Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

San Francisco

Politics Reporter at The San Francisco Standard

#SF raised. SF Standard politics journo. Reporting the hell out of my dear, foggy City. [email protected] / DM for Signal info

Articles

Overwhelmed: SF public defender stops taking cases, citing Lurie anti-fentanyl surge

5 days ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

For the first time in more than a decade, the San Francisco public defender’s office is so overloaded with cases that it has closed up shop. The office will decline new clients on one business day each week. Wrongfully arrested? You might have to cool your heels in the clink a little longer. Got robbed and want the perp prosecuted quick? Too bad. The alleged criminal is guaranteed defense under the Constitution, so you can twiddle your thumbs, thanks much.
These are the first wealthy donors for Lurie's 1,500 shelter bed plan

6 days ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

On the campaign trail, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie pledged to build 1,500 new shelter beds to get people without homes off the streets. Lurie wanted wealthy donors to fund his effort, and he successfully changed city law to ensure he’d face no legal restrictions in doing so. Now he’s finally revealing who turned out their pockets.
Urban Alchemy almost left the Tenderloin. Then Lurie stepped in

1 week ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

Mayor Daniel Lurie is renewing the nonprofit’s contract, but its future is still iffy. Hernandez gladly called the Tenderloin home for two decades. It was only when the pandemic hit, and fentanyl use surged, that she became appalled at the growing amounts of filth — needles, pipes, feces — her school-age daughters waded through by their door. Even home was not an escape for Hernandez, who works as a janitor and wished to be identified by only her last name due to death threats from dealers.
Jenkins vs. Lurie: SF DA blasts mayor for de-funding prosecutors

1 week ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office may soon lay off at least 25 junior prosecutors to implement a $5.4 million budget cut mandated by Mayor Daniel Lurie. But what happens if there are fewer attorneys to prosecute those arrests? It’s an anti-fentanyl frenzy. Police officers are busting their overtime budgets deploying to the Tenderloin, Mid-Market, South of Market, and the Mission to arrest drug dealers and users en masse.
SF supervisors scoff at $91 million bill for police overtime

2 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

SFPD says overtime makes up for staffing deficiencies and pays for increased enforcement asked for by city leaders. San Francisco supervisors laid into the police department Wednesday over a scathing report that found officers sometimes went to work as private security officers on the same days they called in sick to get overtime. Their critiques were many: It’s rule-breaking, a big win for corporations who can afford private security over taxpaying citizens, and it shakes the public’s trust.
Pelosi calls on Airbnb to drop pricey lawsuit against San Francisco

2 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

Rep. Nancy Pelosi is on record calling for Mayor Daniel Lurie to speak out against tech giant Airbnb for suing San Francisco to challenge its tax bill. At a San Francisco Democratic Party meeting Wednesday night, a bevy of politicians — including Pelosi — voted to back a statement aimed at pressuring Airbnb to drop its $120 million lawsuit against San Francisco, which they claim is draining city coffers at a dire time.
Head of SF parks nonprofit quietly resigned amid financial problems

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Annie Gaus |Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez |Gabe Greschler

Drew Becher, who led the Parks Alliance for eight years, left the job in February as revenues faltered. Drew Becher, longtime CEO of the San Francisco-based nonprofit Parks Alliance, quietly left the job earlier this year after an eight-year tenure, The Standard has learned. The nonprofit confirmed Becher’s departure Wednesday. Robert Ogilvie, who formerly worked with Lighthouse Public Affairs and at SPUR’s Oakland office, has been serving as interim CEO since February.
‘There is no additional time’: Lurie rushes to cut San Francisco budget

3 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

In what may be Lurie’s most aggressive move since his term began 100 days ago, the mayor’s office emailed all city departments — including Public Works, Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and SF Planning — Thursday evening to inform them that it would conduct a “thorough review” of their budgets to make additional, targeted cuts. Lurie has ordered all San Francisco departments to slash 15% of their budgets to combat a historic $820 million deficit. Nearly half refused or failed to do so .
In reversal, SF Mayor Daniel Lurie says you can see his texts

4 weeks ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

By Joe Fitzgerald RodriguezPublished Apr. 15, 2025 • 9:00amSan Franciscans will soon have carte blanche to peek at every “OMG,” “np!” or “:P” from the city’s highest government office. Following inquiries from The Standard, Mayor Daniel Lurie has flipped: He’ll now let you read his text messages. It’s a decision that may have repercussions and become a prominent example of compliance as other public officials statewide flout the California Public Records Act.
Daniel Lurie has started pissing people off — and he's OK with that

1 month ago | sfstandard.com | Joe Fitzgerald Rodriguez

By Joe Fitzgerald RodriguezPublished Apr. 14, 2025 • 6:00amCandidates make promises. Mayors have to keep them. That’s the reality facing Mayor Daniel Lurie in his first 100 days in office, a milestone that will officially pass April 18. As a candidate, Lurie lacked definition. He was everything to everyone in a way that garnered praise from across the political spectrum, like pro-housing YIMBYs and anti-development NIMBYs. It was a strategy intended to garner second-place votes, and it worked.