San Francisco prides itself on setting up a system for opening up doors for fresh leaders — yet buried within its city charter is a quiet loophole that has allowed some politicians to remain in power, leaving no room for young people. Is this intentional or incidental? District 5 Supervisor Bilal Mahmood has proposed a […]
Tag: san francisco
San Francisco’s Congressional Race May Predict the Future of the Democratic Party
San Francisco may be a bellwether for November’s midterms, and the future of the Democratic Party. Last November, when U.S. Representative and former speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her long-anticipated retirement, she vacated a seat held for nearly four decades, and gave San Franciscan voters a once-in-a-generation choice. As the growing shadow of […]
San Francisco Fails to Meet the Tenderloin Where They Are At
San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood harbors the weight of the city’s ongoing drug and homelessness crisis, and the City and County of San Francisco has failed to deliver substantial and long-lasting government policies to address the neighborhood’s plight. From police sweeps to coordinated entry, harm reduction to interim shelters, the City of San Francisco has consistently […]
San Francisco’s Fleet Week Should Have Been Cancelled
The ongoing federal government shutdown threatened to cancel San Francisco’s annual celebration of the United States military. But with the aid of international allies, Fleet Week prevailed. Over Italian Heritage Weekend, four military jet fleets and one commercial airline team roared across the Bay Area skies. Rather than the traditional parade of ships that grace […]
How Opposition to Affordable Housing Shapes San Francisco’s Wealth Divide
Pacific Heights and the Tenderloin are two neighborhoods in San Francisco that practically touch, separated by mere blocks. Yet, Pacific Heights is regarded by anyone familiar with San Francisco as an affluent and exclusive enclave in the city, an assumption supported by the median household income of $190,518. Right next door sits the Tenderloin, a […]
Do Recalls Have a Place in CA Politics? Joel Engardio and the Great Highway
Proposition K was a ballot measure introduced in San Francisco’s fall 2024 general election which proposed the permanent closure of a portion of the Great Highway to motor vehicles. The measure was highly contested. It allowed the city to convert the Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard into a public recreation space, which […]
Flight to the Right: How Democrats Lost San Francisco Asian Americans
In a historically progressive city, San Francisco’s Asian American community showed up and showed out in support of right-wing candidates and policies down the ballot in the 2024 election. While Trump’s share of Black and Latino voters hardly shifted, Trump captured Asian Americans in tension with the Democratic Party. After President Donald Trump’s onslaught of […]
Overcoming Public Transit’s Fiscal Cliff
Public transit agencies have been facing a “fiscal cliff,” a looming budget shortfall as federal COVID-19 relief expires but transit ridership and fare revenue remain below pre-pandemic levels. According to an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) survey, half of the nation’s public transit agencies are expected to be impacted within the next few years. To […]
The Corruption Blame-Game: San Francisco’s Mayoral Election
Corruption, the age-old critique of local politics. And this year, San Francisco mayoral candidates seem to enjoy singing that worn-out tune. September 19th’s mayoral debate was no exception, with Mayor London Breed being slammed for her involvement in corruption. Breed was quick to dismiss these accusations. She seemed to claim that corruption is a natural […]
Propositions E and F in San Francisco: Hurtful or Helpful?
How can a city regarded as one of the most liberal cities in America vote in favor of two conservative, and likely consequential, propositions? This question encompassed the minds of overwhelmingly liberal San Franciscans in the weeks following March’s primary election. Both San Francisco Proposition E and F dealt with how San Francisco handles two […]