several times during times of vacancies like this. it certainly worked during aftermath of mayor mosconi and harvey milk. >> so we may be seeing more of these successor issues coming up, certainly something we do not want to legislate. i hope that we can trust people to be grown up about it, but if that is not the case, we can spell that out. >> going through the first time with little knowledge and information was difficult. now that we have got our record of how to do this, i think the next clerk and the city will be much informed with having our process and having our archives to look too. >> and that is how san francisco government worked out the kinks, twists and turns, bombs in the road, to select its new interim mayor, ed lee. san francisco's first asian- american mayor. >> this has been an unprecedented and historic

transition of power here in san francisco. i am so happy the board of supervisors came together to select an outstanding choice along many outstanding candidates to lead us over the next several years. >> over the past several months when this issue has come up, it had been agonizing. the board has been put into a difficult situation. there are a lot of differences of opinion on how to run the city, how to mass make a decision, who should be in place, 11 people to agree on that is a challenging thing. i think we have done the best we can do in the process, considering the difference of opinions. >> the people of san francisco can now choose their mayor, the direction they want to go. that is why this decision was so appropriate. >> the other big shock is that the moderates seem to have won this round. people thought, progressives have themselves on the board. there is no reason that they will not get together and take a

noted leader who is a progressive to be interim mayor, and then stayed there for another term. the great thing about being in term mayor is to get to run as an incumbent. the fact that the progressives could not get together to get somebody into office as interim mayor in their own self-interest was very surprising for a lot of us. >> what happened in the last month in city hall was an incredible show of democracy that was part policy, part politics, and it all came together, and more than anything -- not just from a reporter's perspective, often was this? but there was a public interest as well on what was going on in san francisco government. we take it for granted a law that there is a city government here. this was something that brought people together. you heard people talking about it at the cafes, park playground, people who do not always pay attention. in that $0.10, it was the best thing we could have done for

city government, even though it was a little bit messy. it was a lot of fun and an eye opener. it got people interested again.

>> hello and welcome to the 2011 heros and hearts luncheon. i did you greetings -- i bid you greetings. ♪ here we are in union square and excitement fills the air fills a love that is here today at 0 how i love this affair -- oh, how i love this affair

this foundation started back in 1994 they do their part in help and hope ne to give a brand new start come on, everybody just do your part today is a day here at heroes and hearts where you must buy table top bart just in case you were unaware is the sixth year of this luncheon hard to believe, you know we still have the most amazing ceo executive director of this foundation stephanie

[inaudible] board of directors president to the guggenheim says each hero is a leader, and she thanks them for all their time raising funds for sfga and the trauma center is all thanks to you this yearly luncheon, such an elegant bunch and was chaired by patrick smith and connie judy guggenheim started this ball just six years ago and to our sponsors laying our foundation, you both get and a

-- an a we all could learn a lesson from you chevron and webcor united health group and visa we need you for sure let's hear it for the sponsors yeah ♪ [applause] ♪ so, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to propose a toast to our honored hero today

dr. shannon kind -- tine julie rosetti judge mary morgan we thank you all for what you do for you make our world a better place and i thank you every day, for there is no place like our home, our city by the bay san francisco open your golden gates a stranger with outside your door san francisco

other places only make me love you best tell me you are the heart of all the golden west san francisco, welcome me home again i'm coming home to go roaming no more san francisco open your golden gates beautiful strangers wait outside your door san francisco, here is you're wondering when, say i will wonder no more going other places makes me love you best tell me you are the heart of all the golden west the golden west san francisco welcome home again

i'm coming home to go roaming no more ♪ [applause] >> thank you, misa and beach blanket babylon. please welcome the mayor of our great community and city, the honorable edwin m. lee. [applause] mayor lee: good afternoon, everybody. i wanted to spend a few moments in joining mayor willie brown

and mayor frank jordan with our chief of police, our city attorney, dennis herrera, so many friends here, and members of our board of supervisors, to just register my appreciation for the san francisco general hospital foundation and the great work you are doing in joining our hospitals mission. for all of you who are here today to make that effort real with your donations and support, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, that you believe that the san francisco general hospital is truly in need the heart of the city and county of san francisco. thank you very much for being here today. [applause] i mean that in so many ways. the hospital is available to everybody. every community of this great

city. it has a trauma center. how many other centers -- cities have its own trauma center? a trauma center that is world famous, that gets the job done and saves lives. it is the only hospital in san francisco with 24-hour psychia [applause] something that i will possibly in roll in after this year. [laughter] over 100,000 patients get through the doors of the general every single year. so whether you are in a car accident or whether something happens that you did not control, you can believe we have the best performing trauma center for the whole bay area. it is a hospital that reflects

our very san francisco values of caring for our fellow citizens and leaving no one behind. the people you are about to hear about today will be people that displays the courage, the perseverance, the passion for helping others in our community. they are the city's role models, and helped make san francisco general hospital stand head and shoulders above all other public hospitals nationwide. in addition to the heroes we celebrate today, let's also celebrate the gigantic steps we have taken together to make sure the hospital is rebuilt and meets california seismic safety standard requirements for an acute care hospital. [applause] while there was only two and a half years ago, it still rings

in my mind, as your former city administrator. you have watched virtually a miracle happened at our ballot boxes. when it was presented with the biggest on ever in the history of the city -- bond ever in this city to rebuild our hospital, but again, thanks to people like jean o'connell end to the guggenheim, and all the hard working people involved in this effort, san francisco general hospital rebuild received 84% of the vote in 2008, the highest of any bond in the history of the city. [applause] and of course, you got to measure that in light of some other facts, and the only other fact i can compare that to is i got 100% of my vote. they got 84%. that is a pretty good stuff there.

