Board asks Obama to oust Russoniello.

03.19.09 - 3:22 pm | Sarah Phelan |

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It's too bad the SF Examiner doesn't appear to get why six members of the Board of Supervisors voted this week to ask Obama and Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein to appoint a new US Attorney for Northern California.

No, it wasn't just because "current U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello has made some anti-Hispanic remarks that have angered numerous minority groups," as the Examiner implies.

The Board's vote came about after the year-long pushing of an anti-immigration agenda that included intensified ICE raids, the undermining of San Francisco's long-standing sanctuary city ordinance, and a Grand Jury investigation of the city's Juvenile Probation Department--moves that collectively angered immigrant rights advocates nationwide.

And no, it isn't just the case that these supervisors, who just spent four days in Washington, "can just pick up the phone and make this change happen," as the Examiner implies.

If you want to connect the dots and understand why the Board members voted the way they did, and who appears to be directing San Francisco's public safety policy, read this or this or this or this or this.

Comments

Melissa Griffin

Hi Sarah!

Just a note to point out that I wrote a piece on the subject of Russoniello in the Examiner on the 26th (http://www.thesweetmelissa.com/sweet_melissa/2009/02/wanted-a-new-us-att...) so this week, I only summarized (perhaps poorly) the fact that Russoniello was apparently being done in by his statements - which is what the resolution itself says. Neither the resolution nor it's sponsor David Campos in his speeches made any reference to Russoniello's role in a larger scheme. Since both of my pieces were summaries of board action, the articles stopped there.

And the reference to "picking up the phone" was an attempt to make fun of the board members who were in D.C. last week meeting with some of the very people to whom this resolution is directed, not to diminish the effort it will take to get Russoniello ousted.

It was only my intent to get this on the radar as part of a larger piece on the Board's actions Tuesday. I certainly take the issue of immigrant rights seriously and apologize for giving a contrary appearance.

Posted by Melissa Griffin on Mar. 19, 2009 @ 7:41 pm