I am very disappointed with the hiring freeze.  I have been unemployed and have been trying to get a job as a junior engineer with the city.  I just interviewed with the MTA 2 weeks ago and was anxiously waiting for a reply from them.  Now, the position might not even be open anymore because you people screwed everything up.  Thanks a lot. Name Withheld Read This Posty »

I'm disappointed that the Mayor and City Council voted to give "undocumented immigrants" i.e. illegal aliens an ID card. And by the way calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant"is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist. Both are against the law. Illegals should be deported back to their country of birth. That is where they're citizens. As a USA citizen I don't have the option of obeying only the laws I agree with. Neither should the San Francisco Council or Mayor. Let the San Francisco Council and Mayor enter Mexico or any other country illegally and see what Read This Posty »

According to an October 31, 2006 article in the Chronicle, the city spent $108 million directly on the homeless in fiscal year 2004-05; and this amount represented increases of $20 and $9 million, respectively, over what was spent in the previous two fiscal years.  The spending for fiscal year 2004-05 represented $17,285.53 per homeless person (that is $108 million divided by 6248, which was the number of homeless counted in 2005).  Despite this grandiose spending, the number of homeless increased between 2005 and 2007, according to the city's homeless count report.  If the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on Read This Posty »

I work at City Hall on a volunteer basis and I see the inner workings of that place up close and personal.  The Supervisors are the enemy of the Mayor's office and vice versa.  Those two political camps will do anything to embarrass each other with little concern for the consequences to the city's residents.  A case in point being our parking shortfall versus the condition of Muni.  The Board ceaselessly pushes their transit first policy in the face of our dysfunctional public transit system precisely because it highlights the managerial incompetence of the administrative arm of City government. There is Read This Posty »

 Dear Mayor Newsom:   I would like to inform you that I am not at all impressed with your plan to give all uninsured residents in San Francisco free health care.  I am a seventy one (71) year old woman who has lived in San Francisco for sixty five (65) years.  I own a home in District 7 which I have to maintain.  I retired from the Federal Government in 1991 after 36 1/2 years of service.  I live on a fixed income and receive approximately a 2.9% Cost of Living Increase (COLA) each year.  $157.00 is taken out of my Read This Posty »

I was all set to vote for Mayor Newsom in the upcoming election, but am now having doubts. I was very disappointed in his call for all of those letters of resignation -- I think what he was attempting to accomplish could have been handled a lot more diplomatically. Frankly, it sounded like a game an arch-conservative would play -- it had the feel of a power trip (very ego-driven). Does the Mayor think that he has been more successful at accomplishing his goals than ALL of the people he asked for letters of resignation? That is what it sounded Read This Posty »

Hello Mayor Newsom.  I'm emailing you about 2 code violations regarding a tree at 24th ave, in the sunset. It's  too close to a power/light pole and too close to a water utility box. Specifically DPW order # 169,946 sections II.D and II.E.  All I want to do is remove the tree. I'm willing to pay for it. Urban Forestry won't let me take it out. I can't afford the lawyer who said for 6-7 thousand in litigation she could have that tree removed. Can't anyone issue some kind of executive order and just grant my request?  Please let me Read This Posty »

We have a neighbor who has applied for a variance in order to build an attached garage.   The new garage would have a impact on our privacy as they want to place a large deck on top of the structure. This deck would put them on the same level as our den kitchen and bedroom.   Currently the have a two car unattached garage, which is perfectly usable.   I would like to see the City take a stand on Variances. It seems to us that a variance should only be granted for hardship cases and if granted should Read This Posty »

Gavin, you were behind me in line at Walgreen's on Chestnut last year when I told you about my car being stolen out of my driveway. The rest of the story is, I got a delinquent parking ticket, and drove to Sea Cliff where the ticket was issued 6 weeks before. It was parked on the street near the ticket location. I called the police and had it impounded. They obviously did not open the car, because at the tow company the next day, I found in the car: 2 file boxes full of car registrations-at least 200 separate cars Read This Posty »

Gavin, you were behind me in line at Walgreen's on Chestnut last year when I told you about my car being stolen out of my driveway. The rest of the story is, I got a delinquent parking ticket, and drove to Sea Cliff where the ticket was issued 6 weeks before. It was parked on the street near the ticket location. I called the police and had it impounded. They obviously did not open the car, because at the tow company the next day, I found in the car: 2 file boxes full of car registrations-at least 200 separate cars Read This Posty »

