Since Ed Lee was elected mayor of San Francisco four years ago, the city’s economy has seen a radical turnaround. Unemployment has dropped from over eight percent to less than four percent. The city’s budget has grown bigger than ever – to nearly nine billion dollars a year.
But while many are prospering others are suffering. Rental housing now costs more in San Francisco, on average, than anywhere else in the country. A recent study by the Brookings Institution found that income inequality between the rich and poor is greater in San Francisco than in any U.S. city except Atlanta. San Francisco is losing its African American population. It’s losing families. It is increasingly becoming a city of haves and have nots.
KALW’s Ben Trefny asked Mayor Ed Lee about his candidacy for re-election and his plan for San Francisco.
You know, I get emotional about this. I grew up in a family of low wage earners. And I know the plight that they have today
For the full half-hour interview with Mayor Ed Lee, click here.