Gavin Newsom - Gavin Christopher Newsom is the current mayor of San Francisco. A Democrat, Newsom was elected mayor in 2003, succeeding Willie Brown and becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years.
Newsom graduated in 1989 from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. His PlumpJack Wine Shop, founded in 1992, grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise. He was first appointed by Willie Brown to serve on San Francisco's Parking and Traffic Commission in 1996, and was appointed the following year as Supervisor.
Newsom drew voter attention with his Care Not Cash program, designed to move homeless people into city assisted care. He defeated Matt Gonzalez by 6% in his race for mayor in 2003. Newsom was reelected in the November 7 2007 mayoral election with 72 percent of the vote.
As Mayor, Newsom has focused on development projects in Hunters Point and Treasure Island. He signed the Health Choices Plan in 2007 to provide San Francisco residents with universal healthcare. Under Newsom, San Francisco joined the Kyoto Protocol.
In 2004, Newsom gained national attention when he directed the San Francisco city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. In August 2004, the Supreme Court of California annulled the marriages that Newsom had authorized, as they conflicted with state law at that time. Still, Newsom's unexpected move brought national attention to the issues of gay marriage and gay rights, solidifying political support for Newsom in San Francisco and in the gay community, and causing several other states to change their laws concerning marriage and gay rights.
Newsom has officially announced his candidacy for governor of California in the 2010 election.
Scott Shafer - Scott Shafer started his radio news career in the early 1980s as a reporter for KPFA in Berkeley and KFBK in Sacramento, where he filed some of the first stories in the nation on the AIDS epidemic. Shafer then went on to KOIT-AM in San Francisco, where he conducted on-air interviews with newsmakers from all over the world.
From 1988 to 1992, Shafer served former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos as Deputy Press Secretary and then Press Secretary, and from 1992 to 1994 he served then-State Controller Gray Davis as Chief of Staff. He left a position as principal in the San Francisco public relations firm Staton, Hughes and Shafer to join KQED 88.5FM in 1998.
As host and correspondent of The California Report, Shafer has reported on a wide range of issues, and recently been honored with four awards for excellence from the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento.
He also hosts The California Report's "Health Dialogues" series on important health issues facing our state. The California Report is KQED 88.5FM's statewide news program, which is carried by over 24 public radio stations throughout California.
Facing a tumultuous economic climate and a massive city deficit, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has tough decisions to make in 2009 in his quest to keep San Francisco a thriving center for commerce and a livable city.
With a potential 2010 run for governor in his future, Newsom sits down for a frank and candid discussion about the issues facing the city.
This is hilarious. NO on - literally, not one single person - has done more to politicize gay marriage than Gavin Newsom. I also find his sanctimonious "I embrace the Democratic Party because it has ALWAYS stood on principle" line to be borderline comedy. Seriously - on what basis can anyone say that either party has always stood on principle? Add to that the nerve that it takes to claim that the Democratic Party fought for civil rights even though it would lose them the South- the Democratic Party, as a matter of platform, was one of the last obstacles to civil rights in the South. Newsom is a pure politician. Nothing else.
Gavin Newsom is one of the only straight politicians in our country who is demanding queer equality. If that gives him a platform, so what?? Do you honestly think he doesn't believe we deserve equality? Pah-lease. He very much believes what he's saying. The man stood up to the Governator and started allowing gay marriages in San Fran because it was the right thing to do! Us queer people need MORE Gavin Newsoms in politics if we ever want our equality and we're smart enough to know it. I don't give a rat's ass if it gives him a platform. More power to him! When a politician stands up for the rights of minorities, it will always be "politicizing" to whatever degree you're implying, but it doesn't make it wrong.
No one - at least not me - said they didn't believe what he is stating publicly. But the notion that it requires "courage" to take the position he has taken is silly - it's perfectly in keeping with his political interests in solidifying his base in SF. Of course that handicaps him when going national - but it's impossible to be a popular mayor of SF w/o handicapping yourself when going national, he knew that going in so it's a moot point.
I am for marriage between a man and a woman.
That is the way God wanted it to be.
Gay people cant have children, only by adoption to be dads and dads or moms and moms.Sex between a man and a woman is the only way you bring a child into this world.If there were no children to be adopted would there be any children replenishing the earth by GAY people?
I don't care what a politicians thinks he or she is doing is the right thing. But if any state passes the gay rights bill and claims to be a Christian and has a Christian back ground in church are liars, and you are condemning these people to hell.
I have read the bible and no where does it say God approves of same sex marriages in the book! show it to me if its there,and you better not rewrite the bible.....
God is bigger than any politicians could ever be, do you want Gods judgment on your head for something that is so very wrong for this country.
You mean to tell me that a four legged wild animals has more since and brains then humans being do there are no gay animals in the wild....Why is that ?
That's why it by choice not by birth that people are GAY! No doctor will ever convince me other wise.I believe that these people suffer from a childhood where they were sexually abused in there families or by a friend.The results of the bad sex act done to them was to become a GAY PERSON after the fact. No one has ask that question to these gay people ?
And would they really tell us the truth about it?
This gay right bill is not about earth human principals, its about the right thing to do from Gods words .
Brendett, you should consider that not everyone believes the only truth comes from a 2-3 thousand year old book. There are newer books and older ones. If we only believed the church's interpretation of the bible we would think the Sun revolved around the Earth and that the Earth was flat and that the Earth and all it's inhabitants were created one week ten thousand or so years ago.
If you look at my logo to the left you can see explosions in the Milky Way which clearly originated long before ten thousand years ago.
This forum is for a little more than just how everything relates to your favorite book. But that makes me think of a question for you: As you look at the world around you every day what do you believe more, what you see in front of your face and can touch and smell, or the bible? And if you see something that is not explained in the bible, does that mean it's the end of the world, or just the end of your understanding of it?
