Local outlets face big challenges

by Brian Leubitz

A couple of San Francisco stories over the last week have served to highlight the major obstacles facing local news coverage. First, last week, the saga of the SF Bay Guardian kept the city’s chattering class, well, chattering.

A short summary won’t do it justice, but I’ll try. Longtime editor-in-chief Tim Redmond, who had shepherded the paper from former owner Bruce Brugmann to the new Canadian syndicate that also owns the SF Examiner, and SF Weekly, “resigned” without much notice. He left a notice on a new Blogger blog that he left the paper, and not much else. After a bit of explanation, we learned through a long article from SFBG editors Steven T Jones and Rebecca Bowe that Redmond was under pressure to fire several reporters, possibly even 3 of the 7 staff that the Guardian had.  In the end, Redmond was either pushed out, or walked out, depending on how you see it. But the cuts are moving forward.

The other story of note was a great article about the “merger” of the Bay Citizen into the Center for Investigative Reporting that appears in today’s CalBuzz. I highly recommend that you read the whole thing, as it is an interesting warning/notice about what the future of journalism could look like if we rely solely on philanthropic ventures. The trouble is that if you lose the visionary behind the project, it is very hard to stay true to the vision.  In the case of the Bay Citizen, that has meant the end of the local reporting that it was launched to provide:

A year and a half later, Hellman was dead at age 77, and the board of the Bay Citizen, whose members were handpicked by Hellman, quickly decided to hand control to the Berkeley-based Center for Investigative Reporting.

Now, three years later, the vision of the Bay Citizen is gone, its staff enveloped by the growing empire of the CIR, one of the nation’s oldest nonprofit news organizations, and its mission of providing local daily news coverage vanished. Along the way, CIR also has shuttered California Watch, which it started in January 2010 with foundation support to specialize in coverage of California news and issues. (Robert B. Gunnison / CalBuzz)

What does that mean for local reporting, and even state based reporting? Unfortunately, it is more than clear that journalism is now transitioning from the good old days to something new. New media presents tremendous opportunities for publishers (you are reading this, right?), but the challenges have just been too much to provide the same level of professional coverage that we once got on a consistent basis. Maybe semi-professional sites (like this one?) can fill in some of the gaps, but we are still facing a big journalistic hole.

San Francisco has been there from day one

By Brian Leubitz

Back in 2004, Gavin Newsom was not a popular dude in Democratic circles. Well, scratch that, he was an enormously popular dude in almost all circles in San Francisco, with approval ratings over 80%. But, take a few steps out of the SF bubble, and Democrats were seething over what many saw as the reason for John Kerry’s loss in 2004. From the New York Times in 2004:

Some in the party were suggesting even before the election that Mr. Newsom had played into President Bush’s game plan by inviting a showdown on the divisive same-sex-marriage issue.

Most of the talk has been behind closed doors. But when Senator Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat and Newsom supporter, answered a question about the subject at a news conference outside her San Francisco home on Wednesday, the prickly discussion spilled into the open.

“I believe it did energize a very conservative vote,” Ms. Feinstein said of the same-sex marriages here. “I think it gave them a position to rally around. I’m not casting a value judgment. I’m just saying I do believe that’s what happened.”(NYT)

My oh my, have times changed. John Kerry had more than just one reason for his loss in 2004, but looking back, Gavin Newsom just looks like a leader who took a step that, while perhaps one step ahead of the institutional leadership of his party, was just leading where the country was already heading. To this day, Newsom’s marriage activism has given him credibility with the LGBT community, as well as the general Democratic base. It made him a national name, even if it made him a bit unpopular with some big names at the time.

But through all that, San Francisco’s work for marriage equality was about more than just the ceremonies at our beautiful City Hall. The City also directly took on the injustice in court. And for the better part of a decade, the City Attorney and his staff have been in on every legal case about California’s marriage inequality.

Nine years ago, city officials here sued to strike down a state ban on same-sex marriage. It was the first government challenge to such a law, and it set in motion a legal chain reaction that gave rise to a momentous Supreme Court case to be argued next Tuesday. …

“We’re defense lawyers,” Dennis J. Herrera, the city attorney, said in his office in San Francisco’s palatial City Hall. “We defend laws that are on the books. And we got a lot of heat at the time for stepping out of that traditional defense role.”

In the years that followed, Mr. Herrera’s office – which now includes five former Supreme Court law clerks, more than some major law firms – has been involved in every phase of the legal war over same-sex marriage in California.

