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tv   [untitled]    June 10, 2011 6:00pm-6:30pm PDT

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grouping of -- with a smooth finish. this features ten unique button sculptures with different pastel colors that function not only as a place to sit, but also as a touchstone to something recognizable, familiar, and comforting. another key component included an art project that responded directly to the hospital's rich history. using archival images and artifacts, had designed 16 intricately woven tapestries that are inviting of significant events that shaped the hospital and the community over time. a >> it attracts a lot of visitors, and they are all and
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all - -in aw -- in awe over the variety of mediums used. >> i think we have given the city of san francisco and the residents an incredible art collection. it really encourage people to come and visit the new facility, also to see the arts. >> for more information, visit sfartscommisis >> hello, and throbbing meet
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your district supervisor. we're here with supervisor carimi from district five which includes inner sunset, haight-ashbury, lower haggete, japan town and part of haight valley. the supervisor was first selected to the board in 2004 and re-elected in 2008. we're going to get to know him and talk about the toughest issues facing the city. welcome, supervisor and thank you for joining us today. >> thank you very much. >> tell us a little about your background, where you grew up, went to school and the kind of jobs that you worked. >> most of my adult life i spent completely here in san francisco. now about 27 years. i was born in chicago. my father had emigrateford iran to go to school in chicago, where he met my mother while he was attending the university of chicago. that's where i was born. after my parents had divorced, i spent most of my youth in the state of rhode island, southern rhode island, and then after i graduated high school, i went to
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undergraduate college in st. louis, missouri and then came out here for grad school, which fell in love with san francisco bay area. all of my plans changed and this became my home. i worked as an environmental analyst for a number of think tanks and then applied that trade in law enforcement, where i went to the san francisco police academy many, many years ago, graduated as a academy class, president of the class. trained in environmental forensics, both here locally, state and federally by the usepa in the training center in georgia and i worked for the district attorney's office in san francisco for nine years before becoming elected supervisor. >> and you spent most of your adult life in san francisco. >> yes. >> why did you make the choice to live in the city? >> oh, my god, i had never been west of the mississippi until i came here. growing up, we read a lot in our household but many of the books
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that i was drawn to were from authors who either came from california or spent substantial time in california dealing with so many eras that i think we're just awesome. and it all came to life with me as soon as i touched ground injust wanted to be here. >> what motivated to you get involved in politics? >> i think i have to give some of that credit to my family. my mother growing up for me in the '60's, '70's, was very involved in the women's movement and in the anti-war movement and would often take me to protest and to lectures. she was also involved union labor as her family had been for a couple generations. my father was the director of ymca in chicago and so with that civic engagement through ymca, i think that all was in one variable or another very
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influential to me. >> where do you place yourself on the political spectrum now? >> with regard to? >> well, i know founded the green party in the '90's. >> i did. my feeling is that in college, especially during the reagan administration, i thought that the democratic party in the united states had essentially vacated the left. and fused i think a little too much with the political right. there had n. my opinion, been insufficient advocacy for people who were left of center. and so that reality, coupled with the fact of the growing environmental crisis and denial that this country was going through and in seeing the inspirational movement of the green party's blossoming in europe, especially germany, i went to germany in the late 1980's. i spent time with the green party of germany in the parliament over there, learned
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everything i possibly could. came back to california. i was 1 of 20 people who co-founded the green party here in california. i have been a member of the green party, co-founder, for about 20 years and then less than two years ago i decided it was time for me to shift directions and i became a democrat. >> looking back a few years to your campaign for supervisor, what lessons did you learn from that experience? was there anything that surprised you? >> a lot of things surprised me but it was an extremely rewarding experience and not for the self-evident reason of just winning a campaign. i was faced with a great amount of talent. people in my district. there was about two dozen of us who ran for district supervisor in 2004. but for me, it was my understanding that i loved to campaign, i knew that in advance. how i like to campaign is i meet people. i knocked on every door in
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district five. i really did enjoy that. probably to the point where i should have stopped knocking on doors eventually. i think it was just too much. but the experience itself was amazing. it's a fit for somebody like myself, and i think it's a fit for san francisco's total equality when it understand what's politics means and that is grass roots organizing. that's my background. i like grass roots organizing. it doesn't matter what your brand of politics is. it should never be subverted if you come to the right, middle or left to always want to engage the public and empower the public by them needing you and you listening to them. >> speaking of the public here in san francisco, what are some of the biggest issues you feel are facing the public in the city. >> today? >> yes. >> well, san francisco is one of the most magical cities i think in this planet and certainly in the united states.
