Randy Shaw

Randy Shaw is the Editor of Beyond Chron and the Director of San Francisco’s Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which publishes Beyond Chron. Shaw's new book is the revised and updated, The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco. His prior books include Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America. The Activist's Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century, and Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century.

Articles by Randy Shaw

Can Jane Kim Win Race for Insurance Commissioner?

Posted October 5, 2026 by

Voters May Ignore Attacks Of all of California’s statewide candidate races, none has created more furor in newspaper editorial rooms than the contest for Insurance Commissioner between former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim and State Senator Ben Allen. The San<br> Read More »

Will New Tenderloin Police Boundaries Clear Sidewalks?

Posted October 5, 2026 by

SFPD Reverses Historic Wrong October 1 marked a positive turning point for San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. Tenderloin Police Station has returned to its original goal of protecting the Tenderloin. A decade of a wrongheaded redistricting that vastly expanded Tenderloin Station<br> Read More »

Where is San Francisco’s “Downtown”?

Posted September 28, 2026 by

Downtown’s Vast Expansion Where is San Francisco’s Downtown? It used to mean the highrise office buildings in the Financial District. Battles over highrise development in the 1980’s defined San Francisco politics. It was “Downtown vs. Neighborhoods;” the latter side rallied<br> Read More »

Can Chan Catch Wiener?

Posted September 28, 2026 by

Cars vs Parks Polls have Connie Chan trailing Scott Wiener by roughly five points in their hotly contested congressional race. When I last wrote about the contest I cited the major differences between the candidates. Differences that made voters choice<br> Read More »

The Progressive Case Against CA’s Billionaire Tax

Posted September 21, 2026 by

Prop 40’s Progressive Disunity Progressives overwhelmingly support hiking taxes on billionaires. But the California Teachers Association and United Domestic Workers oppose Prop 40, California’s Billionaire Tax.  Even SEIU California is neutral. Some of its leaders were personally threatened by Dave<br> Read More »

Why Are SF YIMBY’s Opposing Prop I?

Posted September 14, 2026 by

YIMBY’s Should Support Affordable Housing Most San Franciscans support more affordable housing. So why are SF YIMBY and the San Francisco Democratic Party opposing Prop I, the Affordable Housing Guarantee Act? The Act will bring roughly $100 million for housing<br> Read More »