Should a one-party town have its elected officials reflect “unity and common purpose?”
That’s the Question of the Day.
(I’ll bet PG&E lobbyist Willie Brown would answer in the affirmative.)
Deets below.
Wednesday evening, 455 Golden Gate Avenue:
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“San Francisco Democrats elect Mary Jung chair, as newly elected DCCC members take office
Committee reflects ‘unity and common purpose’ in 2012 to re-elect Obama, help Pelosi reclaim Speakership, and make a difference on key state ballot measures
SAN FRANCISCO (July 27, 2012) — California Democratic Party Chair John Burton administered the oath of office to the newly elected members of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee Wednesday night at the first general meeting of the local Democratic Party’s governing board following the June 5th Primary Election.
Veteran Democratic activist Mary Jung was unanimously elected to serve as the San Francisco Democratic Party’s chair, and several DCCC members were elected to fill leadership roles that will be critical to the local party’s success heading into the November 2012 General Election. Top priorities discussed at the public meeting include re-electing President Obama, returning the Speakership to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi by helping reclaim a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and pushing to expand the number of Democratic voters citywide.
“I’m honored to serve as Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, and I look forward to working hard with my fellow Democrats in an election year with so much at stake,” said Party Chair Mary Jung. ”San Francisco Democrats elected a terrific team to lead our county central committee, and I think it reflects a spirit of unity and common purpose. I’m confident in our ability to help return President Obama to the White House, make Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Speaker again, re-elect Senator Feinstein, and pass Gov. Brown’s revenue measure so California can maintain vital public services, restore quality education for all, and support our most vulnerable.”
Other officers elected at the general meeting held at the California State Office Building’s Milton Marks Auditorium on Golden Gate Avenue are: First Vice-Chair (Finance) Zoe Dunning; Second Vice-Chair (Issues) Alix Rosenthal; Third Vice-Chair (Voter Registration) Trevor McNeil; Fourth Vice-Chair (Club Chartering and Development) Leah Pimentel; Recording Secretary Kat Anderson; Treasurer Tom Hsieh; Corresponding Secretary Matt Dorsey; and Parliamentarian Arlo Hale Smith. Rafael Mandelman will serve on the DCCC’s Slate Card Committee along with the Chair and Treasurer. A committee tasked with proposing party bylaw changes to incorporate requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act, which assures public access and participation in local government public meetings, will include David Chiu, Arlo Hale Smith, Matt Dorsey and Hene Kelly. That ad hoc committee will seek to fully harmonize local party bylaws with relevant provisions of state law to address concerns that the election of six members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to the DCCC may occasionally trigger Brown Act requirements.
The committee also adopted two resolutions: one in support of placing AB 1648, a campaign finance reform measure known as the DISCLOSE Act, on the California ballot; and another expressing the Democratic Party’s support for City College of San Francisco.
About the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee San Francisco’s Democratic County Central Committee, or DCCC, is the governing body of the local Democratic Party as defined in California’s Government Code and Elections Code. The DCCC is comprised of local Democrats elected by voters in each Assembly District, as well as partisan-level Democratic elected officials and nominees who serve as Ex-Officio Officers. Current members elected from the 17th Assembly District are: John Avalos, David Campos, David Chiu, Malia Cohen, Petra DeJesus, Matt Dorsey, Bevan Dufty, Zoe Dunning, Leslie Katz, Rafael Mandelman, Carole Migden, Leah Pimentel, Alix Rosenthal, and Scott Wiener. Members elected from the 19th Assembly District are: Kat Anderson, Kelly Dwyer, Bill Fazio, Tom Hsieh, Mary Jung, Hene Kelly, Meagan Levitan, Eric Mar, Trevor McNeil and Arlo Hale Smith. Ex Officio members are: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, Attorney General Kamala Harris, State Senators Leland Yee and Mark Leno, and Assemblymembers Fiona Ma and Tom Ammiano.
Gee, what’s wrong with appointed Supervisor Christina Olague, you know, if she can’t even get endorsed by her own Assemblymember?