Since that time, the California Attorneys General, Brown and Harris, have followed the City’s lead in calling for the reversal of Prop 8. And President Obama’s “evolution” on marriage equality has recently extended to the Solicitor General filing a brief with the Supreme Court against Prop 8. Would that have happened without the San Francisco leadership? Maybe, but SF gave the rest of the nation a kick in the pants and the motivation for the rapid change on the question of marriage equality that we are at now.

In the most recent polls, support for marriage equality hit 58%. And Republican elected leaders are jumping as far away as possible from NOM’s sinking ship. Apparently with all of the GOP introspection these days, that is supposed to make them hip, or cutting-edge or something.

But real leadership involves real risks. San Francisco’s leaders took those risks from Day one, and have been there ever since.

When Republicans from around the nation want to really ramp up the rhetoric, they start attacking modern “San Francisco” values. You know, marriage equality, diversity, environmental activism, labor union solidarity and expansion of healthcare.

We expect this kind of anti-San Francisco rhetoric from the likes of Rush Limbaugh and even Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. But we don’t usually see it in San Francisco itself. That’s why the strange campaign of conservative Michael Breyer is so unusual. He’s running in a district that rests largely in San Francisco while calling to restore what he is calling “traditional” San Francisco values.

This normally wouldn’t even be a topic of serious consideration. But Breyer has already spent more than $600,000 of his own money on a relentlessly negative campaign and is on pace to spend more than twice that. He is also raising funds from conservatives who are leading the attacks against public pensions. And money from large corporate landlords is also flowing into his campaign. So, who is Michael Breyer and what is his problem with modern San Francisco values?

Michael Breyer – Another Conservative from Massachusetts

Breyer was born and raised in Massachusetts where he attended some of the nation’s most elite private schools. He then went to Stanford, where he graduated.

San Francisco is full of transplants from all over the nation and world, so there is nothing wrong with being from Massachusetts. Except Michael Breyer calls himself a “fifth generation San Franciscan.” His campaign literature shows pictures of local icons like Lowell High School. His whole campaign is about San Francisco “tradition.” Except he didn’t go to Lowell High School – and he’s not from San Francisco. Maybe this distance created the political myopia that’s causing him to attack modern San Francisco values, like protecting the environment and promoting children’s health.

After graduation Breyer went into the “family business,” so to speak, launching a company called Courtroom Connect to provide services to the courts, where both his father and uncle are ranking justices. He calls it a “small business” but it is an Atlanta corporation that has both large public contracts with the courts and a range of corporate interests, including big tobacco.

His first public record of serious interest in politics appears to be giving funds to an anti-choice, anti-marriage equality Tennessee politician known for his e-book, “God and Politics,” which Breyer endorsed on the back cover.

Breyer went on to become a part of the flood of so-called “Independent” expenditures around the 2011 San Francisco Mayor’s race. After a review by the Ethics Commission staff, he was actually barred from further participation in the Mayor’s race, although that determination was reversed on appeal.

Why does Michael Breyer think protecting children and the environment is zany?

In one of his first pieces of political literature, he attacked the successful efforts to phase out unwanted Yellow Page distribution, which account for unnecessary environmental waste. This was one of the major legislative efforts from the local Sierra Club last year.

He also attacked the effort to protect the health of children by phasing out the linkage between children’s toys and junk food contributing to childhood obesity and other health challenges.

His early campaign literature also pushed pension reform and said again and again he would be a representative of the “traditional” San Francisco values.

What is Michael Breyer Trying to Say?

We know what San Francisco values are. They are tolerance, diversity and justice. Breyer’s opponent, Phil Ting, is the former executive director of a prominent civil rights organization. Ting has won the support of virtually every single organization to take a stand in the race with the exception of groups representing large corporate landlords.

The race is already highly negative, with Breyer just mailing his fourth hit piece in two weeks. Negative campaigns are nothing new in San Francisco. But a campaign against San Francisco values from a candidate running in San Francisco certainly is.

You can stay up to date on the race at www.MichaelBreyerfacts.com

(I worked with Chris Cunnie on the AG’s election, and he is a good guy who really knows his stuff. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

By: Attorney General Kamala Harris

They say true convictions are what you display when no one is looking and there is nothing to gain. I have seen the true convictions of Chris Cunnie – which is why I am so convinced he is the best choice to be our next Sheriff.

When I was running for Attorney General there were many “insiders” who said my Smart on Crime platforms would make me unelectable in many parts of California. So when I stood up as a candidate for Attorney General to explain why we must balance long prison terms for offenders with early intervention and other Smart on Crime programs – very few people stood up with me at first.

