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.
Bio
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom was elected as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of the State of California on November 2, 2010. His top priorities are economic development and job creation, improving access to higher education, and maintaining California's environmental leadership. Prior to being elected Lieutenant Governor, he served two-terms as Mayor of San Francisco. Under his leadership, the economy grew and jobs were created. The City became a center for biotech and clean tech. He initiated a plan to bring universal health care to all of the City's uninsured residents. And Newsom aggressively pursued local solutions to global climate change. In the final days of his second term as Mayor, Newsom led a historic drive to host the 2013 America's Cup, one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events in the world, which is expected to generate roughly 8,000 jobs and $1.2 billion for the local and state economy.
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.
City (pop., 2000: 776,733) and port, northern California, U.S. San Francisco lies on the northern end of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. The Golden Gate Bridge spans the strait to the north that separates San Francisco from Marin county. Founded in the 18th century by the Spanish, it came under Mexican control after Mexican independence in 1821. Occupied by U.S. forces in 1846, it grew rapidly after the discovery of gold in nearby areas (seegold rush). San Francisco suffered extensive damage from the earthquake and fire of 1906 and from an earthquake in 1989. The city was prominent in the American cultural revolution of the 1960s. It is a commercial, cultural, educational, and financial centre and one of the country's most cosmopolitan cities.
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?
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 .
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.
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.
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.
member. 
