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September 27, 2012
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| Checkout Bag Ordinance Goes into Effect – Beginning Monday, October 1, all San Francisco retailers are prohibited from providing plastic checkout bags to customers and are required to charge a minimum 10 cent fee for recycled paper, compostable plastic and reusable checkout bags as part of the city’s expanded plastic bag ban now taking effect. The ordinance will affect restaurants beginning October 1, 2013. Merchants keep the revenue generated from the bag fee, but are subject to fines of $100 to $500 for noncompliance. Click here to learn more about the obligations. Resources including sample store placards, suppliers of acceptable checkout bags and more are available from SF Environment. Read more. Businesses with questions should contact SF Environment at 415.355-3700. |
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| San Francisco is America’s Best City – San Francisco was named America’s Best City in Bloomberg Businessweek.com’s 2012 best places to live ranking. Citing a large educated class, an improving economy and world-class restaurants, museums and festivals, San Francisco beat out 100 of the country’s largest cities for this year’s distinction. “It’s certainly an honor for San Francisco to be named ‘America’s Best City,’ and it’s great to get recognition for the good work San Franciscans have done,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “San Francisco is committed to being the best place to live, work and visit.” Read more. |
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| City Prepares for Big Weekend – More than 1 million visitors are expected in the city next weekend Oct. 5 - 7 for major events including Fleet Week, the America’s Cup World Series, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, a 49er home game and several other street fairs and festivals. “San Francisco is the place to be next weekend and the influx of spectators will bring a welcome shot in the arm to local merchants and the economy,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is advising Bay Area residents to take public transportation. View transit schedules. View the Fleet Week Schedule. View the America’s Cup regatta schedule. Read more. |
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| Chamber Gives Boost to Prop E – The Chamber joined Mayor Ed Lee, small business advocates, labor, community groups and others Friday to kick-off the campaign to approve Prop E (Business Tax Reform) this November. The Chamber-supported measure will phase out the city’s 1.5 percent payroll tax over five years starting in 2014 and replace it with a variable tax on gross receipts based on industry-specific fee schedules. The measure will also increase the city’s business license fees to raise $28.5 million in new revenue for economic development, infrastructure and affordable housing. “Prop B will end San Francisco's direct tax on jobs and create a broad and equitable taxation system that encourages job and business growth,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk. Read more. Vote YES on Prop E. |
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| Chamber Urges Support for Wind Energy Tax Incentive –The Chamber joined with local chambers of commerce from across the country in urging Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC), the nation’s key tax incentive for wind energy. “Wind energy can help attract new clean energy companies and capital to cities like San Francisco,” said Chamber President & CEO Steve Falk and Advisory Council Member of Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy “The PTC is a key mechanism for creating certainty in the wind market and we urge Congress to extend it.” In the seven years that the PTC has been continuously in place, installed wind capacity has grown sevenfold to nearly 47 Gigawatts representing more than $60 billion in private investment. Read more. |
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
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| MEMBER MAKING NEWS |
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The Chamber congratulates the San Francisco Giants for clinching the National League West title. Aon Risk Solutions was named to Working Mother Magazine's list of 100 Best Companies for 2012 for the second year in a row. City College of San Francisco opened its new Chinatown North Beach campus on Kearny Street. The Presidio Trust opened the park's newest venue, Observation Post at the Presidio. The open floor plan and awe-inspiring views make it an ideal setting for meetings, conferences, retreats and celebrations. Scoma's Restaurant guests and staff raised $3,000 during its one-day partnership with San Francisco Police Department’s Cops & Wishes program to benefit Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. VerticalResponse CEO Janine Popick received the Stevie Award for Executive of the Year in the Internet/New Media category. University of California, San Francisco received $20 million gift from philanthropist Charles Feeney to help pay for a new building housing the university's global health sciences program. Click here to submit your company's news.
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| THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC POLICY |
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Chamber public policy representative Dee Dee Workman will serve on the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Accessible Parking Policy Advisory Committee, which will review and make recommendations regarding on-street accessible parking policies. The Board of Supervisors voted to ban overnight parking of RVs and other oversized vehicles, and gave final approval to the Chamber-opposed CleanPowerSF program, which will cost the city $19.5 million and ratepayers a 77 percent premium over current rates. The Board also voted 10-1 to establish a successor agency to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. The Chamber testified in support of retaining the historic Redevelopment Commission appointment process for the new agency. The Chamber urged Gov. Brown to sign AB 2144, a measure to create a mechanism for funding new infrastructure and affordable housing. Supervisor Eric Mar introduced legislation that would establish a Healthy Food Retailer Incentives Program providing incentives to local food retailers that supply an adequate amount of healthy foods. Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 45, tightening the state's rules on chartered party buses beginning January 1, 2013. The White House recognized San Francisco’s Chief Innovation Officer Jay Nath as a “Champion of Change” for his role working with the technology community and the public to help reinvent government in the digital age.
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COMING UP AT THE CHAMBER...
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October 3, 7 – 11:30 am [Mark Hopkins Intercontinental] |
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Join the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the San Francisco Center for Economic Development for ForecastSF 2012 presented by Wells Fargo. This year's economic briefing and jobs summit will preview the city's future economic landscape, key job growth sectors and the next wave of opportunity for San Francisco business. Speakers include: Mayor Ed Lee; Wells Fargo Chief Economist John Silvia; Wells Fargo Chief Financial Officer Tim Sloan; San Francisco Giants President & CEO Larry Baer; Warriors Co-Executive Chairman Peter Guber; and many others. Read more and register.
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October 18, 5:30 – 7:30 pm [Chamber Boardroom] |
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Business After Hours: Nissan Infiniti of San Francisco
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Join the Chamber for an evening of networking at the state of the art Nissan Infiniti dealership, located in the heart of San Francisco. Enjoy delicious food and drinks while networking and making new connections with Bay Area professionals in this five-acre space considered a piece of history reborn. Read more and register. |
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Click here to view more upcoming events from the Chamber and our members. Subscribe to EventFlash and get a weekly listing of San Francisco business programs and events delivered to your inbox. |
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