Results tagged “budgetcuts”

Facing a nearly $7 billion potential loss this fiscal year, The United States Postal Service selected 677 branches nationwide for either closure or consolidation, including more than a couple dozen in the Bay Area. Threatened post offices in San Francisco are the Civic Center P.O. Box Unit, the Federal Building, and the McLaren branches. Thanks to electronic communication, mail volume decreased by 9.5 billion pieces last year and is expected to fall by 28 billion pieces this year.

They seem rather upset. Why? Because because the city budget is bad for them, and the cuts will hurt them. So, they want to BOS to cut other services. Or something. Anyway, here they (and their supporters) are chanting "let us in" outside today's Board of Supervisors Meeting. For more comprehensive info, Chris Roberts is live blogging the entire thing.

With budget cuts, and long lines, apparently this is the easiest way for disgruntled patrons at the Fell Street DMV to get out their frustrations. The colors are very harmonious though.

As SFist reported back in January, a proposal to prune the California park system's $150 million general fund budget, money that goes to staff salaries and maintenance, might result in the closure of 25 Bay Area state parks. And said cuts could come as soon as July 1. A few parks of note in danger of closing? Candlestick Point State Recreation Area, which is known for "some of the best winter bird-watching on the bay," (our fingers are crossed for you, Walter Kitundu), Mount Tamalpais, Angel Island (!?), Jack London Park, Sonoma Coast, and many more. The governor's possible park pruning would also affect 279 parks throughout California.

Want to see to what certain SF public officials are landing a year? Of course you do. Business Insider came across a handy chart (based on this database) that lists the yearly salaries of public servants. the info is from a couple of years ago -- thus: yes, it's old news -- but since we cannot digest any info that isn't crafted into easy-to-read cells, we assume the same goes for you, readers.

Dozens of students and staff at the University of California at Santa Cruz have gone on a hunger strike "in order to bring attention to $13 million in state funding being cut at the campus." This anti-digesting protest, it seems, was sparked by school wide cuts, which have affected the Latino Studies Department and the very-UCSC Community Studies program. Protest organizer Yvette Tran told KCBS, "“The hunger strikers will continue to not eat possibly for the week or until our demands are met." Said demands? Money. Anyway, those starving students are in for an even bigger shock. UCSC spokesman Jim Burns tells Mercury News, "We appreciate and share the frustration of students and others over continued reductions in state funding to UC. And in the wake of last week's election, we're bracing for even further cuts. In that environment, protecting every program is neither realistic nor possible." UC Santa Cruz, we should point out, is known for having a lily white vibe on campus, which only heightens the tension.

With over 26,000 teachers getting pink slips in the mail, the California Teachers Association has organized Pink Friday, "a day of action to protest mass layoffs and drastic cuts to public education." But I don't teach algebra to ungrateful brats all day long, so how can I help, you ask? Like this: 1) Wear pink on Friday, March 13 to show your support for public schools, students and educators; 2) organize or attend an event at a school near you; and 3) call or e-mail your Legislator and tell them that investing in public education is an investment California's future. In related news, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom released 25 percent (about $24 million) from the city's rainy day fund this week. If approved by the the Board of Supervisor, the cash flow would help save the jobs of over 300 teachers.

In an effort to protest Newsom's recent budget cuts to public health departments and services for low-income San Franciscans, a totally awesome guy used a bicycle chain and handcuffs to attach himself to the giant "Tree of Hope" (sigh) at San Francisco City Hall today. The incident happened around 11 a.m. Aaron Buchbinder, 25, was arrested after the one-man protest. According to reports, Buchbinder "poured glue into the handcuff lock, forcing deputies to cut him free from the bindings before they could detain him." He was stuck up in the tree for about an hour. "The Tree of Hope," the goes on to say, "was not harmed in the incident." We repeat, the tree was unharmed. (Photo: Jim Herd)

Due to budget problems, the Muni Powers That Be have decided on a possible solution, that being raising the Muni Fast Pass from $45 to $60 bucks. Suck on it, Muni riders.