beautiful. it's a movement that was designed by the architect arthur brown who was trained in paris and our city hall was designed. some might say that still isn't france greatest influence in san francisco but might be the legacy of french bakers who brought flour do you get during the california gold rush, you know, do you get is a culinary traditions and the most important french companies were founded by french immigrants who recipe shill lives on today,

it's the oldest continuing running company. so mr. president, i hope you'll see how much we san franciscans value our french county to our character and the quality of our city. you have a standing invitation to visit whatever you want and our doors will be open to you. it's with great honor i hereby present to you the key to the city of san francisco

(clapping.) mr. president, >> ladies and gentlemen, i know that in san francisco everybody don't speak in french so i will speak in french.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> mayor ed lee and san francisco thank you for the warm representation and gavin newsom thank you for your kind words and for the support in france. i would like i to greet mayor brown who unfortunately wasn't able to be here because of the circumstances. but >> (speaking foreign language.) >> mr. shooults wants to thank you and pay transcribe to the

work he did he's a wonderful man and did steering wheel work and would like to pay transcribe to the work he did over the years. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> in the discussions we had with the ministers of the government he said we need to trust youth but i'd rally we need to trust wisdom. >> (speaking foreign language.) >>

(clapping) thoogz france was awarded the keys to the city of san francisco. i want to thank you warming for the honor you bestowed upon me and the copy of the key i hope that works as well as the first copy of the key >> (speaking foreign language.) >> (laughter). >> but i hope it's a sign of confidence we'll be able to come back to a san francisco and turn the key and open the door.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> san francis is a city it is dear to all french citizens heart. and when i arrived here i was struck by the button i didn't have this building that reminds us of the hotel in paris. i also when i arrived i was welcomed by the young children

singing the french song i was deeply moved > >> (speaking foreign language.) >> when we hear the name of san francisco it stands for tolerance and maternity and that's why 60 thousand french men and women have chosen to supplement down u adopt in san francisc

bay. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> san francisco, california this is the place where tomorrow's world is being invented ate a revolution that started here with the new technology and this revolution will have an impact no doubt on the rest of the world. >> (speaking foreign language.)

>> it is here that in the area of health, energy and new technologies new products are developed and new medicines are intensity and a on what grounds are found and those will change radly the people of the united states but also have people all over the world. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> and this is precisely we're so proud that more than 3 hundred french companies have chosen to settle down in san francisco. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> and we'll also particularly proud that a third of american

investments in france come from this area. >> (speaking foreign language.) >> we have a historic ties that is true the french have attributed to the creation of city and other french folks create vineyard in this area and now more french meanwhile will settle down here for conversation in the district speeding i hope you'll forgive us for thinking why so many french people want to come and

live here is because they think they're in france (laughter) >> (speaking foreign language.) >> we've got strong cultural diaz ties between paris and san francisco there's a fruitful cooperation that as beautiful infections on expression itching and we've got close ties in the fields of cinema but cult is high on the agenda.

>> (speaking foreign language.) >> we always have cultural corporation guess the berkley is one example and we are intent on enhancing this corporation from students on both sides of the

atlantic (clapping.) in california you won't changed the world that's a buff mission a very ambitious mission but we understand because we have the same vision for centuries france wanted to change the world we can change the way we deal with health and technology in order to make the world a better place. california and france a match made in haeveng heaven in history and in future

(clapping.) again mr. president, thank you for your visit to san francisco you're a wise man and hope you leave our heart here and know that the could he not only not only does it open our buildings but our hearts so, please come back very soon and today, we're going to take you to a san francisco french restaurants but we'll have to call out for fast food if you like (laughter) and please join us in the reception if you're people have the time

