Departments blow off Lurie again. Plus: DCCC gives out endorsements

In a repeat of Mayor Daniel Lurie ’s first frustrating budget cycle last year, a significant chunk of City Hall departments are once again failing to meet his reduction targets. Of the roughly 50 departments that have posted 2026-27 budgets, 18 haven’t tightened their belts enough, according to Power Play’s review of submissions to the mayor’s office. Last year at this time, 22 agencies did not meet the mark. The city’s budget remains dire , with a two-year deficit of $877 million, according to the latest estimate . That’s a fair chunk of the roughly $16 billion in annual expenses. And that’s not tallying the total cost of actions by President Donald Trump , who has threatened to withhold SNAP benefits and whose One, Big, Beautiful Bill aims to curtail Medicare spending . In December, Lurie ordered departments to come up with $400 million in reductions, including eliminating discretionary programs, restructuring departments, reducing citywide work orders by 10%, centralizing duplicative expenses, and proposing near-term investments to save money in the long term. The mayor’s office gave each department a “reduction target.” While some departments have bowed to the mayor’s demands and hit their marks, others are refusing to go along and are articulating their reasons in writing. In City Hall bureaucratese, they’re essentially telling Lurie to go kick rocks. Resistors include the San Francisco Fire Department, which argued in its budget submission that meeting the mayor’s mandates would harm emergency response time. The department is asking for $385.6 million — $11 million more than its target and $7 million more than it was allotted last year. “Any reduction of that scale would have material impact to the front-line emergency services that the department is responsible for,” the department wrote. The police are asking for $693.7 million — $11.3 million over the target — though SFPD staff noted that ongoing negotiations with the police union may change the financial landscape. The pushback on budget cuts by the fire and police departments is not necessarily surprising considering the mayor’s priority of funding public safety agencies. But they’re not alone. Departments that haven’t fully hacked away at their budgets include the Agency for Human Rights, Ethics Commission, Human Services Agency, and War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. Mayor’s ofice spokesperson Kate Poltrack said federal budget cuts are driving the city’s deficit to historic levels. “Our office will work collaboratively” with departments and others, she said, “to deliver a responsible budget that prioritizes core service.” Turning in budgets that don’t do as the mayor asks is a common tactic by city departments, and last year such maneuvers bore fruit: The district attorney’s office and other public safety agencies were spared cuts after playing chicken with Lurie. Not every department saw success with the strategy, though: After departments like Homelessness and Supportive Housing refused his order, Lurie seized control of their budgets and slashed them anyway. — J.F.R. and G.G. Got tips? Send to us at powerplay@sfstandard.com . Programming note: Power Play will be off Sunday. PROTESTER VS. PRESSER: A Wednesday press conference called by Lurie, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood, and the Building & Construction Trades Council’s Rudy Gonzalez saw 10 protesters chanting “Tax the rich” throughout. The half-hour briefing was supposed to celebrate a proposal to spur development . But the chant took a darker turn. During Gonzalez’s speech, a woman was heard yelling “Tax the Jews” and “Tax Israel,” a video obtained by Power Play shows. While the video does not show the protesters, the antisemitic shouts can be heard coming from a single person. “Suggesting that Jews are wealthy is a tired trope, and targeting our community at an event focused on creating economic opportunity for San Franciscans is decidedly antisemitic,” Lurie said afterward. “I will never accept hate directed at the Jewish community or any community in our city. Those are not San Francisco values — we’re better than that.” San Francisco’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter, whose members were part of the protest, said in a statement that the culprit was not affiliated with their group: “DSA members and other protesters asked her to stop, but she refused. We want to be clear that whatever hate she holds isn’t shared by DSA members, and we categorically reject antisemitism.” (DSA has been highly critical of the U.S. government’s