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Friday, May 1, 2015

UC-SF Controversy (Which Doesn't Involve a UC-SF Facility)

Blog readers will know about the controversy surrounding a stadium at UC-Berkeley whose "business plan" didn't quite work out. Perhaps one of our northern readers can explain how UC-San Francisco got itself involved in a controversy over a stadium that isn't part of the campus:

Two of UCSF’s most prominent financial backers have sent a clear message to opponents of the proposed Golden State Warriors arena at Mission Bay: Buzz off. “The mayor and UCSF have put together an amazing plan that solves any theoretical potential traffic, access and parking issues,” Salesforce executive Marc Benioff — whose name graces the new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at Mission Bay wrote in an e-mail to the San Francisco Business Times on Thursday. He was reacting to a press release by the Mission Bay Alliance a newly formed nonprofit whose apparently well-heeled backers are keeping a very low profile — that charged that the Warriors are ignoring the traffic problems their 18,000-seat arena would cause and “are trying to sweep this serious parking problem under the carpet.”

“Marc Benioff tells the truth,” venture capitalist Ron Conway, one of Mayor Ed Lee’s biggest backers, chimed in. Conway — who has given some $40 million for UCSF’s new campus and has his name on at least one building there — wrote in an e-mail that Lee “has worked tirelessly to cooperate with UCSF and the community and is well aware of the issues.” Conway added that former UCSF Senior Vice Chancellor Bruce Spaulding, who is consulting with the group opposing the arena plan, and PR gun-for-hire Sam Singer are spreading “mistruths to confuse the public.” ...

Full story at http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/UCSF-s-big-money-men-blast-Warriors-arena-foes-6234791.php

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