Things to watch for
President Obama's new stimulus plan is so large and has so many provisions that no one knows how well it will work or what its consequences may be. One of the last-minute changes being made in the bill--stripping out funding to Medicare for family planning will almost certainly make life more difficult for many low-income families. Rep. Henry Waxman of California suggested including that funding in the bill, but others in Congress disparaged it and the President agreed to drop it. This is an unfortunate change in a bill intended to make life better for most Americans. Parents are struggling to raise their children in difficult times and to give them a good education as a start in life. It takes a lot of time, love and also money to get a child started and families function better when they plan to have children at the time they are ready to raise them. It is easy to focus on the troubles of banks and large corporations but let's not forget the families that are the basis of our communities. We need to make life better for them and that includes ensuring that children are born into a welcoming, prepared family.
More gloom ahead
Not many Californians care remember back to 1978 when Prop 13 was passed amid cries of relief from many homeowners. Over the years the Prop 13 limitation on property taxes has affected every aspect of California's government. Now when people are suffering from a drop in house value and selling houses at bargain levels, the effects of Prop 13 may take a different turn. According to an in-depth report in the Chronicle today, the results will be a long term loss for California's tax revenues. The assessed value of homes will rise when the economic turns around (as it inevitably will) but people who buy houses at the new lower rates will be spared from large increases in their taxes. This means local communities will have to turn to the state government even more to pay for schools and local services. For years responsible civic groups have been telling us we should reassess the Prop 13 provisions, but legislators shrink from doing anything that will anger voters. Perhaps it's a time for us to grow up and face the consequences of that long-ago vote. As President Obama has reminded us it is time to put away childish things and face the consequences of our (or our parents) actions.
Another gloomy report
It sometimes feel as though all the projects we have failed to do over the years have come back to haunt us now. One of the infrastructure items San Francisco should have is an updated emergency water system. The worst damage of the devastating 1906 earthquake was caused by fires which firemen could not put out because the water system collapsed. Ten years after the quake, San Francisco put in an extensive system of emergency water pipes and cisterns to protect the city in case of future emergencies. The system has worked well in several fires, but of course we've had nothing like the huge 1906 event. When you look at the Chronicle's map of where the emergency water lines and storage facilities are, it is clear that only about half the city is protected. At the time the system was built, housing clustered downtown in the northeastern section of the city. Our water system needs to be updated, so don't be surprised if the city faces another bond measure in the next election. And this emergency system is not the only water problem the city and Bay Area faces. For Leagers who want to learn more about the area's needs, the Bay Area League will sponsor a program on "Water: California's New Gold" on January 31. Deatils are available at www.lwvbayarea.org
After the party
Yesterday felt like a special holiday for the city. While not everyone had a chance to watch the Inauguration on big screen TV, most people managed to get a look at it somewhere. It was a day to enjoy the growth of technology like streaming videos, cell phone screens, and the Interet, among other things. Most of all it was a day to celebrate a change in attitudes toward the government. A new president has come to Washington and a new feeling has swept the country. Californians have a special reason to be happy because so many of us were represented at the events. As Matier and Ross point out, the stands were filled with California officials, current and past as well as political hopefuls. And our own Senator Dianne Feinstein presided gracefully over the festivities making us all proud. San Franciscans are famous for airing their opinions frankly and giving praise and blame where they are deserved. We're looking forward to having a chance to tell our new president our hopes and plans. Welcome President Obama, come out and see us soon!
Victory celebration
Washington is filled with celebratory events this week and perhaps among the happiest is the one hosted by Emily's List. This group that has been working for the election of women candidates across the nation was able to celebrate several milestones--more women in the Senate than ever before, more women in Cabinet positions than in previous administrations, and a woman as speaker of the house being three of the most important. Just think how the founders of the League would feel if they could look on that gathering today. It's been a long, hard road with many slowdowns along the way, but women now seem a natural part of political life in the U.S. This is no time to rest on what has been achieved, because the sexism obvious in much coverage of the campaign is something we should all be concerned about, but at least we are moving in the right direction. Time now for a real celebration!
