When CitiReport relaunched in January 2011 it was with the intent of providing information and commentary on the workings of City Hall and in particular the junction of ethics, money and politics. Over the past two years, our attention has returned repeatedly to the city’s Ethics Commission, the current city laws and how they are [...]
Open Letter to Ethics Commissioners: Get to Work!
(Following a Harvey Rose report comparing Los Angeles and San Francisco Ethics Commissions for policies and practices, as requested by Supervisor David Campos, the Board’s Rules Committee directed Ethics to hold hearings on the report. That was in June. Eleven months later Ethics has yet to hold a commission meeting on the report. Two earlier [...]
CitiReport Looks at SF Ethics, 2011-2013
When CitiReport relaunched in January 2011 it was with the intent of providing information and commentary on the workings of City Hall and in particular the junction of ethics, money and politics. Over the past two years, our attention has returned repeatedly to the city’s Ethics Commission, the current city laws and how they are [...]
The Chiu-Herrera Reforms
It may be no coincidence that the last time San Francisco forced ethics reforms on City Hall was during Willie Brown’s term as mayor. At that time, Brown’s administration was pockmarked by the influence of political consultants and lobbyists, from his former aide Billy Rutland to his campaign strategist Jack Davis. A cadre of political [...]
The Ethics Reform On the table
Chiu, Herrera Put Ethics on the Agenda Board President David Chiu and City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s proposed ethics reforms would force into the open a flow of money aimed at influencing City Hall that has been hidden by custom and law, identifying how play-to-pay politics tips the scale on decisions that cost taxpayers in swollen [...]
Washington, Sacto Want End to Dark Money
It’s an age-old cry from unions facing management demands for cost-cutting measures that hit workers in the paycheck: “Open The Books.” Or, as Ronald Reagan said of the Russians, “Trust but Verify.” In either case, the goal was the same: finding a way to a level playing field that didn’t leave one side vulnerable to [...]
