I joined a roomful of City agencies and private sector partners on April 30th to launch the Summer Jobs+ 2013 Employer Challenge. This City program, which is co-sponsored by the United Way, aims to build off the success of last year's summer jobs program which employed 5,200 youth in summer jobs, with 39% of them resulted in permanent positions. Private sector partners came together again this year with Mayor Lee, the United Way and myself to pledge to provide more jobs for this summer. Providing job opportunities for our youth helps ensure that they are gaining valuable work experience. 

Mother's Day Rally Against Domestic Violence...

This past Friday, in recognition of Mothers Day, I joined with the Domestic Violence Consortium and many organizations such as: the Department and the Commission on the Status of Women, La Casa de Las Madres,  Mujeres Unidas y activas, Community United Against Violence, Cameron House, the Asian Women's Shelter, Glide, and the Arab Cultural and Community Center. They are on the front lines every day working to support and advocate for victims of domestic violence and their families.  We took this opportunity to remind the public and City officials that the issue of domestic violence is one that we must continue to prioritize. San Francisco has always been a leader in civil rights, victims' rights and women's rights issues. But, all too often it takes a tragic incident to bring the issue of domestic violence to the forefront. I was proud to have been one of the sponsors of legislation this year that provided nearly a million more dollars in general fund support to these groups and agencies, but we still have work to do. 

Legislation Enabling our City's First Ever Green Benefit District...

A steering committee of residents, business owners, private partners, and my office began working with a non-profit partner UP, on a creative strategy to establish dedicated sources of funding for the operation, maintenance and improvement of parks and green spaces in Potrero Hill and Dogpatch. The tool that the committee is exploring is modeled off of the City's Community Benefits District program which allows property owners to vote to create a special assessment district in exchange for control over what those assessments are used for. We have many Community Benefit Districts and Business Improvement Districts throughout the City which focus primarily on commercial corridor revitalization, economic development and cleanliness. This particular group is exploring the possibility of using this model to fund enhanced maintenance and improvements to neighborhood parks, open spaces and green areas.  In support of the efforts of the Potrero Hill and Dogpatch neighborhoods as well as many other communities across the City that are looking at this tool, I introduced legislation that would expand our existing City regulations to cover enhanced maintenance and improvements to neighborhood parks, open spaces and green areas. The formation of an assessment district, no matter what the use, is a very complex and regulated process involving a neighborhood election and approvals by the Board of Supervisors. You can read more about the proposal here. Please consider taking the community survey and share your views on what green spaces in Potrero Hill and Dogpatch need investment and what type of investment. You can take the survey online here, or if your need a paper copy of the survey, you can pick one up and drop it off at the following locations: 

Christopher's Books: 1400 18th St. at Texas St.

Rickshaw Bagworks: 904 22nd St. at Minnesota St.

Potrero Hill Neighborhood House: 953 De Haro St. at Southern Heights Blvd.