Bush to Bay Area: "F**k you!"
Why does the Bay Area hate George Bush so much? Is it really about partisan machine politics or an innate culture of dissent? SFist thinks it's more a matter of self-preservation. The fact is you could probably plan the administration's policy strategy in advance by taking the expressed concerns of the majority of Bay Area voters and doing exactly the opposite. And sometimes it seems they screw us out of sheer spite.
While political strategists note the near-religious fervor of Bush supporters and the preeminence of moral issues in the tone of his campaign, SFist feels the local attitude is just as rigorously moral, but rather than focus on the morality of reproduction activists and drug-policy didacts, here we focus on the morality of poverty, violence and equal protection under the law. San Francisco honors its namesake through devotion to the beatitudes, not just the 10 commandments.
The Bay Area offers such an abundance of natural beauty and resources, and those who live here pay a premium for this proximity to nature. But by serving the interests of timber and oil, the White House sees fit to allow the last remaining stands of old growth redwoods to fall and new roads opened in pristine wilderness areas. Relaxation of new source review provisions in the Clean Air Act means more children and seniors suffer from respiratory illness brought on by increased air pollution.
Even local Republicans can't get through to Bush that for every dollar that leaves the state of California through taxes, we only get 80 cents back. Enron has yet to return a dime to California energy consumers after their piracy and greed during the energy crisis. Gas prices have skyrocketed, which is a direct hit on the wallets of the working class. The No Child Left Behind Act has imposed higher standards for schools, but hasn't provided teachers with the resources to meet those standards.
One would think that as part of protecting the "homeland," cities like San Francisco would receive the lion's share of federal funding for counterterrorism efforts - we are a target-rich environment for anyone who would want to strike at America. But states like Wyoming and West Virginia get more money per capita for security than California, while cargo ships, chemical plants and national landmarks here are left completely unguarded.
Many of us are liberals, but few are godless and no one who lives here is heartless. San Francisco welcomes immigrants and travelers with open arms - for many, we are their introduction to the American way of life. As such, we should be treated by the administration as a jewel to be prized and polished, not as a pariah of partisan politics, left to flap in the winds of political expediency.
Additional reporting by SFist Emily and SFist Matt.