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it is built with indigenous resources to that help make us that special. our natural environment both by land and by sea and water. and just a wonderful history that we have made us a standout city where i think other cities, which they had some of that aspect we doff. we're also a cost prohibitive city. it's expensive to be here. i think it's extremely important we remain sensitive to strategy and implementation of making sure the city retains its class diversity. there's always a lot of discussion about diversity in terms of culture and race. class diversity is something that shouldn't be subordinate to that discussion. i want to make sure that san francisco has a working class population. i want to make sure we do not take for granted because we are seen as more cosmopolitan, that that excuses us from not
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tackling issues of poverty, which there are still substantial pockets of it in san francisco. just by what others may argue. that to me obligates our requirement to make sure this city, being in its reputation of being forward thinking and progressive, learn to -- learn to make sure that that translates into economics so that this isn't a city just for those who could afford it. >> what do you feel like are some of the biggest issues facing your district? >> well, when i came into office in january 2005, a number of areas of our district, as you outlined in your opening statement, really confronted different neighborhoods in different ways. district five is by far one of the most interesting drawn districts of the whole city. my western border goes almost into the sunset.
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my eastern border is goss street, my northern border is california street, our southern border is waller and as you mentioned earlier, all of the neighbors in between. from our inner sunset, the challenges there have been very, very different than say on the other side of the district in the western addition. one of the most pronounced and high-profile challenges that had vexed my predecessors in the city is i think the completion resignation that the western addition had to be engulfed in crime in publi supervisor mirkarimi: i think that the deliberations that came out of the last few months on the question of tax breaks and tax reform have helped us arrive at a particular place that gives us this entree to determining,
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maybe with our toe in the water, of what it might look like to actually recall tax structure. for most of my adult life, i have spent completely here in san francisco. now about 27 years. i was born in chicago. my father had emigrated from iran to go to school in chicago where he met my mother when he was attending university of chicago. that is where i was born. my mother, growing up in that -- growing up for me in the 1960's and 1970's -- was very involved in the war movement and what often take me to protest and lectures. she was also involved in union labor, as her family had been for a couple of generations. my father was the director of ymca in chicago. with the sixth engagement, i think that all was in one variable or another, very influential on me. after my parents had divorced, i
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spent most of my youth in the state of rhode island. after i graduated high school, i went to the undergraduate college in st. louis, missouri, and came out here for grad school. fell in love with the san francisco bay area appeared all my plans changed, and this became my home. >> [inaudible] do we end up with a wells fargo here? another bank of america over there? what projects as going forward? supervisor mirkarimi: you read my mind. that is a perfect segue. i wanted to talk about rezoning, areas that fortified neighborhood interests so there is not another chase situation or wells fargo, or what have you, that should put us in this position again. >> i worked as an environmental analyst for a number of think tanks and then applied to that trade in law enforcement where i went to the san francisco police academy many years ago, graduated from the sfpd class,
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trained in environmental forensics, both here locally, state, and finally by the u.s. epa in a training center, and i worked with the district attorney's office in san francisco for nine years becoming -- before becoming elected supervisor. i was one of 20 people who co- founded the green party in california. i thought that the democratic party in the united states had essentially vacated or left and use a little too much with the political right. in my opinion, there had been insufficient advocacy for people who were left of center. less than to w. years ago, i decided it was time for me to shift direction and said the democrats. that is what this comes down to. that does not take quite as long comparatively to other cities, either. if anything, at least maybe permitting is made to the frustration that red tape business is the way you deal with that reality, but in terms
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of legislation, good idea actually gets marshall pretty quickly in this city. i love to campaign. i knew that in advance. how i like to campaign is i meet people. i knock on every door in district 5, and i really did enjoy that. but i like grass roots organizing. does not matter what your brand of politics is. it should never be subverted. whether you come from the right, middle, or left. you should always want to engage the public and in power the public by them meeting you and you listening to them. that is what has happened around here. thank you. be well. if you look between hagiht and g -- haight and gary streets, you would have seen a complete renaissance. the median is here. the improvements on the sidewalks.
