The Return of Aaron Peskin

Posted March 31, 2015 by Randy Shaw

Former Board of Supervisors President and SF Democratic Party head Aaron Peskin formally announced on March 30 that he is running for D3 Supervisor. This was expected following Mayor Lee’s bypassing Chinatown tenant activist Cindy Wu in favor of Julie
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Filed under: San Francisco News by Randy Shaw
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San Francisco’s Anti-Displacement Mood

Posted March 30, 2015 by Randy Shaw

On March 27, two high profile San Francisco eviction cases abruptly ended: the landlord of Station 40 dropped efforts to evict tenants who had openly lived for years in commercial office space, and the owners of a Chinatown SRO said
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Can Chiu, Ting Win Ellis Act Reform?

Posted March 20, 2015 by Randy Shaw

As San Francisco gears up for enacting Ellis Act reform legislation in Sacramento,  passage likely depends on the city’s two Assembly members, David Chiu and Phil Ting. An Assembly committee killed Ellis reform in 2014 after Senate passage, and winning 
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Filed under: Bay Area / California by Randy Shaw
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San Francisco’s Political Shift

Posted January 20, 2015 by Randy Shaw

San Francisco has its most “moderate” Board of Supervisors since 2001. It also has its first President since 2001 who reached the Board backed by landlord rather than tenant groups. Does this shift to a more “moderate” Board matter?  Not
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Mayor Rebuffs Chinatown In D3 Appointment

Posted January 8, 2015 by Randy Shaw

Rejecting entreaties from his longtime Chinatown supporters that he appoint Planning Commission President Cindy Wu, Mayor Ed Lee instead selected Julie Christensen to fill David Chiu’s District 3 seat. Christensen has done no work in Chinatown. Her selection represents a
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SF Slashes Ellis Act Evictions

Posted January 6, 2015 by Randy Shaw

This may sound like the ultimate man bites dog story amidst skyrocketing San Francisco rents on vacant apartments, but 2014 saw a sharp reduction in speculator evictions under the Ellis Act.  Yet some constant critics of City Hall have trouble
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Social Media Beat Big Soda

Posted November 10, 2014 by Randy Shaw

All activists should examine how Berkeley’s soda tax got a staggering 75% of the vote and San Francisco’s got over 50% despite a nearly $10 million opposition campaign. Because for all the phone calls, framing and other standard grassroots campaign
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Filed under: Bay Area / California by Randy Shaw
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Ballot Question Sinks Prop G

Posted November 5, 2014 by Randy Shaw

San Francisco’s Prop G, which discouraged speculator evictions by increasing taxes on short-term property flips, was defeated last night by a 54%-46% margin. As many tenant activists feared, a confusing ballot question that said nothing about real estate speculation or
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