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Hornblower Cruises & Events is an iconic business that provides picturesque set- tings for patrons on San Francisco waters. Celebrating 30 years in business this year, the company is the largest operator of charter yachts and dining cruises in the Bay Area. Their fleet is exceptionally diverse and can accommodate candlelit dinners for two, wedding parties of 500 or specialized tours around the bay. From its beginnings in 1980 as a two-ship operation in San Francisco Bay, Founder and owner Terry MacRae has focused the company’s vision on exceeding the expec- tations of its guests and maintaining the Now is the time to come together and celebrate companies that have forged new paths for success during an espe- cially daunting year. The Chamber invites you to participate in the Excellence in Business Awards (Ebbies) for 2009. Redesigned for 2009, the Ebbies will uphold its tradition of recognizing business excellence while providing an updated, more interactive experience that reflects a new time. The 2009 Ebbies will be held at San Francis- co’s historic Palace Hotel, this year marking the 100th anniversary of its rebirth following the fire of 1906. Like the fire more than one hundred years ago, this year’s Great Recession chal- lenged us all to rethink the way we do business to remain competitive. The evening will feature champagne, live music and a fast-paced awards presentation immediately followed by an opulent cocktail reception in the spec- tacular Palace Garden Court where San Franciscans have taken visitors to tea for generations. The Garden Court boasts Austrian crystal chandeliers, Italian marble columns and potted palms, all under a landmark stained glass dome. During the Ebbies recep- tion there will be live music, specialty cocktails named for each of the six SEPT 2009 vol 27 / issue 9 Redesigned for 2009 > sSubscribe | Advertise MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Hornblower Cruises & Events inside: How We See It: Update ...................... 3 Members on the Move ............. 5 Sept. Calendar .......... 7 New Members ........... 9 Tax Credit Firms ...... 11 LSF Class of 09-10 ... 12 Nov. Election ........... 14 Celebrate the Ebbies Continued on Page 6 Continued on Page 11

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presentation immediately followed by an opulent cocktail reception in the spec- tacular Palace Garden Court where San Franciscans have taken visitors to tea for generations. The Garden Court boasts Austrian crystal chandeliers, Italian marble columns and potted palms, all under a landmark stained glass dome. During the Ebbies recep- tion there will be live music, specialty cocktails named for each of the six dinners for two, wedding parties of 500 or specialized tours around the bay. >

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Page 1: SFBNews-sept09

Hornblower Cruises & Events is an iconic business that provides picturesque set-tings for patrons on San Francisco waters. Celebrating 30 years in business this year, the company is the largest operator of charter yachts and dining cruises in the Bay Area. Their fleet is exceptionally diverse and can accommodate candlelit

dinners for two, wedding parties of 500 or specialized tours around the bay.

From its beginnings in 1980 as a two-ship operation in San Francisco Bay, Founder and owner Terry MacRae has focused the company’s vision on exceeding the expec-tations of its guests and maintaining the

Now is the time to come together and celebrate companies that have forged new paths for success during an espe-cially daunting year. The Chamber invites you to participate in the Excellence in Business Awards (Ebbies) for 2009.

Redesigned for 2009, the Ebbies will uphold its tradition of recognizing business excellence while providing an updated, more interactive experience

that reflects a new time. The 2009 Ebbies will be held at San Francis-co’s historic Palace Hotel, this year marking the 100th anniversary of its rebirth following the fire of 1906. Like the fire more than one hundred years ago, this year’s Great Recession chal-lenged us all to rethink the way we do business to remain competitive. The evening will feature champagne, live music and a fast-paced awards

presentation immediately followed by an opulent cocktail reception in the spec-tacular Palace Garden Court where San Franciscans have taken visitors to tea for generations. The Garden Court boasts Austrian crystal chandeliers, Italian marble columns and potted palms, all under a landmark stained glass dome. During the Ebbies recep-tion there will be live music, specialty cocktails named for each of the six

SEPT 2009vo

l 27

/ iss

ue 9

Redesigned for 2009

>

sSubscribe | Advertise

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:Hornblower Cruises & Events

inside:

How We See It: Update ......................3 Members on the Move .............5

Sept. Calendar .......... 7 New Members ........... 9

Tax Credit Firms ...... 11

LSF Class of 09-10 ...12 Nov. Election ........... 14

Celebrate the Ebbies

Continued on Page 6

Continued on Page 11

Page 3: SFBNews-sept09

SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS is produced monthly by the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization, 235 Montgomery St., 12th Flr., San Francisco, CA 94104. Your chamber membership dues include subscription. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. ©Copyright 2009. San Francisco Business may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Leslie Milloy, editor, 415-352-8821; Wendy Yu, circulation, 415-352-8824. cisco, CA 94104.

