Relief Archives - DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS

A’s gamers specific unhappiness, some aid at transferring out of Oakland

Daily SF News — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 23:19:53 +0000

The Oakland Athletics no longer have to wonder where they will play in the next few seasons. That won't make the long goodbye any easier.

The A's responded announcing that this will be their last year in Oakland with a mixture of sadness and relief.

“At least as a player, you know where you’re going,” outfielder Seth Brown said Friday before a game against the Tigers in Detroit. “There's obviously a lot of moving parts, a lot of things that we're not privy to, so it's just been kind of a waiting game for us. Where are we going? Where will we be? So I think.” With that knowledge alone, at least we know where we're going to play next year.

Vivek Ranadivé, owner of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, and John Fisher, owner of the Oakland Athletics, announced Thursday that the A's will temporarily relocate to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento for at least three seasons. The A's move to Las Vegas after a new ballpark is built.

The River Cats, affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, will continue to play at the same facility.

Fisherman was unable to reach an agreement with Oakland city officials to extend the lease at the Oakland Coliseum, which expires at the end of this season. The A's have played in the city since 1968.

“There's a direction now that we've talked a lot about,” Oakland A's manager Mark Kotsay said. “We have time to think about what that really means from an organizational perspective, about the history we've had in Oakland, since this is the last season. There are a lot of emotions behind it.”

It will cause turmoil not only among the players and staff, but also among the members of the organization who work behind the scenes.

“At the end of the day, we know where we’re going to be in the next three seasons after the end of this year, and that in itself gives a little bit of stability,” Kotsay said. “At the same time, it’s challenging in some ways in the present to think about the finality of this organization in Oakland.”

Sacramento will be a much smaller environment to host a major league team. Ranadivé said the River Cats venue currently seats 16,000 when counting the stands, the grass behind center field and standing room only.

First baseman Ryan Noda is concerned about facilities. He hopes significant improvements will be made, similar to what the Toronto Blue Jays did at Buffalo's Triple-A facility. The Blue Jays played at Sahlen Field in Buffalo in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“New walls, new dugouts, new locker rooms – everything they needed to be a big league stadium,” said Noda, who played a few games in Sacramento as a minor leaguer. “As long as we can do something like that, it will be fine. But it will definitely be different than playing in stadiums that hold 40,000 spectators.”

Kotsay is confident the upgrades will happen.

“I know it’s going to be Major League Baseball quality,” he said. “It has to be Major League Baseball quality. I know the Players Association will make sure that happens, just like they did in Buffalo.”

The A's will have to deal with this for the rest of this season Small home crowd and disappointed fans.

“We feel sad for the fans, the die-hard fans that always come to our games, always support us, always support the guys that wear the jersey,” Noda said.

More from CBS News

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Showers convey aid to fire-ravaged Oregon as loss of life toll rises in California

Daily SF News — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 22:55:07 +0000

GATES, Ore. (Reuters) – Intermittently heavy showers brought some relief to flame-stricken western Oregon on Friday, helping firefighters to further subdue deadly blazes that have ravaged much of the state and choked its air with smoke for the better part of two weeks.

Smoke rises from the Brattain Fire in the Fremont National Forest in Paisley, Oregon, U.S., September 18, 2020. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

Oregon was especially hard hit by scores of wind-driven wildfires that erupted all at once across the western United States earlier this month in the midst of catastrophic lightning storms, record-breaking heat and howling winds.

“We lost everything, but we will start all over again,” said Bill Kesselring, 73, pointing to the spot where the log cabin he shared with his wife had stood on the outskirts of Gates, Oregon, a Cascade Mountain village 80 miles south of Portland.

The cabin and a garage housing a beloved antique car Kesselring had just finished restoring were both reduced to charred rubble. Only the fireplace and chimney remained of the home.

“It breaks my heart. You work hard all your life and then get hit with a disaster like this,” he told Reuters.

