By Amber Peckham

One of the first waves of protest over the move in Congress to remove transgender people from an anti-discrimination bill came from the labor movement. Members of Pride at Work, an LGBT-focused labor coalition and the newest member of the AFL-CIO, held a press conference Sept 28 to announce they are withdrawing their support from the ENDA bill, and encouraging other LGBT advocacy groups to do the same.

The advocacy is having an impact – already, more than 20 LGBT organizations have come out against the move, and it’s entirely possible that the one-time landmark workplace-discrimination bill will lose almost all of queer community support.

“The need for gender provisions in this bill doesn’t apply only to those who are transgender, but also to, say, effeminate gay men, or lesbians who are ‘too butch’” said Robert Haaland, a representative of Pride at Work. “By picking and choosing who to include in their non-discrimination bill, these legislators are discriminating. It’s self-contradicting.”

“With the transgender community as arguably the most marginalized part of the LGBT community, they are really the ones who need the support of this bill the most,” added Masen Davis, a board member of the Transgender Law Center board. “Over 60% of transgenders in San Francisco are unemployed.”
Davis also expressed gratitude for the support of the labor community.
“If anyone is familiar with the ‘divide and conquer’ tactics being used on the LGBT community right now, it’s the labor movement.” he said. “It really heartens me to hear this voice of support from the labor community, because it means that maybe the bill won’t have to be divided, it can stay one, unified proposition.”

Pride at Work is calling on Pelosi to withdraw her support for the bill if transgender provisions are removed before ENDA is voted on, and is holding a vigil outside her office. If she were to do so, it is likely the bill would not pack the punch required to make it through a Congressional vote, and none of the LGBT community would benefit.

“That’s how the labor movement works; if you injure one, you injure all.” said Haaland. “And it looks like that’s how this bill is going to end up working as well.”

The Bay Guardian is interviewing community leaders about the issues at stake in the upcoming 2007 elections. We'll be updating this entry as more information comes in. Post your thoughts or comments below.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick on Props G, J, and K

"Do we have to submit to advertisers to get things done?"

Jake McGoldrick interview

Visit the Guardian 2007 Election Center for updates, more interviews, and 2007 election news.

"Public Financing is like teenage sex."

So says Chicken John Rinaldi, who has just spent the last month running around like the proverbial headless chicken, as he tries to reconcile reality, which is messy and imperfect, with public financing law, which is rigorous and well-ordered.

Chicken John Rinaldi back in the pre-public financing day when he and his fake moustache had time to chill out at the Temple Bar and educate people, including Fog City's Luke Thomas, on the correct way to pronounce Ri-NAL-di

“When I was 15 years old, I was very aware of what all those girls had, but there was no chance of my getting it,” said Rinaldi, on learning that his application for public financing in the Mayor’s race has been rejected. For now.

Because, and here's the tease, the Ethics Commission has given Rinaldi another five days to try and satisfy public financing requirements and then, maybe, just maybe, he can get a piece of it.

“I’m reminded of teenage sex, because I am experiencing the same level of frustration," said Rinaldi, who has spent the last few weeks knocking on contributors' doors, trying to get photocopies of their driver's license, so he can prove that those who each gave up to $100 to his campaign actually live in San Francisco.

And then there are his pesky problems with Paypal, since some efilings took over 48 hours to post, thereby blowing public financing deadlines along the way.

“It’s not the Ethics Commission’s fault, but the way the rules are written," added Rinaldi, who, much like a horny teenage boy, isn't about to give up on his quest. "Of course, I'm going to refile!"

It's time to piss some more people off, esp. the folks who think that highrise housing=urban density=good.

The Chronicle just announced that the American Planning Association has designated North Beach in SF as one of the best neighborhoods in American Why?

The 41,000-member organization took note of the atmospheric collage of low buildings around such historic gathering places as Grant Avenue and Washington Square. They also acknowledged the tenacious way that residents have fought to keep out chain stores and development projects that might water down "its eclectic mix of mom-and-pop shops, nightclubs and polyglot character (that) make it one of the city's most unique and authentic communities," according to the announcement.

