the people of california are ready to end the death penalty. a couple of weeks ago we were able to do a poll on the question of the governor converting all of these 713 death sentences to life without possibility of parole, and a change would save the city california $1 billion in five years. 63% of the voters support this idea across the entire state. every region of the state had a majority of support. a majority of republicans and democratic voters support this idea. 63%, ready for the governor to take everyone off of death row. this is an important change from where we used to be on this issue, because for a very long time, politicians have been afraid to talk about reasons for ending the death penalty and this has been seen -- been seen as an issue that would run political careers, as the former district attorney has shown, the death penalty is no longer of liability and the voters are ready for candidates who will say that we need smart criminal- justice policy, to keep the community safe and that will hold the offenders accountable, and

this is lettuce grown in california, blue cheese produced in point reyes california, and local california walnuts, and there you have it, our butter lettuce salad. point reyes blue cheese, sliced apples, and candied california walnuts. >> that salad looked great, and if you liked the recipe, you can visit our web site at californiacountry.org, and stay tuned for more "california country" coming up next. >> at his placer county ranch, john schwartzler remembers every one of his 19 cream draft horses by name and can tell each of these magnificent animals apart. >> this is bucky. he's the youngster. >> the cream draft horses seem almost regal. although they were historically used for farming and hauling freight, john believes they can be traced back to the royal hanoverian horses used by the britisroyal family. but there's no fancy castle or palace for these horses. home is 60 acres of open pasture at greenwood ranch just a few miles away from auburn. royal blood or not, 22-year-old ben made sure we knew that he was a media star, and he kept interrupting our interview to make sure we gohis g

[captionibg made possible by california farm bureau federation] >> coming up on "california country," see how one farmer is breaking bread with his customers, literally. then we offer an ode to olives thanks to this historic company. and see how salads are getting a makeofer thanks to these long-time farmers. plus see how your flowers get from the field to the florist. it's all ahead, and it starts now. nestled into the hills of the quiet little town of ojai is where you'll find the rio gozo farm. "rio," which means river in spanish, and "gozo," which means joy, is run by former chef and now full-time farmer john fonteyn. and if you watch him work long enough, you'll realize just how much gozo is actually flowing around these parts. >> good morning. >> you, too. how are you all? i mean, my first love qith food wap really preparing food and cooking it. i just kind of felt like since food was a relationship i'm gonna have my whole life, and one i check in with 3 times a day, that it'd be good to really kind of explore it deeper. >> and john gets to explore his love f@r food every day, n

a benefit corporation is a corporation under the california corporate code. next, here are, as of january 3, i will have the associate who is a community development person going over the people here in california that have become benefit corporations and give examples of businesses. >> i am head of community development out of san francisco here for b-labs. the slide here is showing the overall depiction of the companies in california that became benefit corporations. the law took effect on january 3 of this year. on the official day of opening, 12 companies became benefit corporations. to give something back, green retirement plans, and there was a lot of press around this thanks to being part of this. they have been a leader in this sort of business for a long time. and moving forward with retirement, they wanted to set up a structure where he knew his company would last another 50 years. there is the least for the benefit corporations from san francisco on the first day, a number of others from the bay area as well that makes a lot of sense, given the com

and one in northern california. we're going to make sure that diane gets re-elected. but my role tonight is a very simple one. when then mayor newsom called me to tell me what he had in mind for the d.a., i, too, said to him, you're going to appoint a nonlawyer to the job? he said, see, you're not as smart as i thought you were. the guy is a lawyer. i knew that going out. i want you to urge him because he didn't accept when i offered it to him. he wanted to think about it. now, i never appointed anybody who wanted to think about it. do you think mark leno wanted to think about it when i appointed him. newsom wanted to think about it when i wanted to appoint him? not at all. they thought it was their divine right! [laughter] [applause] >> but not george. he really was very, very thoughtful. he called me and we chatted and i, of course, was really encouraging him because you don't know when you're going to need a d.a. [laughter] >> and in my lifetime, i have always stayed close to every district attorney, every attorn

