Help us probe San Francisco's deficit with City Budget Watchdog

When firefighters and advocates for the disabled get into shouting matches over resources, you know there's a lot at stake.

It's happening in San Francisco, in this summer's city budget battle. Trouble is, there's little in-depth, nonpartisan coverage of the issues residents are screaming at each other about. That's what we hope to change with our City Budget Watchdog project.

As Kevin Stark reported from Tuesday's board meeting, the half-billion-dollar deficit that San Francisco has to plug this summer is tying the city in knots, as hundreds of city jobs and services for thousands of residents face cutbacks.

This is not just another story for The Public Press. This kind of story is our lifeblood. The changes in store for how San Francisco doles out its much smaller purse define the kind of reporting on core issues that we intend to spearhead.

But we can't do it alone.

The Public Press is collaborating with Spot.us, the Bay Area-based journalism microfunding Web site to raise $5,000 for this three-month project. So far series editors Christopher Cook and Kristina Shevory, and reporters Kevin Stark and Michael Pistorio, have covered the day-to-day protests, ongoing negotiations and the stories behind the numbers.

Consider donating even $25 to this collaborative effort. And drop us a line if you have a story tip: citybudgetwatchdog [AT] public-press.org.

First frame (r-l): reporters Patricia Decker and Michael Pistorio, News Editor Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig, reporter Kevin Stark. Second Frame: Stark and series editors Christopher Cook and Kristina Shevory. Photo by Michael Stoll/The Public Press.