Latest news with #SanFranciscans
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Lurie rolls out sweeping cuts in proposed $15.9 billion budget
Mayor Daniel Lurie plans on making steep cuts in order to close a massive deficit after unveiling the city's budget proposal on Friday. Why it matters: San Francisco has faced severe fiscal challenges since its pandemic-driven downturn. The big picture: Lurie's spending plan totals $15.9 billion in the 2025-2026 fiscal year and $16.3 billion in 2026-2027. State of play: His proposal prioritizes public safety at the expense of some city jobs and nonprofit funding, a move he said was needed to preserve core services that "drive the economy" and "provide clean and safe streets." Lurie's plan calls for downsizing the city's workforce by 1,400 jobs — of which 100 are currently filled — and cutting $100 million meant for nonprofits to stave off an $817.5 million two-year shortfall. What they're saying:"Here's the bottom line: we have to stop spending more than we can afford," the mayor said in a statement. "Unfortunately, in a crisis like this, there are no easy fixes. We are facing some incredibly difficult decisions." Between the lines: The proposal avoids any cuts to public safety personnel, such as police officers, firefighters and first responders. It also sets aside $400 million in reserves, including for potential litigation as the city navigates federal and state funding cuts. $75 million would go towards maintenance projects such as fire station repairs and pothole or curb ramp fixes, and $50 million would be invested in 22 technology projects, including a citywide data management system. Other priorities include maintaining street cleaning funding and a $90 million commitment over three years for homelessness services and interim housing. Lurie has also made an ongoing effort to tap into the private sector to help pay for some mental health and homelessness services, amid other initiatives, to reduce the burden on the budget. The other side: Labor groups and nonprofits lambasted Lurie for initiating layoffs and gutting community-based services for homelessness, food access and legal support, which could now face "total elimination," said Anya Worley-Ziegmann, a coordinator at the People's Budget Coalition, which is made up of 150 local nonprofits and public sector unions. "Difficult choices have to be made in unprecedented times, but the mayor is taking familiar routes: balancing the budget on the backs of working-class San Franciscans while protecting the wealthy and powerful," she told Axios in a statement. "It is unconscionable to ask frontline workers ... to pay for a budget shortfall they did not create," added Kim Tavaglione, executive director of the San Francisco Labor Council. The intrigue:
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
City Unions Slam Mayor Lurie's Budget: "This is the budget Airbnb wants."
Layoffs threaten public services while big tech gets a free pass. SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- City unions are denouncing Mayor Lurie's budget proposal, which includes massive layoffs of city workers. City unions—including IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 1021, and the SF Building Trades—issued the following joint statement condemning the cuts and demanding a budget that protects public jobs and the essential services they support. "Layoffs are totally unnecessary. We can find the funds to save jobs and uphold San Francisco values," said Rudy Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer of the San Francisco Building & Construction Trades Council. "We are deeply disappointed that the mayor has chosen to cut crucial public services that San Francisco residents and small businesses rely on, rather than working with city workers on the pathway forward that we laid out five months ago. Corporations that profit off our city's workforce and infrastructure are trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, and San Franciscans are paying the price," said SEIU 1021 President Theresa Rutherford, who has worked at Laguna Honda Hospital for over 20 years. Union leaders point to big tech tax avoidance as the real reason behind the deficit. Corporations like Airbnb are actively suing the City for tax breaks amounting to $415 million, more than half of the total projected deficit. Union leaders argue that Airbnb is being given the mayor's blessing to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. "This is the budget that Airbnb wants. None of these job cuts should be on the table, but the mayor has decided that tax breaks for Airbnb are more important than public services," said Sarah Perez, San Francisco City Employee and SF Vice President for IFPTE Local 21. "And, this budget is a big payday for private contractors. Cutting public jobs often means handing over important work to for-profit companies, increasing costs and inviting corruption." IFPTE Local 21, SEIU Local 1021, and the SF Building Trades represent tens of thousands of city workers across every city department. In the coming weeks, city workers and community allies are planning to mobilize for their demand to reverse proposed layoffs. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE IFPTE Local 21 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mayor Lurie wants to close S.F. budget deficit by cutting roughly 1,400 city jobs
