Category Archives: San Francisco

Election Slate for February 15, 2022

Posted on by
Reply

Each election I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far, based on the ballot I received in the mail, various organizational endorsements, and an online discussion with local activists… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)– 

State Assembly Member, District 17: David Campos

School Proposition A: No recall

School Proposition B: No recall

School Proposition C: No recall

Assessor Recorder: as you wish

Volunteering at Alemany Farm

Posted on by
Reply

Stardust at Alemany Farm
I had a wonderful time volunteering at Alemany Farm. The farm is a fairly short walk from my house. I learned about crops that would be best to plant at this time of year in my backyard garden. Although the weather had been quite cold and rainy, the sun peeked through the clouds for much of the afternoon and we had no rain that day, so volunteering there was quite pleasant. The regular volunteers are experienced gardeners and provided lots of good advice.



Alameny FarmI started with lots of weeding, including removing some weeds the size of small trees!





Stardust Harvesting Brussel SproutsOne benefit of volunteering is that you get to bring home some of the produce that you harvest. We harvested some Yacón root, as well as kale, lettuce, and brussel sprouts.











Alameny FarmI took a cutting of some yarrow and this plant with beautiful red flowers on the right side of this photo.

Election Slate for November 3, 2015

Posted on by
6

Each year I prepare a slate card for my friends so we can debate how to vote here in San Francisco (and beyond). Here’s what I have so far… I’d love your input (I’ll post comments people submit to me below)–

San Francisco Offices

Board of Supervisors, District 3: Aaron Peskin
(most important race on the ballot, please vote if you’re in this district!)

Mayor: NOT Ed Lee (rank 1: Francisco Herrera, rank 2: Amy Farah Weiss)

Sheriff: Ross Mirkarimi (rank 1)

City Attorney: Dennis Herrera (only candidate)

District Attorney: George Gascon (only candidate)

Treasurer: Jose Cisneros (only candidate)

Community College Board: Wendy Aragon

San Francisco Propositions

Proposition A: Yes (affordable housing)

Proposition B: Yes (city employee parental leave)

Proposition C: No (remove grassroots organization requirement)

Proposition D: Yes (good compromise with commitment to 40% affordable housing, more than any other private project in SF history)

Proposition E: Yes (broadcast city meetings on Internet, permit comment by Internet)

Proposition F: Yes (regulate short-term rentals to protect SF rental housing stock)

Proposition G: No (even PGE doesn’t want this anymore)

Proposition H: Yes (local clean energy whenever possible)

Proposition I: Yes (temporarily halt non-affordable-housing development projects to create housing stabilization plan for the Mission)

Proposition J: Yes (preserve legacy businesses and non-profits)

Proposition K: Yes (expands affordable housing)

Black Arts: The $800 Million Family Selling Art Degrees and False Hopes

Posted on by
Reply

Academy of Art University expose:

“…Stephens has plenty to celebrate. Since taking over as president of the family-owned Academy of Art University more than two decades ago, she’s transformed the 86-year-old for-profit institution from a regional operation into America’s largest private art university. Under her watch enrollment has skyrocketed from 2,200 to 16,000, generating an estimated $300 million in annual revenues, heavily subsidized by federal student loans. The Stephens family has turned that pile of art-school tuition into one of the largest real estate empires in San Francisco, with more than 40 properties in prime areas, including a historic former cannery on Fisherman’s Wharf and a 138,000-square-foot office building steps from City Hall. In all, the real estate is worth an estimated $420 million, net of debt, and the family pulls in tens of millions of dollars each year leasing these buildings back to the Academy of Art for classrooms and dorms….”

More at Forbes