By Megan Doyle Corcoran

California’s adult prison population bulges out of the state’s 33 adult institutions, which are at almost 200 percent capacity.  Approximately 175,000 individuals are housed in California prisons, and the rate of incarceration in the state, like that of the rest of the nation, is not dropping.  At this point, California stakeholders are all too aware of the urgency of instituting some kind of change to ensure that the cramped prison conditions are alleviated while public safety is respected.  In fact, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is presently engaged in extensive litigation in federal court, in which District Court Judge Thelton Henderson is threatening to place the California prison system into a federal receivership, as he did to the prison health care system in October 2005.  Read more »

By Christopher B. Leinberger
Visiting Fellow, The Brookings Institution

For better and for worse, the now middle age baby boomers were the first generation to grow up on television. This huge age cohort was raised on Leave It to Beaver in the late 1950s, Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s and The Brady Bunch in the early 1970s, some of the most popular situation comedies of the era. These shows had one thing in common; they were all set in the suburbs.  Fast forward to the 1990s and early 2000s to see the most popular television shows of that era: Seinfeld, Friends, and Sex in the City;  all set in the city. The unifying sub-text of these series was the appeal and desirability of walkable urbanism. Even though only 41 percent of all residents in metropolitan areas in 1990 lived in their central city, television research and viewer-ship indicated a desire to at least watch their favorite characters live and work in walkable urban places. Gatherings of young adults in restaurants and apartments in these shows made urban life exciting, engaging and offered that most attractive attribute of any era; being hip. Read more »

By Asmb. Lloyd E. Levine
Chairman of the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee

Yesterday in the Assembly’s Utilities and Commerce Committee, legislation that I’ve authored to phase out the sale of incandescent light bulbs in California by 2012 – Assembly Bill 722 – was passed by the Committee on a bipartisan 9-3 vote. It was the first hearing for the bill, which was first announced on January 30, and since that time has garnered an amazing amount of attention around the world – and really, for quite a simple idea.  It takes 18 seconds to change a light bulb – but that 18 seconds can make all the difference to our environment, as well as California’s energy future. The goal of the legislation is to reduce power use while simultaneously cutting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 1.8 million metric tons per year, which is the equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the roads and highways. Read more »

By Commissioner Hydra Mendoza
San Francisco Board of Education
 
In recent years, many models for improving our education system have emerged from around the country.  Chicago, Boston and New York City went to full mayoral control of their school systems while Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has fought for increased influence over the schools in his city.  Every city has to choose what works best for them. Gavin Newsom and reformers like myself have chosen a different path. By blurring the lines between city government and our school district, we hope to form a collaboration to improve San Francisco's school district. Read more »

By Phil Ting and Luis Granados
San Francisco Examiner
Originally Published Apr 20, 2007

Recent headlines about predatory loan practices and the fallout of the subprime mortgage market have drawn attention to the impact of mortgage defaults and foreclosures on the housing market and the economy.  But they often fail to highlight the real consequences — the displacement of working families who are forced to abandon their dreams of homeownership and financial stability, and the subsequent weakening of our communities. San Francisco is no exception, and that’s why the City must begin to develop comprehensive policies that protect consumers and hold lending institutions accountable. Read more »

By Don Perata
California Senate President pro Temp

On April 9th I introduced legislation to place an advisory measure on the Feb. 5, 2008 primary ballot that would call on President Bush to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and immediately begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of all United States forces.  This is important because we need to make clear both to the President and the many candidates running to take his place that it is time to bring our troops home.  It’s high time the Bush Administration quit ignoring the overwhelming public opposition to this war. While similar measures have passed in scores of cities across the country, including San Francisco, California is the first state in the nation to pursue an advisory vote on Iraq . Read more »

By Mike Males

As San Francisco becomes the first major city whose youth population mirrors the diversity of the globe, its official attitudes and policies toward youth remain mired in the past. The city’s youth—43% Asian, 25% Latino, 20% white, 11% black—demonstrate that California’s and the nation’s transition from a white-dominated to a multicultural society brings greater opportunities and safer communities. Some initial steps to shaking up and modernizing the discussion include debates over (a) reducing San Francisco’s voting and office-holding age to 15, and (b) classifying anti-youth invective the same as hate speech vilifying racial and other groups. Every group in town endorses some cliché about “empowering youth;” let us now get serious about it. Read more »

By Adrienne J. Tissier
San Mateo County Supervisor
San Francisco Examiner
Originally Published  April 2, 2007

Unlike the cure for the common cold, solutions to a significant cause of global warming are commonly known. In fact, more than a few middle-schoolers understand that reducing the number of personal automobiles on the road, reducing the length of time such cars are driven, will in-turn reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The solutions to global warming are found in modern urban planning and zoning and three little words: Transit Oriented Development. Build well-designed, affordable housing within walking distance of efficient mass transit, and the air-fouling traffic jams will unclog themselves. Better yet, build well-designed, affordable housing within walking distance of jobs, schools and retail, and car use will plummet. Read more »

By Anita Shafer Aaron,  Executive Director
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired

There are several policy guidelines that, if embraced by San Francisco government and residents, would result in a much more accessible and usable community for blind and visually impaired residents and visitors.  Given San Francisco’s population, estimated to be 740,000, we can estimate the number of blind and visually impaired residents of San Francisco to be between 23,000 and 37,000. We also know that two-thirds of individuals who are visually impaired are over 65 which means it is critical to consider seniors when establishing policies and practices that affect individuals who are blind/visually impaired. Read more »

By Dr. Mitch Katz, Director, SF Department of Public Health
Gene O’Connell, Executive Administrator, SF General Hospital

San Francisco General Hospital Medical Center must rebuild its acute care hospital building in order to comply with a state law mandating the seismic safety of all acute care hospitals within California. San Francisco General occupies a unique and critical role in the healthcare delivery system in San Francisco.  Approximately 85% of the patient population either receives health care services subsidized by government programs such as Medicare or Medi-Cal or is uninsured. San Francisco General prides itself on providing high quality care to those who are in need.  We must all work together to ensure the future of San Francisco General so as to ensure the health and safety of San Francisco. Read more »