Anyway, here’s the news of the day:
“Assemblymember Tom Ammiano Endorses John Rizzo for District 5 Supervisor
SAN FRANCISCO — Longtime San Francisco activist and California Assemblymember Tom Ammiano has endorsed John Rizzo for District 5 Supervisor.
Ammiano has served San Francisco for three decades as a teacher, civil rights leader, SF School Board President, Supervisor, and Assembymember. He cited Rizzo’s leadership experience, both with City College and as a Sierra Club leader, as well as his commitment to finding creative and effective solutions to today’s biggest problems.
“In the years I’ve known John Rizzo, he has proven his dedication to public education, a greener San Francisco, and civil rights,” said Ammiano. “He’ll bring the kind of progressive policy solutions we need to City Hall, and has the experience to get them passed.”
“I am honored by Assemblymember Ammiano’s endorsement,” said Rizzo. “We have always shared values on issues such as education and the environment and I’m proud that he supports my bid for Supervisor.”
The endorsement comes at a great time for Rizzo’s campaign, which has been building momentum through an intensive field program that has seen campaigners on the ground in the District every day.
John Rizzo is also endorsed by Senator Leland Yee, Supervisor Eric Mar, the Sierra Club, and other elected officials and community and business leaders.
John Rizzo was twice elected to the Community College Board and is the former chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club. He has a proven track record as an effective leader in government and education, in protecting the environment, parks and Muni, and in bringing jobs to San Francisco. Some of his accomplishments include spearheading adoption of the GoSolarSF program which quadrupled the city’s solar capacity and created hundreds of jobs, and creating a “local hire” initiative at City College, which ensures that San Franciscans are put to work on taxpayer-funded construction projects.
As a 27-year resident of District 5, John raised his daughter through San Francisco public schools and is a dedicated MUNI rider. He is committed to fighting for our neighborhoods, our schools, and our city.
So, add that to this list of Endorsements:
The Sierra Club
Leland Yee, State Senator
Eric Mar, Supervisor
Jake McGoldrick, Former Supervisor
Milton Marks, Trustee, College Board
Natalie Berg, Trustee, College Board
Chris Jackson, Trustee, College Board
Steve Ngo, Trustee, College Board
Mark Sanchez, Former President of the Board of Education
Mary Hernandez, Former President of the Board of Education
Robert Varni, Former Trustee, College Board*
Julio Ramos, Former Trustee, College Board
Dr. Carlota T. Del Portillo, Former Dean, City College Mission Campus
Bob Cheasty, Former Albany Mayor, and Citizens for East Shore Parks.
Andy Katz, East Bay MUD Board of Directors
Larry Fahn, Sierra Club National Board of Directors and Former President
Sanjay Ranshod, Sierra Club National Board of Directors
Michele Perrault, Former President National Sierra Club Board of Directors
Here’s the crew who’ll be waiting for you, or at least this was the crew at one of UCSF’s recent screenings in Chinatown:
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Free Skin Cancer Screening at UCSF WHAT: In honor of National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the UCSF Department of Dermatology is offering free skin cancer screenings. The event is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. No appointment is necessary and no insurance is required.
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The screenings will take approximately 30 minutes.
WHERE: 1701 Divisadero Street, third floor, San Francisco.
WHY: Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, with more than three million skin cancers diagnosed annually in some two million people in the United States. More new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year than the combined totals of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25 to 29 years old. Anyone can develop skin cancer, regardless of skin color or general health. Many can be easily treated when detected early.
About UCSF Medical Center
UCSF Medical Center consistently ranks as one of the top 10 hospitals in the United States. Recognized for innovative treatments, advanced technology, collaboration among health care professionals and scientists, and a highly compassionate patient care team, UCSF Medical Center serves as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco. The medical center’s nationally preeminent programs include children’s health, the brain and nervous system, organ transplantation, women’s health and cancer. It operates as a self-supporting enterprise within UCSF and generates its own revenues to cover the operating costs of providing patient care.