What's the message here? North Beach is dense -- one of the densest parts of San Francisco. But it's a real neighborhood, with local stores, locally owned businesses and local character.

And there are strict rules against chain stores.

Now check out the new highrises south of Market. The stores are all chains. There's no neighborhood feel. It's like someone dropped in a bunch of luxury hotels in a faux San Francisco setting.

If the city wants to build density, fine: But build real neighborhoods, with a mix of people, with local businesses, parks, street lfe. The highrises we're building don't do that.

Okay, commenters: let the attacks begin.

I realize that the mayor of San Francisco has all sorts of reasons why he doesn't want to offend the United States Armed Services (might embarass Nancy Pelosi or Dianne Feinstein). And I realize that past mayors have been friendly to the Blue Angels and supportive of Fleet Week as a revenue-generator for the city.

But this letter , which the folks at PRO-SF got through a sunshine request, is over the top.

Gavin Newsom, Mr. same-sex marriage, saying that "My office and the community could not be more supportive of the Navy?" You gotta be kidding.

The Bay Guardian is interviewing the candidates for the 2007 elections. We'll be updating this entry as more information comes in. Post your thoughts or comments below.

Mayor Gavin Newsom

www.actlocallysf.org

"I'm not satisfied."

Gavin Newsom interview

Visit the Guardian 2007 Election Center for updates, more interviews, and 2007 election news.

The Bay Guardian is interviewing the candidates for the 2007 elections. Unfortunately, our tape recorder crapped out during our hilarious interview with Chicken John, so we can only offer his info below. We'll be updating this entry as more information comes in. Post your thoughts or comments below.

Chicken John Rinaldi

Chicken John asked us to endorse him for second place. When asked if his campaign was akin to a hamster running on a wheel, Rinaldi elaborated on the twin issues that he holds dear to his heart -- art and innovation -- by talking about innovative ways to streamline the current complexities that artists, performers, and others must face when trying to get a permit to put on an event in San Francisco.

"I'm running for the idea of San Francisco," Rinaldi told us, and claims to be painting a campaign logo in the style of a mural on the side of his warehouse in the Mission district. "It's going to say, 'Chicken, it's what's for Mayor,' or 'Chicken, the other white Mayor," Rinaldi said.

Click here for Chicken John's video blog

http://voteforchicken.com

Visit the Guardian 2007 Election Center for updates, more interviews, and 2007 election news.

Five years ago, Barack Obama stood up in Chicago and spoke out against invading Iraq.

"What I am opposed to is a dumb war,” said Obama on October 2, 2002. “ What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.”

“What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income - to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression. That's what I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics."

Today, Obama supporters gathered in 18 cities across the United States to rally against the “conventional thinking in Washington, D.C” that led us into that war.

Ed Jew's lawyer is bailing out. This can't be good news for the suspended supervisor. Lawyer Bill Fazio cites "irreconcilable differences," which in legalese generally means "my client wants me to do something that's moronic or unethical and I'm not going to get caught in that swamp." It could also mean "my client doesn't want to pay my hourly rate anymore," which, given the complexity and extent of Jew's problems, isn't a good sign either. But generally, when it's about money the client just fires the lawyer. For Fazio to petition the court for the right to quit means things are probably going very badly.

The guy is not helping himself. I'm still convinced that if Ed Jew had resigned when all the trouble started, the San Francisco DA would have dropped the charges against him, and the feds might have just let it go. Now he's facing serious federal charges, he's out of office and almost certainly not coming back and he's facing the real prospect of prison time. What, exactly, is he thinking?

By G.W. Schulz

Here's a small arrow indicating exactly what a byline is, if anyone's struggling to grasp how it works. And we thought anonymous assaults were the exclusive domain of the barely pubescent teen girls that occasionally drop by our comments section. Mortar shells are natural in the biz, but put your name on it. Then again, one can hardly expect so much. And here I've spent so long in the bunker.

