read More)

Hard Hats Play Hardball: Project Labor Agreements and the Quagmire of Union Politics

June 02, 2017 | By Diego Aguilar-Canabal

When city governments forge deals with labor unions, even overwhelmingly liberal cities like San Francisco get a taste of conservative political grudges. (Read More)

Fines or Jail Time for Wrongful Evictions?

June 01, 2017 | By Gillian Rose Brassil

Two competing bills aim to strengthen penalties for landlords who break the law. (Read More)

What Is 'Neoliberalism' Exactly? [GuestOpEd]

May 31, 2017 | By Sonja Trauss

If you’ve been following the local slop wars we call SF politics you might have noticed a new word being flung at YIMBY pro-housing advocates - “neoliberal’ - and wondered what it means. (Read More)

Bootleggers & Baptists: Should Sacramento Have a Say Over Your Neighborhood? [UnintendedConsequences]

May 30, 2017 | By Cathy Reisenwitz

This week SB 35, which disempowers communities from blocking more housing, heads to the State Senate for a vote. (Read More)

Beneath State Party Drama, There's a Basic Human Struggle [OpEd]

May 30, 2017 | By Mike Ege

California Democrats saw a bitter leadership battle echoing the rift of the 2016 primary. The aftermath offers some fundamental lessons we need to learn. (Read More)

Supes Braced for Deluge of Groundwater Complaints

May 26, 2017 | By Mike Ege

San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission plans to blend more groundwater into the City's supply faced scrutiny at this week's meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee. (Read More)

BOS In 3 Mins or Less

May 26, 2017 | By Daniel Herzstein

This week at the Board of Supervisors; Supervisor Katy Tang stands strong and scores a major victory on Home-SF, Airbnb's settlement with the City is approved, and the inclusionary zoning legislation vote is delayed (again). (Read More)

The Surprisingly Formidable District 2 Voting Bloc [SFByTheNumbers]

May 23, 2017 | By Andy Mullan

Supervisor Mark Farrell has been in the news an awful lot these days. (Read More)

A Surprising Suggestion for the Prop 13 Quagmire [GuestOpinion]

May 22, 2017 | By Cathy Reisenwitz

I am walking to the Noe Valley Whole Foods when I’m accosted by a large man who wants to talk about better funding for California public schools. (Read More)

A City Without Ice Cream Makers?

May 19, 2017 | By Joel Engardio

At seven months pregnant, Rica Kwan stood for five hours serving ice cream to nearly 1,000 people on a hot afternoon. (Read More)

BOS in 3 Mins or Less

May 18, 2017 | By Daniel Herzstein

In the Board of Supervisors this week: Supervisor Katy Tang's Home-SF Program gets postponed (again), 130 units of affordable housing could be built at 27 Bryant, and Supervisor Yee joins the fight against Skynet by proposing a ban on delivery robots. (Read More)

Guest Op-Ed: California Must Reform Prop 13

May 17, 2017 | By Arman Kalyani

Proposition 13 was sold to Californians as a way to protect homeowners, by capping property taxes at 1975 levels. (Read More)

SF Voters Polled Before Major Housing Legislation Battle

May 15, 2017 | By Diego Aguilar-Canabal

Last week, San Francisco voters were polled on whether they would support a special election in 2017 to set a 24% affordable housing requirement for new residential construction. (Read More)

IssueBriefing: Background Checks for Uber and Lyft

May 12, 2017 | By Rhea Karuturi

As ride sharing apps like Uber and Lyft expand their base through cities around the world, legislation has struggled to keep up. (Read More)

BOS In 3 Mins or Less

May 12, 2017 | By Daniel Herzstein

This week at the Board of Supervisors - a 117-unit Mission development project finally moves forward after months at the Board, and Supervisor Breed makes moves to create a Japantown Community Benefit District and a new Booker T. Washington Community Center. (Read More)

Ethics Commission Embroiled in Ethics Skirmish

May 10, 2017 | By Diego Aguilar-Canabal

What happens when the San Francisco Ethics Commission is accused of acting unethically? We’re about to find out. (Read More)

[GuestOpinion] Confessions of a "Newbie" Developer

May 09, 2017 | By Robert Tillman

I am an “accidental” developer of a 75-unit rental project in the Mission. (Read More)