support for Israel.) Christin Evans , a small-business owner who attended the protest, told Power Play that the woman who made the remarks was a passerby. — G.G. DCCC ENDORSEMENT: San Francisco’s political establishment revealed its preferences Wednesday night for the June election, as the Democratic County Central Committee issued its coveted endorsements. On the June ballot: supervisor races in Districts 2 and 4, a school board seat, a judicial contest, and two ballot measures: an earthquake safety bond and one that would strengthen term limits . Three incumbents — Supervisors Stephen Sherrill and Alan Wong , along with school board President Phil Kim — secured the DCCC’s endorsement. Since 2024, the governing body of the local Democratic Party has shifted from a progressive majority to a more moderate and YIMBY-aligned body, and both Sherrill and Wong have been given the stamp of approval for supporting Lurie’s upzoning plan. Sherrill’s main challenger in District 2, Lori Brooke , drew some support, including from former supervisor and DCCC member Michela Alioto-Pier . In District 4, Wong’s opponents, Natalie Gee and Albert Chow, won backing from some members. But Wong’s incumbency, along with Lurie’s influence, had solidified his path to endorsement. In the judicial race, prosecutor Phoebe Maffei received the nod over public defender Alexandra Pray . Both of the ballot measures sailed through with “yes” endorsements, but the controversial term-limit charter amendment resulted in a closer vote. — H.L. LOVE ME NOT: Speaking of the west side’s electoral slugfest: Wong, Gee and Chow will duke it out Thursday at a District 4 candidate forum hosted by Sunset United Neighbors. Other candidates are getting the cold shoulder: David Lee, the San Francisco State University politics professor and theater performer Jeremy Greco. Greco is a newcomer, so that’s not a surprise. But Lee has run for both state Assembly and for supervisor of the Richmond. He has raised more than $31,000. While it’s not as much as Wong’s $72,000 or Gee’s $143,000, once he receives public financing, he will be on even footing. So why exclude him? Insiders note that moderate Democrats think of Lee as a spoiler, pulling attention, donations, and other resources away from his fellow moderate-aligned District 1 candidate Marjan Philhour , and contributing to their collective loss in 2020 against Supervisor Connie Chan . There’s speculation that moderate-aligned groups may be afraid Lee will play spoiler for Wong, with whom he’d naturally share votes. Selena Chu , a board member of SUN, told Power Play there’s a simple reason for excluding other candidates: The group polled its members on who they wanted to see at their forum, and Lee polled at 2%. While Chu declined to provide numbers for the other candidates, she said Wong, Gee, and Chow polled far higher. Ultimately, Chu said, the group wanted to ensure that working families aren’t stuck at a political event for hours. “How early do D4 people sleep? Quite early. We want to be respectful to our membership. We hope [Lee] understands,” she said. — J.F.R. DESIGN BATTLE: The never-ending saga over the Great Highway is entering its final, farcical phase. Supporters of reopening the roadway to cars have filed paperwork seeking another ballot measure, launching a campaign called “Great Highway for everyone.” They’ve rolled out a logo featuring a family of four strolling along the beach at sunset, seemingly enjoying the coastline. Backers of Sunset Dunes say the imagery only helps their cause. “It appears that even Sunset Dunes opponents recognize that San Franciscans love our coastal park free of car pollution and danger,” said Lucas Lux , president of Friends of Sunset Dunes. “Please give them our thanks for designing a campaign graphic for us.” But the trolling didn’t stop there. Lux and his supporters quickly unveiled a redesigned, AI-generated version of the logo — depicting a traffic-choked roadway lined with cars and exhaust fumes. “Here’s one they can use that shows what they’re actually advocating for,” Lux said. The text at the bottom of the AI-altered logo: “Are we seriously still talking about this?” Jamie Hughes , the campaign spokesperson, said Lux should get his eyes checked, noting that the family in the original image is on the beach, not in the park. “As seen with the ‘Sunset Dunes project,’ clearly their only focus continues to be making a mockery of our beautiful coast.” — H.L. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly included Public Works in a list of departments that did not meet its budget target from the mayor last year.

