Posts Tagged ‘ordinance’
Thursday, April 11th, 2013
I don’t know, you can look right here for one version of the story about why Yammer Microsoft is doing so, so, soooooo many great things for San Francisco.
Or you can ask Microsoft Yammer why it doesn’t want to pay its fair share of taxes.
Leave us begin.
In 2004, the Mayor of San Francisco signed a law that closed a tax loophole.
Later on, that very same Mayor took a lot of money from the owner owner of a building with which you Microsoft Yammerers should be familiar, the Twitter Building:
“Prospective Twitter Landlord Gave Newsom Rent Deal“
That kicked off the whole tax boondoggle that Microsoft Yammer is taking advantage of now.
Oh, here it is:
“THIS COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT 2013 MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING is made as of January 1, 2013 in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, by and between YAMMER, A SUBSIDIARY OF MICROSOFT(“Microsoft”) and the CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, a municipal corporation (“City”) acting by and through the City Administrator”
And it goes on and on talking about all the things that Microsoft is obligated to do for non-profit organizations that just happened to have endorsed Appointed Mayor Ed Lee.
So, well meaning white people who appear to be so, so, soooooo very proud of giving monitors worth (let’s hope) at least the contractually obligated $10,000 agreed to by MS….
….my question to you is this:
WHY DON’T YOU SIMPLY PAY YOUR FUCKING TAXES INSTEAD OF DOING ALL THIS POLITICALLY-CONNECTED, PAT-YOURSELF-ON-THE-BACK RIGMAROLE?
I’ll do all the legwork if you’ll give me some basic tax and income information. So maybe some years that could end up being a lot of money. I’d say, ooh, IPO! That’s going to cost Microsoft SF a few million bucks. And then you’d cut a check for the general fund.
There’d be no Ron Conway-type exception for you.
What’s that? You can’t afford to pay the oppressive taxes and loophole closures signed into law by the San Francisco Mayors of Yesteryear?
You know, I don’t believe that, Yammer Micro$oft.
What’s that, you’d rather move to Brisbane or someplace in San Mateo County?
Well, then be my guest. (You know, most people pricing apartment rentals in town lately would welcome your departure. You think I’m joking? No, I’m srlsy.)
What’s that, you like “giving back” to the corrupt Twitterloin, ’cause you think it’s a kewl thing to do and whatnot?
Fine, do that AND pay your fair share of taxes to the General Fund, why not?
That would be groovy.
But what you’re doing now is getting involved with SFGov corruption in the most corrupt big American city west of Chicago.
Just saying.
Oh, here’s some reading material to explain what you’re involved with, Microsoft. It’s from a time long before Yammer.
Enjoy your private-public neo-corporatism.
All the deets, in searchable form, after the jump.
(more…)
Tags: 2013, administrator, agreement, bay area, Benefit, california, central, Central Market Street, citisf, community, Community Benefit Agreement, corruptiion, ed lee, endorsed, expense, gavin newsom, jason rodriguez, liason, market, microsoft, MOU, OEWD, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, ordinance, payroll, Payroll Expense Tax Ordinance, randy shaw, Ron Conway, San Francisco, san francisco bicycle coalition, sfciti, street, SUBSIDIARY OF MICROSOFT, tax, TechSF, tenderloin, Tenderloin Area Payroll Expense Tax Exclusion, twitter, yammer, yammerersyammer
Posted in bidness | No Comments »
Monday, August 13th, 2012
This new tax is a done deal.
Check it:
Click to expand
Tags: $10, 10 cents, 2012, bay area, beginning, board of supervisors, bring your bag, bring your own bag, byob, california, charge, checkout, checkout bag ordinance, Department of the Environment, ed lee, fee, flier, flyer, food, gro sto, grocery, mandatory, Mayor, minimum, notice, ordinance, paper, plastic, poster, restaurants, San Francisco, starting, supervisors, tax
Posted in environment | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Well, after saying it was going to do so, the cell phone industry is actually suing us.
All the deets are below.
The friendly face of the Cellular Telephone Industries Association, aka CITA, The Wireless Association. This fellow has a big beef with our little town.
CITA Vice President of Public Affairs John Walls
“CTIA-The Wireless Association® Files Challenge to San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” Ordinance
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2011 – Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® asked a federal court to block the enforcement of San Francisco’s “Cell Phone Right-to-Know” ordinance. CTIA’s challenge argues that the Ordinance is barred under the First Amendment and conflicts with federal law governing the safety of wireless devices.
