Mayor Gavin Newsom cited scores of statistics aimed at proving his point that San Francisco is better off than it was four years ago.
Newsom, 40, delivered his fourth State of the City address at UCSF Mission Bay, where more than 300 invitees - many of them his staff and supporters - gave him a standing ovation at the conclusion. He faces re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 6 when he is expected to easily win a second term.
Unlike his previous State of the City speeches, which unveiled his big vision for the future, this one focused on presenting facts about the progress made over the past four years - which Newsom repeatedly said show that San Francisco is "moving in the right direction." A video of the entire speech is posted
here.
Improving Health Care
Newsom hailed the progress made in expanding Healthy San Francisco, a program created by the City and County of San Francisco that makes health care services accessible and affordable for uninsured residents at 22 centers throughout the City. The program, which provides primary care and focuses on prevention, is available to all San Francisco residents regardless of immigration status, employment status or pre-existing medical conditions.
To date, 3,073 people have enrolled in the program, Newsom said. By summer 2008, the program anticipates serving about 46,000 uninsured residents in San Francisco. Healthy San Francisco is financed through a combination of employer, individual, and City and County of San Francisco contributions and other public sources, including federal funds.
Newsom also talked about the need to rebuild the UCSF-affiliated San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), which faces a state seismic safety mandate for construction. "There is nothing more important in my mind," said Newsom, who added that voters will have to be convinced to approve a bond measure on the ballot in November 2008 to pay for a new hospital.
SFGH has been a partner in public health with UCSF through an affiliation agreement made official in 1873. The University provides faculty from all four schools - dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy - who provide patient care services, conduct research and teach at SFGH.
For its part, UCSF contributes the talent and teamwork of its faculty, residents and students, who provide high-quality patient care services and conduct cutting-edge clinical and basic research, from pioneering treatment for HIV/AIDS to detecting drug-resistant strains of staphylococcus. Their groundbreaking discoveries and innovations are often translated into improved health practices, protocols and policies around the world.
Boosting Business
Newsom thanked Chancellor Mike Bishop, MD, for the opportunity to speak at the Mission Bay campus, the heart of a growing biotech sector and one of three key industries helping to boost the economy in San Francisco. These emerging industries, Newsom said, include clean tech, digital media and biotech, each of which is being led by an advisory council to help propel their continued growth and development.
Just four years ago, Newsom pointed out, San Francisco had only three biotech companies. Today, 39 new biotech companies are operating in the city.
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San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom delivered his fourth State of the City address at UCSF Mission Bay on Monday. |
Newsom, who himself is a successful businessman, said San Francisco has offices or headquarters of Google, Wikipedia, LucasArts, Microsoft, Current TV, Gymboree, Yahoo and Suntech, to name a few. Riverbed Technology, Newsom noted, has established its headquarters in San Francisco because "that's where the talent is and that is our competitive edge."
Newsom also noted that the city is investing in small businesses, which he called the "backbone of our economy."
Newsom reminded the audience that San Francisco, with the help of the UCSF community, successfully competed against 18 other cities to lure the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) headquarters in May 2005. Since then, CIRM, which supports stem cell research throughout the state, has awarded several major grants to UCSF. In March, CIRM awarded more than $17.4 million to UCSF researchers intent on using human embryonic stem cells to explore treatment strategies for a variety of disorders - heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and blood disorders.
Newsom said that he is working on the dual strategy of workforce development and job training through the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development. The city is expanding partnerships with San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District to ensure that students are well prepared for careers in biotechnology.
Making Progress
Among other accomplishments, Newsom said San Francisco has:
* Experienced a strong economy, including a surge in hotel occupancy, retail sales and domestic and international air traffic, all of which is contributing to a record reserve of $153.9 million in fiscal year 2007-2008;
* Boosted funding for affordable housing from $210.7 million in fiscal year 2006-2007 to $226 million in 2007-2008, and is investing $95 million in public housing;
* Housed about 4,392 previously homeless people, which leaves approximately 2,770 people still on the streets at last count;
* Revitalized its public libraries in neighborhoods from the Marina to the Excelsior and investing in its parks which cost $105 million over the past four years;
* Cleaned and greened its streets, including Haight Street, which can be both trendy and trashy;
* Reduced bureaucracy in part by consolidating city agencies and instituting civil service reform;
* Launched an around-the-clock 311 telephone service that offers information about city services and programs in 176 different languages;
* Increased the on-time performance of Muni to 71.9 percent, although it is still shy of the 85 percent mandated by the public;
* Boosted funding for public schools, including creating 2,777 slots for preschoolers and employing 27 arts coordinators in elementary schools; and
* Worked to improve public safety by hiring 444 new police officers since 2004, investing in violence prevention programs with the help of UCSF and continuing to reduce serious crimes.
Newsom did concede that the number of homicides and arson has risen by 20 percent and 7 percent, respectively. This year, San Francisco has had 88 homicide cases compared with 76 last year. Newsom noted that, contrary to some media accounts, he supports community policing and has added 147 new beat officers and has increased foot patrols.
Photos by Lisa Cisneros
Related Links:
San Francisco Mayor's Office News Release
October 29, 2007
2007 State of the City Address (PDF)
Newsom cites strides in Muni, homelessness in State of CitySan Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 30, 2007
