Free Republic

A mayor knows he's having a bad week when its saving grace comes in a jailhouse. Such was the case of Mayor Gavin Newsom, who found himself pleading with jailed tech whiz Terry Childs to give up the access codes to San Francisco's computer system. Childs did, and even some of Newsom's critics were crediting him with a heroic move in using his powers of persuasion to keep a Y2K from paralyzing the city's computer systems in 2008. It sure beats talking about Edwin Ramos or the city's sanctuary policy. Fairly or not, Newsom's chances in the 2010 governor's race...

One would think that with his tall figure, movie star looks and trademark gelled hair, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom would be a tough guy to miss if he hopped onto your cable car -- but that doesn't seem to be the case. "Get him out of that suit and you'd be surprised at how many people don't recognize him -- especially if he's in jeans, a baseball cap and sunglasses, which is what he normally wears on his day off," said mayoral press secretary Peter Ragone. Apparently so. Last week, the mayor let it be known that, while traveling...

Infrastructure seen as worsening since Newsom took over. San Francisco parks, recreation programs, streets, bus service and libraries are all in worse shape than they were before Mayor Gavin Newsom took office, according to a state of the city resident survey released Thursday. It's the first comprehensive public measure of how the city is faring now that Newsom has spent a full year in office. The more than 3,700 residents polled gave San Francisco a C+ for how it provides basic services. And about the only positive note was that residents said they felt the city was safer. Only 37...

They refused the Attorney General's request that they issue an injunction preventing further gay marriages to be conducted in San Francisco.