I spent several hours in downtown San Francisco capturing the street life which I wouldn’t necessarily describe as vibrant. Struggling is a more apt description.
The City is definitely having a tough time recovering from the Pandemic. There were a large number of tourists waiting to ride the iconic cable cars at Powell and Market streets.
Thereare a large number of unoccupied business sites. Even some of the still open business sites are boarded up which certainly isn’t conducive to customer traffic.
Waiting to board the cable car at Powell and Market streets.
An iconic cable car heads up Powell Street.
A street person holds a dollar bill given to him at the cable car turnaround
Walgreens on Powell Street. Boarded up yet still open for business. There weren’t many customers.
Boarded up Walgreens on Market Street. Site where Banko Brown was shot and killed by a store security guard in 2023. The Market Street area was rocked by protests after the killing. Particularly when the cozy relationship between DA Brooke Jenkins and Walgreens was made public.
A sad sign of the state of life on Market Street.
One of San Francisco’s unique street people holding aloft his sign.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and Thou Shalt be Saved.“
Sitting on Market Street in front of the Westfield Center.
The historic Flood Building on Market Street.
Two guys and their dog.
Street vendors selling 49ers gear prior to the upcoming playoffs.
The traffic on Fourth Street in front of Trader Joe’s
A couple on Fourth Street.
Heading slowly up Fourth Street.
The Metreon at Fourth and Mission Streets.
Out of sight. But not far from the masses at The Metreon.
Wednesday afternoon I traveled to City Hall on the 5R-Fulton line, again. For yet another go around with the Sunshine Ordinance Task Force (SOTF).
The reason I went for the fourth time since last July is to have SOTF waive the privilege and make public a Privileged and Confidential Memorandum written by the City Attorney in 2021. Which dissects the inner workings of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) and its two non-profit entities joined at the proverbial hip.
Political power broker Dede Wilsey is on the governing Board of all three entities involved with the FAMSF
The request to make the Memorandum public was approved on an 8-2 vote.
But. Nothing is ever finished in San Francisco.
The discussion between the 10 members of the Task Force droned on for nearly 90 minutes. While I stood at the speaker’s podium in room 428 and was afforded the opportunity to speak several times. I was the person who sought to have the Privileged and Confidential Memorandum made public.
Diane “Dede” Wilsey Center for Opera. Directly across the street from San Francisco City Hall
I reached this point after prevailing in my Complaint against the FAMSF. I filed the Complaint in May 2022 to force this politically connected and wealthy organization to release its communication regarding its attempt to destroy JFK Promenade, a 1.5 mile car free sanctuary in Golden Gate Park.
Car-Free JFK Drive supporters enjoy sunset while celebrating the Prop J victory and continuation of Car-free JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park San Francisco Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard
At the Board of Supervisors, the ballot box in November 2022 and through the courts. The FAMSF lost in all three venues.
I presumably prevailed last summer. The Task Force ordered that the documents be released. But the FAMSF argued it does not have to produce many documents because its two non-profit entities are exempt from public records disclosure requirements.
Regrettably the SOTF lacks subpoena power.
The Memorandum I want made public goes into detail about FAMSF and its two non-profits.
The meeting on Wednesday night got to the point of absurdity. At the beginning the Deputy City Attorney told the Task Force his office, led by City Attorney David Chiu, had no problem with making the document public. But, when it became apparent the Task Force was going make the document public the Deputy City Attorney did a complete 180 degree turn.
The historic dome at San Francisco City Hall where the power elite exerts its influence.
He amazingly told the group he thought it was not going to be voted upon at the meeting. And his office needs more time to review it before saying “Yes. Make it public.” The Deputy City Attorney was arguably the only one in the room with that opinion.
Nonetheless, the Task Force accommodated the City Attorney even though several panelists pushed back on his assertion. What will happen next is either the 2021 Memorandum will be ok’ed for release in a few days or it will be on the Agenda, again, in February.And I will make another trip to City Hall.
Given one last opportunity to speak I told the group I was frustrated with the manner my request to have this Memorandum be made public is being handled. It is very disrespectful. It proves to me, once again, that the powerful monied interests at San Francisco City Hall will only exhibit some transparency kicking and screaming at every step in the process.
