San Francisco, CA

Declaring the end of progressive San Francisco is a bit premature – 48 hills

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2024

Declaring the end of progressive San Francisco is a bit premature – 48 hills

The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Standard have both declared that this is no longer a progressive city.

That seems a bit premature to me.

The early results from last night’s election do, indeed, mostly favor the wing of the Democratic Party that calls itself “moderate” but is actually, on economic issues, pretty conservative. (I call neoliberals conservatives.)

Ballot measures supported by the mayor that do things like give the police more authority to spy on us all and require drug screening for welfare recipients are passing easily.

Sup. Aaron Peskin celebrates the apparent victory of Prop A on Election Night.

The conservatives are heading for control of the Democratic County Central Committee.

But let’s hold on a moment here before we pronounce a dramatic shift in local politics.

These results are based on a turnout of 20.9 percent. Four out of every five registered voters have not had their votes counted. There are, as of Wednesday, more ballots still outstanding (110,000) than have been counted so far.

And according to all the maps I have seen, the early ballots, the ones they count first, are overwhelmingly from the most conservative parts of the city.

Look at the data: 22.5 percent of the Democratic votes have been counted. But almost 29 percent of the Republican votes are in. One out of every ten votes counted so far was cast by a Republicans, who represent 7.4 percent of the registered voters.

The early returns always skew conservative, since the more conservative voters tend to turn their ballots in early.

I’m not suggesting that the final results will change dramatically—but only a few hundred votes separate the winners and losers in the DCCC, and it’s likely that at least a few more progressives will make the cut.

In the end, though, we will have a fairly conservative outcome—largely because of who voted. The Chron noted that in an update this afternoon. The Department of Elections will release more results Thursday at 4pm.

As I said last night, many of the conservative voters turn out anyway, and the mayor’s attacks on the poor and promotion of the police brought out more of those voters. And the billionaire money made a huge difference, particularly in the DCCC race.

The biggest problem for the progressives, particularly younger voters, was the lack of anything at the top of the ticket to inspire them to vote.

People on the left in San Francisco, by and large, are not happy with Joe Biden. So, either as a protest or as a matter of disinterest, some of then stayed home.

Check out this chart, from the Department of Elections. Turnout is highest when there’s something at the top of the ticket—and that is also when progressives do best.

In November, if there’s a candidate progressives can support running for mayor, there’s a good chance that the presidential race and the mayor’s race will bring out enough voters on the left to make a big difference in the supes races and on ballot measures.

The impact of the tech workers who have moved to town in the past ten years is becoming real. At first, they weren’t voting; now, apparently, they are. We all knew this was going to happen; as longtime activist Calvin Welch likes to say, “who lives here, votes here,” and as displacement forces out the working class and communities of color, the city gets more conservative. The Yimby pro-market approach to issues like housing, and the pro-police approach to social problems, has become more appealing to the wealthier residents.

Maybe wave after wave of gentrification will ultimately usher in a neoliberal majority on the Board of Supes and a more conservative body politic.

But I’ve been around a long time. In the 1980s, the city was run almost entirely by economic (and often social) conservatives like Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who had more than six call-up votes on an at-large board. Frank Jordan, a former police chief, was elected mayor in 1991. In the later 1990s, Mayor Willie Brown controlled the supes and his pro-developer politics dominated the city. The left was always in the minority and on the ropes.

Gavin Newsom get elected mayor by attacking poor people with a ballot measure called “Care not Cash,” which passed with a clear majority.

The DCCC used to be controlled by the old Brown-Burton Machine, which made sure that progressive Harry Britt, the heir to Harvey Milk’s supervisorial seat, lost a generational, defining Congressional race to machine candidate Nancy Pelosi.

Conservative election outcomes are not new. Neoliberal mayors have run San Francisco for much of past half century.

But recent years have shown a remarkable uprising of progressive candidates and causes. The young, organized, diverse left in this city is as strong as I’ve seen it.

So after all this time, I’m not ready to write the obituary for the progressive city.

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San Francisco, CA

1 shot dead in San Francisco's Bayview

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Press Room

A man was shot dead Monday evening in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood, police said Tuesday.

According to preliminary information, officers from the Bayview station responded around 9:30 p.m. Monday to Quesada Avenue between Newhall and Third streets for a report of a possible shooting.

When officers arrived, they found a man lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his face and chest.

Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m.

