What You Need To Know
Here’s what happened around the city for the week of May 16, 2022:
- A starter pack for new Golden State Warriors fans
- New poll shows widespread unhappiness
- San Francisco’s new school Superintendent
- Some small progress on homelessness
- Boudin heading for defeat
- New map honors people killed by drivers across SF
A starter pack for new Golden State Warriors fans
The Dubs may go all the way! Get familiar with our hometown team and impress your friends with your knowledge of Rick Barry’s granny shot style. Check out the SF Standard’s starter pack to become a superfan.
And if you manage to snag a ticket to the final games, be sure to take Muni, BART, or bike (free & secure valet bike parking!) for the easiest, fastest, and cheapest (by far!) way to cheer on our Warriors.
Our new school Superintendent
The San Francisco Board of Education has picked a new Superintendent: former Hayward Superintendent Matt Wayne.
The appointment of Wayne comes after a tumultuous tenure in which the district faced unprecedented upheaval due to the pandemic, a failed school renaming effort, a board recall, declining enrollment, a budget crisis resulting in the appointment of a state fiscal expert, and a payroll debacle that has left educators and other staff with error-riddled paychecks.
We’ll be watching to make sure Matt can right the ship!
Some small progress on homelessness
San Francisco’s homeless population has fallen 3.5% since 2019, the first such decline the city has reported in years. We have a long way to go, but it’s a good start!
The data showed the number of homeless families dropped by 1%, unaccompanied homeless youth fell by 6%, and the chronically homeless population decreased by 11%.
San Francisco officials attributed a 15% overall drop in the unsheltered homeless population to a “significant increase in housing and shelter resources,” including a 24% increase in available shelter beds over the past three years. Shelters such as transitional housing, shelter-in-place hotels, Navigation Centers, stabilization units and emergency shelters have 18% more homeless residents in them than they did three years ago, according to the findings.
- SF Chronicle
Boudin heading for defeat
Polls from the SF Standard and the Chamber of Commerce all show that District Attorney Chesa Boudin is heading for defeat on June 7.
Support for the recall is broad, crossing ideological and demographic lines. Notably, though, Asian American support is considerably higher:
The Standard poll found that 67% of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters were in favor of the recall, which was significantly higher than other racial groups: the recall had the support of 52% of Hispanic voters, 51% of white voters, and 34% of Black voters.
- SF Standard
New poll shows widespread unhappiness
A new poll from the Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Dignity Health, shows that San Franciscans are unhappy with the state of the city.
76% of San Franciscans say the city is on the wrong track
83% of voters say crime has gotten worse
On which policies are high priority:
78% prohibiting open air drug dealing
80% increasing the number of police officers in high-crime areas
75% increasing the number of police in busy areas
77% expanding “community-based” police work in neighborhoods
80% expanding conservatorship (court-ordered treatment for those unable to care for themselves)
80% deploying more mental health caseworkers
85% opening new mental health centers
Finally, 67% of respondents say they will vote to recall District Attorney Chesa Boudin
New map honors people killed by drivers across SF
Stephen Braitsch, a local safe streets activist, created a heart-wrenching map that shows all of the victims of traffic violence in San Francisco. He aims to both honor the victims and hold the city accountable for doing nothing about our unsafe streets.
Braitsch said he created the cartographical rendering of crashes to raise awareness about street safety, crowdsource information to get a fuller picture of victims and urge the city to take action.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency may have the same data, Braitsch said, “but they’re clearly not moving fast enough on it.”
- SF Standard
Your Action Plan
Now that you know what’s happening, help us shape what happens next:
VOTE
Ballots are out now, don’t forget to vote by June 7! Read and share the GrowSF Voter Guide!
Join GrowSF for our Election Night Celebration at Teeth in the Mission
Join GrowSF for an election night celebration party at Teeth in the Mission! All are welcome, even if you didn't follow our voter guide :).
Starting at 7pm, and really kicking off at 8pm when polls close, we'll have the patio for a celebration of all the hard work everyone has put in. We'll be announcing election results as they come in at 8:45, 9:45 and 10:45pm.
RSVPs aren't strictly necessary (we won't be denying anyone entry), but they help us ensure we have enough space. Forget to RSVP? Come anyway!
Celebrate San Francisco
There’s a lot to love about our city. Here’s what makes it great:
Sundown Cinema
Watch great movies in the park!
Sister Act 2 @ Dolores on May 27
The Rock @ Presidio on June 17
Start Trek IV @ Union Square on July 8
Free movie day at Castro Theater
In celebration of Harvey Milk Day on May 22, 2022, the Castro Theatre is hosting a free movie day. There’s also a free block party and celebration in the Castro from Noon to 5pm.
It’s been nearly 44 years since Harvey Milk left us too soon. On what would have been his 92nd birthday, San Francisco celebrates the life and legacy of the “Mayor of Castro Street” – the first openly gay politician in California.
Starting at 11 a.m., the Castro Theatre hosts free screenings including a restored 35mm print of the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk.” Outdoors, things kick off at noon with a tribute by those who knew Harvey best, his friends and colleagues, while at 1 p.m. the festive block party aims to bring music, education, activism, and community back to the streets of the Castro.
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Topical Tweets
Yes, there is good stuff on Twitter. Here’s some of it:
Who’s voted so far?
