The owner of this firm, Richard Blum, UC Regent and husband to Senator Dianne Feinstein, is also Chairman of the Board of the politically entrenched real estate firm CB Richard Ellis (CBRE). Through leveraging his position as UC Regent, Mr. Blum has brought outsize benefits to Blum Capital Partners by exploiting UC’s sizable investment portfolio. He has directed a multitude of university build projects to his very own real estate company, even going so far as to construct a building named after himself on the UC Berkeley campus from which he personally profited. Thanks to his wife, Senator Feinstein, Blum’s real estate firm CBRE won contracts from the FDIC to handle the state’s residential foreclosures at above market rates, despite the firm’s weak track record in the field. As part of the nationwide threat to public services, the closing and selling off of California’s historic post offices have been contracted out to none other than Mr. Blum’s own CBRE, allowing him to profit from the public’s great loss of priceless buildings and works of art housed in them. 

Richard Blum and his companies exemplify the intractability of corporate influence on public policy, the marriage of wealth to politics and the incestuous twining of the two. In today’s political discourse, privatization is too often pitched as the only alternative, as necessary “reform”. “We are here today to stand for real reform: the removal influence over public policy by the 1% and their corporate allies, the establishment of true public accountability, and the preservation of public services,” stated OBAU member Jane Smith. 

Occupy Bay Area United is committed to nonviolent direct action. You can find more information, including schedules of our events, and information about our weekly General Assemblies at www.obau.org. Follow #OBAU on Twitter at @occbayareautd

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Article source: http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2012-11-30/article/40566?headline=Occupy-Bay-Area-Takes-Over-Richard-Blum-s-Corporation-in-San-Francisco-Tonight-to-Protest-Sale-of-Post-Offices--

Water Risk Threatens Businesses, National Security

Erica Gies
Contributor

Sinking Nations Are Pursuing Legal Options To Stave Off Destruction

Michael Bobelian
Contributor

USGS Satellite photo of the San Francisco Bay Area. Light gray areas are heavily urbanized regions, many of which were formerly underwater (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to the AP, “Business leaders and Sen. Dianne Feinstein launched a $1 billion, 10-year fundraising goal on Thursday that is aimed at preventing some of Silicon Valley’s leading technology companies from going underwater—literally.”

That $1 Billion that Facebook just paid for Instagram could have paid for updating the levees and restoring the wetlands in the drained former site of San Francisco Bay that is now Silicon Valley, home to Facebook, Google and billions of dollars of real estate. That the Valley has joined the Maldives (with somewhat less urgency) on the list of those threatened by potential sea level rise is actually a good thing.

Whether through floating architecture, alternative energy, better storm prediction or any number of other innovations, the future of humanity on earth is relying on the brain power of places like Silicon Valley to solve the problems caused by the planet’s increasing use of energy. The tech companies could move to higher ground, of course, an option not available in the Maldives, but the geographical web of social connections is so intense in the Valley that there are strong reasons to persist.

Despite how pressing this threat is or is not to these companies, even the raising of the issue on their home turf could turn the attention of some tech entrepreneurs and innovators within the big tech companies to focus on goals more significant than the next big mobile app. Instagram or inundation, is that a choice?

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/04/14/silicon-valley-joins-the-maldives-on-threat-list-for-sea-level-rise/

The 34th America’s Cup is coming to San Francisco in 2013.

• Eric Young
• Reporter
• Email: eyoung@bizjournals.com

The group assembled to collect $32 million to cover San Francisco’s costs during the America’s Cup is a who’s who of Bay Area business and philanthropy circles.

Led by former real estate executive Mark Buell, the 56 members have a big task ahead of them. The San Francisco America’s Cup Organizing Committee can’t offer big advertising deals or worldwide exposure in exchange for contributions. Instead, the group likely will make its pitch by offering smaller promotional packages, behind-the-scenes experiences or VIP treatment on race days.

The group’s efforts are aided by a more robust economy, said Buell. But rebound or not, it’s always a challenge to get people to open their wallet. The group has until 2013 to reach its goal and it wants to raise $12 million by the end of this year.

Below is the list of the Organizing Committee members. (There are 37 honorary members as well – all politicians – including people like Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Jerry Brown.)

• Andy Ball, CEO, Webcor Builders.
• Doug Band, director, William J. Clinton Foundation.
• Roger Barnett, CEO, Shaklee Corp., and wife Sloan.
• Steven Bing, founder, Shangri-La Industries.
• Mark Buell, former real estate executive, chairman of San Francisco America’s Cup Organizing Committee.
• Malin Burnham, chairman, Cushman Wakefield.
• George Clyde.
• Tom Coates, principal, Jackson Square Partners.
• Lloyd Dean, CEO, Catholic Healthcare West.
• David Festa, vice president of West Coast operations, Environmental Defense Fund.
• Bob Fisher, board of directors, Gap Inc.
• Pat Gallagher, former San Francisco Giants executive.
• Lou Giraudo, co-owner of Boudin Bakery.
• Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist, author.
• Warren Hellman, co-founder Hellman Friedman LLC.
• Richard Horne, former president, Shreve Co.
• Lucy Jewett, philanthropist.
• Dwayne Jones, advisor, Platinum Advisors.
• James Keenan, senior vice president, United Airlines.
• John Kilroy, Jr., CEO, Kilroy Realty Corp.
• Martin Koffel, CEO, URS Corp.
• Dick Kramlich, chairman, New Enterprise Associates.
• Mike Latham, global head, iShares.
• David Lewis, executive director, Save the Bay.
• Cameron Lewis.
• Peter Magowan, former managing general partner, San Francisco Giants, and wife Debby.
• Deborah McDonald Messemer, managing partner, KPMG.
• Kenneth McNeely, president of external affairs, ATT Corp.
• Alex Mehran, Jr., general manager, Bishop Ranch.
• Peter Moore, president, EA Sports.
• Walter and Ellen Newman, philanthropists.
• Paul Otellini, CEO, Intel Corp.
• Tom Perkins, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers.
• Katie Pettibone, yacht racer.
• Tony Pohl, partner, PMB Helin Donovan.
• Peter Ragone, founder, PWR LLC.
• Dawn Riley, sailor, America True Office.
• Cristina Rubke, vice commodore, Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors.
• John Sangmeister.
• Wendy Schmidt, president, The Schmidt Family Foundation.
• Harry Schoening, managing director, Jones Lang LaSalle.
• Charles Schwab, chairman, Charles Schwab Corp.
• George and Charlotte Shultz, philanthropists.
• Mimi Silbert, CEO, Delancey Street Foundation.
• Tom Steyer, Co-managing partner, Farallon Capital Management.
• Peter Stoneberg, vice commodore, St. Francis Yacht Club.
• John Stumpf, CEO, Wells Fargo Co.
• Jim Swartz, partner, Accel Partners.
• Sandy Tatum, retired partner, Cooley LLP.
• Casey Wasserman, CEO, Wasserman Media Group.
• Diane B. Wilsey, philanthropist.
• Marcus Young, commodore, Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Email Eric Young at eyoung@bizjournals.com / Twitter: EYoung03

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Article source: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2011/02/organizing-committee-americas-cup.html