HOW WE SEE IT

California Looks to San Francisco for Economic Reform Best PracticesSteven B. Falk, President & CEO

California’s current budget is badly broken and its oversight dysfunctional. The businesses and residents of this state have drawn a line in the sand and will no longer tolerate the state’s fiscal status quo. Frankly, the Golden State has too much to lose to accept ongoing deficit budgets. In an effort to turn the tide, two weeks ago the San Francisco Chamber joined other local business leaders and chambers across California, the majority and minority leaders in both the Assembly and the Senate and Governor Schwarzenegger’s staff, to craft a new initiative, The Agenda for Economic Recovery. The primary goal of this initiative is to craft an economic devel-opment plan for California. A pillar of the plan’s foundation would be modeled after San Francisco’s successful Proprosi-tion I model that the Chamber helped craft and pass locally five years ago. There would be a stipulation included to require the state legislature to con-duct economic impact analysis of all proposed legislation prior to it becom-ing law.

In 2004, San Francisco voters passed Proposition 1 requiring economic analy-sis of legislation and the development of a long term economicstrategy for the City. We no longer sit back and allow legislation to become law without providing San Francisco voters with an understanding of the associated eco-nomic impact. The Chamber was active in supporting the initiative and

took the bold step to enact legal proceed-ings to ensure that Proposition 1 was properly implemented by the Board of Supervisors.

Since the passage and implementation of Proposition 1, economic analysis has helped kill harmful legislation such as a 2007 effort to add additional fees to small housing developments. It has helped to make the case for sound public policy by documenting the potential positive economic impacts of film and television incentives and of community benefit districts in the city, both important to the city’s economic vitality and quality of life. Proposition 1 has also exposed impacts in legislation such as the more than $1 billion liability that the Board of Supervisors will create if it continues to pursue its flawed Com-munity Choice Aggregation program for public power.

The economic plan developed under Proposition 1 outlines very specifically the underpinnings of the San Francisco economy and offers a clear road map for economic stability and future growth. It has formed the backbone of the city’s ongoing efforts to develop and promote economic growth in key sectors where we have a competitive advantage, such as biotechnology. By all accounts, Proposition I is sound public policy and has been good for the economy of San Francisco.

Now it is time for Sacramento to follow San Francisco’s lead. If we are going to move this state forward out of recession we need an economic development plan for California and we need to ensure that proposed legislation supports our long-term economic recovery.

Unfortunately, our law makers in Sacramento continue to propose legislation without considering the impact on the economy and job genera-tion in California. Often, these impacts are by-products of well meaning legislation that have unintended negative conse-quences. If law makers had access to better information, better policy would result, leading to a better economy. It’s as much about the process as the people.

In 2004, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, Proposition 1’s author, said “we can’t afford to pass legislation that creates hidden costs, drives away jobs, or hurts our economy. Working smarter means developing an economic plan that reflects our values. It means making sure that everything we do, every piece of legislation we pass, is consistent with that plan and moves us closer to our goals.” In the worst economy since the great depression, the California legislature needs to listen to that advice.

Join us in supporting The Agenda for Economic Recovery by attending the next Chamber Public Policy Forum on September 8 at noon.

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Ebbies awards, carving stations and the opportunity to connect with an influential group of businesspeople including Chamber Board Directors, Ebbies sponsors, award finalists and winners.

Join us Wednesday, October 21, 6-6:45PM

for the Award Ceremony and 6:45-8:30 PM for the Cocktail Recep-tion. Visit sfchamber.com/ebbies for tickets.