Well, a large crowd showed for today’s noontime rally in support of City Attorney and mayoral candidate Dennis Herrera. It came in reaction to this bit from John Coté and Heather Knight in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle.
Consider this rally, complete with pretty much all of Gay San Francisco (gee, who wasn’t there?), a strong retort.
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1 of 4 - Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart and Senator Mark Leno:
2 of 4 – Assemblymember Tom Ammiano: “WTF, Chronicle?” (Ouch.) And then, on a different tack: ”I think we all know who was doing it.” Uh, would that be Ed Lee? And do you think Tom’s talking about Ed Lee here? ”…Healthy San Francisco, supporting it, not trying to decimate it. Honoring Occupy San Francisco and their ability to mediate and to collaborate. How about some fucking leadership?”
And check out Cleve Jones at around 8:00: “And finally, to Ed Lee, whose campaign began with a lie [and] is ending with a lie. And in between the lies, what did we see but cronyism, fake grass-roots organizations coming out of nowhere, vote tampering like we haven’t seen in a long, long time, money laundering, and now we’re ending with a big lie, a slur against Dennis Herrera. And how stupid do you think we are? Please.”
3 of 4: City Attorney Dennis Herrera, the man himself:
4 of 4: Herrera’s closing plus Harvey Milk Club and Alice B Toklas Club, united:
All the deets:
“News conference on Dennis Herrera’s record of support for LGBT marriage equality: TODAY, Oct. 27, 12:00 noon, Harvey Milk Plaza
SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 27, 2011) — Leaders in the LGBT community and marriage equality movement including Senator Mark Leno, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Supervisor Scott Wiener, Molly McKay, Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, Cleve Jones, Julius Turman, Reese Isbell, representatives from both the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LBGT Democratic Clubs, and a growing list of others will hold a news conference to defend City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s consistent record of support for marriage equality.
The news conference at noon today is in response to political attacks published in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday from anonymous sources who questioned City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s commitment to marriage equality.
LGBT Community Press Conference
Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro and Market
TODAY – Thursday, Oct. 27, 12:00 noon
Below is a letter issued yesterday from Phyllis Lyon, the LGBT civil rights pioneer. Lyon and her late wife, Del Martin, were the first same-sex couple married in San Francisco.”
Please join Senator Mark Leno, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, Supervisor Scott Wiener, representatives from both the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LBGT Democratic Clubs, and many other LGBT community leaders for:
LGBT Community Press Conference
Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro and Market
Thursday, Oct. 27, 12:00 noon
With less than two weeks until Election Day, a petty smear campaign is underway to personally discredit City Attorney Dennis Herrera over his years of work for marriage equality. Incredibly, despite all the heroic efforts of Dennis and his office right from the start, anonymous sources have pushed a story in the San Francisco Chronicle that Dennis wasn’t “supportive” of Mayor Newsom’s decision to issue same-sex marriage licenses back in February 2004. It’s not true. These politically motivated attackers are hoping we’ll forget the years of hard work Dennis and his deputies invested — and continue to invest even now, in the federal challenge to Prop 8 — for LGBT equality.
My late wife, Del Martin, and I were the first same-sex couple married back in 2004.
So I remember the heartfelt and tireless work that Dennis, Chief Deputy City Attorney Terry Stewart, and the City Attorney’s Office committed to defend our marriage from day one. Yes, it was an uphill battle. We all knew it, and we all expressed doubts. But that doesn’t mean we weren’t “supportive” of marriage equality!
That’s why these anonymous political attacks are such an outrage.
It’s not just insulting to a good man and longtime LGBT ally. It insults the intelligence of LGBT voters who know that Dennis has been a consistent and effective champion for our community for years:
In the 1990s, as Police Commission President, Dennis established groundbreaking protocols to require police to treat transgender detainees with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Dennis successfully defended our landmark Equal Benefits Ordinance in his first years as City Attorney, finally defeating challengers who opposed domestic partner benefits.
In 2002, Dennis and the Assessor ended tax re-assessments homeowners faced after the death of a domestic partner — so LGBT survivors on fixed incomes wouldn’t lose their homes.
