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This summer (see timeline, below) the city of San Francisco is engulfed in a severe budget crisis. The city’s deficit stands at $438.1 million, forcing the Newsom administration to ask each city department to cut its bottom line by at least 25 percent. In June and July, city administrators are slashing their budgets and, in some instances, completely eliminating public health and social welfare programs, in an economic climate in which San Franciscans need them the most.
The Public Press is partnering with the journalism micro-funding project Spot.us to cover this deepening crisis on a day-to-day basis. We aim to be a primary source for in-depth reporting on who is making the cuts and how the "budget blues" are being felt by all of city’s communities.
Give what you can: $5, $20, $50 or $100. Please help support our efforts by donating through the Spot.us City Budget Watchdog page. Your donations, whatever amount, help power independent noncommercial public media in the Bay Area.
Recent stories:
- City won’t move mental health clinic, raises privacy concerns (8/3/2009)
- City budget shuffle moves geriatric center (7/25/2009)
- Public defender and children’s services win back funds as revised budget passes in San Francisco (7/22/2009)
- Fire department OT pay increased amid citywide budget cuts (7/15/2009)
- Supes on: the budget — ‘Our side allowed the mayor to get what they wanted,’ says Mirkarimi (7/10/2009)
- A tale of two zip codes: Recession worsens rights gap between rich and poor (7/7/2009)
- Supes on: The budget – David Campos says the debate between public saftey and public health is a ‘false choice’ (7/6/2009)
- Late-night San Francisco budget plan adds back millions to health and welfare spending (7/2/2009)
- Conflicting interests: City unions wage lobbying war to stem cuts (7/1/09)
- Supes on: the budget — cutbacks are fiscal ‘armageddon,’ Daly says (6/25/2009)
- Mayor restores funding for Tenderloin drop-in center (6/22/2009)
- Vote moves $82 million from public safety to public health (6/17/2009)
- SF budget cuts target behavioral health (6/11/2009)
- Supervisors urge shift of $82 million from cops and fire to health (6/11/2009)
- Perfect storm of bad economic news led to San Francisco’s budget scramble (6/9/2009)
- The San Francisco budget: a user’s guide (6/9/2009)
- Homeless counseling group first on Health Dept. chopping block (6/2/2009)
- Supes approve Muni budget after Chiu yields (5/13/2009)
- Cabbies steamed over proposed taxi overhaul (5/12/2009)
- Fuse is burning in Muni budget showdown (5/7/2009)
- SF budget cuts test city’s liberal image (4/15/2009)
- City looks to make dangerous stretch of Masonic safer for cyclists (3/20/2009)
San Francisco budget timeline:
Timeline by Mary Catherine Plunkett and Kristina Shevory
Series Contributors: Christopher D. Cook, Michael Pistorio, Mary Catherine Plunkett, Kristina Shevory, Lizzy Tomei and Kevin Stark.
