The Phoenix Review is a weekly analysis of the right-wing forces shaping local politics through campaign spending. Learn about the billionaire agenda in short takes from the Bay Area’s most thoughtful political observers.
In a few short months, state Senator Scott Wiener may come one step closer to his long-stated goal of replacing Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and attaining a measure of the power that comes with succeeding a Democratic Party icon. Recent polling has Wiener leading what is expected to be a
Where did San Francisco’s environmental movement go? This seems a rather naive question since concern for the climate is everywhere in the city’s political language. But that saturation conceals a troubling shift. Environmentalism in San Francisco has not been defeated in public debate. Rather, despite the indisputable reality
A few weeks ago it was revealed that San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie spent about $1 million on consultants to burnish his image during his first year in office. While the tone of much of this coverage was critical, although conceding that it was perfectly legal, there is another way
San Franciscans are being told they’re stepping into a classroom. What they’re actually entering is a political pipeline. The ConnectedSF Institute promises “balanced viewpoints” and “non-partisan education,” but delivers direction. Flagship sessions such as “Helping Shape SF’s Next Police Chief” and “The Family Zoning Plan” are
In four short years, an Astroturf group that exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to unseat three progressive members of the San Francisco School Board has parlayed its powerful and wealthy connections to present itself as the leading voice for public school families. Created in September 2020, the San Francisco Parent
Wealthy hedge fund manager, Philip Dreyfuss is spending lavishly on right-wing candidates and causes in Oakland with the aim of masking his involvement in the city’s elections. The machinations of various political organizations involved in the recalls of Mayor Sheng Thao and District Attorney Pamela Price, as well
Chris Larsen recently told a local reporter that the phenomenon of money in politics is “gross.” Whatever repulsion Larsen feels hasn’t got in the way of his quest to become a top political donor. It’s a feat he’s achieved both by spending some of his own billion-
No local politician is more connected to San Francisco’s Astroturf Network than District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio. Now Engardio, the elected official who has served them so well, has become a liability. Not only is he likely to be recalled, leaving the Network without its most reliable ally on
If Willie Brown was mayor-as-king then Daniel Lurie is mayor-as-CEO. During his time in office, Brown bestowed favors on courtiers who had spent decades vying for his goodwill. Lurie is doing the same with the business leaders he has warmly welcomed into his inner circle. Both
In politics, as in so many other parts of life, timing is crucially important. For example, in the recently completed New York City Democratic primary there is little doubt that the salience of the war in Gaza to the left helped catapult Zohran Mamdani, the most outspoken anti-Israel voice
PayPal has attained mythic status in some corners of Silicon Valley.. The money transferring service spawned the careers of a generation who went on to start and bankroll some of tech’s most successful startups, among them YouTube, Yelp and Tesla. A 2007 Fortune Magazine article, featuring a photo of
There is something deeply telling about the choice to call it a “blueprint.” A blueprint is a map drawn up in private, a set of instructions for others to follow. It doesn’t act, it orchestrates. That’s the clearest sign yet that Blueprint for a Better San Francisco is
The website is slick, sporting photos of smiling San Franciscans happily picking up trash from city streets. Among them are local celebrities, including San Francisco Giants icon Hunter Pence and two mayors, one past and one present: London Breed and Daniel Lurie, heir to a billion-dollar fortune and the
If it feels like your Muniride is taking longer, getting more expensive, or disappearing altogether, you’re not imagining it. The city is gutting our public transit system right in front of us. But this isn’t just bad budgeting or poor planning. It’s intentional. Because billionaires like Uber,
You’ve lived in the Mission for years. After getting laid off several months ago, you’ve applied for hundreds of jobs, facing rejection after rejection. Your savings are all but exhausted as the deadline for making rent fast approaches. One day, you pass a familiar building. A flyer on