SF teachers’ strike is over. The real labor battle is just beginning

You’re reading Power Play, The Standard’s twice-weekly newsletter about City Hall and San Francisco politics. To receive Power Play directly in your inbox, sign up here . Got tips? Send to us at powerplay@sfstandard.com . All right, San Francisco, time to breathe. The first educators strike in nearly 50 years is over . Parents can drop their kids at school once again. Teachers can trade their picket signs for chalk. District staffers can go back to figuring out how paychecks work . Everything can return to normal, right? Don’t bet on it. Power Play’s sources believe the strike, which the United Educators of San Francisco are touting as a major win, will embolden the city’s other public-sector unions, whose members will soon confront Mayor Daniel Lurie ’s team at the bargaining table and in the political arena. As we’ve reported, the CEO tax touted by unions will be a fight with the business community. Meanwhile, the mayor’s charter reform effort, which could weaken labor’s ability to propose ballot measures, will face staunch opposition from the San Francisco Labor Council. There are even more labor flashpoints coming: Firefighters and police officers are deep in contract negotiations, and the city’s budget may bring waves of layoffs in June if Lurie’s promises of structural reforms come to pass. Even more consequentially, in 2027, for the first time in nearly 50 years, city public employees will be allowed to strike during contract negotiations, thanks to a Public Employment Relations Board decision in 2023 that struck down a “no-strike” provision in the city charter, giving public-sector unions a sharper arrow in their quivers. “I think there’s more of a hardened, militant mood now,” said John Logan , chair of labor studies at San Francisco State University. “No one wants to go out and strike, but they may feel if you don’t strike, they’re going to be taken advantage of.” We’re smelling a sequel. And with 34,800 city employees , versus roughly 6,000 in UESF, the coming labor battles could make the teachers strike look positively quaint. BLACKOUT EMAIL : The December blackout that caused mayhem across the city came roaring back into the news Thursday after The Standard was first to report that Pacific Gas & Electric’s CEO said Mayor Daniel Lurie directed the utility to provide power to the opera house — though the executive later retracted his statement. Lurie’s office has also denied that he directed any PG&E resources to the venue, which at the time was hosting his daughter’s performance of “The Nutcracker.” But a new email obtained by Power Play shows that Lurie was involved in the conversation of getting power restored to the War Memorial Opera House. An email dated Dec. 21 from Kate Sofis , the venue’s managing director, was sent roughly four hours after PG&E posted a photo on X showing its trucks outside the opera house. “The good news for later tonight/early tomorrow — and I would like to personally recognize both the Department of Emergency Management and the Mayor himself — who has been very engaged with us directly — we have succeeded in getting PGE to relocate two massive generators from another site to the Opera House,” Sofis’ email said. The generators were used to enable two Dec. 22 performances. The mayor’s office deferred to its previous comment that “of course city leaders were communicating directly with those institutions and PG&E to help scheduled performances for tens of thousands of attendees proceed.” Sofis did not respond to a request for comment. The contents of the Dec. 21 email were first reported by the California Post. — G. G. SF GOES FOR MAHAN : He may not be the mayor of San Francisco, but he’s certainly taking a lot of cash from the city’s bigwigs. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is on the fundraising circuit for his gubernatorial bid, seeking support from well-heeled San Franciscans hoping to propel the moderate, pro-business candidate to Sacramento. The latest campaign filings, submitted Thursday and Friday, show Mahan pulling in $5,000 from the former CEO of Weebly, David Rusenko ; $78,400 split between the primary and general elections from former BART board member Nicholas Josefowitz ; 156,8000 from real estate developer power couple Dan and Jaclyn Safier; and $78,400 from business executive Tali Rapaport . Other donations include $78,400 from Y Combinator Managing Director Jared Friedman , $39,200 from Y Combinator general partner David Lieb , $78,400 from Reddit CEO Steve Huffman , $39,200 from DoorDash cofounder Stanley Tang, and $50,000 from Mercury CEO Immad Akhund . As of Wednesday, Mahan had brought in a total of $8.5 million, according to a source close to the campaign. — G. G. ICYMI: SORDID TALE: Mickey Gerold led a seemingly charmed life of private clubs and powerful friends. But behind closed doors, his ex claims, he coerced her into sex work. POWERLESS: If you’re curious as to why the December PG&E power outage was such a mess, here’s a start : poor communication, a poorly trained AI model, and issues putting out a fire at a substation. OVERSIGHT, SHMOVERSIGHT: Critics say the “streamlining” of the SF Police Commission imperils police oversight , but a task force wants to axe its authority anyway.