Unaccustomed to the sheer scope and magnitude of the conflagrations, Oregon’s ill-equipped firefighters initially struggled for days to even keep pace with the blazes, before cooler, moister and less windy weather settled over the region, and reinforcements could arrive.

ANOTHER LIFE LOST IN CALIFORNIA

By Thursday, officials in Oregon, Washington state and California said they were making steady progress suppressing the fires. Brightening the outlook further, much-welcomed rains doused Oregon on Friday, even as the tri-state death toll from the fires rose to 35.

The U.S. Forest Service in California reported that a firefighter had perished on Thursday in a blaze still burning nearly two weeks after it was ignited by pyrotechnics at an outdoor gender-reveal party east of Los Angeles.

Authorities withheld the identify of the fallen firefighter pending notification of family members, and no details of the circumstances were released.

The death in the San Bernardino National Forest became the 26th fire-related fatality in California over the past month. That tally includes two other firefighters – a Forest Service contractor killed in a lightning-sparked fire in the Mendocino National Forest, and a private helicopter pilot whose chopper crashed on a water-dropping mission in Fresno County last month.

Wildfires have claimed at least eight other lives in Oregon and one in Washington state, all civilians.

Flames have blackened a record 3.2 million acres (1.3 million hectares) in California alone since mid-August. Another 1.7 million acres (650,000 hectares) have burned in Oregon and Washington state since Labor Day.

The blazes, described by scientists and officials as unprecedented in scope and ferocity, have largely incinerated several small towns, along with thousands of dwellings.

‘BEAUTY SCAR’

Thousands of evacuees, particularly in Oregon, remained huddled in emergency shelters, mobile trailers and hotel rooms. And Oregon emergency management officials have warned the death toll there could climb as search teams scour the ruins of homes engulfed in flames during chaotic evacuations early in the disaster.

Justin Gaskill, 28, a U.S. Army veteran leading a community watch organization that was also organizing food relief efforts, said residents in the fire-ravaged town of Estacada, Oregon, where he was born and raised, were still in a state of shock but resolved to rebuild.

“I like to say that this event is going to leave our community with a beauty scar,” he said. “We’ve been wounded but so many beautiful opportunities to share and show our strength as a town are coming out of this.”

Thundershowers brought drenching rains to the western slopes of the Cascade Mountains late Thursday and through Friday, helping a force of more than 6,000 firefighters make further headway against 10 major blazes still burning in Oregon.

The heavy rains also prompted flood and landslide warnings in areas where fire has stripped hillsides and canyons of vegetation.

Cooler, more favorable weather in the region since last week has already dispelled some of the smoky, polluted air and tempered the flames, enabling ground teams with axes and bulldozers to take the offensive while also allowing greater use of water-dropping helicopters and airplane tankers.

Higher humidity levels were likewise bolstering hopes for subduing blazes in the greater San Francisco Bay area.

“Milder weather is helping the fire fight as crews continue to gain ground on many of the major incidents,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Friday.

Reporting by Brad Brooks in Gates, Oregon; Additional reporting by Steve Gorman, Maria Caspani and Gabriella Borter; Writing by Will Dunham and Steve Gorman; Editing by Timothy Gardner, David Gregorio, Aurora Ellis and Daniel Wallis

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San Francisco eyes company tax aid to draw new firms downtown

Daily SF News — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 08:10:19 +0000

Outside the tallest tower in San Francisco. Photo: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

To lure businesses to ailing downtown San Francisco, officials are calling for a change in corporate taxation.

The big picture: The city has long had high corporate taxes, but companies still flock here for access to talent, venture capital and the “seal of approval of being in San Francisco,” Jeff Bellisario, executive director of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, told Axios.

But with the rise of remote work amid the pandemic, more companies are “reconsidering their physical footprint” and evaluating their “cost of doing business,” which includes local taxes, Bellisario said.

Why it matters: Some companies, like Meta, are downsizing their San Francisco footprint, while others, like Coinbase, have gone entirely.

