News: July 2009 Archives

A heroin smuggling ring that involved transporting hundreds of kilos at a time hidden in train engines and compartments has been busted up by federal authorities, as announced yesterday by Acting U.S. Attorney Larry Brown. The heroin operation first came to the attention via two undercover cops in SF's Tenderloin, who ultimately helped trace the drugs back to Michoacan, Mexico, from whence they were smuggled in trains through Southern California, up the Central Valley, and ultimately being sold in SF, Oakland and East Palo Alto. The operation, codenamed "Operation City Commuter," uncovered 200kg of the good stuff and $670,000 in cash, and the whole ring was estimated at over $17M. So remember to take pity when you see those smack kids (who all have dogs, by the way) asking for change: their heroin just got a lot more expensive.

Back in September, a certain baggage handler by the name of John Emil Victoria, age 21, fucked with the wrong man's luggage. A retired San Francisco police officer checked his custom-made handgun in his luggage, and it disappeared. This led to an undercover sting operation in which two other baggage handlers, Andrew Balamiento and Tauailapalapa Laulu, were also convicted of swiping expensive items from peoples' luggage. Balamiento and Victoria will both serve several months for felony embezzlement and Laulu will serve one month and two years of probation for misdemeanor embezzlement. Phew! You are now safe to check your custom handguns in your luggage again.

Marvin Grant (Bigg Marv), MC Hammer's cousin, was arrested late afternoon on Thursday after a manhunt. The reality TV supporting player is accused of raping a woman he met via Twitter in Livermore. According to CBS 5's Joe Vasquez, "The woman, who is from Los Angeles, arranged to meet [Tuesday] night at a hotel in Livermore after Grant returned from a shoot in Las Vegas." The victim, after declining his advances post-suppertime, was allegedly attacked by Grant. At a press conference, Lt. Matt Sarsfield of the Livermore Police Department said, "He's about 300 pounds, and was able to pin her down and keep one of her arms down while he sexually assaulted her." MC Hammer's camp has since bailed him out of jail.

SFGate "City Bright" scribe Rich Lieberman just wrote to us to ask if SFist would mention his appearance on Allen Ginsberg's ex-lover's radio show. (Sure, we like the guy. He's interesting. He wears hats. And he's never written the line "It's time to let Jennifer be Jennifer," a line that almost made us smash our face through a closed window. So, why the hell not, right? Right.) Liberman tells us, "I'll be on the Michael Savage show this afternoon in the 5-6 PM hour PST, (don't know the specific time, somewhere in there) you'll have to listen...or if you can't, i'll be on YouTube tonight...Just print "Rich Lieberman, Michael Savage" in the Youtube search box." Presumably, he'll be on our favorite troll's show to discuss Savage's UK-ban story. But you'll have to tune in to find out at Talk 960 910 KNEW.

Ahem: @GavinNewsom "Just announced plan to build UN environmental center in SF to promote sustainable and clean technologies." Meanwhile, San Francisco is still poor.

Just when you thought Muni PR couldn't get any worse, it seems that an L Taraval train had another collision with a vehicle today near 19th and Taraval. No injuries have been reported and no first-hand accounts are yet available. Shuttle buses replaced L service between West Portal and the zoo for a bit this morning, but normal service has been restored.

Believe us when we say we are just as sick as you are of this story/non-story that won't goddamn go away, but ONCE AGAIN, this weekend, there looms the threat of a BART strike, or maybe there doesn't. It would appear, since the threat has come and gone about nine times now, that all concerned are committed to negotiating this thing through and that ONCE AGAIN this will be an empty threat. But BART employees remain pissed off about a new contract that would curtail their overtime -- something that cost BART about $30 million last year -- and now that their contract has expired, workers have nothing stopping them from a walkout. So watch out everyone (especially those with homes or obligations in the East Bay)! It could be for real this time. Or not.

