The GrowSF Report: Political organizer Jon Jacobo charged with rape
The GrowSF Report: Political organizer Jon Jacobo charged with rape
PLUS: Twitter HQ moving to Palo Alto
What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of August 4, 2024:
- Jon Jacobo charged with rape and domestic violence
- New Chronicle poll shows Breed ahead
- Twitter HQ moving to Palo Alto
- SF Specialty Towing raided by FBI, charged with money laundering
- Waymo expands to Daly City, Broadmoor and Colma
- Bay Area athletes shine at 2024 Paris Olympics
Recent & upcoming openings:
- Aurora Centro brings unique panini to Salesforce Tower
Political organizer Jon Jacobo charged with rape
Political organizer and former rising star of the City’s progressive faction, Jon Jacobo, has been arrested and charged with rape and domestic violence. Jacobo is known in San Francisco's political and nonprofit circles for his leadership positions at TODCO, Calle 24, the Latino Task Force, and the city's Building Inspection Commission. He is also married to Gabriela López, who voters recalled from the School Board.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges Tuesday, but was denied bail by Superior Court Judge Kenneth Wine, who considered Jacobo a “public safety risk.”
His charges include rape by force, oral copulation by force, sexual battery by restraint, and domestic violence. Multiple women have come forward with accusations.
New Chronicle poll shows Breed ahead
The Chronicle is out with a new poll showing Mayor Breed taking 28% of first-place votes, with Mark Farrell and Daniel Lurie close behind. The poll was run by Sextant Strategies & Research on behalf of the Chronicle.
These results are similar to results from the GrowSF Mayoral Poll from early July, with Breed doing slightly better in the Chronicle poll. Unfortunately, the Chronicle does not disclose their polling methodology so we aren’t able to evaluate it for bias. Furthermore, the Chronicle doesn’t run the full ranked choice voting simulation and cannot tell you who is actually likely to win.
It’s not enough to look at first-place votes, since no candidate comes close to winning without second and third place votes. Mayor Breed is still the favorite, but the outcome remains a statistical tie.
Twitter HQ moving to Palo Alto
It’s official: Twitter (oops, we mean “X”) is moving its headquarters from San Francisco to Palo Alto. Elon Musk, who bought Twitter nearly two years ago, described its location in the Mid-Market neighborhood as a "derelict zombie apocalypse," highlighting the safety issues that influenced the decision to relocate.
But there’s probably another reason: Prop C, passed in 2018, added a gross receipts tax which caused fintech companies like Stripe and Square to leave. The tax, which was written by activists instead of economists, is fatally flawed: it taxes payment processors on the total value being exchanged, not on the fee the payment processor takes. To simplify: if Stripe earns $3 when processing a $100 charge, their tax is calculated on whole $100, not the $3 they actually earn. Musk has said that X wants to launch payments, which could be linked to X’s departure since they’d be unable to turn a profit.
Companies headquartered in San Francisco bring jobs, tax revenue, and energy to the city. But until we get our public safety issues in order and fix our business taxes, we will continue to see companies leave.
SF Specialty Towing raided by FBI, charged with money laundering
We’ve seen reports on reddit of Specialty Towing trying to tow an occupied vehicle (photo above), and flashing a pistol when someone tried to stop their car from getting towed. Now the tables have turned - on Friday the FBI raided their offices on Oakdale Ave. According to the Chronicle, Specialty Towing is under investigation for money laundering, mail fraud, and wire fraud.
Waymo adds Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma to robotaxi service
Ready for way mo’ robotaxi service? Self-driving car company Waymo is expanding its service area to include Daly City, Broadmoor, and Colma. In Los Angeles, Waymo is adding 16 more square miles, covering Marina del Rey, Mar Vista, Playa Vista, Hollywood, Chinatown, and Westwood.
We love seeing Waymo's expansion and hope it continues to grow quickly, especially since Waymos are way safer drivers than humans. Unfortunately, it may take several more years before the SF Airport approves Waymo, and for no good reason other than a fear of change.
Bay Area athletes shine at 2024 Paris Olympics
Bay Area native Amit Elor won a gold medal in women’s freestyle wrestling at the 2024 Paris Olympics, cementing her place as a dominant force in international wrestling. The Walnut Creek athlete continues her undefeated streak, showcasing exceptional skill and strength.
