San Francisco Faces Major Battles in 2006

by Randy Shaw via Beyond Chron

Tue, Jan 3, 2006 9:25AM

After 2005 focused on the Governor’s statewide ballot initiatives, San Francisco faces some critical local issues in 2006. Should the city continue to approve luxury condos in exchange for affordable housing and other community benefits, or is this trade-off not worth the resulting gentrification? Will the Mayor and Supes continue balancing the budget by cutting services and raising fees, or instead seek voter approval for new taxes? Debate over these key issues has a citywide focus, but is also central to the battle over making Mid-Market a Redevelopment Area. This proposal to deny low-income residents the power to influence land-use decisions in their community will either expose the hypocrisy of San Francisco’s “liberal” reputation or show that the city has learned from its past; the issue also forces the Mayor and Board to seriously analyze how the city can maintain its services longterm when the bulk of projected new tax revenue is diverted to the Redevelopment Agency. Add rising homicides, the exodus of kids from the city, and a new round of salary negotiations with city unions and it is clear why 2006 will test Mayor Newsom’s political leadership as never before.

As 2006 begins, San Francisco’s support for luxury housing developments, service cuts and fee increases to cover the city budget, and the rapid expansion of Redevelopment Areas is being challenged by progressives and conservatives alike. This could be the first year since the height of the dot-com boom in 2000 when the public and politicians chart a new direction for San Francisco’s future.

On the development front, the luxury towers approved for Rincon Hill have become akin to the Bryant Square project in 2000 that galvanized opposition to the “build everything” policies of Mayor Willie Brown. Progressives increasingly believe that the community benefits obtained in exchange for luxury development are outweighed by the social costs.

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§Political Races of 2006: A Preview

by Casey Mills via Beyond Chron (reposted)

Tue, Jan 3, 2006 9:25AM

Locally, 2005 ended up being a relatively quiet election year. ’06, however, should be quite different. With five Supervisor’s races, contested State Assembly and Senate races, a formidable list of ballot initiatives in the pipeline, and the entire Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) up for grabs, we could begin to see fireworks quite soon. Voters will head to the polls twice this year, with June and November splitting the political drama between them. Here’s an early look at what races will be contentious, which outcomes will most affect the city’s political landscape, and which ‘battles’ could end up being much ado about nothing.

The local June ’06 election will be highlighted by the Reilly-Ma Assembly race, the Yee-Nevin Senate contest, and the election of a new Democratic County Central Committee, whose primary task involves endorsing candidates and campaigns for the party. The big news affecting the statewide campaign outlook for June 2006 involves the surprising failure of the anti-gay marriage state ballot initiative to qualify. This failure means that instead of a record voter turnout in June, the number of voters going to the polls will be far fewer than in the fall, especially if anti-marriage groups succeed in their current attempts to qualify an initiative for November.

In terms of June ballot initiatives, Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s attempt to reform the Port Commission may end up causing the most controversy. Peskin’s proposal would remove the Commission’s entire current membership, put term limits on commissioners, expand it to seven members, and create requirements for appointment.

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