PREVIOUSLY: BART Workers to Strike July 1st?
BART Prepares Commuters for Potential Strike on July 1
Remember That BART Strike? It Still Might Be On

The body of an unidentified man was found inside a Castro Street apartment on Tuesday, reports the Bay Area Reporter. SFPD found the week-old corpse after receiving an anonymous phone call. Creepy. Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of death and the body's ID. The BAR goes on to say, "there had been two or three people living in the residence, but [head of the homicide unit Lieutenant Mike Stasko] didn't know if the dead man was one of them. He said the residents had not been seen in 'a few days,' and no one else was in the flat." We'll update with more info as it comes to us. Update: Police have identified the body: Robert "Bobby" Christopher, 56. According to SFGate, "He was found inside what appeared to be a ransacked apartment at 98 Castro St. after someone called San Francisco police at 6:35 p.m."

First, it's no longer the Auto Arsonist, it's "Carsonist" (TM: Eve Batey) which is way radder sounding. Second, he or she took the night off. The person(s) responsible for at least 12 car fires since Saturday didn't strike last night. (One possible reason? A female arsonist was arrested last night at the Transbay Terminal, but police have yet to connect her to the car torches, so we cannot hand her the carsonist sash and tiara just yet.) But if you know anything about this week's rash of auto fires, please call the SFPD.

If so, you might want to call the fuzz immediately. According to SFAppeal / BCN, police are asking the public for help in finding this "27-year-old man wanted in connection with a Tuesday carjacking that followed a botched robbery attempt of a West Portal bank." It seems that the very attractive David Wehrer tried (but failed) to rob the Bank of America on the 200 block of West Portal Avenue at around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. After failing at scoring any sacks of cash, Wehrer "then allegedly carjacked a red 2006 Honda Accord before fleeing the area." (CA Lic #: 5TCV308) Dangerous. Anyway, if you've seen or know where David is hiding, please call SFPD authorities at 415-553-1201 or 415-553-1071. Read more about it here.

If you receive an iPhone text message with a "single square character," be afraid. Be very afraid. It's could be hackers using a iewly discovered iPhone SMS bug to infiltrate your precious phone. According to CBS 5. "Famed hacker Charlie Miller discovered the flaw and told Apple about it six weeks ago. The company has not issued a fix, so Miller will pressure Apple by showing exactly how to hijack the iPhone at a cybersecurity conference on Thursday." Miller warned yesterday, "Someone could pretty quickly take over every iPhone in the world with this." IntoMobile explains how it works: "Using the exploit, hackers could send a succession of SMS text messages to an iPhone, allowing them to gain complete control of the handset. Hackers can then commandeer the iPhone to send similar text message strings to other iPhones, spreading like wildfire." If you get this square-character message, there's not much you can do other than turn your phone off.

credit: velobry

Wade Crowfoot is leaving Team Newsom. Aw. Crowfoot, "that guy with the fake job about weather who all the gays think is hot," has been hired by Environmental Defense Fund for yet another newly created yet dubious position. According to SF Biz Times, Wade will "lobby California’s congressional delegation and other political and business leaders to push EDF’s agenda." Now the rest of California will get to bask in the warm glow of his sharp cheek bones and cherry-stained lips. À la prochaine fois, Wade. But wait, there's more! Budget director Nani Coloretti is leaving the Newsom's brodeo as well. And, SFBG reports, "political fundraiser Paige Barry Arata ... is quitting as the finance director of Newsom's gubernatorial bid and returning to City Hall." These most recent departures come on the heels of Newsom campaign manager Eric Jaye calling it quits on Monday. Feel free to speculate wildly in the comments.