Cynthia McKinney, the former congressional representative from Georgia, became a sort of hero to progressives by opening calling for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney and for courageously calling for a real investigation of the 9/11 attacks when most of her Democratic colleagues were asking few hard questions and dutifully falling into line with the imperial ambitions of the neo-cons. And for that, McKinney was attacked by the GOP and abandoned by her own party, losing her seat.
So the California Green Party last month decided to nominate McKinney to run for president as a Green. Unfortunately, McKinney didn't bite and has resisted the idea. But she has agreed to a Green-sponsored tour of Northern California that starts today, which Greens are hoping will be part of the process of wooing her into changing her mind. So if you want a courageous black radical on the same ballot with Giuliani and Clinton -- or whichever Establishment candidates the two major parties are likely to offer us next year -- stop by one of the following events to say "Run, Cynthia, run!"

Some interesting analysis here of how gutting ENDA of protections for transgender people will in fact render the law pretty ineffective. This thing is really picking up steam.

Some of the folks who oppose Prop. D (the renewal of the Library Preservation Fund) are angry -- really angry -- that the Guardian supported the measure. How angry? Well, library activist and critic James Chaffee did a detailed point-by-point chart dissecting our endorsement. He had some harsh words for us, too. And we have some responses.

You can read the entire exchange here. Scroll down and read from the bottom up. It's amazing.

For all the grief Kimo Crossman gets for making public records requests of city officials, you gotta love some of the stuff he comes up with.

After Mayor Gavin Newsom called for voluntary resignations from all department heads and appointed commissioners with little apparent foresight, Crossman made a records request of the City Attorney's office for the accumulated amount of billable hours that office spent providing advice to their city clients on the legality of resigning.

The total: 112.75, according to a response emailed to Crossman from the city attorney's deputy press secretary Alexis Thompson. That number is a "comprehensive summary of the number of hours this Office has spent from September 10, 2007 through the present date on its work and advice concerning 'the Newsom mass resignation request,'" Thompson wrote.

Matt Dorsey, press secretary for city attorney Dennis Herrera confirmed to us that $200 is a good estimate of a billable hour of city attorney time. (Some bill higher, some lower, and there's a range to the quantity and quality of advice given.)

That's a total of $22,550 spent advising a swath of city officials, when Newsom could have just pointed a finger at the 10 or so he wants out.

Is Chuck Nevius...

...the new Ken Garcia?
It's bad enough that the San Francisco Chronicle and its columnist Chuck Nevius have been demonizing the homeless for months in a highly sensation and misleading fashion. But in today's paper, they have the gall to claim -- with little substantiation -- that San Franciscans are no longer tolerant of the poor and now support the homeless crackdown being pushed by the Chronicle and Mayor Gavin Newsom (and let's not forget the Examiner's Ken Garcia, whose old anti-homeless columns for the Chron Nevius has now revived).
And when I asked Nevius about why he's chosen the homeless for his punching bag, he said his coverage has been driven by the "400-plus" blog comments they've gotten complaining about the homeless. You see, he's just giving the people what they want. As he wrote to me, "I understand that not everyone agrees, but I've been at this for a while, over 20 years, and my experience is that newspapers can't create issues -- no matter how we try. We can only follow them."
Well, Chuck, I've been at this for almost 20 years myself, long enough to recognize bullshit when I smell it -- and to understand when a newspaper is trying to play on people's prejudices in setting the public agenda.

Wade Crowfoot of the Mayor's Office looks on as School Board member Eric Mar hands him the school board's unanimous resolution asking for a temporary shutdown of Lennar's site until health testing can be done. Crowfoot promised to "pass the message along" to Mayor Gavin Newsom...