PG&E CEO recants statement that Lurie  requested power to opera house during blackout

On the afternoon of Dec. 21, one day after a blackout plunged a third of San Francisco into darkness, City Hall and many of the surrounding blocks remained without power. But the stage lights were on at the War Memorial Opera House on Van Ness Avenue, where San Francisco Ballet performances of “The Nutcracker” were set to be staged at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The mystery of why that venue received special attention from Pacific Gas & Electric while swaths of the city were still in the dark was partially answered Thursday at a Board of Supervisors hearing, when PG&E CEO Sumeet Singh testified that Mayor Daniel Lurie had asked the utility to restore power at the opera house. However, the CEO later recanted those statements in an interview with The Standard. Not mentioned at the hearing: The mayor’s teenage daughter, Taya Lurie, was cast in the starring role of Clara at the matinee performance that Sunday. During stunning testimony before the Board’s Public Safety Committee, Supervisor Bilal Mahmood asked Singh why the utility had chosen to help the arts venue while so many other San Francisco sites were without power. “You prioritized the opera, where no one is living, to restore service, before you prioritized restoring service in communities and seniors living in [single room occupancies],” said Mahmood. “We did not make that decision on our own accord,” Singh replied. “We were requested by the mayor to provide temporary generation to that specific location. And we responded to that.” Singh said 10% of affected PG&E customers were still experiencing blackouts when the mayor made his request. The outages were caused by a fire at a PG&E substation on Eighth and Mission streets. Questions about why PG&E prioritized the opera house began after the utility posted on X a picture of two of its trucks outside the venue at approximately 2 p.m. on Dec. 21. That’s the exact time that the mayor’s teenage daughter, Taya Lurie, was cast in the starring role of Clara at a matinee performance . According to Amy Ovalle, an SF Ballet spokesperson, emergency backup power kept the show running. Weekend performances of “The Nutcracker” can generate more than $450,000 in ticket sales, according to the ballet. A text message obtained by The Standard through a public records request shows that Lurie received an update from a PG&E representative about the opera house during the blackout. “Opera house update,” Jake Zigelman, PG&E’s bay region VP, wrote to Lurie. “Our team is onsite and has been in touch with the opera folks. We’ve been told they have enough natural light and emergency backup power to move ahead with 2pm performance. We have a vendor mobilized to support temporary generation for the 7pm show. Not 100% on timing but working feverishly to make that happen.” Zigelman did not respond to a request for comment. On the day that Lurie received the text message from Zigelman, much of the Richmond and parts of the Tenderloin remained without power. On Dec. 22, a sign was posted outside City Hall stating that the building remained closed. Just blocks away, on Market Street, the NEMA high-rise tower did not regain power until Dec. 23, as residents dealt with cut elevator service and darkened hallways. The mayor’s office disputed Singh’s statement. “For days through the blackout, Mayor Lurie personally pushed PG&E to restore power across San Francisco as quickly as possible,” the mayor’s spokesperson, Charles Lutvak, wrote to The Standard. “The holiday season is an especially critical period for our major venues and cultural institutions, supporting small businesses and generating significant revenue for the city, so of course city leaders were communicating directly with those institutions and PG&E to help scheduled performances for tens of thousands of attendees proceed.” He added, “But to be clear, the mayor never directed any PG&E employee to provide power at any specific venue — and the San Francisco Ballet didn’t even have PG&E support until after the weekend.” When asked about the timing of the mayor’s daughter’s performance, Lurie’s office deferred to its statement. PG&E spokesperson David McCulloch said the utility was “constantly in touch” with city officials during the blackout. “As a significant venue hosting several major events over the weekend, the opera house was one of the facilities highlighted. However, we want to clarify that the mayor did not ask or direct PG&E to restore power to the opera house.” McCulloch declined to comment on the text message Zigelman sent to Lurie, saying that “our team was communicating updates to numerous city leaders throughout the restoration.” In an interview with Singh after publication, the company’s CEO called his remarks a “misunderstanding.” “I thought there was a specific request from the mayor’s office,” he said. “There was not a specific request. That was my misunderstanding because of all the communication that went back and forth. So that was misstated in the hearing.” In a statement, the Department of Emergency Management’s executive director, Mary Ellen Carroll, said she “passed along a request from the War Memorial Opera House leadership to PG&E to provide temporary generators.” Carroll said it was “not our top priority nor was it communicated to PG&E as such.” After questioning Singh about the opera house during the hearing, Mahmood professed to be dismayed by the utility chief’s response. “During a four-hour hearing with PG&E, their CEO gave inconsistent answers and repeatedly deflected blame instead of taking responsibility,” the supervisor said in a statement. “After hearing those contradictions, I find it difficult to trust their claims.” As the blackout continued in December, Lurie publicly expressed anger toward PG&E. “I’ll be pressing them very hard, because this is obviously not OK,” Lurie told The Standard on Dec. 21, as he was making a visit to the Richmond Recreation Center. “We’ll get to the bottom of that in the next day or two, I hope.” On Dec. 22, Lurie posted a video on his Instagram , stating that he would engage in “real honest” conversation with PG&E about the blackout. At the time of the morning post, 5,000 customers remained without power, he said. The revelations about the opera house come as supervisors on Thursday criticized the utility company’s response to the blackout, which left 130,000 residents without power beginning Dec. 20. The incident caused chaos across the city, as stoplights went dark, Waymos stalled , and underground Muni lines were closed. As criticisms bubble up over the blackout, the perennial conversation about San Francisco transitioning to public power has reignited. In December, state Sen. Scott Wiener said he would introduce legislation to have San Francisco and other cities break up with PG&E. In the meantime, an ongoing petition by the city to the California Public Utilities Commission is establishing the value of PG&E’s electric assets in San Francisco. The city’s planning department is conducting an environmental analysis surrounding its public power efforts, and a final version of the report is expected in April. Any efforts to take over PG&E’s equipment are likely to meet with stiff resistance from the utility.

Newsom is MIA in schools shutdown. Plus: Where do SF electeds send their kids?