>> february meeting of the san francisco ethics commission will now come to order. >> i will call the roll. >> vice chair renne? here. >> commissioner hur? >> here. >> commissioner keane? here. >> commissioner andrews? >> here. >> everyone is present and accounted for, thank you. >> the first order of business will be the public comment on any matters appearing before our commission today, whether they are on the agenda or not. >> there is something that i

have to do. >> commissioners ray hartz, director of san francisco open government. on this screen is a list of 16 orders of determination issued by the sunshine ordinance task force in cases i have filed. and that 16 out of 21 cases that i have one a success rate of 76 percent. and now, i will ask you or the commissioners to take a guess how many of these have been enforced? i think that you all know, you just don't want to admit the fact is zero.

not one. what i think is particularly interesting is the fact that all of these cases sent, of all of the cases sent to the ethics commission you have dismissed every one. the members of this body have absolutely no interest in helping the citizens of san francisco but only in protecting the city against its citizens, another interesting fact is that many of these cases involve violations of the law by the people who appoint you. so what do san francisco's gets for the millions of dollars that it costs to support this body each year? an infrastructure designed to cover the back sides of city wrong doers. >> most are familiar that the city librarian was found to have purgered himself for 3 consecutive years making claims that the friends of the san francisco public librariry gave him nothing which actual year they were giving him thousands of dollars worth of gifts of

travel, hotel accommodations, transportation, food, conference attendance, etc.. he spent two years withholding public records from me. i had to file two petitions to the superintendent of records in the city attorney's office, and the first petition after a year of waiting for him to give me documents was denied because he was giving me documents. another year, went by, and filed another petition and they gave me another pile of documents all of which should have been given to me within the first two to three months of my original request. and the reason that he did this? he wanted to hide the fact that he had purgered himself and filed his statements of economic interest each year, saying that he got nothing, and then had to go back when the ftpc caught him and refile and show the thousands of dollars of gifts he got from them. that is abuse of position.

when you are guilty of something and what you do is abuse of process to keep the records, that the person who is looking into it needs, something that they are entitled to, under both state and local law, because you know that if it is concealed, you will be found in violation, that shows a definite consciousness of guilt. >> thank you. >> any other public comment? okay. well, the next agenda item is the election of new officers, for the commission. i have enjoyed being chair for the past year. but, i believe in sharing the wealth and so we are hoping that we will have some nominations for a new chair for this coming year. and i would like to open up the discussion for any nominations for the chairmanship. >> i would just point out that

nominations for chair do not require a second. and you can nominate yourself if you wish. >> fellow commissioners? >> preliminary matter, would i like to thank the chair for her service and for the great job she did for the past year, thank you. >> thank you, commissioner, hur. >> do we have any nominations? >> do we have any volunteers. >> i will nominate ben hur for chair. >> thank you. >> commissioner ben hur who has served very, very well as a past chair has been nominated. anyone else? i would only second it even though it does not need it. >> all right. any discussion about commissioner hur as chair?

>> any public comment on the nominations? >> commissioner ray hartz, director of san francisco open government, and anyone who either here, well there is only two members of the public here, which shows how much interest there is. or members of the public watching on tv, if they wish to contact me, this is my e-mail address. it is sfopen government bsat sbcglobal.net and i would appreciate and i have heard from hundreds of people, and i would appreciate anyone who wishes to provide comment regarding what i say at these meetings that is the address to which to send it. the election for the officers of this body is like rearranging deck chairs on the titanic, it does not seem to

matter who is in charge, absolutely nothing gets done, but actually changes the ethical atmosphere of san francisco i have asked before with you one more time, tell me something that the members of this body have done to make public participation in government more possible? how about something that would prevent the city employees from violating the law to cover their own asses? city librarian herrera, after holding public records unlawfully for two years was only found guilty of perjury after the case was brought before a state agency. during that process there was not e are checked.

