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San Francisco Chronicle
23-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Mayor Daniel Lurie's $15.9 billion budget approved amid criticism
After months of difficult negotiations at City Hall, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gave final approval to Mayor Daniel Lurie's $15.9 billion budget, which closes an $800 million budget deficit by slashing spending. The board, which has a moderate majority since the last election, voted 10 to 1 to approve the budget, with Supervisor Jackie Fielder dissenting. Now the bill goes to Lurie's desk, and per law, he must sign it by Aug. 1. The journey to creating a two-year budget that addresses the city's structural deficit was turbulent, as Lurie faced opposition from unions and community groups that tried to block funding cuts. Ultimately, Lurie, who had campaigned on cutting wasteful spending, reduced funds to nonprofits and departments, made about 40 layoffs and eliminated over a thousand vacant positions. Supervisor Connie Chan, who is the board's budget chair, said she wouldn't celebrate the mayor's budget and warned that the future remains grim as San Francisco continues to deal with threats from the Trump administration of withholding federal funds. Lurie and the board agreed to start a $400 million reserve fund to deal with any potential loss of federal dollars, but even that could be insufficient as San Francisco gets billions from the federal government every year, including in the form of Medicaid reimbursements and FEMA disaster funds. Still, Chan acknowledged that the board 'came together despite our differences to meet this moment,' which she said was key to getting the budget deal done. Lurie's team declined to comment on Tuesday. Last week after the board passed the budget on first reading, the mayor called it the latest in 'a series of major legislative wins.' 'They voted unanimously to cut red tape for small businesses through our PermitSF legislation, and approved a real plan to support families living in RVs,' Lurie said. 'Thank you to the Board, and I look forward to building on what we've accomplished so far.' But not everyone is happy about the budget. Fielder took a page from former Supervisor Dean Preston and voted no on the budget because it included cuts to programs that serve the city's most vulnerable people. Preston, a fellow democratic socialist, voted no on every budget while he was supervisor because they included more money for the San Francisco police department. 'I cannot in good conscience vote in support of this budget,' Fielder said. 'I will be voting no with disappointment, with frustration but also with clarity about the kind of city we are fighting to become. We owe our residents more than austerity.' Throughout the budget negotiations, Fielder criticized the mayor's spending plan, including a last-minute compromise between Lurie and the board that stripped some of its ability to allocate specific funds to fight homelessness. As part of the budget deal, Lurie sought and received more power in determining how to spend revenue from Proposition C, a 2018 tax increase to fund homelessness initiatives. The board agreed to give up its power to oppose mayoral spending under $19 million with a supermajority vote. On the final day of voting, angry homelessness advocates, many from the Coalition on Homelessness, staged a silent protest. They wore black veils and paraded around City Hall with a casket labeled 'democracy.' The group also opposed a recent change to city policy that they say will put RV dwellers at risk of homelessness.
San Francisco Chronicle
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco sets parking limit on RVs to clear vehicle dwellers off streets
People living in RVs in San Francisco will soon be barred from parking longer than two hours on all city streets unless they get a permit, a move that critics say has caused significant distress among the hundreds of RV dwellers who live in the city. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week gave initial approval to a law from Mayor Daniel Lurie that would impose strict two-hour parking limits for oversized vehicles to deal with the hundreds of people living in vehicles on city streets. The board voted to approve the plan in a 9-2 vote, with Supervisors Jackie Fielder and Shamann Walton voting no. Lurie introduced the legislation in June as a way to tackle the proliferation of vehicle dwellers in San Francisco with a combination of increased funding, enforcement and outreach. For years, San Franciscans have seen people sleeping in vehicles and in RVs amid a dire housing affordability crisis. The mayor's plan will impose a two-hour parking limit for oversized vehicles on all city streets, with the exception of commercial vehicles parked in industrial areas. Supervisor Myrna Melgar, who sponsored the legislation on behalf of the mayor, said the legislation also includes several additions made during negotiations with other supervisors and the mayor. The law will include a refuge permit system, which will allow people living in vehicles to apply for a renewable 6-month permit, contingent on compliance with community rules around such things as waste disposal and neighborly behavior, as well as ongoing work with housing support services. People living in RVs will also have access to a buyback program that will provide financial support for those willing to relinquish their vehicles in exchange for aid toward securing permanent housing. Both programs will allow the city to track RV dwellers in order to better provide them with services, Melgar said. 'In a city as wealthy as ours, I think it's on us to build a system to support people to success, and not pretend that by leaving them to be out on the streets, we are doing the progressive thing,' Melgar said. The board's approval on Tuesday highlights how the alliance between a moderate majority on the Board of Supervisors and the mayor's office has significantly changed City Hall politics. Just last year, Mayor London Breed was blocked from making minor changes to the city's parking rules by a progressive board of supervisors that often clashed with her. Now, a year later, Lurie has a moderate board working with him to push his agenda, having already passed laws to address the city's fentanyl crisis and permitting issues. Melgar said Lurie's legislation is 'great progress' over what was proposed by Breed. The new policy is expected to go into effect this fall. Despite her reservations about the plan, supervisor Connie Chan said she ultimately supported it because the mayor showed he is working in good faith to get RV dwellers housed and not just taking punitive action against them. 