News

Analysis by SF Planning Department and Livable California Action Items
We were impressed by the presentation that the SF Planning Department produced in short time on the state housing bills that some of our reps are pushing through Sacramento with little public notice and extremely limited public comments. They posted this text analysis on their site.  We request and received this powerpoint presentation. Livablecalifornia.org is mounting an effort to inform the public about actions they may take to push back. See this page for details.

Letters and arguments for bills

By Tim Redmond : 48hills – excerpt

Social and racial equity is now part of land-use decisions — which could have a major impact.

The Land Use and Transportation Committee hearing this week was remarkable: For the first time ever, as far as I can remember, the Planning Department admitted that it has failed to consider racial and social equity in development decisions, and kind of, sort of began to move toward changing that approach…

But the rezoning and special benefits the mayor wants (including a “streamlined” housing approval process that would eliminate most public hearings and oversight) requires board approval…

Since the board tends to defer to district supes on these sorts of issues, the Hub plan was in serious jeopardy…

At the hearing this week, Lily Langlois, a senior planner, in essence backed off from what the department has been saying since this unsustainable plan first emerged. She told the supervisors that the department has been engaged in a racial and social equity analysis of the proposal, and that some serious issues have emerged.

Sup. Aaron Peskin, who chairs the committee, said that Langlois testimony was “an admission that Planning has never seen urban development through an equity lens until now. I am delighted that the department is finally speaking the people’s language.”…

The overall message here is potentially critical. If the Planning Department can be forced to consider social and racial equity issues before approving projects – and if those studies are real and credible – then much of the direction of development in this city could profoundly change….(more)

 The radical shift in priorities brought about by the extraordinary times we find ourselves in, has shifted the priorities of public officials who are grappling with the new reality that forces new thinking about the social safety net that has been dismantled over the last few years in a grim rush to grow the wealth.

The growing numbers of unemployed workers, long lines of people waiting for testing and food and the hospital beds filling up al lover the state are harder to ignore than the tents on the sidewalks. One can no longer claim the needy are lazy drug addicts who don’t deserve help. Politicians have rediscovered their hearts and are trying to cure racial and social equity issues in response to the outrageous actions of the president.

We learned this week that there is a state bill in the works that contains some of the language our Board of Supevisors are trying to introduce in a city ordinance. More details to come…

by Amelia Williams, Bay City News Foundation : localnewsmatters – excerpt

You know that saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Few might agree right now, given the Bay Area, the United States and the whole world have been impacted over the last six months by the coronavirus pandemic.

Masks of varying materials, designs and cleanliness are everywhere; the tan lines this summer are going to be insane. Millions of Americans are fed up with stifling their breathing with N95s and avoiding their loved ones — to the point that angry, maskless citizens have shown up at state capitols with guns to demand the freedom to show their chins to the world, and also get a haircut. This is an unprecedented, spontaneous disease out of nowhere! Or is it?…

This is about so much more than a sweaty bandana or tye-dyed cotton covering.

Now, as back then, political agendas have been foisted onto a symbol of public health that is simply there to prevent the transmission of airborne germs.

In San Francisco, however, we seem to have gotten the message; our mayor has remained steadfast in keeping masks on and gatherings closed, and has yet to be seen at a boxing match barefaced like Mayor Rolph was. We have had far fewer deaths and cases overall, and have blessedly avoided any spikes like most of the country is experiencing now.

At the time of publishing this article, the city has reported 53 COVID19-related deaths and more than 5,300 cases. Sometimes (like now) a mask is just a mask, and you should wear one…(more)

By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times : latimes – excerpt

As health experts urge the public to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus, they continue to get pushback. Among the arguments of skeptics: If masks can’t fully protect me against COVID-19, what is the point of wearing them?

Scientists’ counterargument is that masks can help reduce the severity of the disease caused by coronavirus even if you get infected.

There’s now mounting evidence that silent spreaders are responsible for the majority of transmission of the coronavirus — making universal masking essential to slow the spread of the highly contagious virus, experts say.

This makes the coronavirus different from the seasonal flu. With seasonal flu, peak infectiousness occurs about one day after the onset of symptoms. But with the coronavirus, even among people who do end up becoming visibly sick, peak infectiousness can occur before they show symptoms.

In fact, experts say, significant amounts of virus can start coming out of people’s noses and mouths even when they feel well…

“There is this theory that facial masking reduces the (amount of virus you get exposed to) and disease severity,” said Gandhi, who is also director for the Center for AIDS Research at UC San Francisco….(more)

By Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky : latimes – excerpt

For all the persistent rhetoric from California’s leaders about this state being on the cutting edge of social and racial justice, the reality on the ground is far grimmer.

Our new report on the state of California’s middle class shows a lurch toward a society in which power and money are increasingly concentrated and where upward mobility is constrained, amid shocking levels of poverty. Most of this data doesn’t even account for the recent effect of the coronavirus outbreak, which has pushed the state’s unemployment rate to 15.5%, higher than the nationwide rate of 14.7%…(more)

by Lydia Chávez : missionlocal – excerpt

In a neighborhood that quickly boarded up and felt abandoned by the end of March, it was hard not to wonder what would happen to the Mission District’s large immigrant population. Nannies, construction workers, and small business operators were either unemployed or venturing out to grocery stores, construction sites, or gig economy jobs, praying that they did not bring the virus home. The Mission District’s social service agencies went into action, calling their clients to check-in, but their physical storefronts shuttered. One morning I watched a couple knocking on the door of one of the agencies. I explained that the social workers had to take calls from home, that they should use the number posted prominently on the front door… (more)

We suspect that this is an example of other neighborhood groups who are taking on major efforts to help people take care of themselves. It is good to look at an example of a system in detail so we are happy to share this one.

Thanks to this virus, we are probably more organized and more aware of the needs people have for essential services. Hopefully this will shed some light on how these programs may work.