Mayor Daniel Lurie plans to close San Francisco's massive budget deficit by slashing about 1,400 city jobs and eliminating about $100 million in grant and contract spending. The vast majority of the positions that Lurie seeks to cut in his first two-year budget proposal, which he was set to unveil Friday, are vacant. But as many as 150 are filled. Some of the filled jobs are expected to be lost through retirement and attrition while some would be eliminated outright under the mayor's proposal. However, it remains unclear how many or exactly which departments will see job cuts. Lurie is also seeking to significantly reduce City Hall's spending on contracts and grants, aiming to cut $100 million in the second fiscal year. The mayor's goal was to bring city contracting closer to pre-pandemic levels, adjusted for inflation. Lurie's spending proposal will now head to the Board of Supervisors' Budget and Appropriations Committee, which is set to review and revise his plan in June. The full board must approve the budget in time for Lurie to sign by Aug. 1. News of the job cuts was first reported by the San Francisco Standard. The mayor's proposal is an attempt to close a roughly $800 million two-year budget gap as San Francisco's government expenses rise faster than its projected tax revenue, which is suffering partly due to the city's struggling downtown and sluggish tourism. Lurie sought to rely less on temporary solutions to close the budget gap, as the city had done in prior years. But the city still plans to use $40 million in one-time funds for costs such as capital improvements and the purchasing of necessary equipment. The mayor's office is also planning to set aside $400 million in a reserve fund to prepare for cuts in state and federal grants to the city. Right now, the city gets about $2 billion from the federal government, according to the San Francisco Controller's Office. Some departments, like the city's human services agencies and homelessness department, rely heavily on federal funds. Lurie told the Chronicle in a statement that his budget focused on 'spending only the money we have' and 'prioritizing core services so we can do the basics well.' 'I promised San Franciscans accountable leadership in City Hall, and I am accountable for delivering a budget that tackles our structural deficit and puts our city on track for a strong recovery,' Lurie said in the statement. 'Even facing significant uncertainty at the state and federal levels, we are building a budget that will drive San Francisco's comeback.' The mayor's office previously told departments to plan for 15% cuts in the coming fiscal year, and Lurie's budget director in April instructed city agencies to dig deeper after some didn't comply with those instructions. Many departments will still see their overall spending increase because of salary growth guaranteed by union contracts. Lurie already decided that he wouldn't cut funding for police officers, prosecutors and other front-line public safety workers despite the budget constraints. He is also seeking to overhaul how the city spends money from a tax to fund homeless services that was approved by voters nearly seven years ago. Critics of the city government's spending have often complained that its massive budget isn't delivering results for San Francisco's residents, who have long expressed concerns about widespread homelessness, open-air drug scenes and empty storefronts. Lurie, in the past, admitted that the city isn't getting what it pays for: He wrote that San Francisco 'should have unparalleled levels of coordinated service delivery and collaboration,' given its large budget and workforce. Lurie's proposed budget cuts are reminiscent of similar reductions made by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom during the height of the Great Recession. Newsom cut more than 1,600 jobs and contracted out for hundreds more in his 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 budgets. Theresa Rutherford, president of SEIU Local 1021 and a 20-year city employee, expressed frustration at the mayor's budget cuts. "We are deeply disappointed that the mayor has chosen to cut crucial public services that San Francisco residents and small businesses rely on, rather than working with city workers on the pathway forward that we laid out five months ago,' Rutherford said. Public sector unions like the SEIU have been pushing for Lurie to pressure Airbnb to drop its request for a refund on about $120 million in previously paid business taxes the company said it was overcharged for. Unions say that Airbnb and other companies are not paying their fair share, and that money the city has held in reserve for business tax litigation could be used to avoid deep budget cuts. 'Corporations that profit off our city's workforce and infrastructure are trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, and San Franciscans are paying the price,' Rutherford said. Board of Supervisors budget and appropriations chairwoman Connie Chan told the Chronicle that she was not surprised by the mayor's proposed cuts, saying that she knew the next month would see 'difficult' negotiations. In June, Chan and the Board of Supervisors will hear from departments about their proposed budgets and identify potential savings outside of the mayor's proposal. 'As I've indicated before, there are no good options,' Chan said. 'We're going through this budget to prioritize people being housed, people being fed and cared for.' Chan said she and the mayor 'don't see eye to eye' on some things, but they are aligned in prioritizing public safety and clean streets and on setting aside funds to deal with a potential decrease in federal money. 'We know the (reserves) are not going to be enough,' she said. 'These are things we're talking about and need to be prepared for. So then we're looking at our city attorney David Chiu to continue to fight for the city and guard our resources during this critical moment.'