Sup. Chris Daly and Ross Mirkarimi joined educators, spiritual leaders, and families and residents from BayviewHunters Point outside City Hall today to commend the San Francisco School Board for unanimously passing a resolution that asks the City to halt Lennar's BVHP construction at Parcel A of the Hunters Point Shipyard, at least until testing proves that it is safe.

A dressed down Daly (there was no Board of Supes meeting today) joined the anti-dust rally outside City Hall

Randy Shaw checks in today with another housing action plan for the city. I'm getting a real sense of urgency on this, all over town, a feeling that San Francisco needs some sort of comprehensive housing legislation. I still like a prop. M for housing, but Randy's idea that the city needs to buy up as much land and as many buildings as possible also should be part of the mix.

The only problem with the city buying land and buildings is figuring out what happens next. Either the city mainstains the buildings, becomes the landlord and rents them out, or the city turns it over to a nonprofit to do that job -- or, if we want affordable ownership housing for middle-class people, which is part of Randy's platform, the buildings need to be sold as part of a land trust to make sure they stay affordable forever. Otherwise it's only affordable housing until the owner decides to cash in and sell at some astronomical price.

This morning on Forum Michael Krasny hosted Jennifer Friedenbach from the Coalition on Homelessness and CW Nevius, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, discussing the homeless sweeps in SoMa and the vitriol stirred up by the Chron's coverage of life on the streets by pointing at the shit, the needles, the trash, the insanity.

Near the end of the piece, Nevius says that using the cops to ticket homeless people who do these things is one solution and a way to hold them accountable. He said he doesn't know how to solve the overall issue of homelessness. In the background, you can hear Friedenbach simply say, "Housing."

Which is the whole frustrating disconnect on this issue. "Homeless" does not automatically translate into "criminal," or "insane," or "druggie," or "lover of shitting on the street." Nobody wants to see people sleeping in the streets, using drugs, defecating, or publicly displaying their individual psychotic problems. So give them a place to live. Don't buy cops, buy housing. Let people do what they need to do behind closed doors.

One caller mentioned new housing developments at 5th and Mission and how none of the buyers of the million dollar condos are going to want to see the streets outside their doors in such a condition. Again, another major disconnect -- developers want attractive neighborhoods, but when it comes to building affordable housing that might make those neighborhoods more attractive by housing the homeless, they run away screaming that it can't be done.

The chickens were back last night, come home to roost in front of Dede Wilsey's (the swell's chicken-in-chief) house, where she helped Mayor Gavin Newsom by hosting a fundraiser to stop Question Time from becoming enforceable law through Prop. E. Fun stuff, but the real fun comes tomorrow night when Newsom tries to shake his chicken image by finally debating the dozen candidates who are running against him, including Chicken John. The League of Women Voters event starts at 6 p.m. in Koret Auditorium at the main library, but seeing as this is the only debate Newsom has agreed to (insert clucking sounds here), attendees are advised to arrive early because it's expected to be a capacity crowd.

Photos by Patrick Roddie, webbery.com

In some ways, I feel totally cheated by this. I had no idea Tom's of Maine sold the farm to Colgate. I've been brushing my teeth with their toothpaste for years, I've been to their headquarters in Kennebunkport (which is a bonanza of free/cheap products), and I frickin' love their gingermint flavor. Love it.

Tom and Kate say they still have their values, and it's all about broadening their market (Wal-Mart) and bringing those values to more consumers, and they still donate ten percent of their profit, but you gotta wonder what those values are really all about. Especially since they chose not to disclose on their packaging that they're now owned by a global giant. Tom said, "I don't see why our customer would be interested in seeing a Colgate reference. Branding is really about values, and the Tom's of Maine values are intact. We are living those values, and that is what we need to reinforce among our consumers by investing in the Tom's of Maine logo, not confusing them with another logo."

Kate said, "It clarifies that we are still in Maine. It's important, a sense of place."

What? Maybe your summer house on Monhegan Island is still in Maine, and your factory is still in Maine, but this feels like finding out the man you love kills people for a living. World domination of the toothpaste market -- what kind of value is that?