After months of tiresome foreplay -- or is that redundant? -- Microsoft and Yahoo have finally done the deed. Sunnyvale-based Yahoo and Microsoft will join forces to try gaining an edge on the market that Google snatched up with ease. The new deal goes something like this: Microsoft's new search thingamajig, Bing, will be the "exclusive algorithmic search and paid search platform" for Yahoo, there's some sort of $500M revenue sharing agreement, Yahoo will handle all sales, and the partnership will last for at least ten years per the agreement. "Success in search requires both innovation and scale," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. "With our new Bing search platform, we’ve created breakthrough innovation and features. This agreement with Yahoo! will provide the scale we need to deliver even more rapid advances in relevancy and usefulness. Microsoft and Yahoo! know there’s so much more that search could be. This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search." Today's deal, according to Valleywag, will lead to "Yahoo's annihilation." (Good luck, Carol Bartz!)

Last night, four more cars were immolated during the wee hours of the night. A little before 11:30 p.m. in the Bayview neighborhood at Newcomb Avenue and Selby Street, a car was lit ablaze. However, San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge claimed that the Bayview incident wasn't related to the alleged Auto Arsonist. But the next three fires probably are. Two vehicles were "found on fire at Francisco and Powell streets in North Beach at 2 a.m.," SFGate reported. And, at around 3:25 a.m., "a Honda was found burning at La Playa and Balboa streets near Ocean Beach." This brings the total number of singed automobiles to 11 since Saturday. The is starting to get scary.

SFist is a big fan of Google. So, naturally, we were elated to hear that Google VP of Search Product and User Experience and fellow air sign Marissa Mayer is now on Twitter. So far, she's messaged about Google comics, some guy named Bob Iger, and the keen philosophies of the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. Now, this is all well and good -- and she'll probably continue to post Twitter messages about super smart stuff that will go over our head -- but we hope, pray to God, she throws down tidbits about, say, life at the top of Four Seasons, or what Google dreamboat Sergey Brin is really like. (Just a scrap of something swoon-worthy on Brin will do nicely, Marissa. We're desperate. Obviously.) Anyway, if the mood should strike, follow her.

Be careful what you say about corporations and public entities on Twitter, dear readers! This is not your personal IM and someone might just try to sue your ass. Case in point: a Chicago woman who is being sued by Horizon Group Management, a real estate management company over a tweet she twittered regarding the company's alleged love of moldy apartments. They believe her little <140 character complaint is worth $50K, but we kind of doubt a judge will agree... especially a judge who doesn't really grasp this whole twit business. This all follows on the much more amusing tale of Courtney Love getting sued for defamation over her repeated Twitter rants about clothing designer Dawn Simorangkir, who she claimed was gouging her with bills for custom clothing that sucked.

In other Twitter-related news, gubernatorial candidate and sometime mayor Gavin Newsom just "lost the twit behind his tweets."

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A total of seven cars in San Francisco were set ablaze since Saturday. Early this morning, according to CBS 5/KCBS, "Arson investigators responded to the scene of two early morning car fires in San Francisco," one in the Outer Richmond and another in the Western Addition. Also, a pickup truck was torched at 29th and Geary, bringing this morning's total to three. While it's still too early to determine whether the injured autos, a minivan and Volvo station wagon, are related to the other four immolated autos that happened over the weekend, it sure does look suspicious. Cars were previously set on fire, starting on Saturday, at 3 a..m in the Financial District on the 200-block of California Street, between Battery and Front streets; Saturday night at Franklin and Fern streets; Sunday morning at Van Ness Avenue and Olive Street near the Civic Center; and Monday at around 2:30 a.m. on 12th Street near South Van Ness Avenue. No word yet if the Auto Arsonist and the Toilet Torcher, the pyro who torched porta-potties in early 2009, are the same person, but hopefully not. We don't care much for crossover arsonists. (Har.)