Today, over 25% of San Francisco’s office space is vacant.
The city faces a potential deficit of $728 million over the next two fiscal years, due in part to lower-than-expected property tax receipts.

Details: Mayor London Breed’s recently unveiled plan to revitalize downtown San Francisco provides tax incentives of up to $1 million over three years for companies opening new offices here.

For more permanent changes, the mayor also called on the city’s controller and treasurer to develop a possible tax reform measure, for residents to vote on in 2024, that would “allow San Francisco to better compete with its peer cities when it comes to it.” to attract new businesses,” the mayor said in a press release.

Using the numbers: A San Francisco tech company with 250 employees and total revenues of $750 million would pay about $10.4 million in local taxes, according to analysis released this month by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute.

The same hypothetical company would pay just over $4 million in Oakland and $2.7 million in Berkeley.

It would pay around $50,000 annually in South San Francisco and $17,118 in San Jose.

What you say: “Cities that consider themselves business-friendly want these taxes to be as low as possible because they can use that as a selling point when trying to attract businesses from across the country or companies moving out of San Francisco,” said Bellisario.

In the meantime, Supervisor Dean Preston said he was disappointed with Breed’s plan, which he says “prioritizes tax payments to big corporations.”

Instead, Preston wants the city to focus on “neighborly small businesses, much-needed affordable housing, and a functioning public transportation system.”

What’s next: The board of directors must approve any short-term tax breaks proposed by the mayor.

Supervisor Aaron Peskin told the SF Business Times what the 2024 tax measure might look like: “Let’s see where our economy goes.”

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Reduction Grants for Residents, Companies Going through Flood Harm in San Francisco – NBC Bay Space

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 21:38:38 +0000

San Francisco residents, property owners and businesses that were badly impacted from January’s series of winter storms may be eligible for financial relief, Mayor London Breed announced on Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the year, San Francisco has been hit by a series of storms that prompted flooding, mudslides and power outages.

“The severe weather we just experienced has impacted many of our small businesses and residents in heavily affected areas and these initial efforts will help as part of our City’s recovery,” said Breed. “While these flood relief programs will provide support in the storms’ aftermath, we are hard at work making improvements to our infrastructure as part of a $632 million investment to help reduce the risk of flooding in the future.”

Small Business Grants

Via the city’s Flood Disaster Relief Grant program, small businesses in the city’s “flood zone” — the regions most likely to experience severe flooding in a 100-year storm — are eligible for up to $5,000 in awards, and small businesses outside of the zone can receive up to $2,000.

The San Francisco Office of Small Business will lead the effort, prioritizing businesses in the flood zone that face the most severe damage.

Grants are available for registered San Francisco businesses with a physical location that have experienced physical damage from winter storms, retroactive up to Dec. 27, 2022. Damages due to wind or power outages are not eligible.

Permitted and licensed home-based businesses, like daycares, are also eligible.

Businesses must have 100 or fewer employees and less than $5 million in gross revenue.

“We know that the recent storms have added additional difficulties to small businesses that have already been trying to recover from pandemic impacts,” said Katy Tang, executive director of the Office of Small Business. “While we recognize that this grant program will not solve all challenges, the City is offering support along with other resources and services currently available to businesses.”

A detailed map of areas determined the most at risk of flooding can be found at https://sfplanninggis.org/floodmap/.

Applications are open on Friday and close on Feb. 10. More information on the application process can be found at https://sf.gov/get-help-if-your-business-was-damaged-flooding.

The San Francisco Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts also plans to create a collaborative storm relief fund for San Francisco artists and art organizations. More details will be shared on the agency’s website once details are finalized.

Property Damage Relief

For those facing property damage, the city recommends residents and businesses to contact their insurance company to assess damages and purchase flood insurance.

Businesses and homeowners can also apply for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Floodwater Management Grant Assistance Program, which can provide over $100,000 in flood mitigation improvements on properties.

Tax Relief Opportunities

San Francisco property owners may also be eligible for property tax relief if they suffered over $10,000 in flood damage. A disaster relief form must be submitted to the Assessor-Recorder by one year of the date of loss.