As CTIA explains in its motion, the Ordinance requires retailers to distribute misleading statements and graphics that send the false message that cell phones approved by the FCC are not safe. In fact, the FCC limits radiofrequency emissions from cell phones to ensure that phones sold in the U.S. emit RF energy far below levels shown in scientific testing to have any adverse health effects. The FCC’s standard includes a wide margin of safety for all users. Last year the FDA categorically concluded that there is “No Evidence Linking Cell Phone Use to Risk of Brain Tumors,” and earlier this year the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski, said that he was “confident that [the FCC's] standards are protecting the health of people.”
CTIA-The Wireless Association Vice President of Public Affairs John Walls released the following statement:
“The materials the City would require be posted and handed out at retail stores are both alarmist and false. The FCC and FDA have repeatedly found that cell phone use does not pose a danger to human health. The Ordinance recommends such things as turning the phone off when not in use, a suggestion that would render critical emergency communications unavailable to San Francisco residents.”
More deets after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2010, 2011, association, bay area, block, board, boycott, california, cell phone, Cell Phone Right-to-Know, Cellular Telephone Industries Association, Cellular Telephone Industries Association Enterprise and Applications, chief, Chief Deputy Communications Director, cita, city attorney, communications, county, dennis herrera, Deputy, director, ed lee, emissions, enforcement, fcc, federal, first amendment, fromer, gavin newsom, green, health, John Walls, Julius Genachowski, Mayor, ordinance, radiation, rf, San Francisco, skateboard, supervisors, Vice President of Public Affairs, vote, VP, wireless
Posted in law | No Comments »
Friday, September 30th, 2011
I’d put this one in the “Worthy Initiative” category, but some parking lot owners might not.
Click to expand
I could see this saving a few lives over the years…
All the deets:
“Legislation by Chiu, Wiener, and Herrera takes on security issues at parking garages and lots
Proposed amendment to SF Police Code seeks to improve the safety of patrons of San Francisco’s vibrant entertainment industry and the surrounding neighborhoods
SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 29, 2011) — Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, Supervisor Scott Wiener, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera today announced a major legislative step to curb late night public nuisance and criminal activities in parking garages and lots, in particular at those garages and lots near entertainment establishments. The proposed ordinance seeks to amend sections of the San Francisco Police Code regarding commercial parking permits and empower the City Attorney’s Office to pursue civil action against those who violate those sections.
“Making parking lots near nightclubs more secure will make it safer for people to patronize our vital entertainment industry,” said Supervisor David Chiu. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with Supervisor Wiener, City Attorney Herrera and the industry to put forward this much-needed legislation.”
More deets after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2011, bay area, board of supervisors, california, city attorney, club, commercial, criminal, David Chiu, dennis herrera, Entertainment, garages, legislative, lighting, lots, nightclubs, nuisance, ordinance, parking, permit, permits, police, Police Code, president, public, San Francisco, Scott Wiener, security plan, Security Plans for Commercial Parking Garages and Lots, SFPD, Supervisor
Posted in politics | No Comments »
Friday, September 30th, 2011
All right, let’s say that this is your search:
Get an Abortion San Francisco
Which link would you click on?
This one?
“Abortion Info – Women’s Pregnancy Clinic | FirstResort.Org
Counseling and prenatal care 450 Sutter St, Suite 1740, San Francisco (415) 627-9175″
Get up to speed on this issue here and read a fresh release from BACORR below.
Via BACORR:
“FIRST RESORT MISLEADS IN ITS ADVERTISING, BACORR FINDS.
First Resort is well-known as Anti-Abortion in the Pro-Life Community; Misrepresents Itself & Advertises Under Abortion Services to the Non-Activist General Public.
First Resort, currently being investigated by the City Attorney’s office, misrepresents services it offers via Google advertising, in a recent Chronicle Op-Ed, and over the telephone. Over a 6 month investigation, the Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights (BACORR) has researched First Resort’s mission, ties in the Pro-Life community, and misrepresentation of itself to the general public.
This is first and foremost a consumer protection issue, not a political or religious debate.
First Resort is a Christian organization whose mission is to make an “abortion free world, “ as stated in paperwork filed with the state. However, under Google searches, “Abortion San Francisco,” “Abortion Services San Francisco,” and “,” First Resort is the second paid listing on the results page. Google is the most popular internet search engine.
After Golden Gate Planned Parenthood in San Francisco lost its charter, First Resort CEO Shari Plunkett states, “Our call volume has never been higher.” (Email to supporters, dated 4/14/2011) Though First Resort usually tells callers they do not offer abortions, recently they said yes, they do offer abortions.”