My pet peeve is after 2 attempts to file a claim against the city for suspension damage to my vehicle during the lightrail T Line installation my car still is not fixed.  I spoke to you regarding the issue and sent emails but to no avail was it taken care of.  I am a native San Franciscian and have witnessed first hand the neglect of our city departments attention to citizen concerns and issues.  I was working at the time with several CBO's of the district to assist with job placement opportunities and leaving a meeting at YCD to VVJET Read This Posty »

We know many of the same people. Many of my friends contributed collectively thousands of dollars to your election. The last few months of your previous election they had me making calls to my San Francisco contacts to support you. I have left numerous messages wishing to talk to you. You are the only San Francisco Mayor I have never met in his office. I lead a community of 340 individual San Franciscans and even though we keep a low profile we can influence politics in San Francisco. I am tempted to tell you who I know simply because I Read This Posty »

I live on Monterey Blvd. in the Sunnyside District. The median strip from Forester to Acadia is a wasteland of dirt ,black plastic, weeds and broken and bent trees. There were city plans on the drawing board to plant the median strip with sound deadening plants akin to what has been done on upper Monterey Blvd. as it leads into Westwood Park. Nothing has happened in the years since the proposal was made by the Dept. of Public Works.  I even planted a section in wild flowers only to have it ripped up by a maintenance crews who thinks dirt Read This Posty »

I am a home with a hostile neighbor who keeps calling it. Each time I have to open up my home to the city planning department whether justified or not. The city has cited me on serveral occasion even for stuff that existed before I bought my home and had nothing to do with the actual anonymous complaint.  I have no recourse and always have to defend myself. I understand it's intent but it is being totally abused by this person. I feel like my home is under attack yet the city affords me no means to defend myself. Even Read This Posty »

I cannot stand that we have a Board of Supervisors at all, much less such a biased and corrupt board.  Nothing passes in the city but that this small group with very similar view points (not diverse in value or focus, much less political views) and corruption controls decisions and reaps the rewards of higher & higher taxes and propositions that actually change nothing in our city but pad pockets for the Supes and other 'higher ups'. Name Withheld Read This Posty »

Supposedly our mayor is making public appearances all over town to take questions from citizens in lieu of appearing before the Board of Supervisors. All well and good in intent. So, I click on your Calendar link on this web site and guess what? There is no calendar of Gavin's appearances for these public forums. For a candidate who claims he wants debate and input, how about getting an accurate calendar online? And BTW, even though I think Gavin is not doing everything he should. For example, what good does it do to call 311 and report graffiti on city signs if Read This Posty »

Although first responders are often on the scene quickly, it is difficult to move paperwork through the system. I have no suggestions for improvement, but I generally shy away from actually engagin the City's bureaucracy unless I absolutely have to. Jono Jones Read This Posty »

Having just seen a report on Ch.7, regarding a lawsuit against the Mayor, and the Cilty of  San Francisco, by members of the SFPD involved in the At Work video filming of  various" spoofs" with such content as violence to homosexuals, and  making fun of different ethnic groups, I could not help having to write this correspondence, and voice my total shock, and anger at such an absurd, and ludicrous notion.....  How dare they!!  These "people,"  sworn to protect and serve, and enforce our laws, are guilty of taking part in one of the most embarrassing, hideous, specticles to ever Read This Posty »

My pet peeve is my vehicle was damaged during MUNI construction of the new T Rail line and I filed two timely claims with the city and spoke to Gavin Newsom briefly about the situation and 21/2 years later my vehicle is still not repaired.  The company insuring the project denied my claim and I refiled again with the City Hall and still no one in his department has addressed my issues.  What is wrong with this picture? Selina Keene Read This Posty »

Here's a minor pet peeve.  Why did Parking Control change most of the reserved parking places around City Hall to 24 hours?  Those spaces are very useful for those attending cultural events after hours when city workers hardly ever seem to be in them.  I hope it isn't to force us into city parking lots.  If so, shouldn't city workers also pay for daily parking, like the vast majority of San Franciscans who must drive to work? James Seff Read This Posty »