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Yes, it's an inflated news story, if you can call it that. Just like San Francisco politics, it's a story that interests and affects journalists and their wonk pals more than the average citizen. But Supervisor Chris Daly's move to Fairfield has set real journalists hearts and keyboards aflutter.
As of noon today, the top three posts at SF Bay Guardian are devoted to Christopher's new zip code, which makes Daly the comeback story of the month. First, they call Chuck Nevius a "twit," slamming the Chron scribe for using the supe's move "to attack the entire progressive agenda." SFBG Editor Tim Redmond's following post, more or less on the same topic, is a great read, appropriately poignant about the kind of transplant Nevius slams. (Offspring moment: Redmond's son seem nice, the very rare kind of kid who would probably stand up for you in class when you were being picked on, mercilessly.)
Then, on the other side of the Alt-Weekly War of a Thousand Years, Benjamin Wachs at SF Weekly points out that "Chris Daly's hypocrisy is real -- yet praiseworthy." He did it for his family, etc. (Offspring moment: Wachs also calls Bevan Dufty's daughter a political prop. Yipes!) And on Friday, Will Harper talked about Daly purposely ruining Chron's scoop on the "story." Heh. Sneaky.
Also, for some reason, City Attorney Dennis Herrera plans on visiting Daly's new crib. (Succulents and bath beads make lovely house-warming gifts, Dennis.)
Be sure to check out SFBG's comments on Daly's move. They've been burning nicely over the weekend.
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I think I read about all of this in "who cares?" magazine, you know, one of those dead tree things that has all the money problems and wonders why no one reads their stuff anymore.
If moving your family to Vallejo is "praiseworthy" then locking them in a car and rolling it into the Bay would be considered "heroic"...
Man, their hero's actions here are pretty nearly indefensible in light of being a progressive elected representative of San Franciscans and a champion of renters, so they expend all this energy on some frothing and name-calling blogposts about CW Nevius. Kinda embarrassing.
Also, a few hindsight lulz here:
http://sfist.com/2005/03/11/interview_mrs_chris_daly.php
And if you've ever wondered what it would be like to hang out w/Daly at his home-away-from-home in SF... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=44339&tsp=1
a "Daly '06" sign hung on the wall -- he said Low wouldn't let him put it up before.
OMG.
Brock: Daly's hypocrisy comes from his profiting off of the subprime crisis to snap up two houses in economically depressed Fairfield (okay, more economically depressed, we are all are depressed) to become one of the very people his policies have regularly slammed: a landlord.
That you and Tim Redmond don't acknowledge this (and that you describe Redmond's column as a "great read") show me that you have political blinders on. Personally, I would be surprised if Daly violated the residency laws, a la Ed Jew.
"political blinders"? that's putting it mildly.
and it was a "great read" because it was well written.
and finally, that you mistake this daly-moves-to-wherever tripe for being an ACTUAL STORY should be an area of concern. seriously. we're talking about a politician here -- nothing more, nothing less. (let this be a jumping off point for you: santa claus will never be an elected official. go.)
I did not mistake this for an "actual story." It is on the order of a "dog bites man" story (my dog bites me all of the time, thinking I am a puppy and wanting to play), writ small, on the SF stage. Another politician turns out to be a bit of a two-face, what a shocker. I guess I will next find out that Mark "Family Values" Sanford is having an adulterous affair in Latin America.
Yes, Redmond is a nice writer of invective but he is ignoring the clay feet of his heros, which is news itself. He attacks Nevius, but for what? Pointing this out? "Attacking the progessive agenda?" Sounds like Tim is a bit self-important. Anyway, the issue here is not the residency or the "destruction of SF wrought by Daly's policies" or "sow what you reap" angle (Nevius' thesis), it is the "progressive" turns into slum lord angle. Much more fun. I think I will move my family into Daly's Fairfield place, as a squatter, to protest the corrosive capitalist system he represents.
You make a good point.
Brock, what's an "ACTUAL STORY"? The latest video of a psycho on Muni? Excuse me if I don't leave that judgment up to SFist, much as I love to read your guys' stuff.
I'll slow it down for you: an "actual NEWS story." Obviously, anything and everything on SFist is critical reading that should never, ever be missed. But insofar as MSM/Alt-pub media goes? The Daly thing was so not a news story. It's cute and insider-y, but not a news item. Regardless of the big words being tossed about, it was a delicious omg-ish item.
But you know that.
Hm, I don't know.
Stuff like Daly Alone In The City putting a poster of himself on his bedroom wall that he can now that his wife is 60 miles away is OMG-esque dishy fun.
That an elected representative's family (with two children nearing school age) left not just his district but the city while he stays behind to create law and policy affecting full-time residents (and students) here is news. That the icon and vanguard for progressive politics in this town who purports to fight for the poor and renters bought two homes on foreclosure and is now acting as a landlord is news. Maybe more symbolic than anything, but these issues don't seem all that insider-ish to me.
"That an elected representative's family (with two children nearing school age) left not just his district but the city while he stays behind to create law and policy affecting full-time residents (and students) here is news."
And big news at that. What politicians do is important. That seems self-evident.
The story here is interesting and significant because the very paragon of SF left-wing politics finds that, when push comes to shove and he's thinking about the well-being and financial future of his family, suburban schools and suburban living are the best choice. He's even willing to buy some rental property and become a landlord... but not, of course, in landlord-hostile SF.
Those who argue that our so-called "progressive" policies don't make sense, are finding now an unlikely ally in Chris Daly - in his actions if not his words.