Who Reads Yesterday's Papers?
We've been trying to wrap our heads around Lettergate, otherwise known as Much Ado About Parking, and think we finally have a bead on it. Or maybe not. Anyways, the story goes like this: there's been this big debate over parking in the Mission Bay/South of Market area where all this big condo building is going on. The debate, as usual, is between Chris Daly vs. the Gavster and the nefarious Downtown Business Interests over how many parking spots should be allowed to be built, Daly, wants to limit the amount of spaces to be built while Gavin doesn't. A reworked Daly measure was put up for vote and passed by a 7-2 measure.
That, however, isn't really the controversy, but what happened during the debate was. During the debate, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier and Acting Planning Director Larry Badiner read a letter from Planning Director Dean Macris, who was out of town, saying he's against Daly's measure. It became obvious to everyone who was there, however, that the letter didn't really come from Macris. It wasn't signed, wasn't on official stationary, there were two different versions of it, and the letter contradicted several things that Macris had said earlier.
Needless to say, people were not amused.
A few days later, Macris denied writing the letter and called it "inaccurate." Turns out it was written by the Mayor's Office of Housing Director, Matt Franklin. Franklin said Macris had "authorized" a letter, but Macris said he did, just not that one and pointed out several things he disagreed with. Later, Gavin talked to the press and told them it was just some whacky misunderstanding with Franklin playing the whacky neighbor and boy, howdy, it'lll never happen again. The Bay Guardian is calling for an investigation because that's what they do.
Picture of Dick, DiFI, and Da Governor checking out when the levee might break from A.P.
-A column in Saturday's L.A. Times attacked City Lights Bookstore for having plenty of books written by noted left-y whacko Ward Churchill but not noted Italian whacko, Oriana Fallaci. For those who don't know who Fallaci is, picture Anne Coulter done by Fellini. With the war in Iraq going not-so-swimmingly, the war on terror outsourced to the U.A.E, and Fearless Leaders' lack of clothes becoming more apparent, the right is now about to start hammering the left on being insufficiently intolerant towards Islam, something gone into hyper-drive in wake of the cartoon riots. Freedom of speech and all that. Since San Francisco is about as P.C. as you can be, expect similar stories to come over the next months or so. We're sure Sandoval's phone is already ringing.
-Metallica announced that they're going to record the new disc with Rick Rubin. Isn't Rubin the go-to guy for artists trying to resurrect their careers?
-The measure that calls for the impeachment of President came closer to being as it was passed by the little group that it Sean Elsbrend sent it to. Next step, being voted on by the Board by followed by Bush impeachment around, oh, June or so. Look, we fantasize about the President and Vice-President being impeached as much as anyone but we also fantasize about threesomes with Maureen Dowd and Sasha Cohen and the think the chances of both happening are about the same.