So, yes, yesterday was Gavin's big State of the City speech. In a speech entitled "Why it matters to be a San Franciscan," a question that answers itself if ever there was, in the fact that only in San Francisco would that question even be asked (for instance, we bet there’s never been a speech entitled "Why it matters to be a Topekan"), Gavin pronounced the city "strong and getting stronger." Just wondering, but has anyone ever heard anyone giving one of these "State of…" speech and say anything but? Like has anybody ever gotten up there and said, "in all honesty, things could be better" or “I pronounce the State of the City to be meh?"

Anyways, we don't want to say Gavin made pie-in-the-sky promises or promised everything to everyone, but he did promise that in the next few years, the Giants will win the pennant, "Arrested Development" would not be cancelled, and our flushing problem with the toilet would be fixed. The gist of the speech concerned his vision of the city. In it, he said that the plan would be to make the city more attractive to businesses, families, tech-geeks, and other people considered to be part of a "competitive workforce," by increasing social services and emphasizing training, science, and technology as well as environmental issues. The biggest initiative is the new science and technology high school, which we think would be totally cool because, well, three words: Star Fleet Academy. All in all, it was a highly ambitious enough speech to have the Chron throw out Camelot references, which we think fits in that several areas of this city actually do smell like a medieval city.

Not answered in any of this is how this is all going to work. Most of his pronouncements sound great, but it all seems like a chicken vs. the egg thing. Gavin is saying if we increase social services and do all sorts of things to make the city more attractive, we'll attract more people and businesses. But he needs the people and businesses to get the tax base to pay for all the social services. So, in other words, who's on first?

For further news on the speech, as well as policy breakdowns, you can check out the Chronicle's story and the Examiner's. Pat Murphy of the Sentinel not only has a blurb, but the full text of the speech.

Monty Python's image of life in Camelot from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But you knew that.