The NIMBY Tyrant of Telegraph Hill
In 1991, Rodel Rodis was appointed to a vacancy on the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) board and was elected to the post in 1992, becoming the first Filipino elected to public office in city history. After winning reelection in 1996, Rodis was elected CCSF board president in 1998. In an April 3, 2014,…
Out and about
There’s always a lot going on here in the city, and here are just a few highlights that caught my eye. Friday, May 10 Smuin Contemporary Ballet promises a rollicking…
Financial crisis facing San Francisco public schools is also a test for mayoral candidates
As The Voice of San Francisco reported last week, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is facing its most significant financial crisis since passage of Proposition 13 in 1978.…
Portrait by Lavinia Fontana from 17th century acquired by the FAMSF
Lavinia Fontana was one of the most compelling portraitists of her time. As a painter, she was known for her exquisite descriptions of costumes and jewelry and her expressive portrayals of women and children. The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco has announced the acquisition of Portrait of Bianca delgi…
DPW threatens health care facility with legal action over planters
The battle over planters and tents on San Francisco sidewalks is intensifying. On one side are the residents and business owners who have used the seemingly innocuous metal containers as a way to mitigate the damage and chaos caused by drug-filled encampments. When installed, they take the place of tents,…
Film franchise fatigue
Over the past few weeks, the public-relations divisions of the Disney entertainment megalith and its associated branch, Marvel Studios, have been hard at work, preparing millions of potential ticket-buyers for the release of Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26. That’s roughly three months away, but this is a significant moment…
DCCC grapples with sex abuse claims
A special committee of the San Francisco Democratic Party held the first of multiple meetings last Thursday, May 2 to address sexual abuse in local…
Scathing state report on S.F. school district describes schools at high risk of fiscal insolvency
At the upcoming May 7 school board meeting, San Franciscans will learn the details of a scathing report from state fiscal monitors that documents the…
45th Decorator Showcase 2024: Bliss Estate
Over the years, I’ve toured at least a dozen homes featured in the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, the annual fundraiser for University High School. One…
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SCOTUS must overturn Johnson v. Grants Pass
On April 22, the Supreme Court heard arguments for and against the Johnson v. Grants Pass case, and they will decide sometime this summer whether it’s…
A personal tribute to John Rothmann
John Rothmann has had a tremendous career with enormous accomplishments. He started his illustrious achievements at a young age by being appointed the San Francisco mayor for the day, followed by becoming the student body president at George Washington High…
The NIMBY Tyrant of Telegraph Hill
Ask any politically knowledgeable person in San Francisco how they feel about Aaron Peskin and the response will likely be black or white. Those who consider themselves YIMBYs — a colloquialism for “yes in my backyard” — will point to…
City funnels billions of dollars to homelessness nonprofits without requiring performance reviews
“Homelessness is not designed to be solved. It is designed to be perpetuated. It is to treat the problem, not solve it.”— Former mayor Willie Brown in the CNN documentary, “What Happened to San Francisco?” I have been a critic…
Battle at the DCCC
San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee held its first meeting on April 19 after a March primary election that handed a supermajority to business-backed centrists. However, the four-hour meeting in a conference room with no Wi-Fi or cell service in the basement…
Anh Peng Taylor case raises questions about judges appointing judges in San Francisco
The continued quest for justice for Anh Peng Taylor, the 97-year-old immigrant who was stabbed and struck on Post Street in 2021, exposes to the…
Survival and salvation
Period movies, especially those that are somewhat fictionalized narratives drawn from personal experience or scrupulous research, benefit from a sense of you-are-there verity. That verisimilitude…
NAR and the ‘price plunge’ delusion
The Realtors had it coming. At least according to much of the reaction to the recent blockbuster moves by the real estate broker group National…
Rogue Covid testers unlawfully targeting San Francisco’s drug users
On April 18, 2024, a small white foldout table was set up on the corner of Polk and Geary Streets. A man with a cell…
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