Dennis’s heart has always been with us. That’s why he was elected and re-elected City Attorney with overwhelming LGBT community support. That’s why he’s now the only candidate for Mayor endorsed by both the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club (#1) and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club (#2).
Dennis Herrera never shrank from defending the LGBT community — not once. Now, it’s our turn to defend him.
Please join us at Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro and Market, Thursday, Oct. 27, at 12:00 noon.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Lyon”
~
Mark Leno:
DJH with wife Anne:
And here’s part of the crowd descending the steps of Castro Station:
And, bonus, a special hug for Harvey and Alice:
So, uh, who’s the “political genius” who thought it was a good idea for former Gavin Newsom staffers to go to the Chron a few days back?
Because this whole affair, well, it’s not good for Ed Lee.
Not good at all…
*I swear, I don’t really get photojournalism and that sole shot presented is a good example of why. It doesn’t really transmit all that much info, it doesn’t really show who was there, and it’s not arty or anything. But it does juxtapose “applause” and “Herrera” so I guess that’s telling stories with photos and I guess that’s what PJ is supposed to be about. I suppose. (Is that day’s work, BTW?) Anyway, I prefer the camera-held-level-at-two-yards-altitude, you-are-there look.
SF Crime Examiner Thomas Pendergrast has pretty much all you need to know about the plan to make permanent the access fees at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
And looky here, here’s a pdf from Budget and Legislative Analyst Harvey M. Rose, CPA:
When an accountant calls your forecasts “highly optimistic,” what’s he really saying?
Oh well.
I guess the BOS will soon vote to make the temporary boycott of the San Francisco Botanical Garden a permanent boycott.
Oh well.
As seen last Saturday:
Oh, and look what else is coming up:
“Thursday, April 7, 2011 2:00 p.m. City Hall, Room 416 11a. GOLDEN GATE PARK ACCESS PASS Discussion and possible action to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve an ordinance amending Park Code Article 12 authorizing the Commission to discount admission fees for the Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden and the San Francisco Botanical Garden as part of a Golden Gate Park Access Pass. (ACTION ITEM) Staff: Brent Dennis.
Hey. what’s a GOLDEN GATE PARK ACCESS PASS? We’ll find out soon enough…
Quintin Mecke was on hand representing Assemblymember Tom Ammiano’s office and somebody else spoke for Supervisor John Avalos. Noticed Aaron Peskin in the audience as well.
All the while, there was absolutely nobody on or near the Main Lawn just inside the admission gate. Presenting your empty Strybing Arboretum:
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But that’s the way the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society likes it.
Think I came across this abandoned “Tom Ammiano Mayor” button (avec union bug and required “FPPC #1244894″ imprint) last decade either at the State Building (where it didn’t really belong) or at Clint Reilly’s building at 465 Cal. (Think it was in a bag with a mess of anti-meth* “DUMP TINA“ buttons from the pre I-Lost-Me-To-Meth era.)
It might be a little rainy this Saturday, but the forecast for 6:00 PM is actually pretty positive so get on out there why not.
Sean Penn making that Milk movie, back in aught-eight:
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“The Annual Milk-Moscone Memorial March will take place this Saturday, November 27, 2010. The vigil will take place on the anniversary of the assassination of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, starting at 6pm. The vigil will last approximatly 1 hour and the march will begin at the Castro Muni station (Castro & Market Streets) at 6:45 PM.
The March commemorates the assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone and is an opportunity for the community to mourn the loss of two of our city’s most progressive elected officials, reflect on their visions for San Francisco, and learn more about their lives through testimony from family and friends of Harvey. The event has been a community tradition annually since the assassinations. The speakers will be:
Cleve Jones, Founder, Names Project, and friend of Harvey
Harry Britt, former Supervisor, and friend of Harvey
David Campos, SF Supervisor
Carol Migden, former State Senator
Tom Ammiano, State Assembly member
The Milk Memorial Education Committee was founded in 2004 to plan for and install the bust of Harvey in San Francisco City Hall. The bust was installed in May 2008. The Committee is now engaged in educational programs at the SF Unifed School district and City College of San Francisco, on behalf of LGBTQ students. For more information see MilkMemorial.org or Rick Hauptman at 415-678-8919.