NDTV
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
45-Foot-Tall Statue Of Naked Woman Sparks Uproar In San Francisco, Locals Call It "Obscene"
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. A 45-foot-tall nude statue, titled R-Evolution, sparks controversy. The sculpture aims to celebrate female empowerment and challenge norms. Installed in Civic Centre Plaza, it lacked public input before placement. In the heart of San Francisco, a city long celebrated for its progressive ethos and vibrant arts scene, a new controversy has erupted over a towering 45-foot-tall statue of a naked woman, titled R-Evolution. The 32,000-pound sculpture, installed in a bustling public plaza, has ignited debate, with some internet users decrying it as "obscene" and others defending it as a bold artistic statement. As per the Sun, R-Evolution, a massive steel sculpture depicting a nude female figure with outstretched arms, was first unveiled at the 2015 Burning Man festival. Created by artist Marco Cochrane, the statue was intended to celebrate female empowerment and vulnerability, challenging societal norms around the human body. After plans to install it in New York's Union Square fell through due to its weight, the sculpture found a home in San Francisco's Civic Centre Plaza, a prominent public space near City Hall. San Francisco unveiled their 45-foot statue of a nude woman Thursday at Embarcadero Plaza to attract tourism. The piece is titled 'R-Evolution.' SF continues to be plagued by crime, homeless, and illegals. The city would have many more tourists if these issues were addressed. — Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) April 13, 2025 The installation, reportedly placed without public input, has rekindled discussions about art and public space. The artist and supporters argue that R-Evolution embodies San Francisco's spirit of openness and inclusivity. "The installation is meant to reflect the city's ethos of bringing people together, activating public space, and reinforcing the power of art to spark conversation," a spokesperson for the project stated. Art advocates, including members of San Francisco's arts community, have praised the sculpture for challenging societal taboos around nudity and femininity. "Art is supposed to provoke, to make us uncomfortable, to make us think. This statue does exactly that—it forces us to confront our biases about the human body and public space," said a local curator. However, the statue has drawn sharp criticism from some San Franciscans, who argue that its explicit nudity is inappropriate for a family-friendly public space. "Somebody put up a 45-foot naked lady statue in San Francisco, nobody asked for it," one X user wrote. Another user quipped, "I'd rather have another $1.7 million public restroom. Y'know, something more practical." A third said, "This isn't about art; it's about forcing a statement on people who didn't sign up for it." Others have pointed to the lack of public consultation as a point of contention, with questions raised about how such a large and provocative installation was approved without broader input. As the debate rages on, city officials have promised to hold public forums to address concerns and discuss the statue's future.
Axios
4 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Criminal justice reforms stall as SF shifts toward tougher policing
The 2020 George Floyd protests ignited a fervor for criminal justice reform in the Bay Area, but five years later, the pendulum appears to be swinging in the opposite direction. Why it matters: While Floyd's murder led San Francisco to take steps to address racial injustices, many of those policies remain in limbo, especially as Mayor Daniel Lurie moves to beef up police staffing. What they're saying:"That's a lot of what advocates are concerned about: how much discretion are we giving armed agents of the state with the power to take away life and liberty?" Center for Policing Equity's Hans Menos, whose recent study on BART's fare evasion enforcement indicated racial bias in citations and arrests, told Axios. Low-level traffic stops The San Francisco Police Commission voted in spring 2024 to restrict officers' use of pretext stops, which occur when police cite minor traffic violations — such as failing to properly use a turn signal — as a "pretext" to conduct a stop and pursue baseless searches. Civil rights advocates say these types of traffic stops promote racial profiling and disproportionately target Black and Latino San Franciscans. Black people account for 19% of police traffic stops in San Francisco despite only making up 5% of the city's population, per a 2022 analysis of 2019 data. Yet they are less likely to be ticketed or found with contraband compared to white drivers, according to a 2023 report by the city's reparations committee. The other side: The San Francisco Police Association filed a lawsuit to block the policy last November, arguing that limiting stops for traffic violations "jeopardizes the safety and welfare of the general public." Reparations The city established the African American Reparations Advisory Committee in 2021 to issue recommendations for rectifying its historic abuse against Black people, such as the 1960s urban renewal plan that decimated the Black population. The committee's final report, released in 2023, included proposals like giving $5 million to every Black resident and adding at least one formerly incarcerated person to the police commission. Reality check: Former Mayor London Breed nixed the idea of establishing an Office of Reparations to oversee policy implementation, leaving the issue unresolved. Lurie's office did not respond to Axios' query about whether he plans to revisit reparations. Prosecutions In November 2020, Chesa Boudin became the first district attorney in San Francisco history to file homicide charges against a police officer for the fatal shooting of a civilian. He was elected in 2019 on a progressive platform vowing to reduce incarcerations and reform law enforcement practices but was recalled in 2022 after critics accused him of being too soft on crime. Though crime fell while Boudin was in office, burglaries and homicides ticked up. His replacement, Brooke Jenkins, has since taken a more hardline approach and raised the city's conviction rate for the first time in eight years. Yes, but: Jenkins took heat for declining to bring charges against a Walgreens security guard accused of fatally shooting 24-year-old Banko Brown, who was Black and transgender. Homelessness When city officials cracked down on homeless encampments last year, the increase in criminal penalties against unhoused people led to criticism from civil rights advocates. Black people are vastly overrepresented among San Francisco's population of unhoused residents. Because they're incarcerated at disproportionately high rates and often receive harsher punishments, they're more likely to cycle from the criminal system directly into homelessness. They're also more likely to be denied housing than white people, a continuation of historic segregation and redlining practices. What we're watching: Federal funding for UCSF's Black Economic Equity Movement, a clinical trial operating a guaranteed income pilot for low-income Black young adults, was cut earlier this year as the Trump administration rolled back support for DEI-related research.