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this just happened over the last two or three years. the street you are right in the middle of right now is on funding at growth and a visitor. it is an amazing farmer's market that the whole community comes down for pirie whether it is good or bad, i have to tell you, i am the lowly impressed. right here, in front of motor bicycles shopping cafe -- mojo bicycle shop and cafe, we have the first part what we're week extended the table seating right on the street, and it is the first one in the city here in district 5, and it serves as a template for other businesses wanting to do the exact same thing. >> there is all -- there's always a lot of discussion about diversity. i think class ever city is something that should not be subordinate to that discussion. i want to make sure that sanford cisco has a working-class population. i want to make sure that we do
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not take for granted because we are seen as more cosmopolitan, that that excuses' us from not tackling issues of poverty, which there are still substantial pockets of it in san francisco, despite what others may argue. that, to me, oddly it's our requirements, to make sure our city, in its reputation of being forward thinking and progressive, learns to make sure that that translates into economic, so that this is not just a city for those who can afford it. we want to get down to brass tacks issues about not just public safety but the root causes that we want to address of job training, job placement, giving our youth something to aspire to, giving young adults something that they can turn to, giving people who feel that they need that extra level of support from city hall, from local government, the ability to be able to reach out -- that is
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also what tonight is part of. he is the real supervisor, my son. he just turned two last week. i know i was going to grow to be an eco-leader in some respects, but out of the desperation, the fact that we are not getting leadership from the federal government and state government, trying to mitigate pervasive environmental harm or answering the larger questions, like of a climate change, or trying to figure out ways that we compensate for insufficient public resources, coming from state government, these are the kinds of things that force us to deal with citywide issues. sometimes, that is the risk of people of accusing us of overstepping our jurisdiction and being a little too heady about dealing with issues that really do not concern san francisco. my response to that is with globalization and with the way that the world has been brought into closer focus and the way
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that people now have admitted together through social media, there are no borders in this issue, and if there is going to be this kind of policy paralysis on a federal or state level, it is good for municipal government to step up to the plate and start leading the way or a less challenging the other tiers that if you do not do something, then get out.
