Please join Mayor Gavin Newsom as well as representatives from labor, local political clubs and enthusiastic supporters like yourself at our campaign HQ this Saturday, July 21st at 10:30AM. We will be hitting the streets of San Francisco with the Mayor, collecting signatures and talking to other San Franciscans. (If you can't make on Saturday you can download the signature forms at anytime. Just click on Aaron's blog and follow the instructions). Your signature is a mark of support for our efforts to make free WiFi a reality, improve MUNI, create a Community Justice Center and more – including passing a budget that prioritizes the basics of daily life like filling potholes, cleaning up our parks and policing our streets.

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By Bonnie Eslinger
San Francisco Examiner
Originally Published June 19, 2007

Mayor Gavin Newsom and District Attorney Kamala Harris gave public support to a national effort lead by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to repeal legislation that limits a local government’s access to federal information that traces gun sales and ownership.  A bipartisan campaign brought about by Mayors Against Illegal Guns wants to prevent criminals from illegally obtaining guns by cracking down on gun dealers. It also is pushing for law enforcement to be able to share information more easily. Read more »

In the face of overwhelming support for Mayor Newsom's budget, Supervisor Chris Daly cancelled his rally and took the extraordinary step of cancelling the Budget and Finance Committee hearing.  But that didn't stop hundreds of people from descending on City Hall on Wednesday afternoon to fight for the city of San Francisco.  We won the first battle for a smart budget that addresses the needs of all San Franciscans and against the politics of self-interest. But the fight is far from over. Read more »

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San Francisco Chronicle
Originally Published June 8, 2007

THIRTY-SEVEN million dollars is not much in the context of a $6.06 billion budget, but it can go a long way, if targeted wisely and effectively. But there is nothing wise or efficient about Supervisor Chris Daly's bald political ploy to strip $37 million from Mayor Gavin Newsom's budget priorities and shift most of it into affordable housing. Now let's be clear: We know that San Francisco does need housing. Newsom's budget also acknowledges the shortage, pumping $217 million into housing programs.

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That's one of John F. Kennedy's most famous lines and it is applicable to Gavin Newsom's new budget proposal.  This year, Mayor Newsom has taken another step towards making government work better for you. 311 is now in effect and working well (remember some politicians fought this remarkable tool), so it is fitting that the Mayor unveiled his budget at the 311 call center.  The proposed budget makes real investments in our streets. This investment, more than $36 million, allows the city ­ for the first time ­to meet our repaving needs and includes $5.4 million more for street repaving over last year. Read more »

In the past week, more than two-thousand people have signed our petition to bring a Community Justice Center to the Union Square area to address quality-of-life concerns and help make sure more homeless San Franciscans are connected to social services.  The key to the Community Justice Center is that it will have everything under one roof: criminal justice agencies, social service providers and judges.  A similar program has worked in New York City and we think it will help create a better living environment and change lives in San Francisco.  Read more »

Mayor Newsom wants to bring a community court to Union Square to address quality of life concerns, like aggressive panhandling, public urination, and graffiti.  The new court will be modeled after Manhattan's highly successful Midtown Community Court, which helped revitalize Times Square in the early 90s.  But, we need your support.  As Mayor Newsom said in the San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday, "We're fighting against the status quo, and they're fighting for the status quo," he said of his opponents. "I'm not interested in fighting for failure."  Please sign our petition today.  Read more »