The Weekly Digest (December 18, 2022)
Happy Sunday, Brionies! We’re entering primetime holiday season: Tonight’s the first night of Hanukkah, next Sunday is Christmas, and the Sunday after is New Year’s – so, the next edition of the Weekly Digest will go live on January 8. Here’s what you need to know about San Francisco politics this week, and beyond:
City Hall
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and its committees are in recess until January 9. Enjoy this brief respite from our elected officials.
Happenings around town
Hoover Book Club: In Conversation with Economist Russ Roberts
Tuesday, December 20 at 10am (virtual program)
Supervisor Matt Dorsey’s swearing-in ceremony
Sunday, January 8 at 11am, Delancey Street Foundation (600 The Embarcadero)
The Life and Times of George P. Shultz: A Conversation with Condoleeza Rice and Philip Taubman
Wednesday, January 11 at 6:30pm, The Hoover Institution (Stanford, CA)
Friday-Saturday, January 27-28, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (Simi Valley, CA)
What we’re reading
California's environmental legislation bites the hand that feeds.
To no one’s surprise, the fiscal outlook for our fair city is pretty ugly, and only looks to get worse. After years of vilifying the tech industry, endless tax increases, and making it nearly impossible for small businesses to survive, San Francisco is about to enter the “find out” stage of the “f**k around and find out” cycle.
Speaking of making things difficult for small businesses, a few months ago Glen Park’s Canyon Market was suffering from a rodent infestation caused by a mentally ill woman dropping bird seed around the store. Did our local government compel the woman into treatment to both help her and prevent further injury to the grocery? Lol, no. They just shut Canyon Market down. Now, it’s being sold to Gus’ – and we have one less independent business and one more branch of a (well-liked) chain.
According to the Chronicle, it takes 627 days just to get a permit to build housing in San Francisco. This is yet more shoddy reporting by a once-fine newspaper – everyone knows you can just bribe DBI to get a permit much, much sooner.
For once, San Francisco is not the source of the most embarrassing social justice nonsense of the week. Woohoo, we’re not number one! We’re not number one!
Okay, don’t get too excited: Any Plan for the Central Freeway Must Be Community-Led, New Coalition Says. Read as “Don’t Even Think About Not Paying Us Our Usual Extortion Fee, San Francisco.”