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supervisor chu: thank you very much, president chiu. i wanted to emphasize what supervisor cohen, and this is the same conversation we have
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had with the nominee, and i look forward to seeing mr. ramos and the conversations and the balance he has expressed to me, and also recognizing some of the challenges that different neighborhoods might have with having accessible transportation, usage of cars and how is he would balance that, given multiple demands there might be, such as large families among other things. so i look forward to that conversation. my parents immigrated to the united states about 30 years ago, and that probably was the most formative part of my background. growing up in an immigrant family, you learn many things. my parents raised me in southern california, and i grew up in the restaurant business. they had a small restaurant at the time, and i was there every weekend working, and it taught me the value of working hard and what it meant to be part of a small business, a small family, and an immigrant family at that. growing up in an atmosphere in being impacted by the los angeles riots when it did occur. we were always worried watching
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the news to see whether or not the restaurant would be looted, whether it would go up in fire, so it was something that was a big concern and worry for my family at the time. i remember thinking even at that age how important it was to consider what the economics were in communities, whether people had or felt that they had opportunities or did not have opportunities, and what role it was that government played in those outcomes. >> [inaudible] supervisor chu: that is what really put me on the path to public policy. so i pursued public policy both at occidental college where i went to school as an undergrad, and also uc berkeley where i pursued public policy. i work on public finance for a while after i graduated and came back to government to really pursue that. ever since then, i have stayed here and fallen in love with how wonderful the bay area is. it is a really great place to
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be. all around the room, you will see a lot of great financial institutions. talk to them. you will see people who can help you with financial aid. talk to them. he will see departments that might have summer job opportunities. talk to them. utilize your opportunities today. learn a little bit about what you should be thinking about in the future. generally, a very practical legislator. i like to look at what the impacts of legislation would be before really voting on it, so i think, depending on the issue, you can move around, and that should be the way most people think, which is let's consider the facts of legislation before you actually consider it, irrespective of what spectrum it comes from and what spectrum it is perceived to be. sunset district is a great
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district. has many residents who are families. we have a lot of families in our district. lots of kids, seniors, people who have raised their families there for many generations. the big issue moving people is the state of the economy. how is it that we are going to be able to bring down the unemployment rate in san francisco? how is it that our future generations, our kids, and our youth are trained so they are able to take advantage of what is emerging? whether that is clean technology, technology in general, the health-care industry or other things that might be looking rosier in terms of future economic activity. thank you. today, i am very happy to have come with you all and to bike in today. i was able to ride a bike that had a two-person seat on it. i was in the back, and we both
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paddle together, and one thing i wanted to say is if you bike to school or anywhere, make sure to always wear a helmet. make sure to be safe, and of course, have fun, right? in terms of interesting jobs, this has to be one of the most interesting jobs. you work on a whole host of issues all year round, and you meet so many interesting people around the way, so i really enjoyed that.
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>> happy arbor day, everyone. we have a lot of volunteers from the richmond district center. i grew up in the california area, ended up at uc-davis. i made my way out to san francisco in 1984 when i was a college student. i remember growing up on clement street. i have always lived around in richmond area, just being around a unique area of the
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richmond, discovering san francisco in the 1980's. >> i am hoping we can not support small businesses like this because they are the unique character that makes neighborhoods like this so rich and lively to live in. >> i have also been active as a community organizer. i worked at the chinese progressive association. i also worked at the mental health center in the richmond district. i have always been passionate about civil rights, equality for everyone. i have a 10-year-old daughter, so having a girl has made me much more sensitive to gender equality issues. i guess i have always been vocal about my politics, but as a supervisor, i have to listen to other perspectives and making decisions. >> very soon there will be of much more seniors in that area. we are trying to focus on whether a stop sign or stoplight
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might help. >> tried to look at issues of senior nutrition programs, alzheimer's research, even housing policies that allowed our buildings to become more senior-friendly. also looking at how to support senior services, neighborhood- by-neighborhood programs that allow aging in place. people who are getting older helping each other stay in their homes and communities longer so that they can contribute as long as possible, as opposed to institutionalizing them. >> i support working families, livable communities, definite drawn support for the small business. even in my district, there are pockets of poverty and many people of work. so it is also about supporting those under employed people, small businesses in this difficult economy. >> there are a lot of vacant storefronts, so we are trying
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to find people to read these spaces. there is a bookstore over there. this way there are a lot of businesses that have been closing. >> i support the small businesses versus more chain stores that seem to be coming in to some of the vacant storefronts. i am trying to be sensitive to the local merchants because they make up the unique character and diversity of our neighborhoods. you go to lafayette. i was just there reading to a bunch of kids. i think i was reading to fifth graders. what grade are you in? >> as a member of the school board, i know strong schools in the richmond is key. also, from the birth to 5 commission -- each commission has an organization to oversee pre-kindergarten kids. i want to ensure that the state