More deets after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2011, 450 Sutter, 450 Sutter Street, abortion, ads, advertising, Amy Everitt, ant, anti-abortion, bacorr, bay area, Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights, board of supervisors, california, candidate, catholic, catholics, counseling, CPC, CPCs, crisis, crisis pregnancy centers, David Chiu, deceptive, demand letter, dennis herrera, district 10, district 3, district 8, Emily Loen, First Resort, FirstResort.Org, google, inc, Malia Cohen, marketing, Mayor, meeting, NARAL, NARAL Pro-Choice California, non-judgmental, ordinance, Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance, president, Pro-Choice, pro-life, San Francisco, Sarah La Due, Scott Wiener, services, state director, street, Supervisor, Supervisor Malia Cohen, Truth About Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Women, Women's Pregnancy Clinic
Posted in health, law | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
[UPDATE: Heather Knight has some useful details, particularly about a woman who named her child after a book from the Old Testament / Torah. OK fine.]
San Francisco City Attorney and mayoral candidate Dennis Jose Herrera held a presser this AM along with District 10 Supervisor Malia Cohen, District 3 Supervisor and mayoral candidate David Chiu, and District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener regarding Malia’s new legislation about “crisis pregnancy centers.”
All the deets are below.
But you make the call:
What the Hell is this?
And check this photo from famous Steve Rhodes.
And guess who was there at City Hall this morning? Some Catholic League types, or Catholic reporters, something like that.
(It will be interesting to see how a few particular Supes vote on this one…)
Click to expand
“Cohen, Herrera take on S.F. ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ for deceptive marketing tactics
Proposed ordinance, City Attorney demand letter target misleading advertising by centers that push hidden agenda for ‘abortion free world’
SAN FRANCISCO (Aug. 2, 2011) — Supervisor Malia Cohen and City Attorney Dennis Herrera today announced joint legal and legislative steps to halt deceptive marketing by so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” in San Francisco, which purport to offer non-judgmental abortion services and counseling to women with unwanted pregnancies, but that instead push an anti-abortion agenda on those seeking constitutionally protected medical services. Cohen and Herrera announced their initiatives at a City Hall press conference this morning.
Cohen’s legislation, which she will introduce at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, is entitled the “Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance.” If enacted, Cohen’s measure would explicitly prohibit limited services pregnancy centers in San Francisco from making false or misleading statements to the public about pregnancy-related services that the centers offer. While some crisis pregnancy centers openly acknowledge their pro-life advocacy, many misleadingly target women in search of abortion services though false advertising — and then employ manipulative and fear mongering tactics on their visitors to dissuade them from obtaining abortions. Crisis pregnancy centers commonly offer few services other than anti-abortion rhetoric, but the proliferation of Internet search engines has given anti-abortion centers an effective way to misrepresent themselves as bona fide clinics, offering prominent paid links in response to search queries for “abortion” and related terms within their region.
“One of the most serious threats to reproductive rights today comes from so-called ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ which misrepresent themselves as non-political medical providers, but that push anti-abortion propaganda and mistruths on unsuspecting women,” said Cohen. “The legislation that will be introduced today would prohibit these limited services pregnancy centers in San Francisco from misleading the public about the services they perform. It’s a measured, thoughtful approach that balances the free speech rights of anti-abortion activists with constitutionally protected reproductive rights for women. I appreciate City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s office working with me to craft a policy to protect women in San Francisco, while minimizing possible legal risks.”
In tandem with Cohen’s legislation, Herrera took a first step today toward a possible legal action under California law against San Francisco’s most egregiously misleading crisis pregnancy center, First Resort, Inc. Herrera’s demand letter to the anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center in the medical building at 450 Sutter Street expressed serious concerns about the veracity of the center’s print advertising and Internet marketing, which imply to prospective clients that First Resort offers abortion services or referrals to abortion providers — when it in fact does neither.
Herrera’s letter notes that First Resort has purchased paid Google advertisements to secure top placement in search results for abortion providers in San Francisco. Moreover, the letter details several of First Resort’s public representations to prospective clients that are false and misleading, and which contrast starkly with the organization’s stated purpose — as revealed in its state licensing documents — to achieve “an abortion-free world.”
“First Resort is certainly entitled to advocate for ‘an abortion-free world’ to anyone who wants to hear it, but the center is breaking the law by misrepresenting itself as an abortion provider for the purpose of luring women with unwanted pregnancies to its office,” Herrera said. “This is an insidious practice that victimizes women who are, in some instances, already victims. It’s especially problematic because the delays these centers can cause interfere with women’s time-sensitive, constitutionally protected right to reproductive choice. I’ve taken this step to demand that First Resort clarify its purpose in accordance with state law. Moreover, I applaud Supervisor Malia Cohen for her leadership to further tighten restrictions on this unethical practice here in San Francisco.”
