San Francisco Politics 2020: The Year in Review

Posted December 15, 2020 by Randy Shaw

A Year of Conflict and Division San Francisco had a tough 2020. A local economy built on tourism saw its hotels, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues entirely closed down or restricted. Nevertheless, the political world —-public hearings, meetings of elected
Read More »

CA’s Eviction Moratorium Must Include Ellis Act

Posted December 15, 2020 by Sarah Abdeshahian

David Chiu’s Constituents Still Face Ellis Evictions Earlier this year, the California legislature passed the COVID Tenant Relief Act, which enacted protection from eviction for all residents, including evictions for failure to make rental payments. But these current and proposed
Read More »

Berkeley and Oakland Politics 2020: The Year in Review

Posted December 15, 2020 by Randy Shaw

Big Gains for Housing, Tenant Power This was a year unlike any other for the East Bay. UC Berkeley’s closure turned the once crowded Southside into a proverbial ghost town. Berkeley and Oakland restaurants, bars and other small businesses suffered
Read More »

Get Rare Slice of Tenderloin History as Holiday Gift

Posted December 15, 2020 by Katie Conry

This holiday season, pick up a copy of The Match Book: Vintage Matchbooks from San Francisco’s Tenderloin, and explore San Francisco history through colorful Tenderloin relics. In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, matchbooks were calling cards used to advertise hole-in-the-wall
Read More »

“The Dissident”–Review

Posted December 15, 2020 by Peter Wong

Let’s play a word and phrase association game. The subject is Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud popularly known to the world as “MBS.” Of course, “Crown Prince” and “Saudi Arabia” immediately come to mind. The words “ambitious,” “powerful”
Read More »

Reviews From the 2020 Another Hole In The Head Film Festival

Posted December 15, 2020 by Peter Wong

One of the 2020 Another Hole In The Head Film Festival’s offerings shows why the slogan “All Cops Are Bastards” may be far truer than the average person may be comfortable with. Amadeo Canonico’s “The Statement” gets at these truths
Read More »

Mayor Breed’s Challenging Year

Posted December 8, 2020 by Randy Shaw

Mayor Often Foregoes Stakeholder Input 2020 has been terrible for America’s big city mayors. Cutbacks in public transit, restaurant and bar closures, huge numbers out of work and out of money—mayors bear the brunt of public anger over Trump and
Read More »

Were Feds After Former Mayor Lee?

Posted December 8, 2020 by Randy Shaw

Walter Wong and City Hall “Corruption” According to Phil Matier’s December 6 SF Chronicle story, if former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee were alive “he would be deep in the U.S. attorney’s investigation into corruption at City Hall.” Matier bases
Read More »