Category Archives: Economy

Economy, Government, Local News, Politics

(VIDEO) SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR, CITY OFFICIALS EVICTED!

May 9, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – In other U.S. cities, protesters block streets and freeways, set vehicles on fire, break storefront windows and loot businesses. In San Francisco, they just take over City Hall.

That’s what happened yesterday as hundreds of protesters rallied at City Hall for a temporary halt to evictions in a popular San Francisco neighborhood where workers in the booming technology sector are accused of pushing out long-time tenants.

The protesters, chanting and screaming in English and Spanish, want a one-year halt on tenant evictions in the diverse Mission District and a two-year moratorium on construction of expensive high and medium-rise condos and other market-rate developments.

They then entered the building and evicted Mayor Ed Lee and all of the members of the city and country board of supervisors.

When City Hall officials called the police department to stop the evictions and restore peace and order, they were informed that 90 percent of the police force, most of them residents of the Mission District, went on leave. They were among the protesters.

Once again, the City by the Bay showed the country — and the world — how things ought to be done. Or undone.

Economy

SAN FRANCISCO HOUSING RENTS, CAR OWNERSHIP HIT ALL-TIME LOW!

April 22, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – If you left your heart in San Francisco, now is the best time to go back. What was once among the most expensive major U.S. cities to live in is becoming a haven for low to middle-income earners.

Until recently, the average rent for a one-bedroom and one-bath apartment was $2, 500 a month, garage extra. Now, the same size apartments are going for $1,000 to $1,500 a month. Studios are now renting for an average of $600 per month. The rents also include two bike racks.

Speaking of bikes, a new city-wide survey shows that car ownership is shrinking, down by almost 60%, thanks to the ever-increasing number of bike-only lanes in major thoroughfares throughout The City by the Bay.

Ex-car owners interviewed by The Adobo Chronicles said that it no longer makes sense to own a car in the city, since most streets and roadways have been painted green, indicating bike-only lanes. “Between the bike lanes and red-painted buse and taxi-only lanes, private cars have practically been booted out,” said San Francisco resident Mike Bello who sold his Range Rover and purchased a mountain bike.

Craigslist and other social media sites have seen a significant increase in the number of ads for surprisingly affordable apartment rentals, like this one:

Economy, Local News, The Media

PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING REPORTER JOINS THE ADOBO CHRONICLES’ STAFF

April 21, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

SILICON VALLEY, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – The Daily Breeze, a small newspaper in Torrance, California, with just 63,000 subscribers and seven metro reporters, was a surprise winner at Monday’s Pulitzer Prize ceremony, taking home the local reporting award for its investigation of corruption in a poor school district that brought down an exorbitantly paid superintendent and led to changes in state law.

The award is shared among Rob Kuznia, Rebecca Kimitch and Frank Suraci.

The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.

The Pulitzer win is a nice reminder that local newspapers can really make a difference in the world. But it’s also a grim reminder of just how wretched the business of metro journalism truly is, and how unaffordable housing can kill many respectable professions.

Kuznia, whose work on the education beat started the whole effort, left journalism last year in order to actually support himself. He didn’t earn enough money at the newspaper to make ends meet while renting an apartment in Los Angeles. He’s now in public relations.

Shortly after being informed of his Pulitzer, Kuznia said he wants to go back to journalism. That’s when the publisher of The Adobo Chronicles offered him the position of chief correspondent . The Silicon Valley-based online publication has a worldwide following of more than 15 Million. Kuznia readily accepted. “I’ve always wanted to live in the Silicon Valley,” he said.

Both Kuznia and the publisher refused to disclose the negotiated salary and benefits, except to say that the new star reporter will be provided rent-free housing.