and we see lists after list, after list. of things that he now says and acknowledges that he received. that is only 2009. and he had to file the same thing for 2010 and 2011. and one of the reasons additional reason that he withheld the public record that he was by law, that he was required to give was because it allowed him to do this for two additional years. ftpc said that we can only go back three years, and if he had not withheld the document

thises would have been come to public light two years earlier, and the unlawful behavior would have stopped two years ago, and like i said i would have never even bothered to bring it to you because all that you would have done is cover his ass. >> any other public comments? >> any other nominations. hearing none, i would like to call for a vote on electing commissioner ben hur as chair of the commission, for 2014. >> 2015. >> and 2014/2015. thank you. >> all in favor? >> aye. >> aye. >> aye. >> aye. >> all against? >> i think that it is unanimous, commissioner hur? you did too good of a job last

year, or the previous year, i should say. thank you. >> we will look forward. and now, for vice chair, and any nominations for vice chair. current vice chair? has done a great job and commissioner renne? >> thank you. >> so, do i hear any nominations for vice chair? >> i nominate commissioner keane. >> all right, you look like you are thinking about it. >> thank you. >> i was just about to nominate commissioner renne. >> i would like to point out that commissioner renne is eligible serve another term. >> i am flat tered but i think that i would like to get my feet a little more wet before i move up the chain. but thank you very much. i'm flattered and honored that you would consider me for it, but i am going to decline and i

would like to nominate commissioner renne to be reappointed as chair. >> vice chair. >> excuse me. >> no objections? >> no objections. >> all right, any other nominations? >> all right. any discussion about commissioner renne as vice chair? >> any public comment about commissioner renne as vice chair. >> ray hartz, director of san francisco open government. i sometimes get a feeling of coming in to the middle of casablanca, where the french inspector says, round up the usual suspects. and it is always the same faces doing the same thing. and very frankly, i don't see anything that you do that actually improves ethical behavior in this city. and not one thing.

the karine case was a fiasco, how many millions of dollars did you spend trying to get rid of an elected official when the real way is that is supposed to be done is through a recall election, you did it because your masters in city hall said that you need to do this. bottom line is, i don't see anything that you do, except fitz around with the campaign finance laws. and every six weeks, you have another memo saying rearrange the finance laws, and rearrange the finance laws, rearrange the finance laws. that seems to be the only thing that is on your agenda, in fact, later on we are going to be discussing the executive director's report and that is the only thing that has one or two items on it and so basically that is all that you do, and how does that actually improve the open government in this city? i tell you, you walk into the library commission and you get

a library commission president who you yourself recommended unanimously for removal and they sit there and tell people that they are not allowed to talk about certain things that she does not approve of. you have a vice president of the police commission, a former prosecutor who will stand before the public and when they start to talk about something that he does not like, we will tell them point blank you are not allowed to talk about that. he lies to them. he looks them in the eye and he says, you are not allowed to talk about that knowing fell well they are entighted to talk about whatever they feel is appropriate and the board needs to hear. when i come in here, proi bely sound like an angry old man. but after five years of seeing people like myself treated this way, at boards and commissions

by people who take an oath, to support and defend the constitution of the united states of america, as a citizen of this city, a citizen of the united states, and in particular, as a veteran who gave 12 years of his life to the united states submarine service, i take great offense at people who take an oath and then make absolutely no effort for live up to that oath, and in fact, flagrantly flaunt it. >> thank you. >> call the vote? >> all of those in favor of commissioner renne to serve as vice chair for a second term? say aye. >> aye. >> aye. >> aye. >> aye. >> and the vote is unanimous, congratulations commissioner renne you are once again the vice chair. >> easy job with mr. hur as the chair. >> and it is. >> as it was with you. >> and so, beginning at our

next meeting, commissioner hur, you will be presiding, and you will be second in command once again. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> and for me, it has been a lot of fun. and i have certainly enjoyed it. and found it very educational. to say the least. >> and if i may say, how much i have enjoyed working with you. >> i enjoy working with you mr. st. croix. >> okay, so, we have an issue before us, regarding existing and potential litigation, and it is and it has and it appears on the agenda and we will need to discuss how we want to move forward on this. i believe that the commissioner hur, that you want to say something? >> yes. before we begin this agenda item i would like