Thinking small
With all of the major problems facing us these days, it's sometimes a relief to worry about a problem that doesn't actual threaten world disaster. The Chronicle gave us a chance to do that today with its story of how the city is requiring merchants in the Richmond District to clean the gum off their sidewalks. Now keeping our streets and sidewalks clean is a laudable goal, this plan does seem to go too far. Ancient chewing gum that has been ground into the sidewalks for years is almost impossible to remove. Futhermore, really old gum, as far as I know, never does stick to your shoe. It clings to its sidewalk home like a bit of mica, although not as attractive. Perhaps the requirement could be changed to ask merchants to clean off newly dropped gum, say within 24 or 48 hours, rather than go to work on petrified gum that doesn't really bother anyone.
Another false economy
California continues to stumble along its way to devising a budget for the coming year. While most of us don't claim to have the answers about what the governor should do, we can recognize that some suggestions seem downright foolish. One of them is the plan to cut funding to schools throughout the state. The cut may be temporary, but the money will not be refunded to the schools as it usually has been in past years. California, one of the most diverse states in the country, should be spending more not less on education. We are a state strong in high tech and green industries which offer jobs requiring good education. Our children need a chance to prepare for those jobs, yet California ranks 47th out of 50 states in funding for education. Tiny Vermont spends almost twice as much per child as California does. It's no wonder that Silicon Valley executives look out of the state and out of the country to find applicants for the jobs they offer. Even though the bad economic times seem endless, they will eventually end, but let's not sacrifice a generation of young people to pay for our economic excesses. An educated workforce is our most valuable asset. Let's keep it strong!
Taking on a tough task
When Barack Obama is sworn in as president next week, he will be walking into what some people have called the worst job in the world. With crises abroad and at home, he and his advisers will have plenty to keep them busy, be he seems unfazed by difficulties. He demonstrated his fearlessness again by talking about making changes to Social Security, one of the most valued programs in the country. As John Diaz writes in the Chronicle, Obama is determined to make the program viable for the long term. Right now, if no changes are made, the program is in danger of using up its trust fund by 2041 and becoming unable to pay out promised benefits. This future could be avoided by raising the level of income on which payroll taxes are collected. Most people who are earning more than $100,800 a year will not be greatly hurt by paying the payroll tax on income over that level. And the difference in the amount of security given to current workers and their children will be tremendous. Let's hope that President Obama moves quickly on ensuring the future of Social Security for all of us.
Some things never change
Uppity women who seek political office have always been the target of nasty comments and jokes, but surely we are moving beyond that now, aren't we? During the endless 2008 political campaigns, more women ran for office in the U.S. than ever before. Like anyone running for office, women candidates have to have thick skins and be able to shrug off unkind and rude comments, but where do we draw the line between the normal nastiness of any campaign and the misogynistic out-of-line attacks coming from some in the media. A new website called "Where's the Line?" takes a look at some of the questionable attacks on female candidates this year. Take a look at the video. The language may offend you, and I wouldn't recommend that you invite your 10-year-old to view it, but every one of these examples appeared in public media or public places during the past year. It's time we acknowledge that some things haven't changed fast enough, and time for us to explain to the media where the line should be drawn.
New Year starting
2009 promises to be a quiet year for San Francisco elections, right? Well, don't be too sure about that. As an Examiner article points out, the special election to be held this spring allows for more ballot measures to be brought before the public. A lineup of potential measures include increasing taxes by avoiding the requirement to only raise taxes when supervisors are being elected, and also the possibility of using all of the city's rainy day fund to meet current budget needs. These will be important measures if they do come before the voters, so San Franciscans should continue to be alert and follow the election news even though many of us thought the Nov. 08 election was going to take care of everything for several years. As usual the League will continue to keep up with forthcoming elections and will provide news in print and on the website to help voters make the decisions that affect our city.
