A big Newsom "oops!"By TIm Redmond
Okay, here's a big cringe-worthy oops from the Newsom for Governor website.
The mayor loves to talk about technology, and on his campaign website he talks about transparency:
Online Government for Transparency: Mayor Newsom has used technology to cultivate an ongoing conversation with San Francisco residents and to put city services online to increase accessibility and transparency. He recently launched SFrecovery.org to allow citizens to track and provide input on how San Francisco spends federal stimulus dollars and 72hours.org to better prepare San Francisco in the case of a disaster or emergency. And San Francisco’s government television station was recently ranked first among nearly 500 government agencies archiving streaming media content from government meetings.
Anyone who has followed Newsom knows he's the last person who ought to be bragging about transparency -- the guy won't even release his daily schedule.
But here's the cringe: Click on sfrecovery.org.
I don't think that's what the mayor had in mind.
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Comments (8)
LMFAO! How fitting.
Posted by Jerry Jarvis | July 28, 2009 04:31 PM
Whether you like Newsom or not, I think that this hardly qualifies as a "big oops." The correct address for the site is recoverysf.org
Let's discuss the real issues instead of engaging in petty games of "gotcha." I would expect silliness like this from Fox News, not SFBG. I doubt anyone really cares that the press release had a minor typo.
Posted by Chris | July 28, 2009 05:30 PM
Chris, the real issue is that there is nothing of substance behind Gavin Newsom's press releases and websites.
Gavin Newsom is responsible for everything moderates whine about and blame the Board of Supervisors for because the buck stops with him, right?
So when we read his glowing websites and press releases and then walk through the City and see the opposite, just what are we supposed to think?
-marc
Posted by marcos | July 28, 2009 06:25 PM
Marc raises an excellent point. Once the campaign for the gubernatorial primary begins, and Newsom is extolling his success stories in San Francisco, just watch as Jerry Brown runs ads such as Newsom's claims about Care Not Cash and the reality of the numbers of homeless and impoverished people forced to spare change because their GA was taken away. City services can be highlighted by the amount of trash and potholes in the streets. Then there are jammed, late, decrepit Muni buses, and add to that dangerous. Just look at the record of accidents, a great and frightening TV ad. Add to that police misconduct along with the multi-million dollar payouts. Oh and don't forget multi-million dollar payouts from Muni. I would LOVE to run against Newsom!
Posted by Alan Collins | July 28, 2009 07:32 PM
Oh come on, Chris, this was just a fun item, and less than an hour after I posted it, they corrected the address on the website. For me, the larger point is that Newsom has no business talking about open government.
Posted by tim redmond | July 28, 2009 08:28 PM
Marcos, you just proved my point.
If the real issue is that Newsom's gubernatorial campain cites alleged acheivements of his mayoral administration which cannot be backed up by facts, then that would be the issue to address through an investigative report, or a well-thought-out and substantiated commentary piece. Instead, we have the SFBG running a silly "editorial" gleefully pointing out a minor typo in a minor press release and making a subtle joke at the expense of those recovering from addiction (Yes, that's always good for a cheap laugh, isn't it?).
It just seems I find the same old thing in the media, whether it's "mainstream" or "alternative, or whether it's the media representing the "left"/"progressive"/"socialist" or the "right"/"conservative"/"libertarian." I keep coming across a bunch of mediocre articles filled with phony indignation topped by a big heaping of hypocrisy. Look, I will be the first person to admit that I can be cynical and snarky at times, and I admit to having engaged in silly and petty arguments on various websites' "comment" sections. But, I must attribute some of my attitude to the general negativity I take in through the media. I read the so-called "news" and peruse the "blogs," and it's all filled with smug cynicism, schadenfreude, cheapshots, and vicious insults.
So, fine, one of Newsom's PR menials made a typo--ha, ha. It's not going to hurt his campaign and it's not going to be a reason someone votes for him or doesn't vote for him. Moreover, when the SFBG criticizes certain other journalists for engaging in cheap political potshots, but then turns around and does the exact same thing, it just undermines the credibility of the SFBG. That quite simply was my point, and it is indisputable.
Posted by Chris | July 28, 2009 08:44 PM
Chris, I agree that the SFBG's reportage is a resource very often left on the table.
That doesn't change the fact that Gavin Newsom has been a political disaster for San Francisco.
Nor does it make the website typo where the bait of Newsom's stimulus website that switches to an upscale drunk farm unfunny.
The Guardian has suffered credibility deflation for some time now. They've been counseled of this from many quarters but choose to pursue the somewhat isolated frivolous irrelevance of progocialite parlour games instead of doing their part as a collaborative team player in progressive politics.
-marc
Posted by marcos | July 29, 2009 08:23 AM
the weekly beat you to it on this one. bzzt. denied.
Posted by ulose | July 29, 2009 10:00 AM