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Bay Blogger Thursday
H. Brown is what we like to call a "San Francisco Character" -- the kind of person who makes living in San Francisco even more interesting and colorful. Love him or hate him, he won't water down his opinions or rhetoric for his sake or yours. He's run for office more often than Gavin Newsom, whom he cornered at Ross Mirkarimi's recent art fete in order to lobby him to mark the fresh-water reserves scattered across town so that people can find them in an emergency. It's the kind of thing that people take for granted, and that H. takes very, very seriously.
When he's not roaming City Hall, he's at home in his Tenderloin apartment watching SFGTV, reading all the papers, and writing for his site, the SF Bulldog, or for the San Francisco Sentinel. Or he's out carousing with artists and politicos and smoking his prescription marijuana. SFist has always wanted one of his self-issued press passes -- on the back, they read "Represented by Gonzalez and Leigh" -- so that we could have half the street cred that he does.
After the jump: H. ponders the upcoming election, reads The Gavster's tea leaves, and expresses his affection for The City.
Photo of H. at the Matt Gonzalez campaign headquarters in 2003 by Matt Fitt.
So what do you think is the most important office we're electing a candidate for this election?
That would be the City Attorney who is running unopposed. Bad contracts and advice coming out of that office have cost the City billions.
How about the most important local proposition?
Prop C easily. When functioning properly, the Ethics Commission acts as a sort of Independent Prosecutor. The Commission has been hamstrung for years by mayors and City Attorneys beholden to the Democratic Machine.
We can only imagine how you feel about the Governator's policies. How do you think the ballot propositions he's floated will work out?
He loses on everything and drags down the only good thing on the ballot which is Prop 79 that would force drug companies to show a little mercy with the dying poor.
You've made an issue of the SFPD's organization and tactics in many of your recent columns. You've joked that you'd have the support of the board for the vacant seat on the police commission if you were hispanic. How do you feel about that political calculation on the part of the Supervisors?
I wasn't joking about the Board members requiring I be Latino before supporting me. Frankly, I don't give a shit. Understand, amigo? ... Clearly, I'm opposed to racial & ethnic litmus tests. I like to be hated and rejected for my universal human qualities. You know, being a serious prick or a formidable asshole.
Does one have to be latino to represent the interests of latinos?
Absolutely. Maybe I can open my nomination speech before the Rules Committee in a way that will put their fears at rest. How about:
"Lucy, I'm home ... !!"
And do you think if you were appointed to the commission that you could find middle ground with the president and the other members?
Have you seen the commission? Middle ground with that group is Pee Wee Herman. ... Seriously, I can be civil and would. Reform of the department will take at least a decade and the best person in the City to lead that effort is moi. Not that I actually want the job. But, I'd take it. It provides full medical and dental benefits, you know.
Feel like hazarding a guess as to what office The Gavster's gonna run for next?
People close to Feinstein tell me she's on her last legs. When's her term up? He loses if he runs next year for U.S. Senate but wins in 2-4 years. I drive my wonk friends nuts by forgetting when these little 'windows' open and close. If I'm handling Gavin, I run him against Arnie next year to give him state-wide exposure for name recognition. Then, you give the California electorate another couple of years to drop their hostility to gay human beings and Gavin's a shoe-in. Unless, of course, Gonzalez runs.
Actually, what are you going to run for next?
I plan to run in District 8. I've promised to run in all 11 districts while they exist. I've run in 2, 5 & 6 and had the same level of success everywhere (dead last - 0% of vote). I'd expect to repeat the showing against Dufty.
So you've got big plans for the Bulldog. All we want is an RSS feed so we can keep up with the updates! Seriously, though, how do you think the site can help change the dialogue surrounding city government?
Would that I were more ambitious. If my young geekster friends would get off their asses and do all the work for me, we'd be tops in the local political information market within a couple of months. A quality chat room is job one for me but participation won't be open to the public. Just my 'A' list. Hard core brainstorming.
Finally, you could probably write a novel or three about your experiences in San Francisco, so you can give one of two things -- your favorite "Only in San Francisco" story, or at least your most recent...
My girlfriend is a lesbian. My teeth are falling out. I'm going deaf and I can barely see. I've been on welfare for 3 years. I have recurring skin cancer. I wake up in tears from arthritic pain. I'm a hopeless alcoholic and pot head. I live, as the song says, 'among the creatures of the night'. ... And, yet, somehow ... I've never been happier. That could only happen in San Francisco.