by Mark Carney
Labeled as a “New Deal for San Francisco”, a local hiring law was passed last Tuesday by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Mayor Gavin Newsom has until Dec. 24 to sign or veto the legislation, although, as the law passed by a vote of 8-3, his veto would likely be overridden.
The law, authored by Supervisors John Avalos and Sophie Maxwell, would require city contractors to hire local workers for public works projects; beginning in 2011, the law stipulates that 20 percent of those hired be local workers, which percentage will increase 5 percent annually until 2017, when the goal of 50 percent would be reached.
The law attempts to address the problem of persisting local unemployment by utilizing the massive funding— some $30 billion over the next ten years—that San Francisco allocates for public works projects. At present, unemployment in San Francisco stands at 10 percent, but, according to Avalos, it is a great deal higher in neighborhoods such as Bayview-Hunters Point.
“For decades, the city has merely required that “good faith efforts” of contractors to increase access for local residents to wellpaying construction jobs. Despite the city’s goal of hiring 50 percent local residents, the actual level of residents participating historically has been much lower and is on the verge of dropping below 20 percent, “ Avalos said.
The law has critics outside San Francisco, however. The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has urged Newsom to veto the law, and argues that it will have a negative impact on its residents. One provision of the law mandates a 70-mile radius, meaning that it would apply to San Francisco International Airport, the Hetchy Hetch water system and the San Bruno jail.
On Tuesday, Dec. 21, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution condemning the proposed law. Supervisor Carole Groom, noting that many county residents would thereby be excluded from important public works projects, urged that “This is not the time to put isolation around a community.”
In response to these concerns, Avalos, in a letter to City Clerk Angela Louis, wrote,”…hardly an exclusion when you consider that San Francisco taxpayers are making the investments on these projects.”
Assembly woman against Congestion Pricing
Fiona Ma, an assemblywoman representing the 12th District, which includes portions of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, spoke out against the controversial proposal of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFTA) to charge drivers for entering and leaving downtown San Francisco.
Despite their recent revision of the proposal to permit free entrance and exit from San Mateo County, the SFTA proposal would still apply to drivers inside the city. “Working families cannot afford to pay outrageous fees just to drive from west of Twin Peaks to downtown. The SFTA should proceed with caution before approving any final congestion pricing plan. The reality is that many families have no other choice but to drive their children to school, soccer practice and the doctor’s offi ce, “Ma said.
Ma has vowed to block passage of the law in the state legislature.
