Monday, November 15, 2010

Who'll be mayor when Gavin's gone?



Regarding the selection of the next mayor of San Francisco, Chris Daly told KPFA Weekend News, on Sunday, 11.14, that "what we don't want to see is San Francisco's downtown interests to continue their rule in San Francisco."  

I'd like to see an end to downtown's rule myself, but I'd also like to see an end to South Florida's rule, i.e., that of the South Florida based, multinational Lennar Corporation, with the collaboration of San Francisco's ruling class and their national electeds, whose financial empires, profit thereby. 

The Board meets at San Francisco City Hall tomorrow.   Starting at 4:00 P.M., it will consider items 45 and 46:

45.  Board of Supervisors Sitting as a Committee of the Whole (Pursuant to approval of Item No. 55, File No. 101404)
[Public Hearing - Appointing a Successor Mayor]  Sponsors: Avalos; Campos and Daly  


Hearing to consider the motion to take nominations and appoint a successor Mayor in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the Mayor. 
Question: Shall this Hearing be HEARD AT PUBLIC HEARING?   (YES.)


46.  Committee of the Whole Adjourn and Report
[Appointing a Successor Mayor]  Sponsors: Avalos; Campos and Daly  Motion to take nominations and appoint a successor Mayor in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the Mayor. 
Question: Shall this Motion be APPROVED?  (YES.)

As Chris Daly pointed out, in this KPFA News, "It's unclear right now . . . where the votes are."   I.e., members of the current Board, who'll get to vote, are talking to one another, and those who don't get to vote, but have access to those who do, are no doubt talking to them too.   


Supervisors are likely to vote as they think those who helped to elect them, and may help to elect them again, want them to vote.   

Be there or be colonized.   --Ann Garrison



KPFA Weekend News transcript re San Francisco's mayoral succession:

KPFA/Anthony Fest:
Turning now to Bay Area News, earlier this week Oakland City Council member Jean Quan was declared the winner of the Oakland mayor's race.  She'll become the first woman and the first Asian American to be elected Mayor of Oakland.

San Francisco will soon have a new mayor, although the office was not on this month's ballot, but incumbent Mayor Gavin Newsom won the race for Lieutenant Governor, and will resign as mayor once he's sworn into the statewide office.   Newsom's impending resignation has touched off widespread media speculation about who the next mayor will be.  It's the cover story of this week's Bay Guardian and also has been heavily covered by San Francisco Chronicle political columnists.  If the Board of Supervisors takes no action, Board Chair David Chiu will become Acting Mayor.  However, by majority vote, the Board could choose an interim mayor to serve out the remaining year of Newsom's term.

Current State Assembly Member and former mayoral candidate Tom Ammiano is considered the only prospect who could win a majority vote of the Supervisors, but Ammiano has said he wants to stay in his present job.

The Board will begin discussion of the issue at its meeting this coming Tuesday.  Supervisor Chris Daly told KPFA he hopes the City will finally get a mayor from the progressive wing of San Francisco politics, and he says he also thinks it important that the choice take place as a public debate.

San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly: 
Hopefully we'll see dozens if not hundreds of folks who care about San Francisco, who care about progressive politics and what is to become of the Mayor's office in San Francisco, say that 'Hey, we do need a very public process, that the discussion needs to happen with full sunshine, sooner rather than later.  And that what we don't want to see is downtown interests to continue their rule in San Francisco.'

KPFA/Anthony Fest:
So do you anticipate taking up nominations on     Tuesday?

Supervisor Chris Daly:
It's unclear right now, y'know, where the votes are.  I think that it's safe to say that there isn't any individual name at the moment who is likely to emerge at the moment, with the appointment, as successor mayor on Tuesday.  But that may be a good thing.

Hopefully we can have a more robust discussion on Tuesday, and maybe that can continue, but, at a certain point, it would be nice if the next Mayor of San Francisco had at least a few weeks,

KPFA/Anthony Fest:
San Francisco Supervisor Chris Daly; his essay about the mayor succession can be read at FogCityJournal.com, http://goo.gl/NCZEe.

The Board of Supervisors will meet this coming Tuesday at City Hall.  The regular meeting begins at 2:00 P.M. and the mayoral succession issue will be addressed at 4:00 o'clock.

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