. >> the eyes of the nation were on california in 1911, when we all voted. it was the sixth and largest state in the nation to approve this. one decade later, we have full voting rights in the united states. helping newly enfranchised women, a new political movement was founded. >> starting in the 1920's, it was a movement created by the suffragettes moving forward to getting the right to vote. all of the suffragettes were interested in educating the new voters. >> non-partisan, not endorsing candidates >> -- endorsing candidates, getting the right to vote and one they have their voice heard. >> the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage is taking place throughout the state. bancroft library is having an exhibit that highlights the women's suffrage movement, chronicling what happened in california, bringing women the right to vote. >> how long does this mean going on? >> the week of the 20th. people do not realize that women were allowed to vote as early as the 1920's. in the library collection we have a manuscript from the end of december, possibly longer. >

exactly 100 years ago, women were given the vote in california. the battle for women's suffrage was not an easy one. it took more than 70 years. a woman could run for president in new york. >> organizing this conference, basically it modeled itself on a declaration of independence for women. it marked the beginning of the women's equality movement in the united states. >> at that time, women were banned from holding property and voting in elections. >> susan b. anthony dedicated her life to reform. >> suffrage in the middle of the 19th century accomplished one goal, it was diametrically opposed to this idea. >> many feared it would be corrupted by politics. >> women in the 19th century had to convince male voters that having the vote would not change anything. that woman would still be devoted to the home, the family, that they would remain pure and innocent, that having the vote would not corrupt them. >> support gradually grew in state and local campaigns. >> leaders like ellen clark sgt come repeatedly stopping these meetings -- , repeatedly st

together, we can end the death penalty in california. [applause] >> thank you for having me here today. i would like to close by saying i have had the opportunity to view this issue from every point of view, having been the warden at san quentin state prison. i am absolutely impassioned about the fact that it is time to end the death penalty in this state. life without possibility of parole is the real sentence. hold people accountable and gives them the opportunity to change within the prison system, and they can give back by working within the prison system, giving restitution to family members and working on behalf of the state of california on a variety of projects that go on inside prisons. i also want to echo what the process said -- please join, please help -- i also want to echo what natasha said. talk to 10 of your friends, send e-mails, send letters. thank you. [applause] >> 1985, when i was sentenced to death for a crime i did not commit, i thought right away that this would be rectified. i was convicted of two different crime

tonight, we honor the philippine nurses association of northern california. [applause] >> in our human moments of weakness, vulnerability, and need, the care provided by our filipino nurses remains unparalleled. for 50 years, the philippine nurses association of northern california has served our nurses through professional development, education, information, and providing a support system that has given them strength and visibility. in its golden years, the philippine nurses association of northern california posted the philippine nurses association of america, bringing in hundreds of philippine nurses from all over the united states into san francisco, treasuring the legacy of our health care's industry was the finest philippine nurses. the san francisco bay area philippine american community salutes this milestone, a legacy of nurturing and a passion for life. >> representing the philippine nurses association of northern california are board members of the philippine nurses association of northern california. [applause] [applause] >> thank you. >> much of

they aplpiplied it only to california. we are very gratified by how thoughtful and well-reasoned to the ninth circuit's opinion was

they aplpiplied it only to california. we are very gratified by how thoughtful and well-reasoned to the ninth circuit's opinion was , and we continue to a look forward to making the arguments. >> [inaudible] >> i can say we are disappointed of zero. the most important thing is to make sure that we have the ability to marriage same-sex couples in california. that is what san francisco has been focused on from when we started this fire eight years ago. it is another brick in the wall, another step in the process. if you look at how far we have come in eight years, six states, the district of columbia issuing marriage licenses, i am not disappointed with the ruling at all. in fact, i am very gratified with where we are at today and we continue to make progress and move forward. >> [inaudible] >> i don't pretend to be in the minds of justices, but as we know, and the high court oftentimes like to take cases when they are ready for them and take an incremental approach. as we see things develop, we have seen progress, and i hav

