THURSDAY, August 1, 2024
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Another $16 billion
by John Zipperer
Editor in Chief, The Voice of San Francisco
According to a report from the World Economic Forum, cases of malaria could be reduced by 90 percent by 2030, boosting Africa’s GDP by $16 billion a year.
Around the world, there are 54 countries with gross domestic products of less than $16 billion each. Billionaire Anant Ambani could be married 26.7 more times for that amount. It’s about eight times the average city budget in America’s 100 largest cities. For that cost, we could build about 15 more Salesforce Towers.
Why am I musing about $16 billion?
Today, San Francisco Mayor London Breed signed into law the city’s FY 2024–25 budget, which comes in just under $16 billion at $15.9 billion. It’s followed by a $15.5 billion budget for FY 2025–26. These resulted after the city managed to erase a two-year deficit of $789 million. With numbers that big, it’s hard to think in terms of penny pinching, but the city elders did manage to balance the budget, so — yay?
I suspect San Francisco residents — and taxpayers — will be interested to know what gets continued funding while other services are restrained. Any increase in police staffing comes only after much political sturm und drang, for example. Yet when was the last time the city closed a commission for lack of money? How many old and unsuccessful initiatives get closed down? (I have a journalist friend who once suggested an agency where you could induce a panic if you requested a record of its accomplishments and expenditures — the former being zilch and the latter being significant.)
I have no great point here other than to say people who are interested in this very rich city’s moneys being spent wisely and frugally need to stay abreast of what their elected officials (and the unelected officials appointed by them) are doing. Read the news. Attend (or watch live streams of) candidate forums. And be an informed and active voter, whoever you vote for.
Okay, sermon over. We’ve got a bumper crop of new articles on the site; check out the links below, or just bookmark our homepage to see the latest.
Top News
Supervisors play ballot bingo with charter amendments
ELECTION 2024
by Mike Ege
City Hall, as usual, is determined to make the Nov. 5 ballot a chore for San Franciscans. It’s expected to feature up to 14 different propositions for voters to decide upon, ranging from a controversial plebiscite to fully close the Great Highway to vehicle traffic to bond measures aiming to fund schools, mental health facilities, street safety, and affordable housing to new revisions to the city’s business taxes and proposed new taxes on Waymo and Uber revenues to fund Muni. But eight of these are amendments to the City Charter, which, if passed, would make longer-term changes to how the city and county conducts business […]
Kyra Worthy charged with a Trump-like 34 felonies
After two years and nearly $4 million, Communities of Opportunity had little to show for it except overpaid consultants and a performance by Def Jam
SOTTO VOCE
by Susan Dyer Reynolds
Disparate voices: Reactions to Governor Newsom’s encampment order
A roundup of responses to latest homeless move by the state
NEWS
by John Zipperer
ICYMI
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EVENTS
Out and About
What to do this weekend
By Lynette Majer
Managing Editor, The Voice of San Francisco
We’ve grown up and decided we didn’t want to be as big as we thought, so welcome to our new weekend-only version of Out and About. Here are my picks:
Friday, Aug. 2
Head down to the Ferry Building for Sundown Cinema’s showing of Barbie from 6–10 p.m. Get there early to find the best seating, grab some eats, and enjoy the preshow entertainment. Reserve here for a chance to win reserved seating, or just show up. Free admission.
Saturday, Aug. 3
Take a drive down to Pacifica State Beach for the World Dog Surfing Contest. Yep, you read that right, it’s a thing, a very serious thing for proud pet parents. And it’s a kick. Free admission.
Listen up! Our podcasts
- John Rothmann: Good news from the University of California system
- Voice Weekly: Jared Klickstein on Addiction, Survival and Recovery on the Streets
- John Rothmann: A book store burns in Oakland and we have lost treasures
- Voice Weekly: Answering Questions About Replacing Biden—Melissa Caen Explains the Law
- Plus more (and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music/Audible or everywhere else you get your favorite podcasts)
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