You only get one chance in this thing called life. I know that is a bit maudlin and obscure, but it's a fact, and you can make a profound difference in people's lives without having a title in front of your name.
San Franciscans know we live in the most beautiful city in the world, a jewel on the edge of the Golden Gate.
People don't care anymore because they don't believe in us; they don't trust us. And that's why we should change politics, not just accept the cynical frame that, 'Well, that's just politics.'
If Wikileaks didn't resolve that question for folks - at the end of the day, there are no secrets. We're living in a glass neighborhood, in a fishbowl, and technology, white hat hackers, the folks that are doing the right thing with hacking.
Involvement in the arts engages kids in their community, improves self-esteem, reclaims at-risk youth, and builds the creative skills that are required of a 21st century workforce.
The value of an arts education is widely accepted, especially in California.
If we continue to fight the National Rifle Association on their home court, which is the legislative front, I think we'll continue to be frustrated. But when you have an ability to go directly to the public, that's a completely different field of engagement, and I think the NRA is not adept at that kind of engagement.
It's nature-nurture, right? I've been nurtured by Californians.
If you're not open, you're not transparent, you're still holding on to vaults of information, you're not going to build that trust.
Like any small business owner, I experienced the pressures of building a company from the ground up - developing a business plan, balancing the books, meeting payroll and building a customer base.
Society becomes how we behave.
A mistake that a lot of us have made, related to those who advocate for gun safety legislation, is that we try to process it through our legislative bodies, and that's where the NRA's strength lies.
During the 1990s, San Francisco lived through one of the most intense economic booms of its history.
We are not going to turn our backs on people who have been persecuted, turn our backs on people who have been threatened by terror.
As Mayor of San Francisco, I will work hard to ensure that, in the event of natural or man-made disasters, San Franciscans are prepared and our City is protected.
San Francisco lags behind other communities in providing a vital, vibrant and ecologically sustainable urban canopy, as well as open space in the city.
Cultural tourism surveys consistently rate San Francisco's art industry as a core reason for visiting.
Even though he's a third-generation San Franciscan, my father's very European in some ways, and he loves wine.
You don't have to be something to do something.
As Mayor, I will lead city government, businesses, and community groups to support innovative projects that will make San Francisco streets and public places vibrant and healthy.
