In San Francisco, many of those supportive programs for businesses and workers come through the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Director Joaquín Torres spoke with “Civic,” a radio show and podcast from the San Francisco Public Press, to talk about how the city is trying to help.
Category: “Civic” Podcast
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Government & Politics, Open Government, Public Safety
State Senator Who Made Police Disciplinary Records Public Pushes Transparency Expansion
State Sen. Nancy Skinner wrote SB 1421 to open up law enforcement disciplinary records. In 2020, she moved to expand that legislation to grant access to records about officers who engaged in biased or discriminatory behavior or used excessive or unreasonable force.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Arts & Culture, California, LGBTQ+
‘Dennis’ Documents SF Man’s Fight to Legalize Cannabis
A new documentary, “Dennis: The Man Who Legalized Cannabis,” retraces Dennis Peron’s path from being discharged from the military to organizing to pass a ballot measure that allowed for medical cannabis in California.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Government & Politics, Media
Journalists Encounter Roadblocks to Government Transparency During Pandemic
Journalists have also found it difficult to get answers to questions from various city departments during the pandemic. The San Francisco Public Press hosted a roundtable discussion with local reporters about the difficulties they have experienced in accessing public information.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Politics, Technology
Social Media Content Moderation Is Not Neutral, USF Researcher Says
“Unless you are building this specifically with the marginalized and vulnerable groups, it’s hard to build any system like this that does anything but further oppress people who are already under the thumb of various other structures and various other bureaucracies and powers,” said research fellow Ali Alkhatib.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Back to School, Coronavirus, Education
Parents Navigate SF School System With No Reopening Date Set
Schools in San Francisco shut in March of 2020, and at the time, officials announced a three-week closure. Nearly 10 months later, the city has not set an official date for reopening them. As of December, the school district and unions couldn’t come to an agreement about what safety measures would be sufficient for reopening. Distance learning has been difficult for students, parents and teachers.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Media, Neighborhoods
San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper Becomes a Cooperative
The end of 2020 saw several local publications change hands, with real estate and hospitality magnate Clint Reilly acquiring the San Francisco Examiner and SF Weekly and Street Media acquiring the Marina Times. The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper is undergoing its own transition, but rather than simply changing hands it is going to a cooperative ownership model.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Housing, Public Housing in Private Hands
Tenant Attorney Expects ‘Avalanche’ of Evictions as Protections Expire
Months ago, legislators approved several layers of protections to keep renters from being kicked out and potentially made homeless during a pandemic. Now, several of those protections are expiring, though there are efforts under way to extend them and Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he supports an extension.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health
SF Librarians Become Contact Tracers in Coronavirus Pandemic
If you have been in close contact with someone who is diagnosed with COVID-19, you may get a call from a contact tracer, who will want to offer you some guidance about quarantining — including, potentially, connecting you to food or cleaning supply delivery. Among them is Paula Heaney, a San Francisco librarian. Like other city employees, who serve as disaster workers in the event of an emergency, Heaney transitioned to working as a contact tracer when the pandemic hit.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, California, Government & Politics, Open Government, Utilities
Reporter Investigates Firing of Utility Regulator’s Director After She Uncovered Missing $200 Million
After she pointed to millions of dollars in uncollected fees for public services and alleged serious mismanagement problems, the executive director of California’s utility regulator, the California Public Utilities Commission, was fired. Commissioners said Alice Stebbins had misled the public about missing funds and accused her of favoritism in hiring. But an investigation by the Bay City News Foundation and ProPublica looked into the dismissal, and found the director had been right about the missing money.