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We're a little late getting this to you, but if you don't know yet, you will now. See, you did not win the Grand Prize drawing for the San Francisco Dream House Raffle. That is, unless you're from San Carlos and your name is Vivian Heinzel. Because she's was picked the big winner, who now has the chance to choose between the dream home or $1.8 million cash. Heinzel's new $2.4 million crib, located near Golden Gate Park, features an Edwardian exterior, modern amenities, 4-car garage, chef's kitchen, mahogany floors, 4 bedroom/4.5 bath, views of the tree canopy of Golden Gate Park, and a separate entrance for privacy. Following Saturday's drawing, Kenneth J. Foster, YBCA’s Executive Director, said, "The funding helps YBCA address budgetary needs during this difficult economic time and we plan to conduct another dream house raffle next year during the spring." A list of all winners can be found here.

Needs more orange.

In memory of Sue Burns, the 58-year-old San Francisco Giants owner who died last week, the Giants are asking fans who attend tonight's game to wear as much orange as humanly possible. You know, more than they already do, that is. The Giants take on the Pittsburgh Pirates starting at 7:15 p.m. Burns, who had a close friendship with controversial roid ranger Barry Bonds, died from cancer-related complications. Her field-level seat at AT&T Park, word has it, could be retired in her honor.

After a water main broke early Sunday morning near Van Ness, leaving three apartment buildings between Vallejo Street and Pacific Avenue without H2O for the day, three northbound lanes of San Francisco's main artery were closed down. This morning, however, at 8 a.m., Van Ness reopened. With many of the water lines in the area being "nearly 100 years old," an 8-inch pipe snapped due to years of wear and tear. The rupture, CBS 5 / BCN goes on to report, "the rupture caused the pavement on Van Ness Avenue to bulge and crack due to water pressure below the surface of the roadway."

Kulbir Dhaliwal, one of the brothers who survived the tiger attack at the SF Zoo back in Christmas of 2007, for which they both were recently awarded a $900,000 settlement, is already back to his thuggish ways. Dhaliwal, who was a passenger in a car that was pulled over in Santa Clara County on Wednesday, was arrested on suspicion of possessing either 3 ounces or 3 grams of cocaine and suspicion of being under the influence. (The Chronicle and San Jose Mercury have conflicting reports. There's a big difference between ounces and grams... Update: the Chronicle has updated their story with grams.) Dhaliwal had to be held down in order for the police to obtain a blood sample, and police records show that he also had to be restrained during his September 2007 arrest. The driver of the vehicle, Tarlok Dhaliwal, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. It's unclear what his relation is to the infamous duo.

Early this morning and late last night, according to Appeal/BCN, three people were shot in Potrero HIll. First, at 11 p.m. around the 23rd and Arkansas area, a man was shot. He is expected to survive. Then, on the 1800 block of 26th Street, a man and woman were plugged at around 3 a.m. Yikes! Fortunately, both are expected to survive. No arrests in either case have been made. Anyone from the area hear or know what went down?

Oversized wristwatch connoisseur, former Hollywood thespian, and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has some news: "@Schwarzenegger: Budget passed. Thanks to the legislature for the hard work last night and today. Plan to sign next week." But wait, there's more! "@Schwarzenegger: I will be going live @ www.gov.ca.gov in a few minutes to discuss the budget. Tune in!"

Well, it's about time. The Castro district -- notorious for being "too body conscious," or whatever the technical term for it is that the spherical gays always toss about, angrily -- played host to a DEA raid on Thursday. According to Lance Williams, who snatches away the "Best Chron Scribe Name" trophy from Jaxon Van Derbeken, the "U.S. Food and Drug Administration agents served search warrants at the Max Muscle store on 16th Street and at the Pacifica home of Maurice Sandoval, who was identified as the owner of a laboratory that markets two heavily advertised supplements called Tren Extreme and Mass Extreme." While the two products are technically legal, two beauty-hating FDA scientists claim that said products "contain two undetectable designer steroids," which prompted yesterday's raid. (Max Muscle, by the way, used to be the nicest little wine and smoke shop before the meatheads took it over, so please excuse our glee.) So sorry, boys. (Read more about it here.)