Each year, the number of exceptional companies nominated for an Ebbies award make selecting a winner among them a difficult task, and this year was certainly no exception. In fact, this year’s nominees demonstrated unsur-passed ingenuity, drive and fortitude in order to be extraordinary in a reces-sionary year. Each of the finalists are leaders in their industries, innovative, entrepreneurial and excellent corpo-rate citizens committed to enhancing

the lives of their own employees, and of those who reside in the communi-ties they serve. Please join the Chamber in congratulating the 2009 Ebbies Finalists:

Excellence in Business Award

Presented by FedEx

Burr Pilger Mayer RecologySports Basement

Innovation through Technology Award

Presented by Microsoft

Open Table

Twitter Zipcar

Emerging Growth Award

Presented by Wells Fargo and Recology

Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation

SendMe Vertical Response

Build SF Award

355 Eleventh Street

SPUR Urban Center

UCSF Helen Diller Family Cancer Research Building

Small Business Award

Presented by Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

BAYCAT

Gumas

Interscola

Philippe Becker

Economic Development Award

Presented by Kaiser Permanente

Bay Area Video Coalition

La Cocina

San Francisco Convention &

Visitors Bureau

Visit www.sfchamber.com/ebbies to reserve your seats or contact Alexandria Cribbs at 415.352.8858. or [email protected]

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Redesigned for 2009Continued from cover...Celebrate the Ebbies

Page 5: SFBNews-sept09

DIAMOND CIRCLE MEMBERS

AT&T

Bank of America

Catholic Healthcare West

Charles Schwab

Kaiser Permanente

Macy’s West

Microsoft Corporation

Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Virgin America

Wells Fargo

PLATINUM LEVEL MEMBERS

Bechtel Corporation

California Pacific Medical Center

Delta Dental of California

Hellman & Friedman LLC

Hilton San Francisco

Hyatt Regency San Francisco

KPMG LLP

Norcal Waste Systems Inc.

San Francisco Business Times

San Francisco Examiner

Union Bank of California

Washington Mutual

Webcor Builders

on the move Members

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Cannon Design San Francisco has been awarded the architectural design contract for the State University of New York at Buffalo Clinical Translational Research Center - a 200,000 square foot state of the art research facility located in the Global Vascular Institute in Buffalo, New York. (see below)

Pet Camp is featured in the current edition of Business-Week Small Biz - When Going Green Isn't About Marketing. The article focuses on Pet Camp's efforts to balance good

business practices with good environmental stew-ardship. News Coverage

CFO Rick, accounting consultants, has moved to historic Jackson Square. Their new address is 755 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94111.

San Francisco School Volunteers has merged and is now the San Francisco Education Fund. For back-ground on the merger visit.sfedfund.org

Buffalo Clinical Translational Research C

enter (architectural rendering

)

Page 6: SFBNews-sept09

2009

October 21st The Palace Hotel

The annual celebration of Excellence in Business will be held at the Historic Palace Hotel in October 2009 and will recognizecompanies in the following categories:

• Excellence in Business Award• Innovation Through Technology Award• Emerging Growth Award• Build SF Award• Small Business Award• Economic Development Award

Presented by

For more information please contact Alexandria Cribbs

at 415-352-8858 or [email protected]

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calendarSep

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9

9

Advertise with SF BusinessSubscribe to SF Business

Small Business Issues Forum, Wednesday, 12–1:30pm Attention small business owners! Join other pro-prietors in this brownbag lunch to meet, share information and educate one another in an informal environment. The central focus is on issues perti-nent to operating, main-taining and growing a small business. Chamber members only. Chamber Bay Room. For more information and to RSVP, contact Paula Zamudio at 415-352-8818 or [email protected]

Public Policy Forum, Tuesday, 12pm–1pm

Please join Loren Kaye, President of the California Foundation for Com-merce and Education (CFCE), and Rob Black, the Chamber’s Vice Pres-ident of Public Policy in a discussion about making economic growth a primary consideration of policymakers. Public policy forums usually take place on the second Tuesday of each month in the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom. Light lunch is provided by Safeway. For more information,

please email Patricia Aleman at [email protected] Register Online

Member Orientation, Wednesday, 3:30-5pm

For current, new and prospective members to learn about how to connect through Cham-ber membership. Fruit provided by The Fruit-Guys. Chamber Board-room. RSVP to Wendy Yu at 415-352-8824 or [email protected].

Register Online

SF Forward Wednesday, 5:30-7:30pm

SF Forward is your political voice in San Francisco; join us for the SF Forward Castro Neighborhood Fundraiser at Catch restaurant.Make a difference in San Francisco, join SF Forward. Catch Restaurant 2362 Market St Suggested Minimum Contribution: $20

RSVP: Patricia Aleman

[email protected]

Small Business Program, Thursday, 8:30–10:30am

This Small Business Pro-gram on Tax Reduction Strategies and Money-Making Solutions for the Self-Employed is guaran-teed to identify between $2,500 and $27,500 in NEW deductions that can be used right away to pocket thousands in tax savings for the self-employed.

