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After attempts to report vandalism, San Francisco homeowner gets graffiti notice from city

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After attempts to report vandalism, San Francisco homeowner gets graffiti notice from city


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A San Francisco man says months of reporting graffiti and vandalism in his Mission District neighborhood yielded little response from the city – until he received a notice blaming him for a small graffiti tag on a fire hydrant connected to his home.

Michael, who asked that his last name not be used, told ABC7 Eyewitness News that he has spent the past year alerting the city to vandalism near his home. He said he has called 311, contacted San Francisco police, emailed city leaders and even tweeted Mayor Daniel Lurie, but mostly received automated or generic replies.

“Obviously, we would have taken care of it had we noticed. But it’s like this tiny little thing,” Michael said, referring to the graffiti notice issued by the city.

The notice came from the San Francisco Department of Public Works, citing graffiti on a fire hydrant connected to his property. Michael said receiving it felt insulting after repeated attempts to get help addressing larger issues in the neighborhood.

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“We feel like had those guys responded a little bit faster or like actually taking our emails seriously. Then this wouldn’t be there,” he said.

MORE: Oakland Chinatown businesses say they’re getting fined thousands for graffiti on their own property

Michael said what upset him most was what he saw as unequal accountability.

“I was particularly upset about is that they’re pointing out our problems without resolving theirs first. Like, don’t be hypocritical. Yeah,” he said.

In response to ABC7’s inquiry, the Department of Public Works provided the following statement in part:

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“In this case, Public Works received a complaint about graffiti on the property and by law we were compelled to respond. We issued the property owner a corrective notice – not a citation – for a small graffiti tag, with 30 days to remove it.”

Michael acknowledged that he is aware of the city’s graffiti abatement program but said he believes the root issue goes beyond cleanup.

MORE: Community rallies to restore new 50-foot-long mural vandalized after SF’s Great Highway closure

“Realistically, like they have to deal with the drug crisis. That’s the core issue. Like it’s there’s nothing that’s more important in my opinion,” he said.

Walking through nearby blocks, Michael pointed out remnants of encampments and alleged drug dealing sites. He said the issue is personal, adding that his own family has struggled with substance abuse.

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“If you deal with the people who are actively dealing and selling drugs on our street, then everything will go away,” he said.

As he noted a boarded-up property across the street that he said has attracted squatters, a neighbor agreed the situation has become unmanageable.

Michael said he supports Mayor Lurie and the administration’s approach overall but worries some neighborhoods are being overlooked.

“We are all paying property taxes. We are all contributing to the city. We all deserve the same level of respect and like I think cleanliness and just like the same level of service from the city and it just seems like they’re just, I don’t know, like relegating the problem into a one area,” he said.

Full statement from Department of Public Works:

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“We hear this resident’s frustration, and we want to be clear: Our first path is to work with property owners, not against them.
In this case, Public Works received a complaint about graffiti on the property and by law we were compelled to respond.
We issued the property owner a corrective notice – not a citation – for a small graffiti tag, with 30 days to remove it. That’s intentional. We build in that window specifically to give property owners time and flexibility to address the violation. We also provide them contact information should they have any questions.
Property owners who are repeatedly targeted with graffiti vandalism can cite that as a hardship and we will take it into account. In this case, Public Works has not received an email or call from this property owner.
We also want to note that this complaint was submitted through Solve SF, a new AI-powered platform that allows the public to report issues of concern. Launched in January, the third-party platform provides people with another option in addition to the City’s 311 customer service operation to flag concerns. We encourage residents to report graffiti tags to keep our city clean and free of blight. It is important to remove tags quickly to deter more tags.
By City code, graffiti removal on private property is the responsibility of the property owner but there is an exception. San Francisco Public Works operates a Graffiti Abatement Opt-In Pilot Program that allows eligible property owners in commercial corridors to have graffiti removed from their property at no cost to them. Unfortunately, this particular property is not eligible for the opt- in program because it does not fall into the eligibility map.
For property owners experiencing repeated tagging, we recommend a few practical steps in addition to opting into our program: installing motion-activated lighting and security cameras, which can deter vandalism and support enforcement efforts.
Property owners on commercial corridors can learn more and submit an interest form on our website https://sfpublicworks.org/services/graffiti-opt-in
We want to resolve this quickly and we’re committed to working with this resident to do so.”

Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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San Francisco, CA

Live Updates: San Francisco Primary Election 2026

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Live Updates: San Francisco Primary Election 2026


Welcome to our running tally of Election Night results. Or, as this is California, well beyond tonight, as results continue to trickle in.

The first batch of results should arrive at 8:45 p.m., with three more to follow tonight. The Department of Elections has the breakdown.

San Francisco is voting in three special elections, for District 2 and District 4 supervisors and for a Board of Education member. Both supervisor races are referendums on housing, especially District 2, while the main backdrop of the D4 race is all the hot feelings around the fate of the Sunset Dunes Park (nee Great Highway).

The winners of all three special races will have to compete again in November for their seats.

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Keeping it local, SF is also voting on four ballot measures. Prop A is for a bond to pay for an emergency water-system. B is for term limits. C and D are dueling measures related to the “overpaid CEO” tax. (Links go to our reporting on each race or issue; or click here for our Election 2026 page.)

Vote local, think national: Which two candidates will advance to the November election to replace Nancy Pelosi?

Statewide races include the primaries for governor, education superintendent, lieutenant governor, and much more.

Polls close soon. If you haven’t voted yet, find your polling station here.

Tuesday, June 2, 5:40 p.m.

Two and a half hours until our polls close. Before we go down the local rabbit hole, a reminder that other states have primary action today: New Jersey, Iowa, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Montana.

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Why does it take so long to get results in California? CalMatters has you covered on that story. We shouldn’t expect a call tonight on the governor’s race.

The last big election was November 5, 2024. (Remember?) Ten days later, there were still races to call in San Francisco.


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So if you’re waiting for the pundits (and maybe even us) to tell you What It All Means, you might have to wait a while.



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San Francisco voters to decide on dueling measures on Top Executive Pay Tax changes

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San Francisco voters to decide on dueling measures on Top Executive Pay Tax changes


San Francisco voters weighed in Tuesday on two competing measures that seek to change the Top Executive Pay Tax, with one of the measures also including a change to the Gross Receipts Tax.

Should both measures pass, the one with the most votes will take effect, according to the propositions’ legal text.

Currently, the measures state that most businesses with San Francisco gross receipts up to $5 million are exempt from the Gross Receipts Tax. And businesses that use more than half of their city payroll for in-house administrative and management services pay an Administrative Office Tax instead of a Gross Receipts Tax.

The Top Executive Pay Tax is a tax some large businesses pay if their highest-paid managerial employee earns more than 100 times the median pay of their San Francisco employees. Businesses that have city gross receipts up to $5 million and are not subject to the Administrative Office Tax are exempt.

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Proposition C

Proposition C states it would increase the number of businesses that could be exempt from the Gross Receipts Tax and would stop any further increases to the “Top Executive Pay Tax” after a final rate bump.

The proposed measure says it would raise the Gross Receipts Tax exemption ceiling to $7.5 million. The $7.5 million ceiling would also apply to the Top Executive Pay Tax exemption.

As for changes to the Top Executive Pay Tax, Proposition C states it would implement the 2028 tax rate increase in 2027, but then stop any future increases.

Supporting Proposition C are Rodney Fong, CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and Chris Wright, senior vice president of Advance SF, an organization of companies, which includes Bank of America, OpenAI, Waymo, the SF Giants CEO and others.

Fong and Wright, in their argument for the measure, say giving businesses more tax breaks would help keep more employees on payroll and would give companies the ability to “contribute to city services in a predictable and balanced way.”

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Critics of Proposition C, such as the San Francisco Tenants Union, slam the measure as “billionaire-backed” and argue it would kill the Top Executive Pay Tax and would hand out more tax breaks to businesses at a time when the city is in a budget deficit and faces cuts to essential services.

Proposition D

Proposition D also seeks to change the Top Executive Pay Tax, which is collected from some large businesses where the highest-paid managerial employee earns more than 100 times the median compensation paid to other employees.

If approved, the measure would change the calculation of the tax using the compensation of all employees, not just employees based in San Francisco. Top Executive Pay Tax rates would also be increased for San Francisco gross receipts and payroll.

Supporters have billed the measure as a way to counteract federal cuts to Medicaid. A report by the City Controller’s Office said the measure could result in $250 million to $300 million in additional revenue.

“Proposition D is the solution to our budget deficit. It asks large corporations — not small businesses, not working families — to contribute a little more,” supporters said in the city’s official voter guide.