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Might want to rev up the Lexus or Prius today, readers. According to Appeal, the J, K/T, L, M and N lines are all "'experiencing rolling delays in the subway because of a problem with the train control system.'" That is to say, trains are currently operating in manual mode. (Oh oh.) So, you know, please check with NextMuni before hopping on a train.

Earlier this week, a retired Daly City police officer witnessed an "elderly man" in his 60s talking to a 2-year-old girl at a McDonald's on Redwood Highway. Deciding something fishy was afoot, said officer "called for the deployment of uniformed personnel" (i.e., backup) to help nab the alleged McDonald's molester in action. This Chris Hansen moment, however, turned out to be something different, something all too innocent. According to Marin Independent Journal's Gary Klien, "Units arrived on scene, initiated an investigation, and determined there was negative suspicious activity, as the male subject was the juvenile party's grandfather. The elder party advised units that he had effected a conversation with the juvenile 'about nonsense' in order to 'keep her entertained.'" No arrests were made. The grandpa and granddaughter went on to enjoy their Happy Meals in peace, shock.

While looking for more lofty loft images just like this one over at Curbed -- seriously, we view this awesome SOMA pad at least twice a day; just look at that bathroom! -- we came across a plea by RichmondSFBlog, asking for a Street Plaza of their own, similar to the one at Castro and 17th Street. The Richmond, a San Francisco neighborhood that deserves the utmost respect and attention, would be perfect, RSFB claims, because they have "a host of areas where traffic and pedestrian safety is at odds (think Fulton Street corridor, Park Presidio Blvd)." Sarah B. goes on to say that "[p]azas like these, even ones that are just filled with landscaping, help signal to drivers that they’re in a pedestrian area." Sounds like a great idea. But where should said hypothetical plaza be, the Inner Richmond or Outer Richmond? Which is better, readers? Discuss. (via Curbed)

Five men from Alameda and Santa Clara Counties have been taken into custody after a 10-month investigation into an online prostitution ring. All were charged pimping and pandering and are being held in Santa Clara County jail. Police are asking anyone with further info in the case to contact them at (408) 277-4322, however no info is really being given as to how you might have known these pimps or where, online, they were pandering--especially after Craigslist did away with erotic services. Presumably, if you were one of their whores, you've moved on to greener pastures and don't want to get yourself implicated...

East Coast transplant and D6 Supervisor Chris Daly might soon be headed for safer, more affordable pastures. Daly, it seems, has bought a home in Fairfield, the East Bay (North Bay?) city where his wife and two kids moved in May. “I continue to eat, sleep, and bathe in my home on Stevenson Street” right here in SF, Daly wrote. "I bicycle to City Hall and to district meetings from my home and intend to continue to do so until the end of my Supervisor term and probably for longer." Now, before you all scream 'hypocrisy!' and grab a pitchfork, his family's new house is located two doors down from his in-laws, so that kind of move makes sense, family-wise. Presumably, Daly also plans to remain co-editor at Fog City Journal when he finally calls Fairfield his home.

The bodies of a Walnut Creek woman and her son were found on Friday at the top of Mount Diablo. Their deaths appears to be the result of a mother-son murder-suicide. Judith Williams, 51, and her son Adam, 16, were found by authorities late last week after the two went for a hike. According to NBC Bay Area/Bay Area News, the scene looked premeditated as well. "They were there for several hours before Judith Williams apparently shot her son in the chest and the head and then shot herself in the head," NBC reports. Andy, it seems, was also very popular at his high school: played on the football team, played the saxophone. Also, the mom "appeared to have been having some financial problems and was upset about issues in a relationship between her ex-husband, Adam's father, and his new wife," which might have led to her snapping. (Ladies, rumor has it many of you have a multitude of complicated and multilayered feelings/emotions, ones that shouldn't always translate into rational thought or action. Please, if you plan on offing yourself, leave the offspring out of it. Thanks.)