His identity was not immediately available, pending next-of-kin notification from the city’s Office of the Medical Examiner.

The San Francisco Police Department Homicide Detail is leading the open investigation. Police did not say if any arrests have been made.

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San Francisco, CA

Kelly Steinhardt: Walking Through Time | KQED

Published

12 hours ago

April 30, 2024

Press Room

Kelly Steinhardt: Walking Through Time | KQED

Sometimes, it can be easy to forget all the history in our streets and cities. Kelly Steinhardt finds magic in her city walks by tapping into this history.

Recently, I found a map of major retail closures in downtown San Francisco. On it were dots, representing stores that have left or soon will be leaving — peppered around Market Street and the Financial District. I have fond memories of walking through those areas on my way home from work in my mid-twenties.

I’d hike from the Embarcadero over to Nob Hill and further, detouring through Union Square, especially during the holidays. I took it upon myself to learn more about the history of downtown, which made my 45 minute walk so much more meaningful. For instance, near the corner of Bush and Market Street, you can see where the shoreline used to reach in 1848. If you look up in Union Square, you’ll see Nike, the goddess of victory, towering confidently over the city.

My favorite landmark is easy to miss, if you’re in a hurry. On Market Street, be sure to stop at Lotta’s Fountain. Try to imagine what it was like to be there on Christmas Eve in 1910. According to The Chronicle, the night was soft and clear. Thousands gathered there to see Luisa Tetrazzini, a famous opera singer. Story goes, she ended her show with the song “Auld Lang Syne” — and everyone joined in. “Should old acquaintance be forgot. And never brought to mind.” Think all of those strangers singing in unison, just four years after an earthquake and fire decimated the city.

There are many reasons for us to visit San Francisco’s downtown and experience its rich history. I wonder what it might take for us to come together and breathe more life into the area, once again.

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San Francisco, CA

Here's a look at a proposed plan to add new attractions to SF's Pier 45 at iconic Fisherman's Wharf

Published

19 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Here's a look at a proposed plan to add new attractions to SF's Pier 45 at iconic Fisherman's Wharf

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Pier 45 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco could be getting a big boost if a new proposed plan is approved.

It would include a new “experiential museum” that celebrates the history of the wharf.

An 18-page proposal includes big plans for Pier 45.

From a wholesale seafood market, and an area for you to see workers processing fresh fish, to a food hall.

But those are just part of the plan going before the Fisherman’s Wharf advisory committee May 1.

At Musee Mecanique at Pier 45, there’s a certain energy in the air. But the carnival music isn’t drawing in as many visitors as it used to.

The museum’s owner hopes some proposed changes can bring people back to his vintage arcade.

“It could be a great attraction (to here), especially since these past few years, it’s been getting a little sparse, people going out of business,” said

MORE: SF’s giant Ferris wheel officially moving to Fisherman’s Wharf waterfront

The giant Ferris wheel at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is officially moving over to the Fisherman’s Wharf waterfront.

A new proposal to redevelop Fisherman’s Wharf wants to open an “experiential museum” on Pier 45.

And it also includes plans for a new event center, public spaces, and a winery/brewery, distillery.

The Bay Area Council says the plan could be what San Francisco needs to bring new energy to Fisherman’s Wharf.

MORE: SF Zoo gears up for giant pandas as it plans for multi-million dollar facility

At a time when so many restaurants and stores there have closed.

“If you look the broader national scene around retail, the movement is less shopping mall and more towards those experiences. So whether it’s something like a museum, or a food hall, or something that allows you capture something on IG really is the most simple way to put it right,” said Jeff Bellisario, Executive Director of Bay Area Council.

The proposed museum would allow people to better understand fish processing. The area would include a food hall that sells seafood.

“I do think doubling down on the area’s history, doubling down on the food background we’ve got here in the state and within the region, I think this proposal makes a lot of sense. I think it’s again something the city can hang its head on as it looks to re-brand, re-market itself, kind of do a rebirth of SF that we’ll likely see over the next few years,” said Bellisario.

MORE: SF’s longtime travel chief retiring: Here’s when he says tourism will hopefully rebound

The Port of San Francisco issued this statement on Monday writing:

“Fisherman’s Wharf Revitalized’s vision for this iconic San Francisco neighborhood aligns with the Port’s goals of re-energizing the waterfront, supporting the fishing industry, increasing public access to the bay, advancing seismic and flood protection efforts, and making the area welcoming to diverse groups of people.”

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