And see what NARAL Pro Choice California has to say about all this after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 2011, 450 Sutter, 450 Sutter Street, abortion, advertising, Amy Everitt, ant, anti-abortion, bay area, board of supervisors, california, candidate, catholic, catholics, counseling, CPC, CPCs, crisis pregnancy centers, David Chiu, deceptive, demand letter, dennis herrera, district 10, district 3, district 8, First Resort, inc, Malia Cohen, marketing, Mayor, meeting, NARAL, NARAL Pro-Choice California, non-judgmental, ordinance, Pregnancy Information Disclosure and Protection Ordinance, president, Pro-Choice, pro-life, San Francisco, Sarah La Due, Scott Wiener, services, state director, street, Supervisor, Supervisor Malia Cohen, Truth About Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Women
Posted in health, politics | No Comments »
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
The BOMA has all the deets:
“The SFDPW will hold a Mobile Food Town Hall to address any concerns regarding the Mobile Food Facilities Ordinance on February 25, 2011 at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, Atrium Conference Room”
Well, maybe not all the deets, like the time it will start, but that’s OK, we’ll get that situated soon ‘nough. Just mark you calendars at this point.
What’s it like to step out of your tired, struggling, old-school bricks-and-mortar lunch spot with six idle employees and one customer at 11:30 AM to see a regular hirugohan phenomenon? It looks just like this, as seen on Mission:
Click to expand
In other news, horrible Alison Rowe of struggling, poorly-rated (relatively – we can get into that if you want, but probably you don’t want to do that) Harvest & Rowe, you know, that place what looks like a sleepy bank lobby most of the time, has won her crazy battle against the harmless Japacurry food truck.
Oh well.
(But sometimes you win the battle and then lose the war. We’ll see.)
Anyway, I’ll post the time of the Town Hall when I figure it out.
Tags: alison, food, harvest & rowe, japacurry, jay hamada, Mobile Food Facilities, Mobile Food Facilities Ordinance, ordinance, rowe, taco, truck, yelp
Posted in food and drink | 2 Comments »
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Part of the reason that these green news racks replaced the regular racks we used to have was that a former Mayor of San Francisco didn’t like what was said about him in the media. And another part of it had to do with, and there’s a lot of this in town, people making six figures a year imposing their aesthetics, their values, on the much larger class of people making five figures a year.
Get all the deets on this failed San Francisco policy here. And see what Berkeley’s up to right here.
Anyway, at least you can use them for something, at least they have some use. All those handles look as if they were made for U locks:
Click to expand
Look forward to the removal of most of these mostly-empty green monsters within five years…
Tags: "street furniture, 2010, abercrombie, bay area, bay times, bicycle, bike, california, cyclists, fees, fifth, first amendment, fitch, gavin newsom, lock, market, Mayor, media, news, news rack, newspaper, ordinance, paper, pedmount, racks, San Francisco, street, streetscape, union square, wilie brown, willie brown, wily brown
Posted in media | No Comments »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
Brace yourselves, San Franciscans. Here’s the latest communique from StandAgainst SitLie.org:
“On Saturday, April 24, San Franciscans opposing Mayor Newsom’s and Police Chief Gascón’s Sit-Lie ordinance will stage a follow up event to last month’s hugely successful “Sidewalks are for People” citywide celebration of public space and culture. Last month’s event shifted the momentum against the ordinance, creating a media frenzy that reached all the way to London and the BBC World Service.”
All the deets below.
A shrine for the sit/lie ordinance seen recently on Haight Street:
“Since the March event, the SF Planning Commission and the San Francisco Democratic Party have rejected the ordinance recognizing that a number of laws already exist to address problem behaviors on sidewalks and that sidewalks should be open to public gatherings. This month’s event promises many more colorful and exciting sidewalk celebrations.
SIDEWALKS ARE FOR PEOPLE PART II
All-Day / Citywide Event on Saturday, April 24 in San Francisco
VISUALS: A fabulous drag queen show, musicians, colorful/creative signs, tea parties, and sidewalk sit-ins.
WHEN: Saturday, April 24, throughout the day (See highlighted events for times.)
WHERE: Events planned throughout the city. Here are some highlights. Contact Andy for more info and updates: 415-533-4694.