You’re reading Power Play, The Standard’s twice-weekly newsletter about City Hall and San Francisco politics. To receive Power Play directly in your inbox, sign up here . Got tips? Send to us at powerplay@sfstandard.com . Are school strikes the new wildfires? If San Francisco parents can take one consolation from their days-long scramble for child care, it’s this — they won’t be alone for long. While the City by the Bay makes headlines for its striking educators, unions in eight other California school districts have voted to approve strikes, including Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Bernardino. So, where is Gov. Gavin Newsom in all this? Well, Friday he’s flying to Munich with a bevy of heavy-hitter national Democrats, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , to court European leaders and upstage President Donald Trump , all while parents back home are tearing their hair out over school closures. He hasn’t done nothing — Newsom has a major reform in his budget this year to move authority of the California Department of Education under the governor’s office, winnowing the role of the state superintendent and adding some funding for the next two years. There’s also a $46 million funding increase for schools, though that’s a drop in the bucket compared with SFUSD’s needs alone. When Power Play asked SFUSD boss Maria Su on Tuesday if she’d heard from Newsom or other state leaders on the district’s request for financial support, she said simply, “We have not heard back.” Newsom’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Despite the radio silence, it seemed the cavalry was on the way Tuesday, when state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond stepped into negotiations to mediate between the district and union, upstairs in the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. There were hopes that Thurmond, who is a gubernatorial candidate, could provide insight into how SFUSD could meet the teachers’ demands while still satisfying state oversight of the district’s dire finances — wiggle room, in other words. And there were whispers among union members picketing the War Memorial that Thurmond was about to take their side in talks and push the district over the hump on the sticking points: salary increases, fully funded dependent healthcare, and special-education staffing. Instead, insiders tell us, Thurmond reaffirmed that SFUSD has to make “financially responsive” offers. And he was out of the War Memorial almost as quickly as he arrived. On Wednesday morning, Su was diplomatic, saying, “State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said to both parties, ‘Get this done.’” Asked if he offered specific help, Su shook her head. Thurmond’s office did not respond to a request for comment. It looks like each California school district will need to deal with labor issues on its own — without the governor or a state education honcho to back them up. — J.F.R. and G.G. Public officials, private schools: Part 1 We all know the SFUSD does not have the best reputation, but city leaders have never shied away from expressing their support for teachers and public schools. But no matter how publicly supportive they may be, their decision on where to send their children speaks volumes. Start with Superintendent Su, who identified herself as a “former SFUSD parent” in her inaugural press release in 2024 but rarely discusses the details of that title. In a 2025 interview with KALW , Su said her two sons attended SFUSD elementary and middle schools in the Ingleside area, “and then for high school, we chose a different route.” Sources say Su’s older son graduated from a local private high school, where the younger son is currently enrolled. Mayor Daniel Lurie , heir to the Levi Strauss fortune, went to private schools, and his two children attend private schools in the city . Of the 11 members of the Board of Supervisors, only four are parents of school-age children: Myrna Melgar , Connie Chan , Stephen Sherrill, and Chyanne Chen . Of those, Melgar and Chen are SFUSD parents. Chan’s son is in private school, but she emphasizes that she’s “a proud graduate of Galileo High School,” and her son attended Lafayette Elementary School. Sherrill said he’s “currently navigating the kindergarten process for the first time and looking at all available options.” Shamann Walton and Melgar’s older children graduated from SFUSD schools. Supervisor Danny Sauter has a newborn, and the remaining supervisors do not have children. Power Play is taking classroom attendance for other SF politicos’ children; we’ll share more of our findings in a future email. — H.L. and J.F.R. Correction: A version of this story in Wednesday’s Power Play newsletter did not include information about Melgar’s child attending an SFUSD school. Big money backs Lurie — again A new independent expenditure committee linked to Lurie’s web of well-heeled donors could bring in lots of dough to this year’s supervisor candidates and ballot measures. “SF Believes,” filed Feb. 5, is being run by the same people behind the “Believe in SF, Lurie for Mayor 2024" committee that brought in $6.7 million from contributors like the mayor’s mother, Miriam Haas , and former WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum . SF Believes was registered by Lurie’s pal Alec Perkins , CEO of Hunter Capital Management and a board member of the mayor’s Tipping Point Community, along with Adam Clammer , founder of True Wind Capital. It is also getting help from the consultancy and communications firm The Media Company and its veteran consultant Dan Newman , who worked on Lurie’s 2024 committee. “San Francisco has made remarkable progress over the past year, and this past [Super Bowl] weekend was a powerful reminder of the energy and optimism people are feeling about the city,” said Emily Matthews , a spokesperson for The Media Company. “SF Believes is focused on building on that momentum by supporting initiatives and candidates that sustain San Francisco’s success.” No donors or expenses have been filed yet, but the committee will be supporting Lurie’s allies and initiatives, which could include Supervisor Sherrill’s D2 race and the Muni parcel tax measure. — G.G. PG&E to face grilling Considering the anger toward Pacific Gas & Electric during December’s blackouts, a hearing Thursday in front of the Board of Supervisors’ public safety committee could get charged. The committee has summoned PG&E CEO Sumeet Singh , Senior VP and Chief Customer Officer Vincent Davis , and Bay Area local government affairs manager Sarah Chavez-Yoell . “PG&E looks forward to sharing with the Board of Supervisors information about the Mission Substation outage in December as well as the progress we’re making operationally and in improving our communication with customers and officials,” the company said in a statement. The committee will be asking how the failure of one of the utility’s substations caused a daylong blackout in large swaths of the city, about coordination between the company and emergency services, and about why some neighborhoods got power back and others didn’t and what PG&E is doing to prevent another incident, according to Supervisor Bilal Mahmood . “The priority is accountability,” he said. “Understanding their context on what went wrong during the blackout.” — G.G. Socialists to supes: You failed The Democratic Socialists of America’s San Francisco chapter just released a report card on the city’s 11 supervisors — and it’s brutal. The DSA laid out 20 key issues and compared how each supervisor voted, blasting the “moderate supermajority” for backing what they view as increased mayoral power, corporate interests, and punitive responses to social crises over the needs of working-class residents. Not surprisingly, outspoken progressive Supervisor Jackie Fielder got an A. The only issue in which she broke with the DSA was in backing Lurie’s fentanyl state of emergency. Walton got a B after voting to support the mayor’s budget. Chan, often seen as unapologetically progressive, earned a C. She’s at odds with the DSA on multiple issues, including the police budget. Chen also received a C, and Melgar got a D. The other five supervisors, generally considered more moderate, all received Fs. Supervisor Alan Wong was not rated because he doesn’t have a full year of voting records. Chan, who is running for Congress, released a statement through her campaign striking a conciliatory tone. “We look forward to continuing to work with DSA-SF to support working people in our city,” said campaign spokesperson Julie Edwards . “Connie understands San Franciscans won’t agree 100% of the time and she values open-dialogue with the community.” — H.L. In case you missed it MAHAN’S RUN : The Standard interviewed gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan on our “Pacific Standard Time” podcast. Here are four takeaways . GARRY’S LIST : Outspoken techie Garry Tan isn’t leaving California like other Silicon Valley moguls. Instead, he’s starting a nonprofit for voter education. ETHICS VIOLATION : Planning commissioner Kathrin Moore has been fined $12,000 for approving projects involving an architecture firm from which she receives income.

