Daly won't back downBy Steven T. Jones
Sup. Chris Daly has been getting beat up by Team Newsom, the Chronicle, the Examiner, and Sup. Michela Alioto-Pier, but at today's Board of Supervisors meeting, he showed no sign of retreat or remorse. In fact, he's giving as good as he gets in some hilarious and poignant ways. As the meeting began, he distributed to the press copies of a letter to Mayor Gavin Newsom making clear "I did not accuse you of using cocaine" and asking for an apology, and handed out a printout of his latest blog post, in which he labels the concerted attack on him "Operation Eric Jaye" and chides Alioto-Pier for being an out-of-touch elitist who only seems to show up for work when it's time to carry water for the mayor.
Journalists chuckled and pointed out the funniest passages to one another as the board rapidly fired through its business. But the real fun began when it came time for the supervisors to introduce new legislation and Alioto-Pier announced her previously announced proposal to create a code of conduct for supervisors.
Guardian photo by Charles Russo
Actually, Alioto-Pier had two items, the first of which seemed especially ironic given what Daly had written under the subhead "Swells' Sensibilities Sullied" about how Alioto-Pier is the representative for "San Francisco elites." She decried how the school board had closed Newcomer School in her wealthy part of town without approval from the board (which has no jurisdiction over such decisions) and then didn't even consult her before turning it into a charter school called Metro that will bring in ... (pause for dramatic affect) ... "100 low-income students form Marin." She was aghast and seems to expect that everyone else would be as well. "I want us to take this seriously," she implored. "I don't know what to do."
And, once again, the irony seemed lost on the supervisor from District 2.
But that's OK because she had bigger fish to fry, namely Daly. Using the most lofty language she could muster, she said the board needed to do something to preserve decorum. She was careful to praise the First Amendment, which she considers very important, but she said "we also know one is not allowed to yell fire in a dark, crowded theater." She painted Newsom as the helpless victim of Daly's attacks, "with no opportunity to defend himself," and said, "I believe the supervisor should not use these chambers as a bully pulpit from which to attack others."
Thus, she introduced her proposal for an enforceable code of conduct, which will be considered at a future meeting. Then it was Daly's turn to introduce legislation and he proposed his own code of conduct for elected officials, with Newsom and Alioto-Pier clearly in mind.
Daly's code would set standards for sexual harassment, improper fraternization between elected officials and the managers under them, the use of intoxicating substances while on the job (the first three being clearly aimed at Newsom's sexual improprieties with an employee and admitted drinking problem), and an attendance policy (clearly aimed at Alioto-Pier, who has by far the worst attendance record on the board). The message was clear: an aggressive political style isn't the only behavior that should be subject to scrutiny.
But Newsom press secretary Nathan Ballard didn't see it that way when reporters approached him afterward. "It is yet another thinly veiled attempt to level false allegations against the mayor," he said. I pointed out that the issues Daly raised about Newsom weren't false allegations, but things the mayor has already admitted to and then refused to discuss in any detail with the media, but Ballard said, "I'm not going to comment on the substance of what he's saying." Oh, I see. "Lobbing personal attacks at the mayor is inappropriate and his colleagues should rein him in," Ballard said. Hmm, apparently it's OK for a city employee, particularly a public information officer (who already has a code of conduct that he's supposed to abide, which includes fairness and not leveling personal attacks) to lob personal attacks at an elected official, but a legislator isn't allowed to attack the chief executive.
As Sup. Tom Ammiano said earlier in the meeting on an unrelated item, "Yes, collegiality folks, that's the name of the game in these chambers."
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Comments (8)
At the full Sunshine meeting tonight the taskforce expressed concern about free speech and Alioto's Code of Conduct and asked to receive a copy of the proposed legislation.
Posted by Kimo Crossman | June 27, 2007 12:38 AM
Alioto-Pier's Code of Conduct is the most hilarious piece of double speak, I've seen in my two and half years at City Hall. Any time someone follows a sentence like "I uphold First Amendment Rights," with the word "however" should give pause. The real laugher though is the statement in her proposed code that Supervisors are supposed to be "impartial."
Posted by John Avalos | June 27, 2007 08:15 AM
WTG Steve!
Posted by Luke Thomas | June 27, 2007 10:22 AM
Michela is really making a fool of herself on this one. She got all righteous and indignant when introducing her legislation. She talked about the First Amendment and implied Daly was guilty of libel. This demonstrates that, despite being in a family of high-profile attorneys, she knows absolutely nothing about the law.
The real issue is the terrible treatment members of the public and even the press are getting from the Mayor's office. Numerous people, including myself, who have called the Mayor's office about CCA have been treated rudely and even hung up on. I wrote Michela about this, but she apparently only cares about the Mayor, not the people who are forced to pay him and his staff.
Posted by Erika | June 27, 2007 10:23 AM
I find it hard to believe you guys are actually accussing the Chronicle and examiner of being on Team Newsom when it is quite obvious that this blog and newspaper are just a mouthpiece for Chris Daly and Bruce Brugmann. Stop being so hypocritical.
Posted by seriously... | June 27, 2007 01:51 PM
One, I never said the papers were part of Team Newsom, only that they have been beating up on Daly.
Two, I'm nobody's mouthpiece. I'd probably be better paid if I was, but my words and perspective are entirely my own. And, Seriously, I'm always willing to sign what I write, unlike all the anonymous pro-Newsom posters on this blog, the SFist, and others.
Posted by Steven T. Jones | June 27, 2007 03:47 PM
Steven-
You know that is BS when you are constantly referring to the chronicle and examiner as being Pro-Newsom. Actually, you accuse anyone who disagrees with you as being Pro-Newsom. Stop lying to yourself, you know you would lose your job if you wrote anything against Chris Daly.
Posted by Alex P Williams | June 28, 2007 11:06 AM
The staircases of San Francisco are a San Francisco Treasure that needs to be preserved much like the Cable Cars were some years ago.
They are a unique part of San Francisco, and are important for our Tourism industry. I Walk my dogs up the Harry St. Stairs (from Laidley to Beacon) every day and often see tourists with guidebooks to the staircases in hand.
The problem is that the City and County of San Francisco has no uniform policy for the preservation and upkeep of the staircases.
Some are City owned and maintained, some are adopted by the city and maintained, some are on private property, and some are in legal limbo like Harry St. stairs, built by the City in 1904, partially repaired by the City in 1992 and 1999, but the last 50 steps near Beacon were falling apart until a recent neighborhood action got the DPW to patch the stairs and replace the worst of the steps. The problem is that the underlying structure dates from 1904, and the recent repairs will last for a few years at most.
The City and County of San Francisco needs the Board of Supervisors to pass comprehensive legislation to take control and maintain all staircases in San Francisco.
Eminent Domain may need to be used to obtain some staircases on private property, but I think most property owners would gladly grant the City an easement in exchange for City maintenance of the Stairs.
A bond issue may also be required to fund the initial repair of the the hundreds of staircases in the City, but I believe it would receive wide support from the voters. I urge all San franciscans to contact their District Supervisor to sponsor such legislation.
The Board of Supervisors should enact such legislation at your their next Board Meeting, and save the Staircases of San Francisco forever.
Sincerely,
Paul C. Davis
1545 Noe Street
SF, CA 94131
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July 7, 2007 11:31 AM