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
Supervisor Connie Chan came to San Francisco in 1991. Then 13, Chan, her mother and brother, settled in Chinatown, where they struggled and eventually thrived. Connie Chan’s story resonated with District 1’s Chinese-American voters who played an important role in electing her to public office. The supervisor,
The fight over San Francisco housing has been portrayed as NIMBY versus YIMBY, obscuring the role that moneyed right-wing groups like GrowSF, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco and TogetherSF are playing in city politics. The real housing debate is not between NIMBY and YIMBY, but between real estate
The “Network State: How to Start a New Country” was released in 2022 to little fanfare. After all, strange and extreme ideas are a dime a dozen in the tech world. However, the author of the self-published book, venture capitalist Balaji Srinivasan is ambitious even by Silicon Valley standards.
A new political action committee tiptoed onto San Francisco’s political stage. Less than two years later, Families for a Vibrant SF was ready for its close-up. In the run up to the March 2024 election, the group spent more than $800,000 to elect a slate of conservative
San Francisco mayoral candidates presented their visions, emphasizing philanthropy, leadership, & anti-corruption. Daniel Lurie highlighted his charitable work, Mayor London Breed discussed inherited challenges, Ahsha Safai called for better management, & Aaron Peskin focused on fighting corruption. San Francisco’s five leading mayoral candidates made their case before San