October 25, 2007
Aaron "Payback's a Bitch" Peskin Tries to Slash SF's Environment Dept.
Mere days after the head of the environmental department broke with Aaron Peskin and other city leaders on a Public Utilities Commission policy, this week he introduced a wee bit of legislation that would obliterated said department. Yoinks.
According to Wyatt Buchanan's article in today's Chronicle, cutting the department would mean the loss of 64 jobs, save its its director, Jared Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld went on to say "I was really disturbed that someone, without even phoning me, would decide to cut all these great staff people we have in the department."
Peskin's plan to get rid of the department -- which, really, he can't do seeing as how only voters can make such a decision -- got support from Gerardo Sandoval and Sophie Maxwell, prompting Blumenfeld to (correctly) assume that this strike had more to do with supporting the status quo, not the environment.
Alioto-Pier, it seems, also got in on the fun. She questioned Peskin about the move in a closed-door meeting. And, in a stellar move, Peskin replied to her, "Payback's a bitch." (Bam!) Seems he's "punishing Alioto-Pier for giving a television interview opposing Proposition A, the Muni reform measure he sponsored on November's ballot."
Wow, never a dull moment at City Hall. Well, okay, often a dull moment at City Hall, but...not this week.
|
Payback indeed.... anybody have time to find out what we're paying 64 people to do in the City for the environment? Its great that they run mostly off of grants rather than general funds, but does that mean they receive the same PHAT retiree healthcare and pensions in yonder years? Hmm..... maybe Aaron is right to cut the fat here, but it shouldn't be based on a disagreement with the head of the department on some other matter.
As much as I dislike tit-for-tat politics, Alioto-Pier deserves it more than anybody.
Another SF Dept that does what?
Aaron Peskin sadly is a very short man
Aaron at least knows how to work the system and engage in real politics...unlike some on the board who engage in lofty feely good talk and don't do anything.
This trivia is about 15 years old, but I am sure it has only become worse:
San Diego is the city with the second highest number of licensed Architects on the City payroll with 12.
Who is the First!
Right! San Francisco easily wins with 120 licensed Architects on the payroll.
Dang...overall he makes too much sense to get on my short list of really annoying supervisors because of this, but it doesn't help. Alioto-Pier is far more annoying in general, the only one more annoying than her is Daly (though for a brief, shining moment Jew was the crown jewel).
Jeez, you would think that SF was run by Republicans with all of the waste and the pork and the outright meanness in the Legislative body. Is Dick Cheney Aaron's uncle or something?
Even Willie Brown got put on check by Sir Aaron of Peskin every now and them.
Anything that pisses off Alioto-Pier is fine with me. She is a useless waste of space and does absolutely nothing worthwhile.
If her name was Jones she'd be clerking at Macy's or manning a fry vat at McDonald's.
Well, as everyone can see, thanks to the Department of the Environment, the environment in SF is the cleanest it has ever been!
Peskin is just an angry little man who compensates for his lack of stature by taking cheap shots at easy targets. He needs a good ass-kicking.
San Francisco Department of Environment-- young, lithe, almost entirely caucasian coeds on a mission to save the planet. All are totally in the sway of the Cult of Blumenfeld. We call them "Jared's Angels". Cue theme music...
But seriously, how is it this City department hasn't gotten crossways with EEOC?