Chris Cunnie was one of the few.

We made quite a pair I guess – the African American District Attorney and the Irish-American former police officer. But Chris was always there for me and truly understood what my campaign was all about. From Bakersfield to Fresno, to East San Diego County and places in between, Chris stood up and testified for my Smart on Crime programs. He helped me fight for a public safety strategy that would focus on keeping kids in school, helping ex-offenders get back on the right track, job training and drug treatment for people in prison so they could succeed when they were released. AND he focused enforcement on serious and violent crimes to make our neighborhoods safer.

Chris Cunnie understands what works because he has done BOTH. He served as a decorated police officer in virtually every San Francisco neighborhood. He was an early leader and advocate for community policing. He has given our city incredible service and honed his leadership skills as Director of Emergency Communications, Chief of Investigations in my DA’s Office and finally as Undersheriff – the number two leader in the jails – under Michael Hennessey.

Chris has also been a strong leader in the treatment and prevention community. He was head of Walden House, one of the country’s leading treatment facilities. He served on the state board helping those who are drug and alcohol dependent stay out of the criminal justice system if they sought and stayed in treatment. And, as I mentioned above, he has been one of the leading advocates for my Smart on Crime platforms.

We need experienced leaders to serve in law enforcement in San Francisco. Chris Cunnie has earned my whole-hearted support and I so strongly urge you to join me in support of Chris Cunnie for Sheriff on November 8.

We have asked a lot of our online community over the last 10 months. You have been there with us, and for us, every step of the way.

You helped us get the campaign started – donating 20 hours of volunteer time or $20 to the campaign through our 20/20 program.

You helped us put together coffees in every corner of the city so we could meet your friends and neighbors.

You packed the house at our campaign kick-off event in May.

You gathered so many signatures that we were the only campaign to file more than 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot.

You helped us earn the support of the Sierra Club, teachers, the CA Nurses, the SF Labor Council and over 46 other community organizations representing hundreds of thousands of our friends and neighbors.

Over 2,000 of you have donated to our cause.

We are right on the verge of winning this race and creating an independent City Hall for the next four years. We need your help now more than ever.

We have 3 days to go until the campaign fundraising deadline at midnight on Saturday. Our goal is 100 online donations by midnight on Saturday. Will you help us win this race by making a contribution before the deadline?

In the past two weeks, we released our 20-point plans for improving our public schools and continuing San Francisco’s environmental leadership. We have released more public plans with more detail than any other campaign.

We have received the endorsement of the teachers and the San Francisco Labor Council. Our volunteers just finished door knocking their 300th precinct!

You have helped build this campaign from the start.

We have seven weeks to go to change City Hall and take back our city. This is our time.

We have 3 days to go until the campaign fundraising deadline at midnight on Saturday. Our goal is 100 online donations by midnight on Saturday. Will you help us win this race by making a contribution before the deadline?

Thank you for everything that you have done.

Sincerely,

Leland Yee

PS – We are on the verge of winning this campaign and taking back City Hall from the inside power brokers. Please help put us over the top with a donation.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, Mayoral candidate and Senator Leland Yee unveiled his policy plan to strengthen San Francisco’s public schools. The plan, entitled “It Takes a Community,” contains 22 specific commitments that Yee will embark on as Mayor to address the underlying problems facing the city’s school system and to help turn around public education within San Francisco.

Yee – the only candidate to attend San Francisco public schools as well as send his four children to public schools – unveiled his plan today along side teachers, parents and former students at Gordon J. Lau Elementary School (formerly Commodore Stockton School), where Yee was a student as a young child.

Yee’s plan includes policies to provide affordable housing for teachers, time off for parents to participate, free Muni for low-income students, community services through school programs, and more college savings accounts.

“The best way to keep families in San Francisco is to improve public education,” said Yee. “A fully engaged and committed Mayor, who works in partnership with the school district, teachers, and parents, can make a real difference. This 22 point plan will not only help our kids, but will help our entire community and improve our economy.”

Yee began his political career as member of the San Francisco Board of Education in 1988.  Prior to serving as a Commissioner, Yee was an educator and child psychologist in the public schools. As a state legislator, Yee has fought for students and teachers – from authoring legislation to increase mental health services to voting against budget cuts to education.

As a result of his experience and commitment to public education, Yee is endorsed by the United Educators of San Francisco, California School Employees Association, and the California Nurses Association.

Yee has also been honored as the “Legislator of the Year” by the California Association of School Psychologists, California School Nutrition Association, California School Employees Association, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, Associated Students of the University of California, and the California Faculty Association, among others.

