October 21, 2007
The Chronicle Looks at the Gavin Years
With Gavin's re-election "campaign" about to get under way, the Chron took a look at four years of the Gavster. Since Sunday was beautiful and the sports on TV plentiful, we'll give you the recap.
The story is actually a pretty good account of the last four years. Sure, it won't please the Bay Guardian types who are pissed that Gavin has yet to overthrow capitalism, but it's a far cry from earlier stories which the Chron wrote while on their knees. In it, the Chron explains Gavin's still massive popularity ratings due to the still warm-glow of the Gay marriage thing and his occasional feint to progressive issues. He's unpredictable! They give him props for his technocratic leanings, an open mind, being green, and for scrubbing down City Hall after Willie's reign. In the negative column are that he's too nice, over-promises, has a tendency to passivity, and has a thin skin. As for Gavin, he says that he's doing a good job, made some (nudge..nudge..wink..wink) mistakes, and thinks his second term will be his bestest term ever.
The story then breaks down all of the issues concerning the city and describes what's been done, what's being worked on, and what hasn't happened. After the jump, we'll sum it all up for ya.
Schools- Where did all the children go?
Economy- Things are so bright, you have to wear shades. Unless you're poor or have kids
Homelessness- Gavin's been as busy as a bee, as are all his worker bees, but strangely, the numbers of homeless haven't quite gone anywhere close to down.
Housing- Look! Up in the sky! It's another condo! Too bad a whole bunch of people can’t afford them.
Homicide- Oy vey.
Muni- Do we even need to say anything?
Parks- If wishes were fishes, we'd have a lot of fishes in the park's ponds. Unfortunately, those fishes don't have money attached to them. And those homeless people keep on coming back.
Streets- The Lorax would be happy with all the new trees and flowers planted. He wouldn't be happy, however, over the inability to clean the streets. We, however, are thrilled that some of the streets are being paved. Actually, we are big fans of this part as several streets (16th Street, we're looking at you) that bordered on third world are now as smooth as a baby's bottom.
Social Services- Yay, health care plan! Boo, Golden Gate Restaurant Association! But while the 311 phone line doesn’t suck as nearly as much as the band, the wi-fi plan ain't going nowhere. As is his plan to clean up some of the worst projects in the city.
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Let's remember that if Halloween in the Castro goes horribly wrong by simply attending and using riot cops to beat-up and arrest people, Newsom is in a ton of hell to try to fix this up since election day is just six days after the event.
There is no reason to sit around guessing what Newsom's next term will look like.
Even with $2 million dollars in the bank and NO OPPOSITION, Gavin Newsom won't lift a finger to help environmentalists fight back Prop H. As always, Gavin SAYS he sides with environmentalists. As Always, Gavin is missing in action when we need his help.
http://www.sfbg.com/blogs/politics/2007/10/fisher_and_his_powerful_friend.html
Prop H will retrofit SF to accommodate tens of thousands of additional cars, with disastrous effect to MUNI and the environment. Newsom knows all the facts and even claims to agree that Prop H is bad policy, that it would UNDO pro-transit law in place today. Prop H calls Hummers low emmision vehicles, for Christ's sake.
Like Gavin Newsom, George Bush also CLAIMS to be pro-environment. Like George Bush, Gavin Newsom gets much of his money from republican billionaires like Don Fisher. If Gavin Newsom can't back up his endless environmental rhetoric with action now, when he is at his strongest... he never will.
Newsom's environmental record is TERRIBLE: from killing the plastic bag tax to vetoing a half mile of car free space in Golden Gate Park to sitting on the sidelines as Don Fisher tries to undo decades of pro-environment, pro-transit policy with Prop H.
Gavin Newsom is addicted to Republican money. Gavin Newsom got an unopposed re-election after four years of photo-ops and press releases... why the hell would he do anything different now?
With all of Newsom's failures, it's a relief that a great progressive candidate who represents real San Francisco values stepped up to challenge Newsom and adress the frustrations of folks like Ted S.
Oh, wait.
Your sarcasm is too hilarious for words, eightslosh, but that candidate does exist and is running:
www.qformayor.com
As if I'm the only sarcastic SFist commenter.
Dude, I met Qunintin at the Noc Noc in the Lower Haight on Friday and talked to him for 15 minutes. I give him credit for having his heart in the right place and for making Daly, Ammiano and Gonzalez look silly for not stepping up. But your boy is NOT a legitimate political candidate.
1. He was standing at the bar, not talking to anyone until my friend and I approached him. A real politician cannot be afraid to approach a stranger and say "Hi, I'm Quintin Mecke and I'm running for mayor." Sell yourself!
2. He spent 15 minutes talking to 2 people. In that time, he could have had a 1 minute conversation with every group in the bar, then moved on to the next bar. He wasn't even trying to get the word out.
3. Politicians need to have some charm, make people feel comfortable and be able to deflect criticism. When I pushed back on what he was saying, he got flustered and started POKING ME IN THE CHEST (I'm a guy) while he was making his point. If I wasn't so stunned that a legit mayoral candidate was acting like that, it might have come to blows. Even if you're not running for mayor, that's a good way to get you ass kicked.
I could go on and on. The guy has passion and I respect that. This race will get his name out there and help his career, so good for him. But he is a fucking amateur when it comes to politics.
I was there with eightslosh at the Noc Noc. A few days prior I voted for Quentin and mailed in my absentee ballot, based on the fact that I've seen people out campaigning for him and that it seems that people really believe in him. I really enjoyed speaking with him, and both eightslosh and I thought that he was a really decent, cool dude; and I think that he'd make a great supervisor or SFDCCC member or something someday... He's smart, and well-intentioned, and he's got a clear understanding of some of the more serious policy questions facing our fair city...
But at this stage in his political development he is NOT the Mayor of a major international city. He just isn't slick enough. Look at our last two Mayors if you want to get a sense of who this city will vote for.
Oh, and by the way? Stop Spencer Williams from posting about the concerts he goes to. This site is already struggling under the weight of its aimlessness - he doesn't help.
And how about something about the school district? And about black/asian people? And hispanics? Christ...
And if Mr. Mecke really did start some shit, it would have been a Quintin vs. Quinton situation, with haplito filling in for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
"And how about something about the...black/asian people? And hispanics..."
Because we don't like them.
No, not really. But this site isn't a feel-good place for destructive race- or political-fetishizing. You can find many of said types of pubs everywhere in SF already.
although there are problems with Gavin's record, particularly on crime and disaster preparedness. the total f*ck up of the so called band of "progressives" who run around bobbling and blabbering to put up a real candidate, despite all their stupid little cartoony reforms, remains the most telling sign that the progressive era, defined solely as opposition to Willie Brown, is dead.
I have no idea if that's good or not. But it does mean that progressives don't have much to say - then again who is a progressive anyway? seems like just a bunch of self-appointed activists each advancing themselves, not caring about making real change anymore.
Greg, you need to relax. You're going to give yourself a heart attack.