Read more

Spirit at Work, Thursday, 12-1pm

Join your Chamber col-leagues for this monthly brown-bag lunch series featuring an informal conversation about ways to incorporate spirituality and aware-ness into work, business or profession. Chamber offices. For information, contact Sarah Hargrave at 650-756-6175 or Debra Monroe at: [email protected]

Ambassadors Club Meeting, Wednesday, 4–5:30pm Join the Ambassadors Club to promote Chamber membership to new and prospective members,

while encouraging cur-rent members to maxi-mize their membership. Chamber Boardroom. For information, con-tact Paula Zamudio at [email protected] or 415-352-8818.

Read more

Business After Hours, Thursday, 5:30-7:30 pm

Have you ever played Nintendo Wii set up on a 50’ video wall? Mark your calendars for an exciting Business After Hours event at Jillian’s in the Metreon Enjoy appe-tizers and drinks while mingling and making connections with other Bay Area professionals

Read more

Member-Led Workshop, Wednesday, 8:30–10:30am

Attend this presentation on Organizational Strate-gies for Competing Post-Recession to learn orga-nizational development practices for weathering the current storm.

Read more

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Hornblower Cruises & Events

highest standards of safety and com-fort for its vessels and facilities. From meager beginnings, Hornblower has grown to a $30 million business with 29 yachts, and is the market leader in each of the six California ports it serves. The two original vessels pur-chased with the business, Captain Hornblower and Admiral Hornblower, are still a part of the fleet today.

The local company employs 250 people in the Bay Area and close to 1,000 people nationwide.

In addition to celebrating the start of their 30th anniversary, Hornblower is very excited about the 29th Annual Fleet Week in October. To commemorate this occasion, the company has joined forces with numerous city organizations to kick-off the festivities with a Support Fleet

Week fundraiser on September 24th. The event will feature mouth-water-ing cuisine from some of the city’s finest restaurants, unique auction items and live entertainment including: legendary pianist-composer George Michalski; cast members from Rod-gers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific; reigning C-SPAN favorite comic, Will Durst and rising country star David Nail, among others. For more information on the Support Fleet Week fundraiser and to purchase tickets, visit: supportfleetweek.com.

Hornblower Cruises & Events, Pier 3, Hornblower Landing, San Francisco CA, 94111 415-788-8866 hornblower.com.

< 8 >

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Nominate a Member / FAQ

Mem

ber

an

nive

rsar

ies

Congratulations

and thank you

to the following

companies who,

as of September

2009 have been

Chamber mem-

bers for…

25 Years MacKenzie Communications, Inc.

San Francisco Marriott

10 Years WSP Flack + Kurtz Inc.

Wilson Meany Sullivan

5 Years American Diabetes Association

Best Buy on Harrison St.

Gumas

New Leaf Paper

Page 9: SFBNews-sept09

B Line Marketing Online Marketing614 Grant Ave., Ste. 206 Oakland, CA 94610 Brooke Schumacher www.blinemarketing.com

BizmoreInternet832 Sansome St., Ste. 101 San Francisco, CA 94111 Alice Hill www.bizmore.com

Law Offices of Judy Burger, Inc.Attorneys - Family Law One Market St., 35th Flr. San Francisco, CA 94105 Jay Murraywww.judylburger.com

Destination Concierge Services Concierge Services 1288 Columbus Ave., Ste. 240 San Francisco, CA 94133 G. Preet Singh www.destinationconcierge.us

Golden 1 Credit Union Financial Services 500 Golden Gate Ave. San Francisco, CA 94102 Dave Thompson www.golden1.com

Golden 1 Credit Union Credit Unions 500 Parnassus Ave., Box 0234 San Francisco, CA 94143 www.golden1.com

Golden 1 Credit Union Credit Unions 2938 Lyon St. at Lombard San Francisco, CA 94123 www.golden1.com

Golden 1 Credit Union Credit Unions 2020 Pioneer Court San Mateo, CA 94403 Daniel Mitsunaga www.golden1.com

Goodwill Fair Trading Restaurant Supplies 321 Ninth Ave., #8 San Francisco, CA 94118 Kin Lao www.goodwillfairtrading.com

King Courier Messenger & Delivery Services 681 Harrison St. San Francisco, CA 94107 Andrew Brady www.kingcourier.com

Lash Group Health Care Consulting & Services999 Bayhill Dr., Ste. 300 San Bruno, CA 94066 Jay Webster www.lashgroup.com

