Parents and teachers in the SF Unified School District are justifiably nervous about Governor Schwarzeneger’s threat to drastically slash school funding. I share that concern now as I did in 2003 when I authored Prop G, the Rainy Day Fund. The Rainy Day Fund requires the City to put aside excess revenue in a savings account to be used in lean economic years, and it allows for the City to transfer up to 25% (or around $29 million) of the Fund to the School District. I am currently in the process of making sure the political will is there to give our schools all they need to fill the funding gap they are facing. Please call or email the other members of the Board of Supervisors to make sure they understand how important the Rainy Day Fund is for our children’s future!

On a completely different subject, I have had the pleasure of working on a movie about Harvey Milk and the circumstances around his and Mayor Moscone’s untimely deaths. This has been a once in a lifetime experience which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am excited to say that another film is currently in pre-production entitled “Mission Rhapsody,” and it will be shot almost entirely in the Mission District. Mission natives Benjamin Bratt and his brother Peter Bratt will be writing, directing, and acting in the film. Benjamin (who you may have seen in Law and Order among other projects) will play a MUNI driver living on York and 24th streets. Get ready to see Mission High, 24th St., and many other Mission haunts on the silver screen before too long. For updates on this project, please go to www.filmSF.org.

There is much discussion in the district about the Formula Retail controls I recently proposed. We would like to gather as much input from residents as possible on this issue over the next several months. I encourage you to email me (tom.ammiano@sfgov.org) any and all opinions on the benefits and drawbacks of such a zoning change.


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