We encourage submissions of opinion & commentary from across San Francisco. Got a point of view? Let us know via DM or send an email to hello at thefrisc dot com.
Also, you won't miss anything we post if you sign up now for our free newsletter! ✏️ thefrisc.com/sign-up-for-...
👀 NEW, EYE ON CRIME: In this guest opinion, former federal prosecutor Joseph Tartakovsky says SF's crime drop, down 54% from 2023, is due to better policing through technology: cameras, drones, and AI-assisted data platforms. Read it and let us know what you think.
thefrisc.com/bipping-the-...
🤔 ICYMI, PUZZLING PROJECT: Developers had permits to build 25 homes (3 affordable) on 2 vacant Potrero Hill lots. Then they suddenly shrunk their proposal. When Adam Brinklow investigated, he found connections to a City Hall scandal and an MIA developer. thefrisc.com/developer-fr...
Readers make this reporting possible. Donate today to keep coverage like this going. 💪 thefrisc.com/donate-e
Want to read this story later? Sign up for our FREE newsletter, arriving Friday at 3pm. thefrisc.com/sign-up-for-...
⁉️ NEW, 19 HOMES MIA: Potrero Hill was about to get 25 homes (3 affordable) when the developer withdrew the application and put up a new proposal: 6 homes, 0 affordable. Adam Brinklow found more even weird twists, including a key figure with a checkered past. thefrisc.com/developer-fr...
👂LISTEN IN: @taybarton.bsky.social's story on SFUSD SEIU employees missing thousands of $$$ from their retirement accounts is now on KALW: www.kalw.org/bay-area-new...
CORRECTION: in this post we meant to write that SC isn’t afraid of AI lobbyists and the money they’re spending against *him* — apologies for the garbled syntax and the typo bsky.app/profile/thef...
And that's it. The evening ends with lots of applause for each candidate. If you appreciate this live thread, or any of our work, drop a few ducats in our bucket. 💰 We rely on your grassroots donations to fuel our work. Thanks! thefrisc.com/donate-s
SC says he has experience -- taking popular outrage into people-powered movements and getting the Squad elected (ie, AOC). He also takes credit for Biden's infrastructure plan, which took inspiration from and elements of the Green New Deal. He also name-drops Zohran (without the last name)
CC first throws shade at her opponents for taking corp money or being super rich and self-funded. She positions herself as the voice of the "working people." Without her, SF will "lose a voice in DC."
"When you send Connie Chan to DC, you're not sending Connie Chan to DC. You're sending us."
Final statements. SW goes first. What happens in SF goes international. People often hate us, he says. SF sends people to Congress who "get it done." He cites his work building coalitions and being relentless on housing, transit, and more.
CC also lauds Pelosi's contributions, including the $13b for SF's waterfront. Not sure the $13b was approved by Congress... we'll keep looking to fact-check this one www.sfport.com/about/news/p...
SC: The role of SF in this moment is to push the boundaries. It's not enough to join the DC ranks and "build some coalitions." Turn popular outrage into political power, he says. And if you're drinking every time SC references the New Deal, bottoms up: He also cites FDR fighting the Nazis. 🍻
Final Q: What are unique challenges/opps filling Nancy Pelosi's seat?
SW: "She moved mtns for our country & SF. Those are big heels to fill." Says: "I've moved mountains in the legislature. You can't just come in and say this is what we're doing. You have to build coalitions to move mountains."
SW supports keeping Sunset Dunes Park. I don't want to take that away. He cites the "complete meltdown fights" about the Embarc. and Central Freeways and closing JFK in Golden Gate Park. TL;DR: over time, people come to love it.
SC: I voted for Prop K but it shouldn't have been a ballot measures.
CC talks a lot about divisiveness and compromise but doesn't say what the compromise would be thefrisc.com/in-sf-politi...
Q from two west side neighborhood papers: What's your stance on the Great Highway?
CC: "I have a lot of feelings about that." She talks about compromise. We've reported on this a lot. Here's the latest thefrisc.com/perception-v...
SW will also support Padilla's bill. He cites the "terror campaign" and "extreme constitutional violations" against immigrant communities; his Jewish ancestors came to the US fleeing Eastern Eur and Russian pogroms. "we need a path to citizenship -- we need to create a legal way."
CC cites a study saying about 25% of Bay Area immigrants are undocumented and how losing them would be a huge economic blow. "We got to support the immigrant community." (CC notes she was born in Hong Kong.) She also supports Padilla. Also: we have to affirm birthright and naturalized citizenship
Q from El Tecolote about immigration reform.
SC uses time to tell his family's immigration story. He supports Sen. Padilla's efforts and also says a better economy is important to make the US more welcoming for immigrants www.padilla.senate.gov/newsroom/pre...
SC says he'll have the gov't manufacture generic PrEP. He doesn't take pharma lobby $.
CC: reverse attempts to reduce the NIH budget. Add more funding to Ryan White Act grants. We don't have time for much fact-✅ing but it seems Congress just said no to HIV funding cuts www.hivma.org/news/news_an...
Q from the Bay Area Reporter: What will you do about prices of HIV drugs -- PrEP?
SW takes most of him time talking about his history as gay man coming of age in the age of AIDS. He takes PrEP. He doesn't spend much time on how to keep prices down.
SC faults national Dems for not using the ICE murders in Minneapolis to shut down all budget talks. They don't have a vision for what comes next. It's not just electing Dems, it's what kind of Dems we elect.
SW: "When we take back the House & hopefully the Senate, we need to use every ounce of leverage." Dems have done good things but need more on housing (gives kudos to Sens. Warren & Scott, R of SC), need nat'l paid family leave, and Medicare 4 All.
Q from Mission Local: Where is Congressional Dem leadership failing? What would you do differently?
CC: "We're not using every tool in our toolbox. There should be no judgment on strategy across the Dem political spectrum." (She then lauds only local progressives, including fmr supe Dean Preston)
SW says he created a nonprofit security grant program in Calif. for synagogues, LGBTQ orgs etc who want funding to protect themselves
CC notes other Trump conditions for grants, like anti-DEI and immigrant. Here's our recent report on one of these rules thefrisc.com/new-trump-ho...
Q from J/Jewish News about "tentative" grant rules for nonprofits that require cooperation with Homeland Sec.
SC says yes to changing the grant language, then pivots to saying we should abolish ICE.
SC adds that he's not scared of AI lobbyists and campaign dollars spent against them.
CC: two principles. Safety and jobs. Create a fed framework to allow local control and input to regulate AI in teleheath, entertainment, education, etc. She supports a data center moratorium.