Plan to fix ‘broken’ San Francisco blows up in 2 weeks

In an embarrassing blunder, a moderate political group in San Francisco withdrew <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/12/05/san-francisco-could-vote-on-drastic-reforms-to-city-hall-next-year/">a ballot measure intended to cut bureaucracy</a> at City Hall just two weeks after it announced the ordinance in a press conference.



TogetherSF Action confirmed to The Standard on Monday that it was pulling one of two proposed ballot measures to reform the city charter because, contrary to <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/08/22/does-san-franciscos-mayor-need-more-power-this-group-says-yes/">the group&#8217;s goal of empowering the mayor</a> to make more decisions, it would actually hand more authority to the Board of Supervisors.&nbsp;



The group decided to scrap the measure before a Tuesday deadline after huddling with officials in the Mayor&#8217;s Office last week. TogetherSF Action plans to revise it and submit a new version to the Department of Elections.



Earlier this month, TogetherSF Action announced it was introducing two ballot measures to reform the city charter—one to give the mayor more power and the other to cut the number of city commissions in half. The group contends that giving the mayor more authority is key to making progress on public safety and the housing, homelessness and drug crises.&nbsp;



But the proposal to eliminate commissions contained a fatal flaw, according to multiple sources in and around City Hall: Eliminating certain commissions would kick oversight responsibilities over to the Board of Supervisors, a group Mayor London Breed has repeatedly criticized as being <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/07/mayor-breed-pushes-27m-police-overtime-bill-slams-obstructionist-board/">“obstructionist”</a> and <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/03/29/mayor-breed-hits-back-at-sf-progressives-touts-conservatorship-in-jon-stewart-interview/">tone-deaf on the issues</a> many San Franciscans are facing.



Multiple sources in and around City Hall suggested the errors in TogetherSF Action’s proposed measure came from a DIY approach and a failure to consult with experts until concerns arose. One source, who is familiar with the issues but was not authorized to speak publicly, called the proposal “sloppy.”



Kanishka Cheng, the head of the nonprofit TogetherSF and its political arm, TogetherSF Action, said in a statement Monday that the ballot measure to eliminate commissions—known as the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24229164-20231204_cutthedysfunctionalbureaucracy_text">“Cut the Dysfunctional Bureaucracy Initiative”</a>—was being updated to change the “status quo” on city operations.



“San Francisco’s governance structure is broken and we are committed to advancing bold reforms at the ballot this November to ensure city government is better positioned to tackle the challenges facing our city,” Cheng said. “We are making updates to our reform measure that will make the initiative stronger and clarify authority and responsibilities between the executive and legislative branches. Voters deserve to know who is responsible for the city government’s decisions and to hold them accountable.”&nbsp;



Michael Moritz, who is chairman of The Standard, has provided funding to the 501c3 nonprofit TogetherSF and its political arm, TogetherSF Action.



The second proposed ballot measure—known as the “We Need SF To Work Initiative”—would give the mayor sole discretion to hire and fire department heads, strengthen the mayor’s ability to control commissions, and allow for the creation of deputy mayor positions.



Under city rules, any voter-led ballot initiative must first be submitted to the Department of Elections. After a 15-day review period by the City Attorney’s Office, the proposal receives a title and summary, and advocates can proceed to collect petition signatures. Sources suggested it would take four to five months to collect the almost 50,000 petition signatures required by July 8 to <a href="https://sfelections.org/tools/cscal_nov24/">qualify for the November 2024 ballot</a>. That 15-day period was to expire Tuesday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plan-to-cut-commissions-in-san-francisco">Plan to Cut Commissions in San Francisco</h2>



The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24229164-20231204_cutthedysfunctionalbureaucracy_text">“Cut the Dysfunctional Bureaucracy Initiative”</a> proposed creating a task force to review commissions in the city and suggest which ones were redundant and ripe for elimination. As of this summer, San Francisco had <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/07/06/only-1-person-at-sf-city-hall-knows-the-answer-to-this-simple-question/">53 departments, 56 boards and commissions and 74 other advisory bodies</a>.



TogetherSF Action’s original plan suggested the number of commissions be capped at 65.&nbsp;



TogetherSF Action said the revised version will seek to keep bodies such as the Board of Appeals, Police Commission, Fire Commission and Planning Commission while allowing the mayor and supervisors the ability to hire and fire commissioners for the Public Utilities Commission, the Fine Arts Commissions, the War Memorial Board and the Airport Commission.



