September 10, 2007
Gavin Newsom To Clean House
Whoa. Guess it's time to get rid of the bad blood at City Hall. Beginning last Friday, Mayor Newsom asked for resignation letters from his senior staff, city department heads, and those that he had anointed to serve on a city commission or board. Although he has zero competition during this race -- so it's not a move spurred by fear on his part, it seems -- he wants to start off fresh for his second term. So...watch out. (Also, why can't he just fire the undesireables, have them pack up their Swinglines, and have security escort them out of the office, like every other boss does?)
Newsom's new exfoliating regimen won't wipe out the entire lot. According to the Chronicle, he plans on dealing with "a few officials he has battled with since taking office in 2004" and will deal with the resignations "on a case-by-case basis." Delicious.
O! To be a fruit fly on his office wall as he thumbs through those letters!
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How does this work? He asks for a resignation letter and they just write them and walk out? I think I'd be coming in to work with no pants before I wrote my own resignation letter. But I just work in the real world, not in politics. So what gives?
Please refrain from using the word "delicious" to describe anything other than food. Or the phrase "delightfully decadent."
Thanks for your cooperation.
OK. Your wish is my command.
I accept your resignation, Mr. Newsom. Sorry you weren't up to the job.
Why is he doing it? "You don't fire crazy. You never fire crazy."
It's a very interesting tactic, though. Fighting crazy with crazy.
That's bad policy. These people are experienced, and have served - at least for the most part, I'm sure - with reasonable acumen.
Movie flashback time:
We're adding a little something to this month's sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize?
[Holds up prize]
Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired.
Wow- I guess Daly has to pull a live chicken out of his ass while singing "San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate..." to an audience of seventeen half-conscious bums and an unemployed bike messenger to top this!
Any bets on who will be the first one out the door? I'm guessing NOT Katz, since he's already announced he's leaving in a year.
I wonder if he will ask Bumblebee Seibel for a letter as part of his "house cleaning."
Too bad Newsom appointees Alioto-Pier and Elsbernd can't be included in this.
Maybe this explains the very recent shakeup in our SFPD Precinct Captains (which happened THIS week)... ???
Is that why SFPD Chief Heather Fong hasn't been able to comment on the reason for the reassignments?
There was a story in The SF Comical? or SFGate? or The Examiner? but I can't find it....)....
(see Ingleside Precinct Captain Paul Chignell's recent email to his 'constituents'):
Sept. 7, 2007
Captain Paul C. Chignell
Commanding Officer
Ingleside Police Station
#1 John V. Young Lane
San Francisco, Ca. 94112
Telephone 404-4000
Effective Saturday, September 15, 2007, Chief Heather Fong has transferred
Captain Paul Chignell of the Ingleside Station to a new command, the
Taraval Police Station.
Captain Denis O'Leary of Southern Station will be the new Captain of Ingleside. I have known Denis throughout his career and ask that you all
welcome him. He is a professional with a wealth of experience throughout many units of the San Francisco Police Department.
I must say that in the 3 years and 5 months that I have had the pleasure of serving the residents and visitors to the Ingleside Police District, I have
immensely enjoyed working with community organization leaders, merchants, city officials and most importantly the residents of the Ingleside. In over three decades of being a San Francisco police officer I had not known the
vibrancy of the many neighborhoods in the Ingleside. But I quickly found out! You are all so engaged to improve the quality of life in your
communities and the small part that I have played in enhancing that quality will never be forgotten. This assignment has been my most rewarding as a
police officer.
My best to all of you and yours.
-----Paul C. Chignell
This is interesting in light of the rumor three months ago that the mayor was going to bring in politial operatives with state and federal connections in order to enhance his political aspirations. If, in fact, this is the reason for asking for these resignations, it is quite obvious that this move will do nothing to provide problem solving, team building, accountablily, or better services (all sorely needed) for San Franciscans. We'll be duped again! What a sham!
This is, in a word, awesome. Experience in San Francisco government does not necessarily equal "reasonable acumen," or even competence. We're talking about a large number of totally incompetent people that got hired due to their connections to other government workers and politicians, some during the Willie Brown years. Yes, it's this way in a lot of cities, but San Francisco is pretty infamous for it, to the point of being pretty much a joke. It's pretty shocking, and great, to see that Newsom is not only aware of this but also seems to want to do something about it.
Anyone know what offices are affected? From what I hear, the offices directly under the mayor's command, and in particular the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice and the Mayor's Office of Community Development, are definitely in need of major housecleaning.
I love it and I hope he follows through. More than that, I hope he hires competent people. SFist, any dish on who the 14 heads he already met with were? Or any departments that seem especially likely to be overhauled?
not sure, but heather fong will probably be out.
any other guesses out there for newsom's consolidation?
He should have talked to the experts on how to do this right. There's ways and then there's ways to get rid of people, yeah? The Good, The Bad, and The Just Not So Bright