By Matthew S. Bajko
Bay Area Reporter

Mayor Gavin Newsom began his second term in office Tuesday, January 8 with a stinging rebuke for those who complain about "San Francisco values" during his inaugural speech. Standing on the staircase underneath City Hall's Rotunda, Newsom recalled how nearly four years ago same-sex couples exchanged marriage vows on those very steps. With his ordering city officials to wed gay and lesbian couples, Newsom said, We saw how San Francisco can be a beacon for the world when we led the fight for marriage equality." And when the city extended protections to transgender residents "it became better," said Newsom. To those who continue to attack him and the city for standing up for LGBT rights, the mayor had a response.  "They deride what they call 'San Francisco values.' But we know that those values inspire many more than they frighten," said Newsom, later adding, "when others were fearful, San Franciscans did not falter. ... We will not stop making this city an inspiration and an example for others." Read more »

We would like to thank each and every one of you who helped re-elect Mayor Gavin Newsom yesterday. The absentee ballots released last evening were so overwhelmingly for the Mayor that we were able to declare victory. We could not have made this happen without your help. Please stay tuned for more information. We will be updating the site as more election results are released. We've accomplished a great deal in the last four years, but we have much more work to do. Thanks to your support we can get started today! Read more »

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By Heather Knight
San Francisco Chronicle

Fewer than seven months since its inception, San Francisco's 311 call center, where live operators answer city-related, nonemergency calls 24 hours a day, marked its 1 millionth phone call on Tuesday. Mayor Gavin Newsom answered that call from a man reporting upturned newspaper racks at Geary and Kearny streets. Newsom told the man that he would make sure the problem was promptly fixed. The call center, located at Market and South Van Ness and modeled on similar centers in New York, Chicago and Baltimore, receives 6,000 to 7,000 calls every day. Most calls are related to Muni, but other popular subjects for callers are potholes, graffiti and garbage.

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By Gavin Newsom
San Francisco Examiner

San Francisco is the first city in the United States with a universal health care program. Our 311 customer service system has already answered more than 800,000 calls — it is bringing better customer service to our residents and greater accountability to city government. Care Not Cash and other homeless programs have shown solid results, and new initiatives such as the Community Justice Center will help us continue making progress addressing homelessness and panhandling. We have accomplished a great deal. But there is more to be done. “Good enough” never is. Where something is working, I say, let’s make it better. Where something isn’t working, I say, let’s change it.

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Editorial: San Francisco Examiner

Mayor Gavin Newsom made bureaucratic reform in San Francisco city government a signature element of his 2003 election campaign and first term in office, so it should come as no surprise to anyone at City Hall that he would ask all senior staff, city department heads and commissioners to tender their resignations today. The City's chief executive was within his rights to make the bold request and sends the welcome message that his expected re-election in November over token opposition doesn't necessarily translate into business as usual come January. Read more »

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By Gavin Newsom
San Francisco Examiner
Originally Published April 19, 2007

On Tuesday, the city controller released the 2007 City Survey that measures the opinions of San Franciscans on the public services they use and experience day to day.  The results reflect the optimism that I feel as a San Franciscan — proud to live in a city where in the last three years, unemployment is down 38.6 percent, universal child care and after-school programming for all public school children is being realized, and health care access for all uninsured is on track to begin in July of this year. Read more »