Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The News Links - September 29, 2009

SF Chronicle: New Market Street restrictions create a smooth ride.



WSJ: A California Quake - A tax commission releases a ground-breaking plan.



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Monday, September 28, 2009

The News Links - September 28, 2009

SF Chronicle: Market Street traffic experiment starts Tuesday.



SF Examiner: Down but not out, Newsom readies the cavalry.



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Sunday, September 27, 2009

The News Links - September 27, 2009

San Francisco Magazine: Danger Ahead



SF Examiner: Halls of art slated for transit terminal.



NYT: U.S. job seekers exceed openings by record ratio.



NYT: In poll, public wary of Obama on war and health.



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Thursday, September 24, 2009

The News Links - September 24, 2009




SF Examiner: Bevan Dufty to run for mayor.



Calculated Risk: Architectural billings index declines in August.



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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

KQED Presents: Saving the Bay on October 8th

Image courtesy of KQED


From the Gold Rush to the Golden Gate Bridge, and through World’s Fairs and World Wars, San Francisco Bay has been central to the identity of one of the world’s leading economic, academic, recreational, and cultural regions. KQED announces an unprecedented look at the storied history of San Francisco Bay with Saving the Bay (www.kqed.org/savingthebay), four one-hour episodes tracing the Bay from its geologic origins following the last Ice Age, through years of catastrophic exploitation, to the restoration efforts of today. Narrated by famed actor and environmentalist Robert Redford, Saving the Bay premieres Thursdays, October 8 and 15, from 8 to 10pm on KQED 9HD.

Narrated by Robert Redford and shot in HDTV, Saving the Bay is a lively and timely public television series about one of America’s greatest natural resources — San Francisco Bay — and how a community rallied to save this once endangered body of water. The series consists of four one-hour episodes focusing on the geological, cultural and developmental history of San Francisco Bay and the larger northern California watershed from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the Farallon Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Please click here for more information.

Friday, September 18, 2009

The News Links - September 18, 2009

LA Times: California's unemployment rate rises to 12.2%.



SF Examiner: Mobile connects police, community.






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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Geary Boulevard Merchants Association Annual Awards Luncheon



Your BOMA Advocacy Team attended the Geary Boulevard Merchants Association Annual Awards Luncheon on Wednesday. The luncheon honored the small business owners along Geary Boulevard that have contributed back to the community in various ways.

The well-attended event featured the following speakers:


BOMA San Francisco congratulates the members of the Geary Boulevard Merchants Association as well as David Heller, President of the association, for his outstanding work in hosting and producing this annual event.


San Francisco Examiner Political Columnist Melissa Griffin Speaks to BOMA San Francisco Members

Margot Crosman, President of BOMA San Francisco, and political columnist Melissa Griffin.



BOMA San Francisco welcomed the ingeniously clever and ever-entertaining San Francisco Examiner political columnist Melissa Griffin to our member luncheon at the City Club today. Melissa covers the political scene in San Francisco with wit and a wry sensibility. If you haven't had a chance to peruse her Thursday column in the Examiner, or her blog, then you're in for a treat!

We thank Melissa for taking to our members today, and look forward to having her speak at future BOMA San Francisco events in the future.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

The News Links - September 16, 2009

Sacramento Bee: BOMA California President Rob Cord (behind/right of man with red tie) attends Gov. Schwarzenegger signing ceremony to implement the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard.



The Globe and Mail: Desperately seeking an exit strategy.



The Fix: Gavin Newsom, Bill Clinton and the endorsement hierarchy.



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Thursday, September 10, 2009

The News Links - September 10, 2009

SF Chronicle: Pilot program to limit traffic on Market Street. Image from the article.



The Sacramento Bee: Schwarzenegger accepts veto dare. Image from the article.



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San Francisco Better Market Street Project - Give YOUR Feedback!



San Francisco Better Market Street project will initiate a 6-to-12-month series of trials starting in September 2009, including an integrated package of landscaping, sidewalk cafes and storefront improvements, transit improvements, street and traffic improvements, and other physical improvements that are iterative and are regularly monitored and refined as needed. The project team will work with community partners, including BOMA San Francisco, to gather on-the-ground data that will inform the desired improvements for Market Street and other streets serving surrounding districts and neighborhoods.

Here is your opportunity to offer your perspective on what works and what needs to be improved or changed during the trial period. As a BOMA San Francisco member and commercial real estate professional, your perspective will inform both immediate operational decisions and the longer-term vision for Market Street and surrounding areas.

