The Weekly Digest (May 4, 2025)

Written By Bill Jackson

Happy Sunday, Brionies! 


Here’s what you need to know about local politics this week and beyond:


San Francisco City Hall 


  • Monday, May 5 at 10am: Regular meeting of the Rules Committee (agenda here):

    • Item 1: Motion approving/rejecting the Mayor’s nomination of Dan Calamuci to the Building Inspection Commission. Calamuci is Vice Chair of the SF Democratic Party and a campaign flack for the Nor Cal Carpenters Union. A big-labor Democrat … here’s to fresh voices in government!

    • Item 2: Hearing to consider the appointment of one member to the SOMA Community Stabilization Fund Community Advisory Committee. This “fund” was established in 2005 to charge $14 per square foot on any residential development to “address the impacts of destabilization on residents and businesses in SOMA.” Another tax, and another commission to manage it. 

    • Item 4: Hearing to consider the appointment of one member to the Housing Stability Fund Oversight Board. Not to be confused with the SOMA Community Stabilization Fund Community Advisory Committee referenced above, the Housing Stability Fund Oversight Board provides recommendations to the Mayor on using the Housing Stability Fund. It’s a totally different Housing Stability thing, people.

  • Tuesday, May 6 at 2pm: Regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors (agenda here):

    • Item 10: Resolution approving a contract extension for HealthRight 360 to provide substance abuse and mental health services for an additional three years at a cost of $141 million. We found this gem in the public correspondence file: “These agenda items … all involve extending contracts and pouring even more millions of taxpayer dollars into NGO’s bottomless pit services for homelessness, mental health and substance abuse. This hasn't worked, it's not working, and it will never work! The City has proven to be unfit stewards of taxpayer money.” Get this frugal citizen a subscription to the Briones Digest! 

    • Item 25: First reading of an ordinance to establish “long-term remission of substance use disorders,” as opposed to “recovery first,” as the primary goal of the City’s drug policy. While some are critical of the shift of focus away from recovery, any movement that encourages non-use seems like an improvement over “handing out paraphernalia and crossing our fingers” or whatever the current policy is. Predictably, the usual harm-reduction radicals disapprove. 

  • Thursday, May 8 at 10am: Regular meeting of the Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee (agenda here):

    • Item 3: Hearing to examine the current contracting processes of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing and focus on contracting provisions that measure performance metrics and targets for all current contractors under HSH. Is this what accountability looks like?

Happenings around town

Call to action

  • Love reading the Digest each week? Heartened by our efforts to make our city safer, our schools better, and our economy more vibrant? Consider joining the Briones Society as one of our founding members. Your support thus far has enabled us to make meaningful progress in San Francisco. A pledge to contribute as a Founding Member will amplify our impact as we continue the work ahead. Interested in learning more? Please reach out to bill@brionessociety.org. 

What we’re reading

  • Last week, we mentioned that the Budget and Finance Committee was set to vote on whether to extend HealthRight 360’s contract to provide substance abuse and mental health services. To the surprise (and anger) of many, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the extension, kicking it up to the full Board (as mentioned in the Board agenda above). Why the surprise? Because HealthRight 360’s record is abysmal. Last year, the Chronicle published an extensive investigative report on deaths occurring under the agency’s supposed “care.” Four clients and one staff member overdosed within a year, and clients and staff members described “chaotic programs – places where substance use is rampant, training and staffing are insufficient, living conditions are bleak and safety protocols are at times ignored.” 

  • At the state level, our government is still dominated by clueless Democrats. This week’s insanity revolves around whether it should be a felony to pay a 16 or 17-year-old for sex (it’s already a felony for victims under 15). The proposed modification came from Democrat members of the - get this - Senate Public Safety Commission, due to concerns that it could lead to teenagers being punished for having sex with each other, or be “weaponized against LGBT people” (we’ll leave it to gay Republican Carl DeMaio to shoot down that nonsense). Both SF Assemblymembers voted for the watered-down version, and of course Senator Scott Weiner had to weigh in with his typical creepiness, saying it should be peachy-keen for an 18-year-old high school senior to offer his 17-year-old classmate $20 to “fool around.” Yeah. He said that. Hey Scott! That’s not okay!

  • Hey, remember the pandemic, and all the federal money floating around SF government because of it? Well, there are still remnants of those heady days. It was recently discovered by a member of our Elite Investigative Unit (which we just made up) that if you’re over 65, or disabled, you can still get $60 a month to cover cab fare. On the surface this seems like a decent allocation of money, until you realize that there isn’t any means testing involved. So even if you’re well-off, SF will still spring for your taxis.The program is administered (and paid for) by SFMTA, because obviously they can afford it.

  • We’ve been considering a get-together for all you Brionies in Los Angeles. We’ll board the high-speed rail here in San Francisco and head down south to have a real hootenanny. Don’t worry, you’ll probably have until 2045 to RSVP.

Quick hits

This week in San Francisco history

  • On May 4, 1850, a fire erupted at the United States Exchange, a drinking and gambling house, that eventually consumed the block between Kearny, Clay, Washington, and Jackson. A firefighting technique involving dynamite and rope saved San Francisco from complete destruction.  

Palate cleanser


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Bill Jackson
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