We are very sad to report to you that Chris Daly is in the Chron today -- but not for hauling off and hitting anyone, or yelling at someone so loud that the cords stand out on his neck. Rather, he's got a totally sane and balanced and compassionate proposal for the extra money they've found in the San Francisco budget. What's more, it's an actual local op-ed on the opinions page, instead of the usual nationally-focused Molly Ivins and George Will columns the Chron reprints in lieu of discussing actual local issues on that page.

Daly suggests that we use the SF budget to protect the working-class and the poor, and proposes that we 1) increase affordable child care, 2) protect against evictions; 3) set up a safety net for immigrants; 4) increase funding to encourage teenagers to stay off the streets; 4) support seniors; and 5) invest in the local arts scene. This would all be for around $25 million of the $5.7 billion in the budget (less than half of one percent, if our math is right). That's so Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of him!

Don't worry, though, he gets in a little dig at the Gav: "During the mayor's 90-minute roll out of his 'Common Sense and Compassion' budget, I was left wondering what happened to the compassion." But Chris! What happened to the crazy? What happened to the crazy?

In keeping with today's garbage theme, here's a picture of Chris Daly at a DPT thing from sfgov.org.

What is this world coming to???