Now that a judge in New York has ruled that Airbnb is illegal there, a model that violates city tenant laws and state law, that should put pressure on the San Francisco-based company to finally stop snubbing cities and find a way to exist within local regulatory frameworks and finally start paying its taxes.   Read more »

The Chronicle seems to have entirely missed the latest installation in the 8 Washington shit show, but the Ex has the story, and, even if it doesn't mean the project is in the toilet, it's given opponents another reason to flush it.

Could I possibly use any worse metaphors?Read more »

Some San Francisco supervisors are scrambling to find an acceptable compromise that would prevent condo-conversion legislation by Sups. Scott Wiener and Mark Farrell from becoming a bitter battle that could be a no-win situation for centrists.Read more »

Now that the dust has settled from this week's San Francisco Board of Supervisors inauguration and presidential vote, I thought I'd return to a few random gems that were still stuck in my notebook, waiting to see the light of day.Read more »

The last time the San Francisco supervisors elected a new board president, the progressives got a swift kick in the ass. David Chiu, who had been elected to the top slot two years earlier with the unanimous support of progressives, disappointed some of his allies and wasn't going to get their votes. But he wanted to keep his job, so he turned to the conservatives -- and with the support of the folks on the right, he won another term. The he turned around and put the center-right folks in charge of some key committees. Price of the deal.Read more »

So Sup. Jane Kim isn't sure Question Time is useful. And the press and some other board members think that, to quote Sup. John Avalos, it's "deadening."Read more »

There are plenty of political fundraisers during campaign seasons, but this one will be especially interesting: The progressive slate for the Democratic County Central Committee is coming together for an event May 2 at 6 pm at Project One. The host committee includes outgoing chair Aaron Peskin and Sup. Read more »

The Mayor’s Office and city finance officials are circulating drafts of a new business tax plan that would largely abolish the payroll tax and replace it with a levy on gross receipts.Read more »

I like Sup. David Chiu's idea of giving indigent plaintiffs in civil cases the right to a lawyer. It's one of those legal and political issues that's been hanging around for decades: Everyone accused of a crime has the Constitutional right to counsel, but if you're sued and have no money, you could very well be  SOL.Read more »

Board President David Chiu has released the new committee assignments for 2012, and they aren't a whole lot different from last year's -- except in a few areas. And they aren't exactly an indication of progressive power.Read more »