i am happy to openç up to questions. >> you sense this data is representative of california. the cost of properties in san francisco, was that a factor, too? >> what we are looking atç is e process of foreclosure. we are actually having fewer foreclosures in san francisco thant( riverside, sacramento, stockton. weç did look at some of the higher propensity for closure areas, to look at that, but i believe these are factors that not only act locally, but nationally. when we have seen is, there were studies done in massachusetts, north carolina, where similar trends have happened. what we are seeing is literally the industry following -- not followingç certain laws in plae in this foreclosure process. you see people saying they represent an agency they do not, and work for another agency. one of the many examples is if i were acting on behalf of the new lender but said i was working for the old lender that is now bankrupt, saying that they sign the property over to me. that would not happen if i asked for your home. ok>> is the pure volume of foreclosures a factor in this

i'm frank and president-elect of criminal trial lawyers association of northern california. ctla is a proud co-sponsor of the justice summit here today. i've been asked to say a few words about ctla to both inform and entertain you for about the next two minutes. it's a professional association of criminal defense lawyers in the bay area. our membership list includes about 400 lawyers and private investigators, expert witnesses and even some professors and law students. our members are -- how do i say this -- luminaries in the field. today, the justice conference honors a past ctla honoree, one of our own, tony serra. ctla has featured the likes of not only tony serra at a feature presenter at our programs but those that include jim bross that has who defends cases most of the time but was the special prosecutor in the cat wineberger case. john was responsible for ollie north. chris argatis, who i don't think has prosecuted anyone but defends everyone. and other greats like patrick and nancy. our programs have historically been more a mix of social and educational gatherings

last year, california and kelly -- china and california established an official sister relationship. since then, the contacts and exchanges between the state of california and the province of xuangzhou has been intensified. in particular, i would like to mention that san francisco made new contributions to the overall development of china-u.s. relations. last year, the state councilor and the chinese foreign minister, as well as dozens of chinese provincial players, visited this city. san francisco maintains frequent and many exchanges and full cooperation with your 30 year- old sister city, shanghai. and the newly established city. san francisco has also become a hot spot for chinese investment. according to our statistics, last year, more than 13 chinese enterprises had great success with the chinese council general to erect in this area. that is double of the year before. last year, it was also a remarkable milestone for the local asian community in san francisco. mayor lee was elected as the first chinese american mayor of san francisco. [applause] a round of applause, again. san

she is also working on the effort to abolish the death penalty in california and pursuing the goal of reforming capital sentencing procedure. before we start with the first question, we have a short video. i have been told that this is a video from the former warden of the mississippi prison. >> it is clear that the execution will take place and something happens. they may not come out and say that they did this, but they will tell the victim -- i am sorry. and then they say, i did this. and i leaned down to whisper in his ear, and i thought i could reach them because i wanted to make certain that he is at peace with themselves. i said it is not important for you to confess to this crime and is not important for anyone in this room. the only thing that is important is that you let your god know the truth. and he looked at me and he said -- i am at peace with my god. how will you be with yours? >> do you think that he did this? >> i do not know. >> this is terrible. >> the former governor has come to the conclusion that this boy was probably innocent. we are good friends and have remai

ladies and gentlemen, senior senator from california, dianne feinstein! [cheers and applause] >> thank you, thank you. thank you very much. thank you. thank you, thank you. thank you very much, gavin. ubiquotous, oh, that's what it means, all right. i'm just so happy to be home. i'm so happy to be home and look at this stage where you have got two young brilliant leaders in gavin newsom and kamala harris and where you have three mayors, a present mayor, two of us that are getting a little long in the tooth. wait until that. and all of us here to salute the next district attorney of the city and county of san francisco. yeah, gavin mentioned george gascon's record, working up to assistant chief in the los angeles police department, taking a leave, getting a law degree and coming back. i guess he was in the department from 1978 to 1987, is that right? a long time. obviously well thought of. the city attorney of los angeles is here today to salute him. a very distinguished justice is here today in justice mow renault to give -- moreno to give him the oath of