“We know that these recent storms are unlike anything our city has seen in decades and have caused significant hardship for many property owners. Given the impacts of this severe weather, the Office of the Assessor-Recorder wants all San Franciscans to be aware they may qualify for property tax relief and that our staff is available to help walk them through the process from start to end,” said Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres.

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Tens of millions taken from distressed householders as CA mortgage aid firm Golden House Companies America accused of criminal activity

Sun, 27 Nov 2022 20:46:24 +0000

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) — A mortgage relief company in California operating under at least 10 different names is temporarily shut down and its assets frozen under court order. It is accused of bilking homeowners out of millions of dollars.

In this well-manicured neighborhood in Hayward is the home that Abhend Sharma and his wife have lived in for 18 years. He’s been on medical leave, and now fears he might lose his home.

“Ohhh, boy,” Sharma said after a long pause.

He could barely put into words how he is feeling. He saved up for 34 years in order to purchase this home.

MORE: Bay Area widow battles PayPal for $660 from late husband’s account after unclaimed property letter

“This house is everything for us. For me, for my family,” he said.

He turned to Golden Home Services America for mortgage relief. An agreement lists his new interest rate at 1.8%.

That’s a savings of nearly $1,800 a month from his current monthly payment.

“We signed everything. I signed all the paperwork. Whatever they needed. My bank statement and everything,” he said.

Everything they told him was on track for approval.

“So we thought everything would be good because they promised $3,400 a month would be your payment,” Sharma said.

MORE: Moving? Your insurance might not cover damage, theft of a rental truck. Here’s what to check

But after 14 months, final approval still hasn’t come.

Yet Golden Home Services America kept sending him a bill for more fees each month.

“Almost every month they were asking me for money and I was sending it to them. We’re close to about $20,000 I paid to them,” he said.

Suzanne Martindale is an attorney with the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, who filed the complaint along with the Federal Trade Commission.

“Consumers have forked out dollars up front for their services and all those results never materialized, never happens,” Martindale warned. “The complaint we have filed alleges these fees may be illegal.”

7 On Your Side contacted the attorney representing Golden Home Services America and the other companies named in the suit.

MORE: Conforming loans versus jumbo loans: Here’s how you can get lower mortgage rate on bigger loan

He said, “I have no comment at this time. Thank you for your call.” Then he hung up.

“The consumer should be wary about again lofty promises of quick and easy savings with a high-pressure sales tactic to pay an upfront fee,” said Martindale.

Sharma meanwhile is hoping for the best but fearing the worst. “At the moment we are in jeopardy and we don’t know which way we are going to go,” he said.

7 On Your Side assisted Sharma in finding a HUD-certified housing counselor — one that won’t charge upfront fees to assist him in getting his loan refinanced.

Here are the defendants in the case:

Amstar Service Group
Atlantic Pacific Service
Home Matters USA
Golden Home Services America
Academy Home Services
Green Equitable Solutions
South West Consulting Enterprises, Inc.
Apex Consulting & Associates, Inc.
Infocom Entertainment Ltd, Inc.
Home Relief Service of America
Roger Scott Dyer
Dominic Ahiga (aka Michael Dominic Grinnell)

Take a look at more stories and videos by Michael Finney and 7 On Your Side.

7OYS’s consumer hotline is a free consumer mediation service for those in the San Francisco Bay Area. We assist individuals with consumer-related issues; we cannot assist on cases between businesses, or cases involving family law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant disputes, labor issues, or medical issues. Please review our FAQ here. As a part of our process in assisting you, it is necessary that we contact the company / agency you are writing about. If you do not wish us to contact them, please let us know right away, as it will affect our ability to work on your case. Due to the high volume of emails we receive, please allow 3-5 business days for a response.

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Hundreds of thousands taken from distressed owners as CA mortgage reduction firm Golden Residence Companies America accused of criminal activity

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 16:59:21 +0000