MILK MEMORIAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE 4104 24th Street #388 – San Francisco, CA 94114
It’s exactly what’s being presented at the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee and California State Senate Public Safety Committee right now this A.M.
“Insights on the Effects of Marijuana Legalization on Prices and Consumption
BEAU KILMER CT-351″
What’s it going to be like when you can get some quality bud for $38 an ounce? Will ganga use double, getting back to the rates we saw last in the 1970′s? Will we start exporting mary jane to other states? Will growers get pissed off about a $50 an ounce tax?
Police Remove Domestic Workers and Elected Officials from San Francisco Law Firm
Employer Representative Refuses to meet with Supervisors and Workers
On Thursday, over 35 housekeepers, nannies, caregivers and their allies,
including San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar, and representatives from the
offices of Supervisor David Campos and Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, were
threatened with arrest if they did not leave the offices of Littler
Mendelson, a notoriously anti-union law firm, in downtown San Francisco.
Domestic workers sought to bring attention to their plight in the run up to
the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) annual conference, which will
be held in Geneva from June 2 – 18. The Supervisors sought to deliver a
copy of a resolution that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
unanimously passed on Tuesday, calling for an end to domestic worker
exploitation and urging John Kloosterman, an attorney at the firm who will
represent U.S. employers of domestic workers at the International Labour
Conference, to support a strong ILO Convention on domestic work. Mr.
Kloosterman refused to appear, and instead the law firm called the police.
A video of the encounter with Mr. Kloosterman is available here:
Hillary Ronen, aide to Supervisor David Campos, said “This is a disgrace.
Kloosterman is calling the police on elected city officials when all we are
asking is for 5 minutes of his time. This man is supposedly representing US
employers of domestic workers at the ILO, and yet he is refusing to even
face a room full of domestic workers who have come to his office.”
Domestic workers called on Kloosterman to work with workers to pass a
strong convention to end the abuse in their industry. For the first time
ever the ILO will discuss decent work for domestic workers as part of the
conference. Juana Flores, a former domestic worker who is now Director of a
Bay Area immigrant women’s center Mujeres Unidas y Activas and the Caring
Hands Worker Association, will represent U.S. based workers in Geneva. “We
have been working tirelessly with sister organizations from around the
world, the AFL-CIO, and the U.S. Department of Labor to pass a strong
convention which will help end the abuses these workers face, and I’m
saddened that Mr. Kloosterman seems uninterested in discussing these issues
with us” she said.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution to
end the exploitation and harassment of domestic workers on Tuesday, and the
Board sent letters to Mr. Kloosterman asking him to support the
recommendations of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Supervisor Eric
Mar, who authored the resolution and who requested to deliver the
resolution to Mr. Kloosterman personally, said, “Domestic workers help to
ensure the health and prosperity of families by freeing others to
participate in the workforce. But domestic workers usually work alone,
behind closed doors and out of the public eye, leaving them isolated and
vulnerable to exploitation. I had really hoped to convey this message
personally to the representative of domestic worker employers at this
historic ILO Conference.”
“Equality is at the heart of our American values but we are long overdue in
treating domestic workers as equals. They are the mothers and daughters
that provide vital assistance to our families, to our seniors and who take
care of our children, yet they lack the basic protections under the law
that many of us take for granted,” said California Assembly member Tom
Ammiano, who is coauthoring a resolution in the state legislature on their
behalf.
The delegation of domestic workers leaving for Geneva tomorrow are
undaunted by the hostility of the law firm and the encounter with the
police. They hope to win the basic recognition that domestic work is work
just like any other, and should be protected as such. They will demand the
same labor protections that other workers already enjoy under international
labor law or are able to gain through collective bargaining, a process that
is not always feasible for domestic workers. These include basic rights
such as the right to rest breaks, sick time, health and safety protections
and wage and hour regulations.