Top Photo: Dede Wilsey and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco CEO Thomas Campbell
Liz Heidhues enjoys the view of JFK Promenade from the rooftop of the DeYoung Museum showing off her bling from the Patrick Kelly exhibit – May 7,2022.
Bibi Netanyahu is paying the price for his corruption and war crimes against the The People of Gaza. The Israeli Supreme Court has smacked down his attempt to delegate more power to himself and his extremist ruling coalition.
Even while the Israeli continues to lay waste to Gaza the judiciary has sent a message. Enough of your abuse of power. While this ruling will not stop the IDF assault on Gaza it certainly sends a message to Bibi Netanyahu. Your days in power are numbered.
Excerpted from The New York Times 1.1.2024
Israeli Supreme Court struck down Bibi Netanyahu’s power grab.
In a momentous ruling that could ignite a constitutional crisis, Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down a law passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government that was meant to limit the court’s own powers, by a majority of eight judges to seven.
The decision is likely to rekindle the grave domestic crisis that began a year ago over the right-wing government’s judicial overhaul plan — which sparked mass protests that brought the country to a near standstill at times — even as Israel is at war in Gaza.
Israeli citizens by the tens of thousands have been protesting Bibi Netanyahu’s effort to grab more power.
The court, sitting with a full panel of all 15 of its justices for the first time in its history, rejected a law passed by Parliament in July. The law barred judges from using a particular legal standard to overrule decisions made by government ministers.
The court’s decision heralds a potential showdown between the top judicial authority and the ruling coalition, and could fundamentally reshape Israeli democracy, pitting the power of the government against that of the court.
Mr. Netanyahu’s governing coalition, the most right-wing and religiously conservative in Israel’s history, has argued that the Supreme Court has overreached its authority and subverted the will of the voters and the function of the elected government.
They argue that the legal concept of “reasonableness” — which the court used a year ago to strike down Mr. Netanyahu’s appointment as finance minister of a political ally who had been convicted of tax fraud — is ill defined and subjective.
But in a country that has one house of Parliament, no formal written constitution and a largely ceremonial president, many defenders of Israel’s liberal democracy view the Supreme Court as the only bulwark against government power, and the standard of reasonableness to be one of the primary tools at the judges’ disposal.
The final day of frankly miserable 2023 found the San Francisco Chronicle graphically displaying what this year, when all is said and done, was all about.
Misery. Whether it be the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Hamas terror attack against Israel. The Israeli murderous response, bordering on war crimes, against the People of Gaza.
Locally the failed war on drugs in San Francisco which has resulted in the deaths of nearly 800 people from overdoses.
Kudos to the Chronicle for giving its Sunday morning hard copy readers something to think about when they see the front page photo and read the detailed reporting (see link above) as they sip their coffee.
SF DA Brooke Jenkins (left) stands grimly by at a presser. Her campaign to put drug users and drug dealers in jail has been a total failure as she perpetuates the decades long failed war on drugs.
The nightly drug scene in San Francisco just blocks from City Hall
SFPD making a bust. What’s it good for?Enhancing Brooke Jenkins stats.
I was shaken to learn that film star Tom Wilkinson has died. Suddenly at age 75.
The reporting on his life emphasizes his role in “The Full Monty.” I think there are other films in which Tom Wilkinson stood out as a top notch performer.
I watched him in several films. The most compelling of which is his role in the 2007 film Michael Clayton. Wilkinson portrayed Arthur Edens who is the lead counsel in corporate defense. His job. Defending a chemical company in a massive lawsuit. There is not one courtroom scene in the film. The story. The story is a portrayal of moral and ethical dilemmas in the world of law.
Tom Wilkinson. George Clooney. Tilda Swinton, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actress, lead the cast.
I just finished watching the 85 minute Frontline documentary, “Netanyahu, America and the Road to War in Gaza.”
I can’t help but feeling while watching this riveting, disturbing contemporary history lesson, that the spin is too much the American/Israeli perspective.
Still, the documentary is something which deserves careful viewing. It is illuminating as a snapshot of history happening in the moment.
The history of the past 30 years in the volatile middle east, as interpreted by PBS in the documentary, provided me with a certain degree of historical context. As long as I kept reminding myself this is an American/Israeli perspective I maintained an open mind throughout the 85 minutes.