(credit: Steve Rhodes)

Hello there, So Cal brethren! If you're in the Los Angeles area tonight, you might want to head over South Los Angeles Town Hall to catch our famous, Prop. 8-hating, named-dropped-on-The-L-Word-boasting, inarguably sexy mayor. He's running for California governor -- which could prove successful come 2010 -- so he'll be speaking from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Saint Andrews Rec Center Gymnasium (at 8701 S St Andrews). Be sure to RSVP here. He's also asking for you to send him a question for this evening's chat, which you can do right here. If you can't make it tonight, Newsom will also conduct town hall meetings in San Bernardino (7/28) and in Riverside (8/30).

Part effort to generate revenue and part Bay Area-esque statement, Oakland voters passed a tax on medical marijuana joints, making it the first taxed pot dispensary in the U.S. While the tax "could have the smallest budgetary impact for Oakland," it's a big step for people who want to puff marijuana legally. According to Oakland Tribune, "people believe it could help legitimize medical marijuana and possibly adult cannabis use in general." Measure F, it seems, "will create a new business class for the dispensaries, which will see a tax increase from $1.20 for every $1,000 in gross sales to $18 per $1,000. It could generate an additional $294,000 a year for the city when it takes effect Jan. 1." This tax, however, won't be nearly enough to help Oakland crawl out of its deep economic rabbit hole.

Kristian Valmadrid, a 29-year-old Roseville man, according to CBS 5, walked into the path of a big-rig on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 Wednesday morning, just south of the Carquinez Bridge," resulting in his immediate death. The incident happened a little after midnight this morning. CHP officers, who pulled over to check out a "green Toyota 4Runner parked on the right shoulder of eastbound Highway 80 near Pomona Street," spotted the man who quickly and fatally darted off into traffic. No word yet as to whether it was a suicide or bizarre accident.

Be prepared to pay more for your tar this weekend. Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced today that agents from the Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement nabbed a Mexican resident, Adam Alfonso Herrera, and "seized 70 pounds of heroin from his Lincoln Towncar on Sacramento Street in East Palo Alto." Herrera, 27, hid a whopping 70 pounds of heroin inside a secret compartment of his car. (!) In a press release, Brown announced, "[w]ith a street value of $7 million, this is the largest heroin seizure ever made in San Mateo County. Herrera was arrested and tossed into the San Mateo County Jail for "possession of heroin for sale and for possession of a hidden compartment." His bail has been set at $5 million.

Hundreds of pages of research on the risks of cellphone use while driving, conducted in 2003 as part of a long-term study that was never given the go-ahead by the government, have been released to the public thanks to the work of a consumer group. The documents include a draft letter, never sent, to then Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta regarding the ongoing risks of hands-free devices. As the New York Times reports: "That letter said that hands-free headsets did not eliminate the serious accident risk. The reason: a cellphone conversation itself, not just holding the phone, takes drivers' focus off the road, studies showed." So yeah... to paraphrase a certain bumper sticker: Get off the fucking Bluetooth and drive.

In an effort to cover up the blight of many, many vacant storefronts dotting San Francisco these days, Mayor Gavin Newsom has a somewhat decent idea. See, Newsom, according to SFGate, "wants local artists to install their creations in vacant storefronts as a way to revitalize economically depressed neighborhoods." For a tiny, yet-to-be-determined fee, "struggling" artists will get some eyes on their work while helping these areas of concern land some much-needed foot traffic. The art will go up in September. Artists interested "must apply by Aug. 14 by downloading an application at www.sfartscommission.org. Priority will be given to artists who live in the neighborhoods where the art will be displayed." So, if you express your desire for social justice via Diego Rivera-esque pieces, apply today! If your uncle touched you in your bathing suit area and you express that horror via menstrual blood on canvas, apply now! If you're one of many Midwest gay transplants who paint transgressive male nudes with a heavy Warholian bent, apply this very second!