“Leland Yee has been a child psychologist, a teacher in the classroom, and will always be an educator in his heart,” said Kim-Shree Maufas, Board of Education Commissioner. “He’s one of us, he’s been there for us, and he’s the mayor who will be best for our schools.”

“Yee’s plan for schools demonstrates his commitment to education,” said Dennis Kelly, President of the United Educators of San Francisco. “San Francisco Teachers trust Leland to prioritize our kids and schools and we are proud to support Leland Yee for Mayor.”

The highlights of Yee’s plan include:

PUT STUDENTS FIRST

1. Increase student success with wrap-around “community school” services
2. Prioritize underperforming schools for community school reforms
3. Reduce truancy and dropout rates, and expand programs for at-risk youth
4. Free Muni for public school kids
5. Promote school-based healthcare services for the entire family
6. Expand nutrition education to improve healthy eating at home
7. Bridge the digital divide
8. Make college a goal for every student
9. Make the Dream Act a reality
10. Improve language proficiency for all students

RESPECT AND REWARD TEACHERS

11. Expand teacher recognition and incentive programs
12. Teacher Power: appoint educators to city boards and commissions
13. Develop the best future educators by recruiting the best college graduates
14. Real affordable housing for educators
15. Help teachers pay for classroom materials

PROMOTE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

16. Create network of community partners to expand reach of wrap-around services
17. Expand and formalize partnerships with universities to share space, service-learning opportunities, and align strategic plans
18. Expand partnerships with businesses to ensure college and career connectivity
19. Create alliance of school and parent advocacy groups to improve connectivity and collaboration

ENCOURAGE PARENT PARTICIPATION

20. Time off to attend school functions and parent-teacher conferences
21. Support and promote the SFUSD Parent Engagement and Partnership Plan
22. Community school wrap-around services for parents

To read Yee’s entire plan, visit www.LelandYee.com.

—

Yee immigrated to San Francisco at the age of 3. His father, a veteran, served in the US Army and the Merchant Marine, and his mother was a local seamstress. Yee graduated from the University of California – Berkeley, then earned a Ph.D. in Child Psychology, and later served in various mental health and school settings. He and his wife, Maxine, have raised four children who all attended San Francisco public schools. Yee has served in the State Legislature, Board of Supervisors and Board of Education.

###

SEIU 1021 reject Lee, back Yee in Mayor’s Race

SAN FRANCISCO – Senator Leland Yee has landed the first choice endorsement of the largest organization of city workers – Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1021) – in his campaign for San Francisco Mayor. The move by the 54,000 member union is a complete rejection of the city’s top official, interim Mayor Ed Lee.

The endorsement comes after Yee has landed virtually every major labor endorsement in the race, including the California Nurses Association, California School Employees Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers International Union, United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Communication Workers of America, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, among others.

Yee has also been endorsed by the major environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and San Francisco Tomorrow.

“I am proud to be the labor candidate in this race and honored to receive the endorsement from SEIU 1021 and our city’s workforce, who run our city and provide us essential services,” said Yee. “SEIU 1021 represents some of our lowest paid and hardest working employees, including healthcare workers, nurses, and janitors. Together, we have fought to ensure greater transparency and accountability at City Hall and within state government. I look forward to working with SEIU as we move San Francisco forward.”

“Clearly, Leland Yee is the best choice to stand up for working families,” said Jim Stearns, Yee’s campaign manager. “Unlike some candidates, Leland doesn’t believe public employees are the enemy and he’ll fight for good-paying jobs and benefits for those who provide essential services to San Francisco residents.”

SEIU 1021 also endorsed John Avalos as a first or second choice and Bevan Dufty as a third choice.

SEIU 1021 was founded in 2007 when 10 local unions came together in northern California to form one larger, more powerful union. SEIU 1021 represents public service workers in cities, counties, courts, schools, private non-profits, special districts, public health care, and nursing.

____

Yee immigrated to San Francisco at the age of 3. His father, a veteran, served in the US Army and the Merchant Marine, and his mother was a local seamstress. Yee graduated from the University of California – Berkeley, then earned a Ph.D. in Child Psychology, and later served in various mental health and school settings. He and his wife, Maxine, have raised four children who all attended San Francisco public schools. Yee has served in the State Legislature, Board of Supervisors and Board of Education.

Read more at www.lelandyee.com

###

Do you think the SFMTA President should have received a $384,000 golden parachute for walking off the job 6 months after he signed a new contract?

Is it acceptable that the San Francisco Ethics Commission is appointed by the same politicians it is supposed to be policing?