Did anyone else see "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox" last week at the Red Vic? That company is still family-owned, they give away 70 percent of their net, profit share with their workers, and Ralph Bronner was still whipping out his wallet and passing out $100 bills on camera and presses hugs and bottles of soap on anyone he runs into. Guess I'm back to brushing with the peppermint Bronner's.

Photo from www.cecilbfeeder.com
Beware, citizens, we've received word of an impending zombie attack in San Francisco. Our sources in the zombie world say they are likely to be gathered around 7:30 p.m. outside the main library, just as the crowd is leaving today's mayoral debate, apparently drawn to that spot by the large quantities of fresh brains inside. Please take all necessary precautions, including not placing a piece of duct tape on your clothing if you don't want to be attacked and forced to join the rampaging zombie mob. That is all.

Photo of Don Fisher by Luke Thomas, www.fogcityjournal.com, used with permission
Gap founder Don Fisher and other proponents of Prop. H, which seeks to invalidate city parking and land use policies developed over the last few decades, have sent out a misleading mailer attacking Prop. A, the Muni reform measure that would negate approval of Prop. H, among other things. The attack, which arrived in mailboxes on the same day many voters also received their absentee ballots, breaks a deal they had cut with Board of Supervisors president Aaron Peskin to not campaign on the issue in exchange for Peskin's promise to support a less-heinous parking measure on the February ballot. "I always negotiate in good faith, and if that is true, this is very disturbing," Peskin told the Guardian when informed of the mailer. "If A loses and H wins, it's the worst day of my political life. That would set planning in this city back 30 years."

So the folks at SFist have decided that we're all commies over here because we think it's okay to tax the rich and provide services for the homeless.

I thought we were all too intelligent in these circles to resort to stupid quips about the "proletariat," and I've posted a response on SFist. But since I've had to have this fight since I was an economics major at Wesleyan way back in the dark ages, I have to make a point here:

The Soviet Union as we knew it in the post-War era was not built by Karl Marx. There were some guys named Lenin and Stalin who built a political system in the name of his economic theories. Neither of them had much use for democracy or freedom. One of them was a savage butcher.

That said, you have to admit that Marx was, and remains, one of the most important economists of the modern era. You can't understand capitalism just by reading Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes. The critique of capital that Marx put forward was brilliant; I never fully understood the role of labor in productivity and the way labor-price theory actually works until I studied Marx. So yeah, he should be on the reading list of anyone who wants to talk intelligently about economics.

I would add Robert Reich's Supercapitalism to Steve's reading list, too; I did an interview with him last week which will be posted on sfbg.com shortly.

The theory of money -- how it's created, what it is, how it effects the economy -- is that stuff of dozens of textbooks and a thousand doctoral theses. But the bottom line is, money today is not a direct measure of labor productivity; it's a far more artifical construct, as Steve points out. Money is created by the federal reserve and by private banks. At times, the government in effect prints more money at the mint to inject it into the economy. In practice, money -- the dollar -- is an internationally traded commodity, and the money supply in the United States is desperately hard to even track,much less manage or control.

Yes, taxes come from labor. But these days, a sane system would tax investment income and speculative income much higher than what we typically think of as labor. And a lot of the economy today is built on investment income and speculation that has nothing to do with productive labor.

Yeah, it's all more complicated than that, but folks: If you can't understand that money doesn't directly equal labor, and that you can use Marx's economic analysis without being a commie .. geez. I thought people in San Francisco were smarter than that.

Last night's mayoral debate wasn't terribly exciting, at least until the zombies attacked attendees as they left. A photo essay by Charles Russo:

Progressive favorite Quentin Mecke with Mayor Gavin Newsom

The first and only gathering of Newsom and his challengers.

Chicken John Rinaldi cracking up the mayor.

And outside, the zombies waited for brains.

Zombies attack and feast on Chicken

Zombie Chicken joins the mob.