Malaco International Chemicals - Wholesale & Manufacturers 1990 N. California Blvd., Ste. 608 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Debbie Llama

Brenda B. Osborne Individual Membership

Planet Fitness Health & Fitness 350 Sansome St. San Francisco, CA 94104 Chuck Heaney www.planetfitness.com

San Francisco Bay Railroad Railroads100 Cargo Way @Pier 96 Railyard San Francisco, CA 94124 Jacob Park www.sfbayrail.com

Seccion Amarilla Spanish Yellow PagesPublishers - Directory & Guide720 Market St., Ste. 200 San Francisco, CA 94102 Isabel Perez-Duran www.seccionamarilla.com

Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers Furniture3395 Sacramento St. San Francisco, CA 94118 Peter Huson www.thosmoser.com

Membersnew

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Hosted By:

Join the Chamber and our sponsors for one of the largest networking events of the year - Business After Hours Fall Expo. This exciting event 

features over 140 exhibitors.   

For businesses large and small, the Fall Expo is a must-attend networking event!  

If you are are interested in a free exhibit space, or for more information about the 2009 Fall Expo contact 

Nadia Chan at 415-352-8803 or [email protected] 

Monday, November 16, 5:30-8:30 pmThe WestIn St. Francis335 Powel St., Union Square

 Supporting Level Sponsors:Platinum Level Sponsor:

Gold Level Sponsors:

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Page 11: SFBNews-sept09

A tax credit firm can help you identi-fy hiring tax credits that can save you tens of thousands or more on your local, state and federal taxes. They can save you the time and headache of trying to make heads or tails of complex government eligibility rules. As in hiring any vendor, you should meet with the person who you will be working with, check references and have shared expectations for delivery of services and results. Here are five specific factors to consider in choos-ing a tax credit firm.

Comprehensiveness of Credits

Tax credit firms identify and verify 18 different factors about your employ-ees that make your business eligible for hiring tax credits, and can do so in different ways: One or two factors can be identified from your records, a few more may be identified by employee survey, and the most can be identified – and verified – from private employ-ee interviews. The larger your tax bill the more important it is that the firm you choose can find the maximum possible credits. Choose a firm that is experienced in all approaches so if the needs of your business change they can try more thorough approaches.

Also, consider the back office paper-work and documentation, and what work will be expected of you and what services the firm will perform. Services offered by firms vary, so understand whether they will perform most of their work independently and provide reports for you to verify, or require you to do some of the work.

“Identification” or “Utilization” Fees

Tax credit firms earn their fees by finding money for your business and typically charge a percentage either of the tax credits they identify or of the credits you utilize. Both methods have benefits and drawbacks depend-ing on your business’s situation. Talk both options over with a firm before signing or talk to more than one firm to weigh the best option for you.

Fee percentage

There is no “going rate” for tax credit services – fees range from 20 to 35 percent or more. Shop around and compare the fees and fee methods between different firms. If you are unsure, ask a firm to run a few differ-ent scenarios for you.

Ease of Terminating Contract

Protect yourself in the event you are unhappy with the service, or your business needs change. A tax credit firm should offer a cancellation clause that allows either party to termi-nate the relationship with reasonable notice, while providing compensation for work performed.

Audit Support & Experience

Though tax credit firms are unregu-lated and unlicensed, many employ experienced CPAs or former tax regulators. Their experience and relationships can improve service quality, speed and efficiency, so inquire before signing a contract. Also, ensure that in the unlikely event of a tax audit, your firm will docu-ment and represent their work.

For additional advice on selecting and working with a tax credit firm, or for more information on tax credits available to San Francisco business-es, contact SF Works. SF Works is a part of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Foundation and can be reached at 415-217-5181 or visit: sfworks.org.

