Override the parking veto

EDITORIAL

Mayor Gavin Newsom likes to accuse his political opponents of being driven by politics and ideology. The mayor, of course, insists he cares only for good public policy. But last week Newsom made it abundantly clear that when developers want favors, he is there for them.

Frankly, we were a little surprised March 10 when Newsom vetoed legislation by Sup. Aaron Peskin that sought to limit downtown parking. As Steven T. Jones reports on page 10, the way the Mayor's Office has handled this entire situation over the past few weeks has been so openly corrupt and unseemly, we thought he'd just want the whole thing to go away quietly.

To recap: Newsom consulted Republican political hacks before his own planning director, let developers write their own regulations, let his political staff forge a letter from the planning director, and is trying desperately to spin the reasons he vetoed the measure.

Now he's offered to back an amended measure, but the mayor's plan allows more parking, more congestion, and more profits for condo developers. Forget the politics: Peskin's measure is just better policy.

It's not too late for the Board of Supervisors to end this nonsense. On March 21 the Peskin measure is coming back to the board for a possible veto override, and since seven supervisors voted for the law, it will only take one more vote for an override.

Of the four who voted no, Sean Elsbernd, Fiona Ma, and Michela Alioto-Pier are unlikely to defy Newsom and downtown, but Bevan Dufty comes from a more moderate district and should think twice before playing such a subservient role to Republican shot-callers. He told the Guardian he was willing to consider an override vote: "I'm going to talk to the major actors on this and then make a decision," Dufty said.

If Dufty wants to keep his credibility among voters who aren't just blind Newsom supporters, he needs to consider the real policy issues — and the sleazy backroom politics — that have shaped this debate. Downtown will be lobbying him to toe the line, so environmental and neighborhood activists need to push back. Dufty's office number is (415) 554-6968. *