THIS WEEK AT THE VOICE FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025
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Immodest Proposals
by Mike Ege
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
Remember when Rachel Maddow ended her broadcasts with “You’re going to prison?” I think I’m starting to believe her.
I can’t stop thinking about Alcatraz. And it’s not just because Point Blank and The Rock are among my favorite films. Yes, I know it’s just a distraction from annexing Canada to make up for disembowling Medicare or some such. And I’m clearly not the only one.
The San Francisco Standard is also obsessed with Alcatraz. They apparently (very briefly) published an op-ed that said former Supervisor Aaron Peskin should be locked up there. “Get in the cage, Aaron Peskin! You like preserving historic buildings, buddy? Now you’ll be preserved inside of one!” it said before being pulled by editors. As it turns out, Google Alerts was able to crawl the story before it was kiboshed.
This is on top of an alarmingly busy news week in the city after several slow ones. Among other things: San Francisco needs to find a new police chief, just in time for budget season.
When he’s not swimming to Alcatraz, Peskin tries his best to keep the city locked in amber. We have a follow-up to our report on his North Beach Historic District plan, which has him in a standoff with the city. We discuss how similar plans in other cities, and what happens to them, may affect the plan’s success.
As for the budget, we’re starting a monster series on the city budget and what needs to be done with it this week. Click on our homepage to read the first four of 13 installments.
Also on tap is a new report on San Francisco’s courts and how out of touch they may be with San Francisco’s public safety priorities.
Plus, more coverage of Muni’s attempt to adapt to a changing city, and Forrest Liu returns with a look at how city hall can sometimes pose pitfalls to generational wealth for Asian immigrants and other communities.
Check out links to our latest content below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
NEIGHBORHOODS
Standoff over North Beach preservation plan continues
State commission postponed consideration until at least August; San Mateo proposal possibly also in mix
by Mike Ege
A proposal to make San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood into a federal historic district, which has attracted criticism from property owners, housing advocates, and City Hall, remains on hold while the state commission responsible for recommending the plan looks into whether proper public notice was given. A similar proposal for a neighborhood in San Mateo, also up for consideration, may well influence whether such plans, which many argue are designed to insulate select communities from state housing production obligations, can go forward.
LAW & ORDER
San Francisco Court Watch: Voters in the mist
Part 2 in a series about the San Francisco Superior Court and its judges
by Liz Le
TRANSPORTATION
Study underway to expand Muni subway capacity in the future
SFMTA is preparing for a wave of new residents as the city sets out to build 82,000 housing units
by Jerold Chinn
Quote of the week
“Let’s start with a clear, if uncomfortable, truth: San Francisco’s budget is too high. At approximately $16 billion for a city of just 830,000 residents, that might seem obvious — but the numbers back it up.”
— Marie Hurabiell on the leviathan that is San Francisco’s city budget. The first four installments of her report were published this week.
Nomi toon
In Case You Missed It
CITY HALL
San Francisco’s budget by the numbers: A population perspective
Part 1 in a 13-part series on San Francisco’s budget
by Marie Hurabiell
NEWS
Philhour vies for police commission post
Richmond activist, candidate among five applicants to replace Yañez
by Mike Ege
OPINION
Family values are Asian values: The right to prosperity
Part 3 in a multipart series amplifying Asian voices in our city
by Forrest Liu
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EVENTS
Out and about May 8–14, 2025
From films to plays and music, comedy, and more, here are my picks for the week.
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
Thursday, May 8
It’s opening night of CAAMFest with Third Act, directed by Tadashi Nakamura, which tells the story of his father’s life and also represents the third act of his family’s immigration story, and keeping that legacy alive. Nakamura, the film’s producer, and the editor will host a Q. and A. following the film screening. The festival is the nation’s leading showcase for Asian American films. Through Saturday. Tickets from $25.
Valencia Live! is a new night market on second Thursdays in the American Indian Cultural District that will focus on music and art, and will also feature a clothing swap, a pop-up craft market, three stages for all that music, family activities, and more, including lots of food from the local eateries and bars. Through October. Free with RSVP (which will also unlock special offers).
Friday, May 9
Marin Shakespeare recently had their NEA funding revoked for their upcoming production of Cinderella: Liberator, a “story of self-determination, kindness, and the power of choosing one’s own destiny, offering community a narrative where liberation comes from within rather than from a prince.” Support them tonight with a gender-inclusive Romeo/Juliet. Through Saturday. Tickets from $15.
San Francisco favorite Paula West will perform her interpretations of an eclectic selection of songs from the Great American songbook to David Bowie and Johnny Cash. Through Saturday. Tickets: $40.
Celebrate 60 years of Grateful Dead music with Jazz Mafia’s Grateful Brass as they bring the Dead’s music to life with their horns, drums, and vocals fusing jazz, funk, and their improvisational spirit, performed with a liquid light show by Mad Alchemy. Tickets from $30.
Listen to our podcasts
- The selection of a new police chief and Smart and Final in the Western Addition?
- Our transportation crisis in the spotlight
- It all comes down to what we want San Francisco to look like in the future
- Alcatraz, lawyers standing up and the impact of research cuts
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
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