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Five Factors to Consider When Selecting a Tax Credit Firm

Subscribe to SF Business

Page 12: SFBNews-sept09

Wylie Adams

Shani E. Ahearn

Patricia Aleman

Christopher Armentrout

Idelia Brantley

David M. Coonan

Kristina Cox

Alexandria Cribbs

Bertha Ann Fajardo

Barbara R. Farris

Dean Fealk

Eugénie Fitzgerald

Alexandra Fraser

Lori Gentles

Devinder S. Grewal

Todd High

Rachel B. Horsch

Schuyler Hudak

Rahul Joglekar

B.H. Bronson Johnson

Anne Catherine Kensok

Jenny H. Lam

Alex Lantsberg

Kathleen L. Lowry

Gerson Nicole Lowy

Robert A. Marcial

Oona Leona Marti

Sean Thomas McGarry

Leo O’Farrell

Christopher S. Parker

Kathy S. Prestigiacomo

David M. Pugh

Dian Parker Quinn

David M. Rae

Jennifer E. Renk

Patrick Ryan

Robert A. Rybicki

Carol Noelle Sacco

C. Lea Salem

Emily Schaffer-Kling

Andrew Nicholas Scott

Mani Sheik

Bill Siewert

Elizabeth H. Smiley

Ontario D. Smith

Sabrina Soulis

Adam H. Tabak

Victoria Terheyden

Bryson W. Thornton

Garret Nathan Tom

Alexander Cooke

Volberding

Theadora Kathy Vriheas

La Shon Walker

Mark Werling

Rebecca Yee

Leadership San Francisco

is an organization

dedicated to educating

and developing community

trustees who will make a

significant contribution

to strengthen and

transform our community

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class of

2009-2010

For more information contact: Dianne Easton at 415-352-8826 Fax: [email protected]

www.leadershipsf.org

Page 13: SFBNews-sept09

C L A S S I C

A N N U A L

Join the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and leading San Francisco executives for a day of networking and world class golf at the 2009 Annual CityGolf Classic at Harding Park!

For more information on the tournament or sponsorships, contact Alexandria Cribbs at 415-352-8858 or [email protected]

Monday, Sept. 14, 2009

Harding Park - Home of The Presidents Cup 2009

NOWRegister

Download Sponsorship Kit

< 13 >

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Page 14: SFBNews-sept09

< 14 >

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San Francisco will hold a local elec-tion November 3 to elect a City Attorney and Treasurer/Tax Collector. With no real contest for those seats and only five measures on the ballot, the turnout could dip to a historically low level for a general election. The Chamber Board of Directors has rec-ommended the following positions on the ballot measures;

Charter Amendment Instituting a Two Year Budget Cycle: Support

An amendment introduced by Mayor Newsom and Supervisor David Chiu, the measure includes many of the reforms recommended by the City’s Controller; two year budgeting, five year financial plan, adoption of binding financial policies to guide budgeting and labor negotiation deadlines.

Charter Amendment Removing Cap on Number of Supervisor’s Aides: Oppose

The City Charter has historically included a limit on the number of aides to members of the Board of Supervisors. Board members receive services from the Clerk’s Office, City Attorney, Budget Analyst and Legis-lative Analyst. And, unlike a county like Los Angeles, where each of the five supervisors represents millions of people, San Francisco’s eleven supervisors represent approximately

70,000 residents each. With declining general fund revenue and staff cuts throughout city government, this is not the time to allow the Board the unlimited right to hire more staff.

Initiative Ordinance Creating Mid-Market Sign District: Support

Placed on the ballot by local property owner funded signature campaign, this measure will amend a 2002 ini-tiative ordinance which banned new general advertising city-wide, by allowing a limited number of theater-type and roof top advertising signs on two blocks of Market Street between 5th and 7th Streets. This is an effort by property owners to revitalize this historic theater district with electron-ic signs supporting arts and enter-tainment venues, with a portion of the ad revenue going to neighbor-hood youth arts programs and fund-ing a ticket booth at Hallidie Plaza.

Initiative Ordinance Banning New General Advertising on Public Streets and City Owned Buildings: Oppose

Placed on the ballot by signatures of four supervisors, this measure will prohibit the city from entering into any new contracts that include the right to place ads on street furniture or city buildings beyond the amount that existed in January 2008. This will

prevent expansion of the transit shel-ter, news rack and public restroom programs, may conflict with another ballot measure to encourage renewal of the stadium naming/ad program at Candlestick Park and could stop pending projects like the European-style bike rental program.

Initiative Ordinance Allowing a Commercial Name for Candelstick Park: Support

Placed on the ballot by the Board of Supervisors, this measure will amend a previous initiative ordinance that limited the city’s right to sell the stadium name. This will allow the Forty Niners to propose a commer-cial name, subject to Recreation and Park Commission and Board of Supervisors approval, with 50% of the revenue directed towards rehiring of recreation center directors. With the team expected to occupy the stadium for at least the next 5 years, this could result in almost $5 million to the Rec-reation and Park Department.

November 2009 Election No New Taxes

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