[applause] member of the california state assembly, fiona ma. [applause] and a majority of your board of supervisors are here, which is a good thing. [laughter] the president of the board, david chiu. [applause] the rev. of the board, sean elsbernd. [applause] and the three women that are always undying loyalty you in support almost everything you'd do, and i will introduce the three of them together -- jane kim, leah komen and carmen chu. [applause] mark farrell. [applause] scott wiener, member of the board of supervisors. [applause] eric mar, a member of the board of supervisors. david campos, a member of the board of supervisors. [applause] you have some other city officials who are here. you have, of course, the man who takes all of our money, the treasurer, jose camos. [applause] campos would like to be there one of these days. i am so focused on campos, he owes me one. [laughter] the public defender, the man who he looked to -- you look to it you got arrested and are broke. -- if you got arrested and are broke. [applause] and the city atto

the value of california real- estate, stability of businesses in california, and the confidence of our workers looking for credit. those are variables that would be important. >> thank you. we have a question in the back. >> good afternoon. thank you to nancy pelosi and for you panelists for providing this informative seminars. for our young company, we are a distribution company. i just heard you mention that you do not loan for the sale of alcohol. is that separate from distribution of wine? >> s.p.a. -- sba makes loans to winery's, stores that sell wine. i am not exactly sure what role you play in distribution. the federal government ought -- got out of prohibiting alcohol and long time ago. we are not in the business of regulating all bohol, beverage distribution or sale. we make loans to businesses who sell alcoholic beverages, restaurants, stores. so is not an sp a prohibition. it is regulated on a local level. we have made loans to a lot of businesses that have some degree of an alcoholic beverages, one distribution. >> terrific. following up to that, can you give any advice on

the ninth circuit chose a narrow approach that applies only to california. and based upon the panoply of rights that are already given to lgbt people in califormiania, there was no rational basis to have prop 8 be declared

the red cross and other clinics throughout rural california. as the public health director and previous health director she is conducting a -- an intense -- and housing. barbra will work with the needs and services and the aftermath of the earthquake and beyond. barbra? >> good morning. the loma prieta earthquake was probably a redefining of my career in 1989. i learned through crisis, it can create opportunity and conflict can bring collaboration and even friendship. and i was about -- i lived about five miles away from the epicenter of the loma prieta earthquake and our clinic was about seven miles from the epicenter. loma prieta means dark mountain. and we would always say during the earthquake we were kind of on the dark side of the mountain. san francisco did an incredible job but to give you a little bit of background to the city. i think this experience also brought me to city government. i had worked in the non-profit field for over 25 years. the city of watsonville was not prepared to communicate with the 60% spanish-speaking community

please welcome the 2011 northern california cherry blossom court. [applause] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [applause] >> thank you once again. the 2011 cherry blossom court. a beautiful performance. and now the special moment we've all been waiting for. the asian pacific american heritage awards honoring individuals and organizations who have made a distinct impact in their contributions to the city's a.p.a. community. this year the awards are being presented in three categories. for individuals, awards for emerging leadership and lifetime achievement. and for organizations, we have the community impact award. more than 30 nominations were received in the top finalists in each category were submitted to a panel of three distinguished judges to make the final selection. now, the three judges are dafney quack, chair of the president's advisory commission on pacific americans and pacific islanders and those with disabilities of california, the president and c.e.o. of yanza media group and commissioner, natasha cowersaw, california commission on asian and pacific

you are s -- >> and this was from southern california? do they have offices here? >> they have offices here. in the bay area. >> any other questions? is there public comment on this item? do i have a motion? so moved. >> do i have a second? >> second. all those in favor? >> with the commission's permission, it probably would not prevent them from voting, but to give them comfort, you can release them from voting. >> the rules of order say that is by permission of the commission. will it be in order for there to be a motion that we do that? >> that would make the record most clean. >> so moved. >> moved and seconded. >> on the item itself, we have a motion and a second. item number 12. >> a discussion to authorize the san francisco public utilities commission and an understanding with the california medical center to perform sewer improvements related to the cesar chavez improvement project, authorize the general manager to except and expand it funds, increasing the contingency and authorize staff to provide support subject to supplemental appropriations, the cesar