'San Francisco voters want us to deliver solutions with public dollars, and our city's most vulnerable cannot wait for the perfect policy,' Chan said. 'Mayor Lurie and his team and especially Supervisor Melgar have demonstrated in good faith that they have a thoughtful approach and compassionate solutions.' But supervisor Walton was sharp in his criticism of the mayor's legislation. 'More RVs than shelter builds equals an ineffective and impossible plan… a plan to fail,' Walton said. ' T his would be an attack on people trying to have a shelter in this expensive city, and they would lose their only homes.' For those living in RVs, the prospect of having nowhere to park legally has been stressful. During a walk near Lake Merced on Tuesday, San Francisco native Bill Russo told the Chronicle he lives in an RV because he wanted to be completely 'self-sufficient.' Because he has secured a disabled person license plate, Russo only has to move his RV for street cleaning every two weeks, as opposed to the every four hours as required of other RVs in the area. But Russo said he will be subject to the new restriction and will likely receive a temporary special permit allowing him to park in the city for only six more months. 'I'm counting on the delays and the fact that this won't be executed,' Russo said Meanwhile Devin Plant, a nearby RV dweller who said he has been parked in the city for just over a month, is mainly worried about what will happen to community members who don't have a way out. RV dwellers are 'going to deal with harsher conditions,' Plant said, and will 'end up under a bridge." "People don't understand this is what happens,' he said. Plant plans to leave the city this week for a guest services job he has lined up in Yosemite National Park.
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Who is Gavin Newsom? What to know about the California governor battling Trump
Who is Gavin Newsom? What to know about the California governor battling Trump Show Caption Hide Caption Governor Gavin Newsom warns democracy is 'under assault' In a recorded statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom accused the president of bypassing state authorities and inflaming protests. Governor Gavin Newsom has been a leader in California for over two decades, widely viewed as a Democratic presidential candidate in 2028 and, as of late, clashing hard with Donald Trump. Trump's orders to send the National Guard and Marines to quell protests over federal immigration raids, fueled demonstrations for a fifth day in Los Angeles, as California's governor warned that "democracy is under assault." A video released by Newsom on June 10 features the former San Francisco mayor-turned-governor positioning himself as the leader of the Trump resistance. "This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk. That's when the downward spiral began." But who is Gavin Newsom? When did his political career begin? Here is what to know about the California governor: Who is Gavin Newsom? Gavin Christopher Newsome is the governor of California. The American politician and businessman has been the state's governor since 2019. Prior to that, he served as the state's 49th lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2019. He also served as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004-2011 and in 2005, volunteered for the city's ex-mayor Willie Brown's campaign in 1995. In 1997, Brown appointed Newsom to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors seat vacated by Kevin Shelley. The following year, voters elected Newsom to a four-year term. 'I would': Trump says he'd arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom How old is Gavin Newsom? Gavin Newsom was born in October 1967 making him age 57. Where was Gavin Newsom born? Gavin Newsom was born in San Francisco. Is Gavin Newsom a Democrat? Gavin Newsom is a member of the Democratic Party. Is Gavin Newsom married? Newsom is married to an American documentary filmmaker named Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom. The pair married in July 2008 and share four children. Although on different sides of the political spectrum, Gavin Newsom and the president have a personal history and, at times, have been friendly. Newsom was previously married to Kimberly Guilfoyle, an American TV personality and prosecutor. They split in 2005, and in 2018, she began dating Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. in 2018. The two got engaged in 2020 and went public in 2022. 'Do YOUR job': Gavin Newsom clashes with Tom Cotton, other GOP officials over LA protests Gavin Newsom speech: What did the governor say? In the video released this week, Newsom accused Trump of "taking a wrecking ball" to democracy in connection with deploying national aid to the state to quell the protests. "This is about all of us, this is about you," Newsom said. "It clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived." 'Tarred and feathered' Speaker Johnson says Newsom should be for defying Trump Despite Newsom's strong stance against the president's action, the president claimed the move was needed to maintain order. "If we didn't get involved, right now Los Angeles would be burning," Trump said at the White House on Tuesday, June 10. Contributing: Zac Anderson Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund
Boston Globe
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Mass. politicians react to proposed renaming of Navy ships honoring gay, civil rights icons