The interviews and the historical footage kept me glued to the screen.
The Frontline documentary, irrespective of its American/Israeli perspective is a must watch.Members of the kibbutz community of Kfar Aza hold a demonstration in support of the families of hostages held in Gaza, who were seized in the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen, in Tel Aviv, Israel November 2, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
Top photo: Destruction by Israeli military has resulted in the deaths of over 20,000 Palestinian children, women and men since October 7, 2023.
The world is going to hell in a hand basket. War in Ukraine. The Israel assault on Gaza continues unabated. But in San Francisco it’s possible to find some unity and happiness.
Liz spent a post Christmas afternoon in San Francisco’s historic Japantown. Walking through the only mall in our part of the city. And enjoying “Bibimbop” at her favorite Korean restaurant, Doobu. Liz has known the owner since she first went there nearly 15 years ago. Portions are lavish and the food is excellent.
On a Wednesday afternoon the east and west Japantown mall was hoppin’ with people of all ages enjoying the atmosphere and the multi-cultural delights of San Francisco.
Liz digs into her “Bibimbop” at Doobu in Japantown
Japantown – an integral part of San Francisco
Multi-cultural San Francisco at the Japantown mall
A Tree of Hope festooned with origami swans.
The thriving mall in Japantown.
A poster for the classic film ‘Giant’ at the AMC Kabuki 8 movie house in Japantown.
Memorabilia brought home from Japan by our son Paul from his cruise on the Golden Bear when he was a student at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. Paul was the first visually impaired student to participate in the cruise.
One of Liz’ ESL students from Japan.
An Ikebana Sword Mountain Flower Arranger given to Liz by one of her dear friends.
A sampling of Liz’ Origami workbooks and Origami creations.
Liz poses in the beautiful kimono brought home by Lee during a trip to Nagoya, Japan when he worked as International Traffic Manager for Levi Strauss & Co.
Japantown “….international thriller.”During our recent trip to Berlin there was a Free Library shelf in the Hotel Tiergarten. Interspersed amongst the German language books was Japantown. I shipped home this mystery which takes place in Japantown, San Francisco. It will be my first read in 2024.
Petulant pouty protest prosecutor DA Brooke Jenkins
She (DA Brooke Jenkins) has filed preposterous charges of “false imprisonment” against Bay Bridge demonstrators (“Eighty will be charged for shutting down Bay Bridge in protest calling for Gaza cease fire,” San Francisco, SFChronicle.com, Dec. 15). Perhaps she has missed the long and proud history of nonviolent protest against unjust policies in this country (Jim Crow laws, the exploitation of farm workers, Vietnam War) and abroad (El Salvador, Nicaragua and now Gaza).
Protesters who put their bodies on the line to protest Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza are being prosecuted by DA Brooke Jenkins
I can’t speak for all San Franciscans, but I do think that most of us support humane policies for those living on the sidewalks, and we support, even take pride, in those who protest against the mass killings of civilians.
As the descendent of a German Jewish family that was nearly eradicated by the Nazis, I admire and support those demonstrators and am disgusted, once again, by our district attorney.
Last week I was studying the San Francisco Symphony schedule and was riveted by the program for May 22 and 23, 2024. The 2000 Ridley Scott directed film “Gladiator”, winner of five Academy Awards, will be shown at Davies Hall.
The Hans Zimmer soundtrack will be played by the San Francisco Symphony orchestra.
We immediately purchased tickets. Having seen this film on the big screen in 2000 and watched it several times at home since then. This will be an entirely different experience.
There are many great scenes. Not the least of which is the violent chariot scene and the classic follow up face off between Maximus (Russell Crowe) and Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
We have listened to the soundtrack too many times to count.So, we are looking to this cinema musical extravaganza next May.
The Chariot scene in the Roman arena
“I will have my vengence in this life or the next.”
Even though the event is not for five months I was surprised to learn, when I went on line to purchase tickets, Davies Hall is filling up quickly. Today I learned the possible reason.
Next November Gladiator 2, also directed by Ridley Scott, will hit the big screen. Only this time the star of the film is Denzel Washington. The initial trailer is already available for viewing.
Lee's Perspective 