Drag Show and Lemonade in the Tenderloin: Fabulous and colorful drag queen performances on the sidewalk. Noon – 2:00. 631 O’Farrell Street. Contact: Joe Kowalke 415-305-7756
Day Laborer Sit-in on Cesar Chavez St.: Day Laborers and allies demonstrating. Silk screening, sidewalk chalk drawings, signs and more. Contact: Joel 415-553-3424
Music in the Castro: Local musicians playing at Harvey Milk Plaza with the audience sitting and lying around. Castro and Market Streets. Noon – 2:00. Contact Tommi Avicolli Mecca 415-522-6031
Poetry Workshop in the Mission: A poetry workshop while sitting and lying on the sidewalk. 2-3:30pm. Florida Street between 23rd and 24th. Contact: Tiny 510-435-7500
WHAT: SIDEWALKS ARE FOR PEOPLE is a decentralized, citywide celebration of San Francisco’s public space, vibrant culture, and tradition of compassion. People across the city, will be doing what they love on sidewalks (without obstructing them!): barbecues, chalk drawing, chess, yoga, reading, knitting, jump rope, playing music, painting, tea/coffee parties, sunbathing, meditating, DJing, hanging out, tai chi, dancing, anything they like!
WHY: San Francisco mayor, Gavin Newsom, and Police Chief George Gascón are pushing the Board of Supervisors to pass a law that would make it illegal to sit or lie on the sidewalk anywhere in San Francisco. We think it’s a violation of basic civil liberties and counter to San Francisco values to criminalize the act of sitting in public space. We think public spaces are safer when people are encouraged to use them to meet with neighbors, friends, family and others.
We believe our sidewalks reflect the diverse, vibrant culture of our city. We believe in freedom of expression, the right to peaceably assemble, and the pursuit of happiness on our sidewalks!
We acknowledge and empathize with legitimate fears or frustrations that people encounter in this city as they share public space with others, but we believe there are better solutions than criminalizing innocent behavior. For starters check out, “A Very Different Approach to the Sit-Lie Law” by Gabriel Haaland. http://tinyurl.com/alternative2SitLie
###
PHOTOS, VIDEOS, A COMPLETE LIST OF MEDIA COVERAGE, AND MORE AT:
www.StandAgainstSitLie.org
Tags: 2010, april 24, ashbury, castro, Cesar Chavez, chief, cole, Day Laborer, democratic, dept. department, Drag Show, Gabriel Haaland, gavin newsom, George Gascón, Harvey Milk Plaza, law, Lemonade, Mayor, mission, music, ordinance, PART II, party, Poetry, police, San Francisco, SFPD, SIDEWALKS ARE FOR PEOPLE, sit lie, sit/lie, tenderloin, upper
Posted in crime, protests | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
I always thought that it might be against the rules to feed animals in Golden Gate Park, but I never really knew for sure. These days, there’s a movement afoot to amend the San Francisco Park Code to prohibit feeding animals “wild by nature and not customarily domesticated.”
Here’s the rule as it stands now:
“SEC. 5.07. FEEDING ANIMALS PROHIBITED It shall be unlawful for any person to feed or offer to any animal in any park any substance which would be likely to be harmful to it. (Added by 603-81, App. 12/18/81)”
Does it hurt a duck to feed it bread? No se. Is it against the rules to feed a duck in Golden Gate Park under the existing rules? Even our Lawgivers seem to be uncertain as to how this would all work.
The operator of the Stow Lake Boat House has this sign up at the snack bar, not that the birders would approve.
Here’s a sign at San Francisco Botanical Garden (nee Strybing) inside of GGP. The people at Strybing, they say stuff like “we don’t feed the animals” but I don’t think they have any special rules just for them because their signs only cite existing section 5.07:
Irregardless, lots of people think its their right to feed San Francisco’s ducks, so I’m not sure that Park Rangers would relish handing out enough citations to get people to change their behavior.
It’s probably not a good thing for you to feed the ducks but I don’t think anybody will try to stop you if you put your mind to it. (Although if you’re around state or federal authorities, they might have a whole set of different rules for you to obey.)
Of course Park employees used to carry around cans of cat food to feed the red foxes of Strybing, but they’re no longer around.
And coyotes, some guy started bringing raw meet into GGP to feed coyotes a while back, but that caused issues so the state of California sent in a man to execute all the coyotes he could find, including this one.
Oh well.
Our supes will hash this issue out and let us know I’m sure.
Tags: 5.07, amend, Animals, arboretum, baothous, birds, botanical garden, bread, code, coyotes, ducks, elsbernd, feed, feeding, foxes, geese, golden gate park, goose, illegal, lake, law, ordinance, ordnance, parrots, popcorn, rangers, San Francisco, stow, strybing, Supervisor
Posted in Animals, parks | 2 Comments »
