The Weekly Digest (December 15, 2024)
Happy Sunday, Brionies! Here’s what you need to know about local politics this week and beyond:
San Francisco City Hall
Tuesday, December 17 at 2pm – Regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors (agenda here):
This week’s meeting includes the monthly visit from the Mayor, which will be London Breed’s last. We wouldn’t be surprised if Supervisor Preskin brings cake.
Mayor Breed likely won’t enjoy her last visit to the Board, because Items 22, 23, and 24 are, respectively, motions rejecting her nominations to the Board of Appeals, the MTA Board of Directors, and the Police Commission. Unclear whether the supervisors intend to reject these candidates due to ideological differences or merely as a means to keep the seats vacant for Mayor-elect Lurie.
Items 32 through 35 are resolutions commending outgoing Supervisors Ahsha Safai, Hillary Ronen, Dean Preston, and Aaron Peskin. They deserve no such accolades. Whether it was blocking housing, defunding the police, or re-writing their own laws to favor prized constituents, these public servants made San Francisco a worse place. We won’t miss them. Although, Supervisor Ronen trying – and failing – to create a viral moment with Senator Ted Cruz might be a San Francisco moment for the ages.
Action item
As we note above, the Board of Supervisors is set to reject Mayor Breed’s nomination of Sara Barz to the MTA Board of Directors. We agree with the Board’s decision, as the lame duck mayor should not be able to fill an important vacancy on a body that will appoint the next Transportation Director after Jeffrey Tumlin’s impending exit. We encourage you to let the Board of Supes know you agree by sending them a pre-written email we’ve prepared for you.
Happenings around town
It’s the holiday season, so events are scarce. If schadenfreude is your thing, Manny’s is hosting a therapy session to cope with the Dem’s latest election losses. Otherwise, grab some nog and enjoy the Yuletide.
What we’re reading
Representative Nancy Pelosi recently fell and fractured her hip while honoring American servicemen who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. We wish her a speedy recovery.
Mayor-elect Lurie has announced his administration’s first hires. Lurie will appoint four policy directors to oversee the City’s 56 departments. Currently, all City departments report to the mayor through a single chief of staff. This is potentially a big City Hall shake-up and could ensure greater accountability for a City bureaucracy known for its bloat, graft, and inefficiency.
SFGate’s Alec Regimbal claims that “recalls are undemocratic” in response to a potential recall effort against Supervisor Joel Engardio. Regimbal argues that recalling Engardio “won’t do anything to stop Proposition K,” and “this recall effort is about punishing [Engardio].” Well, yes. Voters sometimes punish incumbents electorally for doing things they don’t like. One might argue that is the heart of democracy.
MTA Chief Jeffrey Tumlin will be riding his Schwinn off into the sunset at the end of this year. Projects during his tenure included: Slow Streets, closing Market Street and JFK Drive to cars, the Van Ness rapid transit lanes, bungled expansion of bike lanes (including the merchant-despised center bike lane on Valencia), the L-Taraval project debacle, and a leaky Chinatown subway with no riders. Not all of these were necessarily his idea, but public transit was a mess when Tumlin arrived and it remains a mess as he exits. Tumlin told the Chronicle he “felt a responsibility to ‘know when it is time to take all the frustration and grievance and bad feeling upon one’s person, and exit stage left’,” which sounds like something one would say as he walks out the door after dumping garbage on your couch.
Quick hits
SF church set to close due to City allegedly “harshing our mellow.”
Safeway to close struggling SF location over concerns about customer safety, theft.
Local attorney and Republican Party official tapped by Trump to lead DoJ division.
SF’s homeless families secured $50MM for shelter. Where is it?
Palate cleanser