It’s been nearly a year since I last spoke to either Phil Matier or Andy Ross, the bottom-feeders of the San Francisco Chronicle. But I have to admit, they are persistent. In addition to their regular calls to my cell phone, they now have taken to emailing me. I thought that it may be fun to use this forum to respond…

Supervisor Daly, how you doing — I wanted to ask you about issue of Olympic torch run, and the fact that all the demonstrations will likely mean lots of police overtime. POA contends that board decries police overtime, then encourages demonstations (sic) here that require large police presence and hence lots of overtime? Any response to Gary Delagnes and Co.??? Feel free to call or write. Thanks, Andy Ross (777-7158)

Obviously, M&R would love to instigate a little more back and forth between yours truly and Mr. Delagnes. They haven’t had gossip as meaty as Delagnes’ screwdriver bit in a while.

Let me put some facts out there that you’re not likely to read in the gossip columns. This year, the Board approved the largest Police Department budget ever – $407 million! Despite their record budget, the Police Department has already blown $7.5 million past their entire overtime budget. Meanwhile, our City’s homicide rate is through the roof.

And now Delagnes is trying to blame the Board for Police overtime excesses, because we’re alarmed about China’s human rights record?

First, we’ve encouraged no protest that’s contributed to the outrageous Police overtime incurred so far. Second, it is our understanding that Police Department brass have been meeting with the Newsom administration and Chinese officials for months, discussing every detail of the proposed torch route. Meanwhile neither Supervisors nor human rights groups have been involved in these discussions, and we have not been apprised of the proposed route.

I’m forwarding this post to Andy Ross. We’ll see what he does with it.

Gavin Newsom continues to enjoy unusually high polling numbers in the LGBT community. Gavin generated much of this goodwill with his move on gay marriage. But as I’ve written before, out of the limelight, Gavin’s record on LGBT issues is less than stellar. And it’s no longer just about Gavin’s budget cuts to priorities like AIDS/HIV services — it’s become quite nasty and really personal.

Remember Gavin’s failed political power play to stop Theresa Sparks from becoming the first transgender President of the Police Commission? This was only the beginning. Since that time, Newsom refused to reappoint Roma Guy to the Health Commission, ousted Debra Walker from the Building Inspection Commission Presidency and tried to block Christina Olague from becoming the Vice President of the Planning Commission.

The latest prominent LGBT community leader in Gavin’s crosshairs is Robert Haaland.  Back in 2006, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin appointed Robert to the SF Board of Appeals. It has been common practice for members of that Board rotate in and out of leadership positions (with President and Vice President split between Mayoral and Board appointees). By custom, Robert should be elected Vice-President at the Board’s meeting Wednesday night. Unfortunately, the Mayor’s team has decided to stop that from happening. While it may not surprise insiders that the Mayor is targeting a former President of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and probably the City’s most prominent FTM transgender leader, we shouldn’t allow it to go down without a fight.

The Milk Club is mobilizing people to show up tomorrow night at 5 pm at the Board of Appeals meeting (City Hall Room 416) to “raise some queer hell.” However it goes down, it should be worth the price of admission.

Newsom’s political attacks on LGBT leadership come at an inopportune time. After scoring big political points last week for exposing anti-Semitic postings made by a former Bayview Affordable Housing Initiative proponent, Newsom ally and Proposition G proponent Aurelius Walker is now facing renewed charges of homophobia. Introducing Mayor Brown during a campaign rally in 1999, Walker made these comments about Supervisor Tom Ammiano caught in the documentary See How They Run,

“We cannot have a Queen — the Mayor of the City.  We need a King.  Did you hear what I said? We cannot have a Queen!”

Walker’s public gay-baiting of Tom Ammiano was some time ago. But just last year, Walker made jaws drop again trying to blunt criticism that he was in bed with the Lennar Corporation saying that he wouldn’t lay in bed with another man!

I agree that hate speech should not be tolerated in San Francisco politics. When anti-Semitic remarks made by a Prop F proponent were exposed, I swiftly denounced them and asked the proponent to step down from his position. With Walker’s homophobic remarks now exposed, will Gavin Newsom and Lennar do the same?

At this week’s Democratic County Central Committee meeting, leaders from San Francisco’s Jewish community rightfully denounced language believed to be a reference to Kristallnacht. Francisco Da Costa, a proponent of Proposition F – the Bayview Affordable Housing Initiative, wrote this language last week in a posting on IndyBay…

“History sure will repeat itself but this time it will be reminiscent of a time when Crystals fell from the ceilings and there was a hue and cry.”