Permitting appeals would go to the Board of Appeals instead of supervisors. For commissions such as the Public Utilities Commission, the Airport Commission and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the mayor would be able to appoint a supermajority of commissioners.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Supervisor Aaron Peskin, the president of the Board of Supervisors, said the mistakes should be seen as a “teachable moment.” He suggested the group should have worked with <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/2023/10/31/san-francisco-city-hall-ballot-measure-reforms-rafael-mandelman/">Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who also introduced a charter reform measure</a> that had some overlapping goals with TogetherSF Action’s proposal.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2999" height="2000" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?w=2500" alt="A man gesticulates and speaks with 1 hand extended out next to a podium with a gilded facade in the background." class="wp-image-219949" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg 2999w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?resize=2500,1667 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/20231109_detentiondrugdealers-37.jpg?resize=2048,1366 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2999px) 100vw, 2999px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin criticized TogetherSF Action&#8217;s proposed ballot measure as ill-conceived. </figcaption></figure>



“We can have a discussion about what the best public policy is, but if it’s not what they intended, it shows this organization and its members don’t know what they’re doing,” Peskin said. “When you’re tinkering with your constitution, it should be tinkered with in public.”



The Mayor’s Office declined to comment.



The Department of Elections received <a href="https://www.sf.gov/sites/default/files/2023-12/20231218_Withdrawal%20Letter.pdf">a letter from Cheng</a> requesting that the ballot measure be withdrawn Monday afternoon. She added that she plans to submit a revised version “in the coming days.” Once resubmitted, another 15-day review process would start before any signatures could be gathered.&nbsp;



Mandelman said he has not seen TogetherSF Action’s ballot measures, but he and the group have been talking about ways to improve the city through charter reform. He indicated his ballot measure, which also suggests the creation of deputy mayors, would be more incremental with an eye on continuing to reform the city charter in 2026.



“To their credit, they are motivated by a sincere desire to fix problems in San Francisco city governance. In my experience, that’s not easy,” Mandelman said. “It’s hard to fault them for trying to come up with some structural solutions.”

APEC to bring world leaders to San Francisco: Here’s what we know so far

In a tough year for business—and for the city’s reputation—San Francisco will be thrown into the global spotlight this November by hosting the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/business/san-francisc-to-host-apec-summit-in-2023/">Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit</a>.



Preparations are well underway for the summit, which brings together major heads of state, government officials and business executives. It’s a tall order—but if all goes well, a successful conference could mean big rewards for San Francisco, not to mention for the Biden Administration and the trade group itself.&nbsp;



San Francisco hosted the <a href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/secretary/20092013clinton/rm/2011/09/172605.htm">APEC Women and the Economy Summit in 2011</a>, where then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton oversaw a declaration to improve women&#8217;s access to better jobs, education and leadership roles. That was a subsidiary of the APEC summit, held that year in Hawaii. This year, it’s San Francisco’s turn to host the main event.



“APEC represents a singular opportunity for San Francisco to shine on a global stage,” said Alex Bastian, president of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “The result could be billions in new investments for the city, our region, and the state.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Does It Mean for San Francisco?&nbsp;</h2>



APEC is a chance for San Francisco to burnish an image battered by drug abuse, homelessness, petty crime and blight.&nbsp;



Seventy-eight years ago this month, <a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/1945-san-francisco-conference-and-creation-united-nations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco hosted the founding of the United Nations</a> at what is now the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center on Van Ness Avenue. A stone’s throw away is United Nations Plaza, which has become <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/board-of-supervisors/san-franciscos-un-plaza-cleaned-up-ahead-of-mayor-breeds-remarks-on-drug-crisis/">a hotbed of drug activity</a>. The irony is hard to ignore.&nbsp;



Some local policymakers are worried that San Francisco is unprepared for the scrutiny that could come with hosting the high-profile, sustainability-themed summit.&nbsp;



Nick Josefowitz, policy chief at the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), wrote that the spotlight won’t be flattering if public transit systems aren’t properly funded.&nbsp;



“Rather than being impressed by our climate leadership, the world will be shocked to discover California&#8217;s climate hypocrisy. It will find that buses and trains aren’t taking people to work, school, or essential services,” Josefowitz wrote in <a href="https://www.spur.org/news/2023-06-08/world-coming-san-francisco-will-public-transit-be-ready" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a June 8 article</a>.&nbsp;



In addition, there are myriad balancing acts involved with hosting an event for 21 heads of state, ministers and the business interests they bring along.&nbsp;



Working with the White House and State Department, the city is in the midst of planning, promotion and fundraising for the meetings and events around them. The Board of Supervisors <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/ethics-commission-blames-union-for-derailing-anti-corruption-ballot-measure/">even passed some exceptions</a> to the city’s behested payments rules for APEC fundraising.&nbsp;



San Francisco also needs to put its best foot forward for the scores of VIPs who may want to tour, shop and dine in the City by the Bay.&nbsp;



As Whaley put it at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtaAevd4KEw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a February meeting of San Francisco’s Asia Society</a>, attendees won’t want to feel like they’ve “been in a hotel ballroom for a week. [&#8230;] You’ve got to feel like you visited there. You’ve tasted the food; you’ve met the people.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-apec-anyway">What Is APEC, Anyway?&nbsp;</h2>



APEC was founded in 1989 and became one of the first of a number of economically driven international conferences, like the G20, that came to dominate world affairs since the end of the Cold War. The summit brings together the 21 most important economies on both sides of the Pacific, ranging from Australia and China to Mexico and Vietnam.&nbsp;&nbsp;



San Francisco is set to host the five final and most important meetings of the trade group during mid-November, including <a href="https://apecceosummit2023.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CEO Summit Nov. 14-16, which is expected to attract 1,000 participants</a>. The event has corporate sponsors ranging from Google and the United Parcel Service to Visa.