Does it help the city that unregistered lobbyists, representing downtown interests, spend hours in City Hall bending the ears of our leaders?

No way. But that’s what’s happening right now. Help us stop it.

This past weekend, we are released our plan and petition for an independent City Hall direct to the voters via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Will you join me and let the insiders know you won’t take it anymore? Read the plan. Sign the petition.

For 23 years, I have been a champion of open government and a proud independent voice — independent of the downtown interests, of the city hall insiders, and the political powerbrokers.

Join me in creating an independent City Hall and let the insiders know you won’t take it anymore. Read the plan. Sign the petition.

Recently, the San Francisco Bay Guardian wrote about the tight-knit group of shadowy powerbrokers that run City Hall.

“They desperately fear that Yee will win the mayor’s race and clean house, kicking out…all of the…cronies, greatly reducing their power in San Francisco.”

It’s time to create an independent City Hall. Here’s what I’ll do:

• Create a Citizen Ethics Commission. No longer will city politicians appoint the very people assigned to watch them and monitor ethical violations.
• No more golden parachutes. Insider appointees get special treatment. It’s not fair to the taxpayers and it’s bad for the city.
• Crackdown on unregistered lobbyists. Powerful, political insiders are gaming the system to their advantage. It’s time to stop them.
• Increased enforcement from Ethics Commission. Without sufficient enforcement, shadowy outside groups break campaign rules without fear of punishment, hurt our democracy and impact key policy decisions.
• Improve sunshine ordinances. Our open government and sunshine laws have become toothless. We need to create a faster more accessible way to make records available to the public for review.

Will you join me and let the insiders know you won’t take it anymore? Send them a message that it’s time for an independent City Hall. Sign the petition.

While the legislators are getting paid again, California’s budget wrangling is not yet over.  Or, more properly, the dominoes are now falling.  Yesterday, I mentioned that we would likely see some local sales taxes appearing on budgets soon.  And, well, it didn’t take long for that to happen:

But San Francisco voters might be asked on Nov. 1 to enact a local half-percent sales tax on April 1. The half percent raises the sales tax to 9 percent, still cheaper than consumers are paying until July 1. However, the benefit is that San Francisco retains all the money raised by the hike.

Mayor Ed Lee, who is proposing the increase, says the half-cent tax would generate about $60 million annually for The City’s coffers and be used to pay for rising costs of police and firefighter salaries, as well as public health and social services. (SF Examiner)

The measure would void itself if the state sales  tax were increased again, and then sunset in 2022.  However, given the Republican obstinance over revenue, a legislative sales tax increase seems unlikely. In San Francisco, this stands a decent shot of passing, but the 2/3 vote requirement on the November ballot still puts a high hurdle.  However, as of right now, it looks like there will be near universal support for the measure from elected officials in SF.

The bigger question is whether other municipalities will be able to accomplish this.  Certainly in some of the redder areas, this is pretty much off the table.  But as local budgets start bleeding a little bit more, don’t be surprised to see more of these in 2012.

Last night, the Sierra Club endorsed Leland as their choice for the next Mayor of San Francisco.

The Sierra Club is the oldest and largest environment organization in the country with over 30,000 members in the San Francisco Bay Chapter alone.  We could not be more honored to have their support.

Will you make a contribution right now to help us get the message out on the big news.

Every contribution to the campaign is matched 4 to 1 – so a $20 donation today is worth $100 to the campaign.  Please donate.

Last year in the State Senate, Leland was one of only two Senators to receive a 100% rating from the Sierra Club, League of Conversation Voters, and Clean Water Action.

Recently, Leland authored and passed legislation to stop offshore oil drilling, protect the Farollon Islands, build the Devil’s Slide Tunnel along Highway 1 and respond to the 2007 San Francisco Bay Cosco Busan oil spill.

That’s why John Rizzo, Political Chair of the Sierra Club – San Francisco Bay Chapter, said “Leland’s vision will help San Francisco lead the nation in environmental stewardship.”

As the race for mayor starts to heat up, you can make a big difference.

Will you make a contribution to help us get the message out about the Sierra Club endorsement?

We have many environmental successes in our city but there is much more we can do.  That’s why Leland’s goal is for San Francisco to have 100% clean energy and recycle 100% of our waste by the year 2020.

Help Leland get to City Hall so we can turn these goals into realities.

If you can, please make a contribution today and help San Francisco become the greatest city in American by 2020.

Thank you for all your help and support.

Sincerely,

Jim Stearns

Campaign Manager