Sometimes, it doesn’t seem possible to give Bay Area transit users more bad news.
Beginning today, it will cost you – if you’re an adult – an additional $2 to buy one of those handy Muni monthly passes. Elderly Muni riders, as well as youth and disabled riders, will see an increase of $1 when they refill their Clipper Card. Read More
You’ve gotten a Clipper card, and the first thing you should do, before you take it for its first spin to the 16th Street Mission BART stop, is register it...online.
You’ll be grateful for this advice the day after a night of vigorous salsa dancing that causes your brand new, shiny, blue Clipper card to accidentally bounce out of your pocket. As remorse surrounding the last shot of Cuervo sets in that next morning and you start assessing the damage done, you can easily dismiss this minor panic by simply canceling your registered, and now lost, Clipper card to prevent someone else from using the remaining balance. And then request a replacement. Read More
By Alyssa Sittig
Of the people, by the people, for the people. It’s what our Democratic system is all about. But in a time when more and more San Franciscans are feeling a growing disconnect with our city government, it’s only fair to ask – are we doing democracy right?
Democracy is a 2,400-year-old practice – and sometimes it can feel like San Francisco city government is that outdated. The ancient Greeks were the first to harness the power of civic participation, calling on citizens to engage in the democratic process.
But can deliberative democracy work today? Read More
Blocked by an intransigent Republican minority in Sacramento, Governor Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders just adopted an “all cuts” budget in Sacramento.
Stepping into this void, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is proposing a ½ cent local sales tax to replace the one-cent state sales tax that is expiring tomorrow (on July 1st).
According to the Examiner’s reporting this morning, the local sales tax would generate approximately $60 million per year, with the revenue split between protecting existing police and fire services and restoring recent cuts to services for children, seniors, schools and other social services. While the mayor presented a balanced budget this month – state cuts now required will mean more local cuts if new revenue sources are not found. Read More
Maybe it’s San Francisco’s temperate climate. Maybe it’s that our gorgeous topography attracts a particular type of person. Or maybe it’s the fact that we’re always running for the bus. Whatever the reason, we’re proud that SF has been named the second most active city in the country by this month’s Men’s Health magazine – a laurel on our sweat stained, sun tanned crowns. Read More
What is whistleblowing? Not just for the IRS...
Part of being a resident of any city is being confident that the resources going into the city, your taxes, etc, are being put to good use, and that the city employees are acting as you expect them to act. If you have any reason to suspect that is not the case, City and County of San Francisco has set up a whistleblower program so you can file complaints and concerns to a body devoted to investigating wrong-doings.
Now the City has tried to make it easier than ever for you to file such complaints or concerns through an online process. Gov 2.0? Read More
Reset San Francisco is all about reform. But one “reform” being promoted at City Hall is being viewed with real skepticism – at least by our Reset Poll respondents.
The plan first floated by District 8 Supervisor Scott Weiner proposes to give the Board of Supervisors the power to amend ballot measures passed by the voters and even the ability to repeal certain types of ballot measures. Under Weiner’s proposal, the Board could make changes to measures passed by voters after three years by a 2/3 majority vote. After seven years, the Board could revise or repeal with a simple majority vote. But under Supervisor Weiner’s plan, the Board would only be able to amend, not repeal, ballot measures that qualified through the signature gathering process.
According to the recent Reset Poll, 71% of respondents say “No” to this idea. Read More
After a contentious campaign in 2002, the Care Not Cash reforms of homeless services were approved by nearly 60% of San Francisco voters.
According to an online poll of San Francisco voters taken by Reset San Francisco, these reforms are only more popular today.
Mayor Ed Lee and others have said the amendments offered by supervisors would essentially gut the Care Not Cash reforms. Read More
It’s another morning on the way to the office and you’ve watched the fourth person board the downtown-bound J Church...for free. This is the same bus you paid $2.00 to ride, and all because the driver isn’t watching the back door. You are a soft-spoken person, but boiling on the inside. A decade ago you would have had to confront the driver or call a city official in order to air your concern.
Moving into the second decade of the twenty-first century, Muni has attempted to embrace Gov 2.0 and made it so you can avoid immediate, early-morning confrontation by, even anonymously, submitting such a complaint...online. Read More
We may not always consider libraries to be beacons of Web 2.0 engagement and technological tools, but the San Francisco Public Library is trying to change that perception.
Starting July 1, the San Francisco Public Library will no longer mail reminders for overdue books. The library is switching to e-mails, text messages and phone calls to remind people to turn in their books. Read More
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