APEC was instrumental in the creation of free trade initiatives like the World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement, which helped lower the cost of technology products like smartphones, accelerating their worldwide adoption. It was also instrumental in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement between 12 APEC members that was dashed against the rocks by then-President Donald Trump in 2017.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Should We Expect From This Year&#8217;s Summit?&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-169972" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/GettyImages-1244769534-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and China&#8217;s President Xi Jinping, left, meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Nov. 14, 2022. | Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



APEC’s return to San Francisco takes on new relevance against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, fraught U.S.-China relations and a new era of geopolitical competition.&nbsp;



Last year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-22/apec-meeting-fails-to-issue-statement-after-us-russia-walkout" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">upstaged the APEC meeting in Bangkok</a>. This year, it’s an opportunity for President Joe Biden to <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2023/05/how-the-apec-san-francisco-summit-can-set-the-tone-for-us-engagement-in-asia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reassert leadership in the Indo-Pacific region</a>; Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are all set to attend.



The theme of APEC 2023 is &#8220;<a href="https://www.state.gov/briefings-foreign-press-centers/us-apec-2023-host-year-priorities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All</a>.&#8221; The <a href="https://apecceosummit2023.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEO Summit</a> will bring together political and business leaders from member nations for what the group describes as “two days of robust dialogue on global opportunities and challenges&nbsp;shaping economic, environmental, and societal trends in the region.”&nbsp;



“As hosts of this year’s CEO Summit, the U.S. will shape the agenda and work toward solutions to create a more inclusive and resilient Asia-Pacific,” Monica Hardy Whaley, president of the National Center for APEC, told The Standard in an email. “The world faces many challenges, and the [American] business community is part of the solution.”

Meet San Francisco’s new cultural ambassador, succeeding the half-century legacy of Charlotte Maillard Shultz

Don’t let the Orwellian-sounding job title chief of protocol fool you. The dynamic position is the de facto cultural ambassador of San Francisco, a role responsible for showcasing the best of San Francisco to visiting luminaries from around the world.&nbsp;



Mayor London Breed announced Wednesday that Maryam Muduroglu will serve as the new chief of protocol, to succeed the storied Charlotte Maillard Shultz, who held the role for over half a century before her death in 2021.&nbsp;



According to Meron Foster, who has served in the role in an interim capacity, Shultz was not the city’s first chief of protocol, but she was the longest serving and the most successful.&nbsp;



“I’m very honored and excited to be appointed to this position,” Muduroglu told The Standard, “and to continue the legacy left by Charlotte, her impactful work and her passion.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1365" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1855-fireworks-220704.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-98662" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1855-fireworks-220704.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1855-fireworks-220704.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1855-fireworks-220704.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1855-fireworks-220704.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /><figcaption>Mayor London Breed and Maryam Muduroglu attend The San Francisco Consular Corps&#8217; July 4th Celebration on July 4, 2022. | Courtesy Drew Altizer</figcaption></figure>



Muduroglu has big shoes to fill, coming after renowned socialite and philanthropist Shultz, who served under a total of 10 mayors. Shultz died of cancer last November and was honored with a memorial service at Grace Cathedral. Married three times, Shultz’s last husband was the former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz.&nbsp;



“To be intimidated would be the right feeling, given all she has accomplished in the city,” Muduroglu said of her predecessor. “It makes me even more grateful to showcase our magical city to the international world.”



A native San Franciscan, Muduroglu worked in health-care information technology for a decade before serving on boards for various organizations such as the Center for Youth Wellness, the San Francisco Opera, Children of Shelters and the Bay School of San Francisco.&nbsp;



Muduroglu believes this work as well as her diplomatic background—her mother served as part of the consular corps of the Iranian Embassy—prepared her well for this position.&nbsp;



The job duties for chief of protocol include welcoming visiting leaders, artists, business delegations and scholars from around the world to San Francisco. Muduroglu will also advance the foreign policy goals of San Francisco in her position, engaging in diplomacy to promote the city.&nbsp;



When asked about the potential challenges of serving as a diplomatic liaison for a frequently criticized city, Muduroglu acknowledged that “perception is a concern—and it’s very important for me to change.”&nbsp;



Muduroglu is proficient in four languages—English, French, Spanish and Farsi—and her multicultural background is an advantage for this role, according to Tom Horn, president of the War Memorial and honorary consul of Monaco.&nbsp;



The chief of protocol is an unpaid, appointed position that can change at the discretion of the mayor.&nbsp;



“I’m grateful for the mayor’s trust,” Muduroglu said, “and I’m honored to represent our city.”&nbsp;

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