we are starting to see the work of the foundation of the hospital being built with the whole that has already been dug in. it will be a base isolated seismic safety approach. guess what. when willie brown was mayor, he made sure that our city hall has the best seismic safety standards, so the city hall is under a base isolation system. so will our hospital. that represents the level of attention we are giving to make sure this hospital stays and becomes the center for all of our health care. it will also enjoy, as our goal, a gold standard for its environmental design and architecture for that building, so that we can show the rest of the world not only can you have the best performing acute care hospital that you can find with

great voter support, you can do it in a most environmentally conscious way. that is what we get to show. [applause] the rebuild, obviously helps our local economy. there will be over 3000 jobs created as a result of the lalre our local hire san franciscans. that goes a long way to one of -- hiring more of our great people in everything we do. over 10% of the contractors are local businesses already working on the contract, with more to come. this hospital is the busiest emergency room in the city. and because of this rebuild, it will triple in the size of a number of emergency rooms that it has, and it will be equipped

to double the capacity of to 120 beds. with the size of the hospital being rebuilt, with the seismic standards it will have, with the way we approach that as a city family with our great private leaders in the sector joining the city, i cannot but repeat to you -- this hospital and the foundation that it has had to help it is the heart of the city and county of san francisco. that is why i enjoy this. if there is anything i know this year even these first few weeks on the job, my love for the city has grown even deeper. thank you very much for being part of this. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome jim davis, president of

chevron energy solutions. [applause] >> @ chevron energy solutions, we are a recognized leader in clean, innovative energy development, and we are also a proud sponsor for the perry and outreach program, which encourages high school girls to pursue careers in orthopedic surgery and engineering. it is an outstanding program that develops young women into leaders who enhance lives in the communities where they live. motivating others to improve the greater good is what defines the foundations, the spirit of the general award. with this award, the and the foundation inspired others to support the innovative

programs at the hospital. here to present the award this year, please join me along with everyone at chevron energy solutions and welcoming the honorable willie brown. [applause] >> mr. davis, thank you very much for that kind introduction. mayor li, mirrored jordan, others assembled here in, those associated with the foundation and with this application and this event, you know good and well the spirit of the general award is given to that

individual who exhibits extraordinary commitment to making san francisco general hospital what it is. this year, the recipient is one of whom all of you know very well. you know her because, i suspect you will hear, because she ask you to come. there is nobody that she has encountered in the last several years that she has not said, you have to do something for the general. when i see her coming now, i go the other way. i have given all i can give to the general. [laughter] that is the nature of who our recipient is. she came on the board of the foundation, some 11 years ago. by 2003, she had been elevated to the president of the board.

and in that capacity, she guided the general from being a place that most of us looked at as a place for the disadvantaged and poor people only, into an extraordinary care facility, as described by the mayor, available to everybody, as a place where innovation in medical treatment occurs, as a place where research, on a regular basis, is done, and while the 82% that prop a received, i guarantee much of that 82% came from the extraordinary work of this woman, and the voters responded to what she did. so ladies and gentlemen, please recognize the 2011 winner of the

spirit of the untenable award. nd no other than my friend, -- it can be no other than my friend, judy guggenheim. [applause] [applause] >> do the, you have been extraordinary. mitchell katz would tell me quite often, the financial uncertainty of the general was single handedly righted by your

clear passion and devotion and dedication, and your money. we thank you. [laughter] >> mayer brown, thank you so much. wow. thank you all so much. this has been a passion of love for me. everyday i am at the hospital, i see people who give themselves and give themselves and give themselves. it just makes me want to go out there and tell everyone else about it. it is not just passion that people are giving of their brain, their hearts, their solo, it is an amazing place. i am offering everybody a tour.

it will make you fall in love but something that is such a strong underpinning of this city and, i think, can make us all proud to be san franciscans. i forgot earlier it is mentioned by 3 sues, sue hellman, carlyle, and kernin. they do a wonderful job. [applause] years ago, i sat at a dinner party next to talent. i fell in love with the hospital. i want to thank you all. it has really been my honor and my pleasure. this really was a surprise. thank you.

[applause] [applause]

>> ♪ lift every voice and sing 'til earth and heaven ring ring with a harmony of liberty let our rejoicing rise ♪ our ancestors are to be honored as the roots of the treat, and the greatness and health of the tree depends on the death and

health of its routes. when we do not honor our ancestors, we become like trees without roots. there is an unbroken continuing between the realm of the living in the realm of the dead in african culture -- an unbroken continuum. the spirit pervades the everyday world of the living. in a community such as this one, we begin by honoring the ancestors, and we pour libations to honor them, and that is what rashid is going to do. we pur water -- pour water, the primary ancestral offering, the source of life in the universe. it is associated with the womb of creation and with the

fountain of life. in the spirit of honoring the ancestors, we say, praises to the ancestors of this land, the keepers of this land. praise be. praises to the ancestors of the middle passage. praises be. praises to all of those whose courage, strength, determination, perseverance, blessings, grace, blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifices have uplifted us, our community, our people. i want you to take a moment and out loud and with passion and with gratitude, call up the name of those whose shoulders you stand upon. praises be. praises be. praises be. praises be.

praises be. praises be. praises be. we call -- praises be. we call upon you all to join us in this commemoration of the past and join us in the celebration of the youth leaders of yesterday and today and those of tomorrow. we ask you to participate as we ourselves become more energized and inspired to follow their example and to take action, to be healers, peacemakers, social justice activists. we call upon you, great ones, to ask that you give us your blessing. bless all of us, and especially, bless our youth. bless their bodies, their spirits, their minds. we call upon you, ancestors, to ask for your guidance for all