Advertisement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote in a memo that the move aligns with President Trump's objectives to 're-establish the warrior culture.' The ship garnered the most attention was the USNS Harvey Milk, which was named after the first openly gay elected official in California. The proposed renaming of the ships comes at the start of Pride Month in June. Before Milk made history with his election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, he had been pushed out of the Navy. He had been appointed as a Naval Reserve officer in May 1952 during the Korean War, but in 1955, he was forced out like other gay officers at the time. He resigned and accepted 'Other Than Honorable' discharge which meant that he wasn't entitled to any military benefits. Milk was killed in 1978 by a fellow member of the board of supervisors. Advertisement 'If you ask the average straight person in Boston who Harvey Milk was, they would really be scratching their head for a while,' said Byron Rushing, a former Massachusetts state representative. Other ships in the John Lewis-class of replenishment oilers that are on the list to be renamed are ones honoring prominent civil rights figures and abolitionists such as Thurgood Marshall, Tubman, and Medgar Evans. The USNS Lucy Stone, which honors the Massachusetts women's rights and antislavery advocate, is also on the list. The ships were originally named after gay and civil rights leaders in 2016 by Ray Mabus, then-U.S. Navy Secretary who was a teenager in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement. Current Navy Secretary John Phelan has organized a team to decide new names for the ships. It's unclear when the names will be officially changed. Rushing Rushing said that he was not surprised by the Trump administration's tactics to rename ships honoring people such as Evers. 'I have no idea what Trump's personal prejudices are,' Rushing said, 'but he does know that he has a significant number of supporters who agree with any anti-gay, anti-Black,' sentiments. Representative Jake Auchincloss, a Newton Democrat and former Marine who served in Afghanistan and Panama, said that by renaming the ship, the Trump administration was neglecting economic priorities. Advertisement 'One Chinese shipyard constructed more tonnage last year than America has built since World War II,' Auchincloss said in a statement. 'But instead of building more ships, the Secretary is renaming them.' U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley said that the administration's plan to rename USNS Thurgood Marshall and USNS Harriet Tubman was 'disrespectful.' Marshall was the first Black Supreme Court justice and argued cases that helped end racial segregation in public schools in the 1950s. Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 and subsequently worked to promote abolition and helped rescue around 'The Trump Administration continues to whitewash our history but they cannot and will not erase the contributions of civil rights leaders who fought for our most vulnerable,' Pressley said. Angela Mathew can be reached at
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders oil ship USNS Harvey Milk be renamed in pursuit of "warrior ethos"
The Brief Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday ordered the USNS Harvey Milk be renamed. The vessel is named for gay rights icon Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. The move is part of a broader campaign to "return to OAKLAND, Calif. - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday ordered that a naval oiler ship named for gay rights icon Harvey Milk be renamed. The news was first published by which reported that the order was specifically made by Hegseth, and the timing of the announcement — during Pride month — was intentional, and part of the administration's move toward "reestablishing the warrior ethos." The USNS Harvey Milk is not a combat vessel, and is part of the John Lewis class of oiler ships named for civil rights leaders. Other vessels in that class include the USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, and the USNS Sojourner Truth. State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) called the move "absolutely shameful." "Harvey Milk was a hero. He was a veteran who served our country. He died for our community," Wiener said in a statement. "Brave LGBTQ veterans worked for years to achieve the naming of a ship for Harvey. Now Trump and Hegseth are wiping it away due to straight-up bigotry. They're determined to erase LGBTQ people from all aspects of public life." The backstory The USNS Harvey Milk was christened in November 2021. The ship was co-sponsored by then-Senator Diane Feinstein, who served as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during Harvey Milk's term in office. Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951 and served as a diving officer during the Korean War. He left the service in 1955 with a "less than honorable discharge" after he was questioned about his sexuality. Milk was the first openly gay man elected to office, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. During his time in office, he enacted legislation to protect the gay community, including a 1978 ordinance to ban discrimination against the LGBTQ community in housing and employment. He was assassinated in 1978 by former supervisor Dan White, who was sentenced to seven years for the crime. Big picture view This is not the first time Hegseth, a former co-host of Fox and Friends and veteran of the Minnesota National Guard, has moved to rename a military asset. He made headlines in February for renaming North Carolina's Fort Liberty as Fort Bragg, the name it has carried since it was established in 2018. The original name was a reference to Confederate General Braxton Bragg, whom historians have called one of the worst generals of the civil war. The fort was renamed in 2022 after Congress determined that individuals who sided with the Confederate Army to fight against the United States were unworthy of being namesakes. Hegseth renamed the installation as Fort Bragg, but his order said the name pays tribute to Pfc. Roland Bragg, a recipient of the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his actions during the Battle of the Bulge in World War 2. The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club was among the many to react to this development. "Harvey Milk's legacy will live on with or without a military ship bearing his name, but the Trump administration's decision to remove his name from the USNS Harvey Milk clearly shows why we cannot give an inch on LGBTQ rights to this or any other far right government: they will not stop until they erase us. We won't let them," their statement read in part. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) condemned the defense secretary's decision. He said Milk's legacy would not be erased by the Trump administration. He called the move part of "Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth's petty culture wars and attempts to undermine the tremendous contributions and service of the LGBTQ+ community to our country." He added, "Price Month is a time for celebrating and honoring the LGBTQ+ community. Attempting to rename the USNS Harvey Milk only deepens the divides Trump has forged across our country."