Please send your thoughts to:
  • Call 311 or log onto http://sfgov.org/311
  • Twitter: by typing 'd sf311' first before sending private Twitter message to 311
  • Send an email to marketstreet@sfgov.org
  • Comment on the Market Street Facebook page (coming soon).
Please click here for more information on the San Francisco Better Market Street Project.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The News Links - September 8, 2009

LA Times: California muni bonds rally as budget fears ebb. Image retrieved from the article.



SF Chronicle: California 8th among world economies. Graph retrieved from the article.



Calculated Risk: Employment Report: 216K jobs lost, 9.7% unemployment rate. Graph retrieved from the article.



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Thursday, September 3, 2009

San Francisco Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg Speaks at BOMA San Francisco's GAPAC Meeting


From left to right: Phil Ginsburg, General Manager, Department of Recreation and Parks; Susan Court, 2009 BOMA San Francisco GAPAC Chair. In the background, Dee Dee Workman, President of Workman and Associates; Carolyn Diamond, Executive Director of the Market Street Association.



San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg spoke to the members of BOMA San Francisco's Government and Public Affairs Committee (GAPAC) on September 2nd to talk about his new position, and his plans for the Department going forward. The following are the highlights from the meeting:


Phil Ginsburg - General Manager
  • Before he was selected as General Manager for the Department of Recreation and Parks, Mr. Ginsburg had served as Deputy City Attorney; the head of the City's Department of Human Resources; and, most recently served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Gavin Newsom.
  • His love for open space and sports is unparalleled, and he can be found playing a sport, running or overseeing the management in one of the 230 parks in the City and County of San Francisco almost everyday.
  • Mr. Ginsburg truly considers this his best job ever, and is honored to have been chosen to lead the Recreation and Parks Department.

The Recreation and Parks Department
  • While there has been progress, maintenance continues to be a challenge. Mr. Ginsburg elaborated that there are too few maintenance staff to cover the parks' needs. He said the City had 200 gardeners working in Golden Gate Park 30 years ago, but today that number has been reduced to just 42. He blamed this on years of budget cuts.
  • In addition, Mr. Ginsburg mentioned that the irrigation systems for the parks are 'under-performing'. Of the 230 parks in the City, 70 of them have irrigation systems that must be turned on and off manually.
  • Environmental sustainability is also a major focus for the Department as it endeavors to improve the parks, and make them less maintenance intensive.
  • Mr. Ginsburg stated that he is also focused on making the Department as efficient as possible. In his two months as General Manager, Mr. Ginsburg has cut over $600,000 in overtime from the Department's budget, is now requiring that all maintenance and gardening staff wear uniforms (to be immediately identifiable as a Recreation and Parks staff member to the public), and is in the process of placing GPS systems in all Department vehicles to track their usage.
  • Another problem that Ginsburg spoke about was the high level of workers compensation claims by Department employees. In fact, 1 out of every 5 staff members have filed a claim. He is aggressively working to reduce this.
  • Lastly, Mr. Ginsberg mentioned the unique challenges of managing employees whose families have been part of the Department workforce for generations.

Financial Sustainability: Partnership is Necessary
  • Mr. Ginsburg mentioned that with the City's continuing budget shortfalls, some funding for the Department would have to come from partnerships from the private sector. The Department does not have a dedicated source of funding from the City and currently operates with a budget of $122 million--$70 million of that from the General Fund.
  • He voiced his opposition to Proposition E on the November 3, 2009 ballot that would prohibit advertising on city property. Mr. Ginsburg stated that he 'needs to have the [financial] tools to manage [the Department correctly], but some in the City want to take any private sector options away.' Ginsburg wants to 'focus on the quality of the services delivered, not the way we deliver them.'
  • According to Mr. Ginsburg, a great example of a public/private partnership to raise revenue for Department was the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival that was held this past weekend. This event alone netted over $1 million in revenue.
  • Other options include: Food vendors in the park and increased grants and philanthropic activity from individuals and the private sector (e.g., adopt a park).
BOMA San Francisco would like to thank Mr. Ginsburg for addressing the BOMA's Government and Public Affairs Committee. The association looks forward to working with him and the Department to improve the recreation and parks programs in San Francisco.

The News Links - September 3, 2009

AP: Giant national debt needs giant calculator. Image retrieved here.



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  • San Carlos: A taxing problem.
  • SamTrans staff recommends Service cuts, fare increases: S.F. express buses big losers.
  • Cops clean up Tenderloin.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The News Links - September 2, 2009

SF Examiner: New bus terminal idea on Union Street quashed. Image retrieved from the article.


CNN Money: Bleak outlook for pay raises in 2010.



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Apture