Elor isn’t the only Bay Area athlete making waves in Paris. Camryn Rogers, a UC Berkeley graduate, competed in hammer throw for Team Canada, while Lafayette’s Daniela Moroz took on kiteboarding in its Olympic debut. Stanford is bringing their A-game, with swimmer Torri Huske clenching three gold medals, Stanford graduate Katie Ledecky absolutely dominating in the pool, Asher Hong and Brody Malone helping the men’s gymnastics team to secure bronze, Vivian Kong taking gold in women’s epee, Fiona O’Keeffe from Stanford ran in the marathon, and rowers Ben Davison and Sorin Koszyk represented Oakland in rowing.
Congratulations to all of our Bay Area athletes, and email us at contact@growsf.org if we missed your name!
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Recent & upcoming openings
A great city is constantly changing and growing, let’s celebrate what’s new!
Aurora Centro brings unique panini to Salesforce Tower
Aurora Centro — located on the fifth floor of Salesforce Tower — is revitalizing the downtown area with its innovative menu. Owner Dario Barbone offers unique panini like the DDD, featuring mortadella, cheddar, arugula, pickled red onions, jalapenos, and shaved fennel. Another standout is the seasonal zucchini panino with summer squash, squash blossoms, German Grandamer cheese, and Spanish piquillo peppers. The spot recently opened as part of San Francisco’s Vacant to Vibrant program.
WHERE: 415 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
GrowSF August Happy Hour
Join us for the August edition of our monthly happy hour! Note that this month's is on Monday.
WHEN: August 12, 2024 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Orbit Room, 1900 Market St.
The Spirit of San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city and the Bay Area. Here’s what makes it great. Brought to you by The Bold Italic.
What we’re doing this week
We’ve been plugging Outside Lands for weeks, and it’s finally here. Here’s our rundown and check the website for more deets. Here’s what else we’re doing, too:
Inner Sunset Flea Market
The Inner Sunset Flea Market is a monthly event that takes place every second Sunday from April through November. It’s held on Irving Street between 9th and 11th Avenues in San Francisco's Inner Sunset neighborhood. The market features over 30 vendors selling vintage items, handcrafted goods, food, and more. It's a community-focused event with live music and activities for children, making it a great place for families and neighbors to gather and enjoy a day out.
WHEN: August 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Irving Street between 9th and 11th avenues
All their “more details” pages are honestly not that well-maintained, but here’s their Instagram, Facebook, and website.
Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival
The Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival is an annual event produced by Urban Jazz Dance company that consists of performances and workshops that highlight the important contributions that Deaf and Hard of Hearing artists make to our community.
WHEN: August 9-11, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dance Mission Theater,
What we’re writing about
Festival fashion at Outside Lands 2024: ‘I woke up like this’
Long skirts, big jeans, and Crocs — opening day at Outside Lands this year was a masterclass in ‘I woke up like this’ fashion. If you thought festival style was all about standing out, OSL 2024 showed that sometimes, it’s about blending practicality with just a hint of chaos.
A perfect night for Barbie on the Bay
Expect the unexpected with San Francisco summers. Sometimes a walk along the beach feels like a winter day, while just a few blocks away, the city basks in warm sunshine. But the weather was perfect for watching Barbie on the Embarcadero this past Saturday.
It was the latest installment of Sundown Cinema, the city’s outdoor film series that brings us together for a night watching the stars. The Embarcadero — with its iconic views of the Bay Bridge and the twinkling lights of the city — provided the perfect backdrop for the screening. Attendees brought blankets, picnic baskets, and an enthusiasm for both the film and the communal experience.
Taco ‘bout a rip-off: Festival left foodies mad and hungry
It was a fiesta of frustration. The West Coast Taco and Beer Festival left a sour taste in the mouths of hundreds of attendees. The event has been held in multiple cities across the West Coast, with a reputation for falling short of its grand promises; We planned to go and report another puff piece on fun San Francisco festivals, then Reddit said hold my beer.
The many hot takes on Twitter moving out of San Francisco — er, X
In an email circulated to X employees, CEO Linda Yaccarino informed the company that they would relocate to existing offices in San Jose, California, while a new engineering-focused office in Palo Alto would be shared with Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI.
We asked locals how they felt about the relocation, and they mostly had a lot of hot takes on Musk and the changes at X since he took over.
Willie Brown cuts through the doom loop
Move over, Civic Center. The Tenderloin just hosted a party that made you wish you’d spent your Saturday on Larkin Street instead of Market.
It was the 1st-annual Love Fest SF, a daylong event that brought together music, art, and local businesses in one of San Francisco’s most overlooked and decried neighborhoods. From noon until dusk, the festival saw crowds of curious San Franciscans exploring what the Tenderloin has to offer beyond its usual headlines, and former Mayor Willie Brown kicked off the festivities with a ceremonial cutting of the “doom loop.”
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