Hostage Situation at City Hall Continues: Mayor Destroys Historic Budget Compromise

Press Contact: Jennifer Friedenbach 577-977
Chelsea Boillard 218-2764

JULY 1, 2010 3:00 PM CITY HALL, 1 Dr. Carlton Goodlett Place, San Francisco

After weeks of seemingly productive negotiations, Mayor Gavin Newsom has jettisoned a historic budget compromise with the Board Of Supervisors. The package of add-backs and cuts would have preserved the essential services San Francisco families rely on to survive the recession. In an eleventh hour maneuver, Newsom abruptly insisted that the Board Of Supervisors drop various charter amendments slated for the November ballot in order to buy his support for the budget package. In order to leverage political gain on unrelated issues, the Mayor chose to hold hostage the package of restorations to vital senior health services, youth violence prevention programs, mental health treatment and cuts to waste.

Desperate to stave off decimation, recession troubled San Franciscans, will send hostage negotiators inside city hall to negotiate the release of life saving measures from Mayor Gavin Newsom. The hostage negotiators will use age old tricks such as blaring heavy metal music and offering food to push the standoff to a close, and release the needed funds to safety.

"Mayor Newom is risking the lives and livelihoods of children and their families for his own power moves and political gain," According to Chelsea Boilard, Coleman Advocates for Children & Youth.

Remarked Jennifer Friedenbach, Coalition on Homelessness "In a time of economic crisis and insecurity for families in sf -- mayor plays politics by refusing to support the board's priorities of creating a city of opportunity for all. The end of a budget process is not the place to debate the merits of the charter amendments proposed by various Supervisors. It is the place to debate what budget strategies will help put San Francisco on the road to economic recovery."

According to James Chionsini of Planning for Elders in the Central City, "The Mayor has the money to pass the budget but he is playing last minute political games with issues that have been worked on for months. He is a day late and 10 million dollars short and everyone is wondering where he has been.

The Budget and Finance Committee of the Board Of Supervisors will meet again no earlier today at 2:30 in order to proceed with passing a budget which serves the interests of all San Franciscans. Hostage negotiators will enter the building shortly past 3:00 pm.