Month: May 2008

05/31/08

SF: Prop H – Prohibiting Elected Officials, Candidates, or Committees They Control from Soliciting or Accepting Contributions from Certain City Contractors

Shall it be unlawful for City elected officials, candidates or political committees they control to solicit or accept campaign contributions from contractors who are prohibited from making contributions to these elected officials, candidates and political committees because the contractor has a pending contract or a recently approved contract before the official or the Board on which the official or an appointee of the official sits?

Proposition H is a pretty open and shut case.
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05/30/08

Movie Review: Street Kings

Street KingsStreet Kings is a movie about how city cops operate. The cops own the streets and can do anything they want. All of it gets covered up by the police department before the media and the public get hold of it. But when something goes wrong and fingers start pointing, the structure and loyalty starts to fade.

This movie stars Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, and a few hip hop / rap artists like Common and The Game. Keanu Reeves sucks as an actor. He can only play two types of characters: non-human characters or dead people. Unfortunately, his role in Street Kings is neither Tree #3 nor dead.

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05/27/08

SF: Prop G – Mixed-Use Development Project for Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard

Shall it be City policy to encourage timely development of a mixed-use project in the Bayview on Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard, including a new 49ers stadium or a non-stadium alternative; shall the City be authorized to transfer park land in Candlestick Point for non-recreational use if the land is replaced with new public parks or open spaces of at least equal size and the transfer meets the measure’s policy objectives; and shall Propositions D and F, approved by the voters in June 1997, be repealed?

Proposition G lays out guidelines the developer must follow to meet the conditions to develop the Candlestick Point and Bayview Hunters Point area. The proposition is asking for the public’s approval to move forward on completing the agreement with the developer funding the ballot measure, Lennar Corp.
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05/22/08

SF: Prop F – Affordable Housing Requirement for the Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard Mixed-Use Development Project

Shall it be City policy that any mixed-use development plan the City approves for Candlestick Point and Hunters Point Shipyard require 50% of all new housing units developed in the area be affordable, give preferences for the rental or purchase of new affordable housing to families of low and moderate income, and, if Alice Griffith housing is rebuilt, replace the units on a one-to-one basis; and shall the City be prohibited from selling, conveying or leasing any City-owned land at Candlestick Point unless the Board of Supervisors finds that the mixed-use development plan for this area incorporates these policies?

Currently, state law requires any new mixed development to include at least 15% affordable housing.
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05/21/08

Bones is Awesome

I stopped watching fictional television shows quite a while ago, but I haven’t been able to stop watching the crime drama Bones.

Bones follows an FBI agent named Booth and a Smithsonian scientist named Brennan as they investigate deaths through fieldwork and lab analysis. The interaction between the two star characters and the sarcastic humor in the show is what keeps me interested. I also like the lab work which is similar to CSI–a show I had interest in the past.

This year’s season finale is supposedly mind blowing. I was waiting until the weekend to watch the last few episodes leading up to the finale. Unfortunately, Wutaku spoiled the plot of the finale as he is apt to do. Damn you Wutaku! Damn you!!!

05/20/08

SF: Prop E – Requiring Board of Supervisors’ Approval of Mayor’s Appointments to the Public Utilities Commission and Creating Qualifications for Commission Members

Shall the City set qualifications for members of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and change the process for appointing members to the PUC by requiring a majority of the Board of Supervisors to approve the Mayor’s appointments to the PUC?

Proposition E gets an emphatic Yes vote from me.

The Public Utilities Commission handles construction, management, supervision, maintenance, extension, operation, use and control of all water and energy supplies and utilities of the City. They also handle the financial assets under their jurisdiction. In other words, the PUC hold sole dominion over doling out contracts upwards into the billions to retrofit the City’s utilities. A current example would be the $4.3 billion seismic retrofit of the City’s Hetch-Hetchy water system.
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05/16/08

SF: Prop D – Appointments to City Boards and Commissions

Shall it be City policy that the membership of City boards and commissions reflect the interests and contributions of both men and women of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations
and types of disabilities and that City officers and agencies support the nomination,
appointment or confirmation of female, minority and disabled candidates to fill seats on those bodies?

WordPress does not have the emoticon to express the exasperation I felt after reading Proposition D.
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05/15/08

SF: Prop C – Forfeiture of Retirement Benefits for Conviction of a Crime Involving Moral Turpitude in Connection with City Employment

Shall the City prohibit San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System members who are convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude in connection with their employment from receiving any retirement benefits funded with employer contributions?

At first glance, Proposition C looks like an open-and-shut case. Employees who are convicted of committing fraud or stealing from the City should not receive any benefits from the City.
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05/15/08

SF: Prop B – Changing Qualifications for Retiree Health and Pension Benefits and Establishing a Retiree Health Care Trust Fund

Shall the City increase the years of service required for new City employees and certain employees of the School District, the Superior Court and the Community College District to qualify for employer-funded retiree health benefits, establish a separate Retiree Health Care Trust Fund to fund retiree health care costs, and increase retirement benefits and retirement cost-of-living adjustments for certain City employees?

I am confused as to why this measure needs to be voted on in an election.
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