To candidates of the 2011 San Francisco race for mayor, part of campaigning means answering countless public interest groups’ surveys and attending numerous debates so voters can determine their positions in the political spectrum. But candidates are typically asked such general questions that they can mold their answers to better appeal to whatever group is […]
Author Archives: San Francisco Public Press
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Can S.F.’s next mayor save Muni?
With a $23 million deficit only two months into the fiscal year and on-time performance stuck at a measly 72.9 percent, San Francisco’s public transit system, Muni, is clearly in trouble. Riders bear the brunt of Muni’s woes as it tries to balance the budget. What do San Francisco’s mayoral candidates have to say about […]
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Safety concerns near settlement in case against San Francisco transit agency
The California Public Utilities Commission and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are working on an agreement to settle the commission’s allegations that the transit agency violated several safety regulations on its light-rail system. In February, the commission released a scathing report on Muni’s Metro system, which included safety issues with worn-out tracks and […]
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SF Public Press Crossword Creator Featured in New Documentary
For Andrea Carla Michaels, who has been crafting crossword puzzles for about thirty years, a good puzzle is “the same thing that makes you laugh — you don’t know quite what it’s going to be, but it’s something unexpected and it’s something that resonates deep inside.” Michaels, who creates crossword puzzles for the quarterly print […]
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Push for free Muni rides for children despite transit agency’s deficit
By Jerrold Chinn, SF Public Press Youth advocates, parents and San Francisco Supervisor David Campos are calling for free Muni fast passes for youth between the ages of 5 to 17. Currently they have to pay 75 cents for a single fare and $21 for a monthly pass. Campos said free passes would help San […]
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State bill would make open carry of handguns a misdemeanor
By Kristine Magnuson, SF Public Press A bill to prohibit people from openly carrying unloaded handguns in California, AB 144, heads for a vote in the state Senate soon, following its passage in May by the state Assembly and approval by the Senate Public Safety Committee. The bill, co-authored by assemblymen Anthony Portantino (D-La […]
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S.F. transportation agency picks temporary chief
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has named Debra Johnson, the city’s director of administration and taxis, to temporarily replace outgoing Executive Director Nathaniel P. Ford. The agency’s board of directors will be interviewing candidates for a permanent replacement next month. Johnson could potentially be one of those candidates. Johnson has been with the agency […]
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Ballot item would end Care Not Cash shelter preference, boost benefits to homeless
T.J. Johnston, SF Public Press — Jun 22 2011 – 6:09 pm A proposition on the November ballot in San Francisco would restore general assistance benefits to hundreds of people currently living in city shelters — undoing a key part of Gavin Newsom’s signature 2002 Care Not Cash initiative. A homeless shelter bed would […]
Posted inMuni, News
Report: Muni chief to step down by the end of the month
The San Francisco Examiner reports that Muni Executive Director Nathaniel Ford will leave the transit agency by the end of the month. Ford has been rumored to be a candidate for a position with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, but members from the authority delayed the decision in choosing its next executive director back in […]
Posted inMuni, News
Arbitrator upholds rejected Muni contract; some drivers hint at strike or slowdown
Like it or not, Muni operators must accept a labor contract they rejected last week. An independent arbitrator made her decision Monday to implement the tentative labor contract that was agreed upon by union leaders and the Municipal Transportation Agency last month. The contract includes the same terms as the previous agreement including a three-year […]