California lurches toward rent control, but the housing crisis rages on; San Francisco is closing its juvenile detention facility, but justice is still elusive. The Beacon boys discuss the pros and cons of incremental progress and count the blessings buried in the quagmire of San Francisco politics.

Fogcast: The Bay City Beacon Politics Podcast

#blessed - Episode 30

Sam Moss joins the Beacon team to discuss proposals in state and local government to speed up affordable housing production. Why is it so expensive to build inexpensive housing, and why are the politics of permitting so thorny? Notorious YIMBY gadfly Sonja Trauss joins the podcast to discuss the potential for building municipal social housing in lieu of neoliberal workarounds. The issue is complex, but one thing is clear: everyone is mad.

Sam is Mad as Hell - Episode 29

The Beacon boys join Diego's former boss, housing activist gadfly Sonja Trauss, to discuss recent homeless shelter proposals and transit density legislation. Along the way, they bump into issues of environmental law, Beto's prog rock destiny, and lobsters.

Trauss Brings Down the House - Episode 28

The Fogcast team mourns slain cyclist Tess Rothstein and examine's the city's action (or inaction) on street safety improvements. Will San Francisco ever value human life over cars? Supervisor Matt Haney has taken the lead, but he's also thrown down the gauntlet on another issue: navigation centers. If the City opens its largest homeless shelter on the Embarcadero, Haney says another district should open one as well. Will the real City of Saint Francis ever step up?

Vision Zero, Show Me a Hero - Episode 27

Diego joins student reporter Ariel Gans to interview Berkeley City Councilmembers Lori Droste and Rigel Robinson about their proposed "Missing Middle Initiative." With housing costs at an all-time high, the City may study how to reform its land-use policies to allow for more "gentle" density in residential neighborhoods. Nevertheless, the racist and classist history of how Berkeley became so segregated has already been studied extensively.

Berkeley Bonus Dispatch - Episode 26

The Beacon team tackles one of the biggest blunders of the decade: SF General's ER bills. How did the Board of Supervisors sign off on this insane "balance billing" practice for so long, for a hospital that remains entirely out of network? It's not even the only embarrasment the City's government has yielded this month: the Supervisors also managed to turn a $185 million tax windfall into a shortfall of reserve funds. Could San Francisco even budget its way out of a wet paper bag?

General Hospital, General Obligations - Episode 25

2019 starts with a bang, as the Beacon's editorial duo brings the play-by-play from the battle for the Board of Supervisors Presidency. After a brief overview of Governor Newsom and Mayor Breed's overlapping priorities for housing, things get spicy when Diego and Jay debate the substance (or lack thereof) of the Green New Deal.

On Boards and Bonds - Episode 24

After a long break, Diego and Jay reunite to recap San Francisco's latest budget controversy: too much money to spend. The team speculates on the recent CASA Compact, a move toward regional governance that could finally tackle the housing crisis. Why can't "the city that knows how" just figure things out?

Hark! A Holiday 'Cast - Episode 23

Diego and Jay huddle over Tuesday's election results and try to read the tea leaves, and your favorite political odd couple's unfiltered bickering and banter ensue. What can San Francisco learn from the East Bay? And how will Mayor Breed navigate the political minefield of a new Board of Supervisors? The duo rarely sees eye to eye, but they agree on one issue: campaign canvassers are better off with pen and paper over the leading smartphone apps.

November Election Special! - Episode 22

Bike activist Matt Brezina joins the team to discuss street safety, bikeshare, and the politics of transportation in San Francisco. How can the City move away from its bias toward cars and make its infrastructure available for healthier, cheaper, and greener options? Mayor Breed's Vision Zero ambitions sound good, but what will it take to really eliminate traffic deaths by 2024?

Vision Zero or Zero Vision? - Episode 21

Special guest Theo Ellington joins Diego and Jay to discuss the Shipyard scandal at Hunters Point, where he lives. Radioactive material was recently found just a few feet away from where Ellington lives, and his campaign for District 10 Supervisor highlights the decades of racial, economic, and environmental injustice the neighborhood has faced. What does the future hold for the Bayview amid such a toxic present?

On Place and Polity - Episode 20

The team joins Andy Mullan to analyze the ADU hoopla: can Accessory Dwelling Units come anywhere close to solving the San Francisco's housing shortage? How hard is it to build them, and how easy should it be? Finally, shared e-scooters take center stage yet again as the trio debates whether the SFMTA pilot program is a government monopoly or a noble experiment.

Granny Flats and Scooter Spats - Episode 19

Diego and Jay join their new regular co-host Andy Mullan to study the figurative and literal trash-fire that is San Francisco's Muni system. What is going on with the city's bus and train service, and how can it ever work smoothly? The team also evaluates the pros and cons of Proposition C, a ballot measure to fund homeless services. The pros are big; the cons are that it could be even better. CORRECTION: The Twin Peaks tunnel will have service reduced by two hours over two weekends, but will not be closed for those weekends, as accidentally stated in this episode. We regret the error. Image: aggregate square footage of space reserved for cars in San Francisco.

Not In My Parking Space - Episode 18

The team brings their in-house data nerd Andy Mullan to discuss the results of the June primary election, and read the tea leaves for elections ahead. With London Breed as San Francisco's new mayor, what will happen in District 5? And speaking of San Francisco mayors, a heated ruckus ensues over the incumbency of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and her chances of fending off an upstart challenger, Kevin De León.

Andy Mullan's Election Recap - Episode 17

Data nerd Andy Mullan joins the Beacon team to read the electoral tea leaves on election. The mayor's race is a toss-up throughout the night, while other races turn into total blowouts, and all have valuable lessons for San Francisco. Mostly, we all learn just how unpredictable Ranked Choice Voting can be.

Too Close to Call: Live Election Coverage! (Episode 16)

San Francisco news and politics. Presented every week by The Bay City Beacon.

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Fogcast: The Bay City Beacon Politics Podcast

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