Tag: London Breed

Mayor London Breed picked the right time and the right governor to ask for clemency for her imprisoned brother. The San Francisco mayor said the attorney for brother Napoleon Brown suggested that “Jerry Brown would probably be more open” to the request because it was his last year in office. In his first stint as governor, Brown issued 400 pardons and just one commutation. This time around, he has pardoned 1,100 and commuted 152 sentences. So Breed would never have a better opportunity to make the case that her brother, who has served about half his 42-year sentence for a 2000 robbery and involuntary manslaughter, received an excessive sentence and deserves another chance at freedom. She has received legitimate criticism over the way she highlighted her title — “MAYOR LONDON BREED” in block letters at the top of her correspondence to the governor — as well as disclosures that she testified as an alibi witness, claiming she saw her brother sleeping on a couch on the night the robbery went down. We thought about it, we discussed it, we even weighed it: Should we do this because this could be problematic?” The decision was that attaching the prefix “Mayor” to her name did not really matter, in her view. The reason I got into politics and the first place, and doing the work that I’ve done even before I was an elected official, had everything to do with what happened to my family growing up in the city, and the challenges we experienced.” I can’t begrudge Breed for wanting to free her brother, and I respect her putting herself on the line to assure the state that she would help provide the support to allow him to succeed outside the prison walls. These are among the questions a governor must consider. The easy way out — see: Gray Davis — is to pretend the justice system always gets it right, and that every inmate who remains in prison, however unfairly, is one less potential Willie Horton to crop up at election time.

The neighborhood social network Nextdoor is gearing up for the 2018 primaries and beyond, partnering with public agencies and local governments, and encouraging civil political discourse in an increasingly partisan America. When Hala Hijazi wanted her friends to meet London Breed, then a candidate for mayor of San Francisco, she invited the whole neighborhood. Hijazi, a community organizer and consultant, lives in the city’s Marina District and is a member of Nextdoor, the neighborhood social-media site. To address those concerns, the San Francisco-based company is creating separate forums for neighbors who want to discuss national politics. Some cities, too, are frustrated with the service, saying there is no mechanism for local politicians to have a dialogue with constituents on the site. The company, too, recently partnered with the District of Columbia Board of Elections, one of about 3,000 public agencies that distribute voter and community information via Nextdoor. To address this, the company has begun testing a new service in 12 markets, including the Bay Area and Dallas, to offer users a political forum separate from their neighborhood feeds. “The idea was to create a place where people could share information without offending others who don’t want to talk about politics,” Wymer said. But how do you have a dialogue when you have such an overwhelming response?” Wymer said the company will continue to work with partners, while respecting the privacy of Nextdoor’s community. He also said the company has no plans to sell political ads and users do not widely share political articles.

Image When Hala Hijazi wanted her friends to meet London Breed, then a candidate for mayor of San Francisco, she invited the whole neighborhood. Ms. Hijazi, a community organizer and consultant, lives in the city’s Marina District and is a member of Nextdoor, the neighborhood social media site. Breed won the mayoral election in June. And with political engagement at an all-time high, Nextdoor is gearing up for the 2018 political primaries and beyond, partnering with public agencies and local governments, and encouraging civil political discourse in an increasing partisan America. To address those concerns, the San Francisco-based company is creating separate forums for neighbors who want to discuss national politics. Some cities, too, are frustrated with the service, saying there is no mechanism for local politicians to have a dialogue with constituents on the site. The company, too, recently partnered with the District of Columbia Board of Elections, one of about 3,000 public agencies that distribute voter and community information via Nextdoor. Comments from residents, too, were overwhelming. He also said the company has no plans to sell political ads and users do not widely share political articles. “He was very aggressive about it.” Mr. Gonzalez said he took the post down.

Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Policy and racism: Commonwealth Club hosts a forum on the question, does the Bay Area have policies that affirm racism? Speakers include San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi and Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza. 6:30-7:45 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. 8:30-11 p.m., Delancey Street, 600 Embarcadero, San Francisco. Medea Benjamin on Iran: Code Pink and Global Exchange co-founder on “Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Benefit for KPFA-FM. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., starts at Ferry Building Plaza in San Francisco. What’s next for Iran? Noon-1 p.m. at the Commonwealth Club, 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco.