By John Upton
San Francisco Examiner

San Franciscans will be able to purchase absolution for some of their environmental sins under a new city program that will use the funds to reduce climate changing emissions from government work and from local businesses and residents. Activities powered by fossil fuels or bio-fuels, such as driving, flying or building a bridge, change the Earth’s weather by increasing the amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the air — a phenomenon scientists call global warming. An array of new businesses have recently begun selling what’s known as carbon offsets, which reduce the effects of carbon dioxide emissions by paying for projects that fight global warming. Read more »

By Adam Tanner
Reuters

San Francisco will become the first U.S. city to offer a program to offset the impact of global warming by funding local green activities, the mayor said in an interview on Monday. Under the program to be announced on Tuesday, city officials would calculate the carbon cost of their travels and contribute to one of several city programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions -- or forego the travel altogether. "What we are trying to do by this is to set high standards to show carbon offset programs that work," Gavin Newsom told Reuters, adding he was wary of offsets with little accountability that promise action in distant lands. Read more »

By Robert Selna
San Francisco Chronicle

Mayor Gavin Newsom and city criminal justice officials announced on Thursday the location of a new court the mayor has been promising to more quickly judge low-level street crimes in the Tenderloin and steer offenders into community service and rehabilitative programs. At a press conference inside the new courtroom at Polk and Turk street - just north of Civic Center Plaza - Newsom said the newly-named Community Justice Center will open in July after a five-month trial run at the Hall of Justice, where the city's other criminal courts are housed.

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By David Smith
San Francisco Examiner

A new court in San Francisco’s Tenderloin that is being created to handle low-level criminal behavior in the downtown area has found a home just two blocks from the steps of City Hall. The City’s Criminal Justice Center — a special court that Mayor Gavin Newsom has said will direct offenders of such crimes as nonviolent drug use, theft, prostitution and aggressive panhandling to appropriate social services rather than jail or fines — will be housed at 575 and 555 Polk Street. Modeled partially after New York City’s Midtown Community Court, which requires most defendants to perform community service or attend a group meeting within 24 hours of arraignment, the San Francisco’s new court will take cases from the Civic Center, Tenderloin, Union Square and South of Market neighborhoods. Read more »

San Jose Mercury News

The declaration makes the city eligble for state and local assistance related to the container ship accident that dumped 58,000 gallons of fuel into San Francisco Bay. City officials also have agreed to secure $250,000 to pay local crab fishermen to help scoop up oil still floating inside and outside the Golden Gate. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has declared a local state of emergency to help secure funding for cleanup of last week's oil spill. Read more »

By Cecilia Vega
San Francisco Chronicle

Mayor Gavin Newsom said today the city will take legal action against the company or agency deemed responsible for the 58,000 gallons of oil that spilled into the bay after a container ship rammed into the Bay Bridge Wednesday. Newsom and City Attorney Dennis Herrera also expressed frustration over incorrect information disseminated early on by the Coast Guard about the extent of the spill. "We'll be doing everything to make sure that those who are responsible are held accountable and that the costs borne by this will be borne by the appropriate agency or agencies... or individuals or companies that are responsible," Newsom said. 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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Election Day is tomorrow. And we need you to vote so that we can continue to make San Francisco a model of innovation, a city that the rest of the country looks to for new ideas. If you have an absentee ballot at home, please return it in person to the Dept. of Election's City Hall office (1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48) or you can drop it off at your polling place on Election Day by 8PM. Tomorrow, we are going to be working all day long as we walk every district, talk to voters and ask them to vote. If you can join us at our campaign headquarters tomorrow at any time we could use your support. We'll be there from 5AM until 8PM. Also, if you need a ride to the polls tomorrow please give Aaron Goldsmith a call at 351-0359. We will be available throughout the day to drive you to the polls.  
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Editorial: San Francisco Examiner

Newsom has spent the last four years crafting nonideological and pragmatic solutions to The City’s myriad problems. He made his first big splash, both locally and nationally, by backing gay marriage, a stance that positively cemented his standing with many San Franciscans. But he’s shown a refreshing ability to buck San Francisco’s prevailing liberal winds and pursue more moderate agendas. His support of development both downtown and in existing neighborhoods and new industries such as biotech have been refreshing, as has his budgetary support for more police on the streets and nuts-and-bolts priorities such as parks and well-kept roads rather than ill-defined social causes prized by the left. Read more »