The News Links - Week of November 9, 2009

The Atlantic: The Ugly Commercial Real Estate Picture

SF Streetsblog: Among walkable regions, San Francisco one of most dangerous.

Sacramento Bee: Schwarzenegger defends $11.1 billion in borrowing.

San Francisco Chronicle: Troubled Bay Area banks begin to topple.

Commercial Real Estate

• Lease expirations to slam San Francisco.
  
• Commercial sales plummeted 79% in S.F.
  
• Fed’s Lockhart says commercial real estate may weaken recovery.
• ULI and PricewaterhouseCoopers: 2010 a sober, opportunistic year for commercial real estate.
  
• Banks hasten to adopt new loan rules.
• Shopping with a time limit: Why pop-up shops are hot.
• Commercial real estate recovery may be slow.
  

San Francisco

• SEIU's claim Mayor 'broke promise' to union is a tough sell.
  
• Meet new district station police captains.
• Chiu tackling city small-business fees.
• SF Animal Commission and the Board Of Supervisors might make it harder for landlords to say "no pets".
  
• Melissa Griffin: Officials loathe to follow sanctuary law.
  
• Sanctuary change puts city officials in a pickle.
• New plan for Sharp Park Golf Course.
• Constitutional reform group hires Clint Reilly.
  
• Ken Garcia: Stats prove SF is taking tougher stance on crime & With life back, mayor looks to future.
• New towers coming to Transbay site?
  

Marin/San Mateo/Sonoma

• Congresswoman's Jackie Speier's latest newsletter can be found here.

California

• Schwarzenegger’s chief of staff to jump ship?
• Schwarzenegger: Maria's not running.
  
• Alioto-Pier's insurance commissioner bid gets a boost. 
  
• Schwarzenegger: This year's budget gap may hit $7 billion.
  
• California’s three strikes law is nation’s toughest, and out of whack, series concludes.
• Calbuzz: Why DiFi always does the dance of the seven veils.
• Fiorina wants to ignore DeVore.
• Brown spokesman recorded 6 interviews.

The Economy

• Two indicators turn gloomy.
  
• State finance directors warn of more trouble ahead. 
• Barofsky says TARP ‘almost certainly’ will bring loss to U.S.
  
• Paul Krugman: Free to lose.
  

Green Issues

• Take care using the word 'sustainability'
  
• USGBC: 7.9 Million jobs tied to green construction over the next four years.
  

General

• California Milk board MOOves ad filming to New Zealand. 
  
• Maybe unemployment doesn't matter for Democrats, after all.
  
• State budget crises part deux: With a vengeance.
  
• Is your Congressman or Senator on a hit list?
• Officials: Top White House lawyer to be pushed out.
• SF Examiner: Political theater will never create new jobs.