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Steven T. Jones

How Weird is on -- probably -- for one last year

02.22.07 - 3:34 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
The How Weird Street Faire, which had its permits denied by city officials a couple weeks ago, won a bittersweet victory this morning at an appeals hearing before Department of Parking and Transportation administrator Bond Yee. "It's clear to me this event is popular, and that's a good thing, but that's also a bad thing," Yee said after hearing from supporters of the event and neighbors who complained that it's just too big and loud. Read more »

How Weird is on -- probably -- for one last year

02.22.07 - 2:58 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
The How Weird Street Faire, which had its permits denied by city officials a couple weeks ago, won a bittersweet victory this morning at an appeals hearing before Department of Parking and Transportation administrator Bond Yee. "It's clear to me this event is popular, and that's a good thing, but that's also a bad thing," Yee said after hearing from supporters of the event and neighbors who complained that it's just too big and loud. Read more »

Newsom redux

02.21.07 - 11:38 am | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
Ethics watchdog Joe Lynn today continues his fine wrap-up at Fog City Journal on Newsom's vulnerabilities and shortcomings as he enters a difficult reelection year. Having reported several of the stories that Joe references, I can't help but agree that Newsom isn't the lock for reelection that many make him out to be. There are great narratives just waiting to be told by whoever decides to run against him -- and we plan to tell a few ourselves.

The other shoe

Records reveal more fallout from the Newsom affair, despite his refusal to talk about it
02.20.07 - 11:35 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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› steve@sfbg.com

Mayor Gavin Newsom has never answered questions about his illicit affair with his appointments secretary Ruby Rippey-Tourk — and even now, with city money involved, he's sticking to the stonewall.

The Guardian on Feb. 15 broke the story that the city had paid Rippey-Tourk more than $10,000 months after she left her job (see "Newsom Aide Got Paid," www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics).

But the mayor refused to even acknowledge questions I directly put to him earlier that day, just as he has since he confirmed media reports of the affair Feb. Read more »

Car-free support

Study bodes well for Saturday road closure in Golden Gate Park
02.20.07 - 11:32 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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› steve@sfbg.com

Sup. Read more »

More on Tourk payments

02.15.07 - 3:48 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
New information is still coming in on the breaking news that Ruby Rippey-Tourk got an extended paid leave from the city. I just spoke with Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the Tourks, who said that it was Alex Tourk who asked the city about getting paid compensation for his wife while she was in an alcohol and drug rehab center from May through July. At the time, he didn't know that his wife had been having sexual relations with the mayor. Read more »

More on Tourk payments

02.15.07 - 3:24 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
New information is still coming in on the breaking news that Ruby Rippey-Tourk got an extended paid leave from the city. I just spoke with Sam Singer, a spokesperson for the Tourks, who said that it was Alex Tourk who asked the city about getting paid compensation for his wife while she was in an alcohol and drug rehab center from May through July. At the time, he didn't know that his wife had been having sexual relations with the mayor. Read more »

Newsom aide got paid

02.15.07 - 2:54 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
The Bay Guardian has learned that Ruby Rippey-Tourk, who left her job as Mayor Gavin Newsom's appointments secretary last year after having a secret affair with the mayor, received $21,755 in paid leave last year for 534 hours of work that she didn't do. That amounts to about 13.5 weeks of paid time off, well more than the 10 days vacation time and 13 days of sick leave to which she was entitled. Read more »

Newsom aide got paid

02.15.07 - 2:37 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
The Bay Guardian has learned that Ruby Rippey-Tourk, who left her job as Mayor Gavin Newsom's appointments secretary last year after having a secret affair with the mayor, received $21,755 in paid leave last year for 534 hours of work that she didn't do. That amounts to about 13.5 weeks of paid time off, well more than the 10 days vacation time and 13 days of sick leave to which she was entitled. Read more »

Return of Healthy Saturdays

02.15.07 - 1:07 pm | Steven T. Jones |
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By Steven T. Jones
The city's long-awaited study of road closures in Golden Gate Park was released yesterday, offering clear evidence that closing JFK Drive to cars on weekends is extremely popular and has no significant negative impacts to attendance at the park's museums, access by those with disabilities, or traffic congestion in the intersections around the park. Read more »