Anti-LGBT Carrie Prejean -- the former Miss California who was stripped of her title after using her crown to spread hate in lieu of doing her pageant duties -- has been offered a book deal. The literary effort will focus on her controversial Miss USA moment. Prejean has falsely claimed over and over that "she believes her crown was taken because of her stance opposing gay marriage" -- which, as it turns out, doesn't seem to be the case -- so she'll scribble about that. But screaming into a bag of sand about gays getting married landed her a career as her generation's Anita Bryant, so good for her. (Sure, it's a fast track to hell, spouting venom for fame, but it's money nevertheless.) The book, martyringly titled Still Standing, will provide Prejean an opportunity to learn the definition of things like the First Amendment. If you recall, a confused Prejean slammed many pro-civil rights advocates for being brave enough to respond to her bile. (See, Carrie, you are allowed to say whatever you want about whichever group of people you want, no matter how hateful or ungodly, but then other people -- get this -- are allowed to respond. That's sort of how it all works. Pretty cool, huh?)

A new iPhone application will allow marijuana aficionados and medicinal mary jane recipients to find a pot dealer on their phone. Yay! "Cannabis," according to The Sun, "lets users search by city for their nearest medical cannabis suppliers, doctors, clinics, lawyers and other relevant organisations." But don't get too excited, cocaine and meth users, this Apple-approved app only covers legal pot spots. The Sun goes on to report that "it currently covers 13 US states which have passed laws allowing medical cannabis use, legal cannabis 'coffee shops' across Europe and uses Google Maps for directions." Alas.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and your legislative leaders came to a tentative agreement this evening to (finally!) "balance California's $26 billion deficit by cutting broadly across state government, shifting costs into the future and capturing funds from cities and counties." According to Sacramento Bee,"[s]tate leaders believe their budget plan is credible enough to acquire billions of dollars in short-term loans that will end the states reliance on IOUs for only the second time since the Great Depression." (That is to say, California is still doomed! Maybe. Anyway.) The budget proposal, Sacto Bee goes on to explain, "includes spending cuts to programs ranging from schools to welfare-to-work to prisons. It takes money from local governments, including borrowing $2 billion that the state will repay starting in 2013 and taking gas taxes that normally go toward local road projects." By the numbers: 6 billion in cuts to education, 3 billion slashed to higher education, and 1.2 billion pruned from prisons. (Cuts to prison funding, however, will not mean that prisoners would get released early.) Some things that were spared? Cal Grants and most state parks. Please standby for fallout.

altered image credit: chrisjbarker

According to "a source close to the probe" over at SF Chronicle, the driver in Saturday's West Portal Muni smashup "told investigators he blacked out shortly before the accident." Oh oh. Another anonymous source -- a rider who asked to remain veiled under a shroud on anonymity because he was asked not to speak publicly about the crash, unless he wanted to kiss any sweet settlement money bye-bye -- told the Chron that the L-Taraval driver was "slumped" over the train controls after the crash. Hm. Anyway, regarding the driver, a background check and drug tests are currently underway, which won't be done for several weeks. Also, said driver's name won't be released just yet. The entire investigation, it seems, might take "12-18 months," which, oddly enough, is the same amount of time one waits for a L train outside West Portal Station for the Muni traffic to clear. Update: Or was it a blackout? According to reports, an "early switch to manual power In the train tunnel" might have been the culprit. That, or God is punishing San Franciscans for yet another sin we committed. Stay tuned.

According to Henry Schulman at SFGate, San Francisco Giants senior general partner Sue Burns, the team's largest shareholder, died "overnight at 58 after learning she had cancer a little more than a week ago." Manager Bruce Bochy mourns, "These (players) were her kids. We're going to miss her, her smile, coming down by the dugout before every game." While Rich Aurilia said, "This is a huge loss not only for the Giants but everybody who knew her." The Giants are expected to release an official statement later today. Read more about it here.