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The measure has the backing of most of the Board of Supervisors, along with labor unions and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Opponents, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and state Sen. Scott Wiener, have argued Proposition D would negatively impact the city’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“San Francisco is already one of the most expensive cities in the country to live and do business. Adding extreme and unpredictable tax increases risks driving employers away just as we are trying to bring jobs, workers, and foot traffic back downtown,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey in the city’s voter guide.



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San Francisco ‘adult supremacy’ workshop brands teachers as oppressors — as fringe trend spreads in California schools

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San Francisco ‘adult supremacy’ workshop brands teachers as oppressors — as fringe trend spreads in California schools


A San Francisco public school reportedly hosted a workshop on “adult supremacy” — a new woke trend labeling teachers and adults “oppressors” that’s quietly gaining traction in California.

The confab, held at John O’Connell High School during an “Ethnic Studies Everywhere” weekend seminar in April, was titled “Youth as Knowledge Producers: Challenging Adult Supremacy Through Ethnic Studies,” according to an attendee who spoke with The Post.

“Due to systemic power dynamics inherently the relationship between students and educators is an oppressive one. Oppressor (educator) & oppressed (student),” a presentation slide explained.

Maria Su, superintendent SFUSD, speaks at a press conference. San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

The workshop was led by Jennifer Sanchez, a third-year ethnic studies educator in the Central Valley, and convened by Teachers 4 Social Justice, a nonprofit that aims to create “empowering learning environments, more equitable access to resources and power, and realizing a just and caring culture,” according to its website.

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Teachers 4 Social Justice was founded by local teacher activist Jeremiah Jeffries, who led an unpopular push to rename public schools during the pandemic that was abandoned after sparking outrage from local parents.

So-called adult supremacy “constructs adults as developed, mature, intelligent, and experienced, based solely on their age and ensures that adults control the resources and make the decisions in society,” the presentation further explained.

Success “within the Western context” is “demanding, overwhelming, and dehumanizing,” the presentation claimed.

Jackson Matos’ work is cited in “adultism.” Jackson Matos

Friends of Lowell Foundation, which advocates for academic merit at San Francisco schools, compiled the “adult supremacy” slides.

Another slide obtained by The Post cited the work of academic Jackson Matos, who is mentioned as connecting “adultism” to cultural imperialism, marginalization, exploitation, powerlessness and violence.

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“We have knowledge and life experience, and it is our job as parents and teachers to impart information on the next generation, on our kids,” one flabbergasted San Francisco parent, who asked not to be named, told The Post.

“Given that a large percentage of students in the district do not meet grade level standards in ELA and math, our focus as a school district is clearly way off track,” the parent said.

A presentation slide titled “Adultism Continued” defining adult supremacy and discussing power dynamics between students and educators. SFUSD

Friends of Lowell Foundation has taken legal action surrounding the school district’s controversial “ethnic studies” curriculum, which was made a one-year requirement for high school freshman this year.

The San Francisco teachers’ group isn’t the only organization blaming “adultism” for society’s failures.

Adam Fletcher is a consultant who counts California school boards and agencies among his clients. He’s made “adultism” a centerpiece of equity training aimed at teachers.

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Adam Fletcher has made “adultism” a centerpiece of equity training aimed at teachers. Adam Fletcher

“Adultism, as an idea, is bias towards adults,” Fletcher said in an online seminar held by TEACH Los Angeles, an educators’ network funded through grants from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, per its YouTube page.

A slide from a presentation on “Adultism” defines it as a bias towards adults. TEACH Los Angeles

Likewise, the Oakland Youth Commission announced last year a training for city employees about adultism, which is blamed for taking power away from kids, according to slides published online.

The Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department sponsored an “anti-oppression training series” that explores how “ageism and adultism” fuel discrimination.

“Participants consider how the myth of independence, rooted in settler colonial capitalism, contributes to the marginalization of youth & elders by diminishing agency, excluding perspectives, & reinforcing stereotypes in behavioral health practice,” an invitation read.

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Three children acting out a scene during a seminar on “adultism.” Instagram/oakyac

San Francisco Unified School District didn’t respond to a request for comment.

The district may be in hot water over its ethnic studies program, with Superintendent Maria Su due to appear at a June 10 congressional hearing about parents’ rights and “inappropriate content” in schools.



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