Kristallnacht was the first major pogrom against Jews in Nazi Germany and is viewed by many as the beginning of the Holocaust. It came after years of increasing anti-Semitism. The call from Jewish leaders to never forget and never repeat the Holocaust, including anti- Semitism that led up to it, should be echoed among all peoples concerned about the human condition, our collective dignity, and social justice.

As African Americans are driven from San Francisco in record numbers, those of us working on the side of justice should identify with the Jewish history of resistance, social justice, and solidarity with other people’s struggles. We should acknowledge the fighting spirit of Jewish civilians in occupied Poland and Soviet Union and never forget the resistance that valiantly rose up against the Nazi army in Warsaw. We should also remember Andrew Goodman and Mickey Schwerner who joined James Chaney in his home state of Mississippi to work for civil rights. They gave their lives in their passionate fight against racism.

Our efforts to deliver affordable housing, fight against environmental racism, and call for corporate responsibility build on this rich history of struggle.

Earlier today I tried to reach Mr. Da Costa to personally discuss his anti-Semitic statements and why anti-Semitism has no place in our movement. Mr. Da Costa has not returned my call. I also plan to ask him to step down from his role in the campaign to pass Proposition F. This should serve as a message to all of San Francisco as to our Coalition’s commitment to values of human dignity, solidarity, and social justice.

I didn’t even know that political consultant, Jim Ross, had a blog until I was forwarded this link this morning.

Read the rules

Well, we did read the rules.

http://www.sfdemocrats.org/sfd/Bylaws_20060927.pdf

b. TERM OF OFFICE: Elected members shall have approximately two (2) year terms. Membership shall extend from the time of certification of election results of each SFDCCC election until certification of election results of the next SFDCCC election, with vacancies occurring during this period filled in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of this article.

Don’t get me wrong. I like Jim Ross. I’ve always had fun when we grabbed a beer together.

On his website Jim claims to be a “nationally recognized expert in campaign management, political strategy and public affairs.” Good thing he doesn’t claim to be an avid reader! LOL.

People-powered politics is sweeping across the country. From large urban centers to small towns, people are energized about Democratic politics on a level that I’ve never seen before. Consider for a moment last month’s caucus in the “red state” Kansas. Democratic turnout was nearly double that of the Republican

So what are the implications for deep blue San Francisco? We know that on Super Tuesday, San Franciscans bucked California’s trend and gave an 8-point advantage to the then-insurgent Barack Obama. Not surprisingly, turnout was up 57% over the previous, already decided primary.

With much of San Francisco’s Democratic establishment with Hillary Clinton (including Senator Feinstein and Mayor Newsom), the energy in February’s contest came almost entirely from the grassroots and from Progressive circles. Early this year we witnessed hundreds of newcomers to electoral politics join up with 7 Supervisors and the Bay Guardian set. The excitement was palpable. But, unfortunately, the Presidential campaign rushed out of San Francisco as quickly as it stormed in.

The question now is much bigger than how to increase Democratic turnout in November to help ensure an Obama victory in California. We need to figure out how to keep this people-powered politics going past any single election cycle.

I believe the Democratic Party is the most appropriate vehicle to keep this people-powered, democratic politics going.

That is why I am running on the HOPE Slate for Democratic County Central Committee. The Slate is a powerful combination of progressive reformers and grassroots activists that aims to turn the San Francisco Democratic Party into the City’s most significant progressive change agent. In many places, local Democratic Party plays this role.

But in our deep blue City, the Democratic Party plays a more minor role– making endorsements, passing resolutions, and doing the occasional voter registration drive. In tougher times, the Party has been used as an extension of downtown, pushing bad candidates on an unsuspecting electorate while apologizing for Democratic leaders’ lack of resolve on important issues. If there ever was a time to reinvigorate our Party, to make it the force for good that most in our City believe it can be, it is now.

All the candidates on the HOPE Slate have already won the support of Supervisors Tom Ammiano, Ross Mirkarimi, Aaron Peskin and Public Defender Jeff Adachi. Now we have to take our mission to the grassroots and elect the HOPE Slate on June 3^rd.

DCCC, 12th Assembly District
Michael Bornstein, Emily Drennen, Hene Kelly, Eric Mar, Jake McGoldrick, Jane Morrision, Melanie Nutter, Connie O’Connor, Giselle Quesada, Arlo Hale Smith

DCCC, 13th Assembly District
Bill Barnes, David Campos, David Chiu, Chris Daly, Michael Goldstein, Robert Haaland, Joe Juilian, Rafael Mandelman, Aaron Peskin, Eric Quezada, Laura Spanjian, Debra Walker