Watching City Hall #208, AUGUST 19, 2003“Whatever you throw here,
you’re going to have to …
make a good pitch to this guy.”
(Giant’s announcer – interrupted by the sounds of a ‘crack’ and a ‘splash’ – plus whole lotta splashing around by people on kayaks & yachts and looped loading skids … swimming for a piece of history.)
“It was one of those nights when …
so many good things happen that …
you …”
(same announcer as Barry puts it in the Bay for pop.)
(Giants win 5-4 over Braves)
Bobby Bonds is dying. My brother died last month at the same age as Bobby. You’re gonna die too. … But, for God’s sake, imagine the thrill for this guy (Barry), to be able to snap the home team out of a 6 game losing streak in front of the home town fans … in extra innings … while pop hung on … and watched the dream of every father (to have your kid be the best at whatever they did in the world) … while pop watched from his own bed, in his own house, with his family at his side (just as my brother Jimmy died) … and, … in front of you … your son, now … the greatest hitter in history … hits one into the Bay for you …
I do politics, but I couldn’t resist
This is some town. … But, … I almost think you already knew that. … There’s an ugly political battle on the national, state and local level, but … for 3 hours or so tonight, it didn’t matter to any San Franciscan. … Russ Ortiz was in town. … 17 wins and 5 losses … and, we love him and are ashamed of losing the World Series for him (that’s the way I thought) … anyway, we were on a losing streak and Bobby was near the Gate … who the hell cares about politics when all of that is happening on this Tuesday night?
We’re playing the ‘best’ team in baseball. … We’re on a 6 game plunge (obscured by the fact that Felipe’ Alou is a genius and could play a team of janitors and be competitive) … soooo, we’re losing (although we still have a 9 game lead on the second place team) … we’re losing and … we are (as usual) … personal witnesses to this thing of beauty … hey, I’m sorry for Russ Ortiz … they got a healthy lead in their division too … but, … what a game. … What a night. … Behind all night. … Scrapping away. Finally, catching up to 4-4 and watching Todd Worrell come out of the bullpen and exorcise the ghost of our 6 game spiral with 2 brilliant innings of ‘stopper’ relief. Then, Barry hits the furthest home run into the Bay that has ever been hit and … … Wait, I don’t know anything about this stuff … I was going to write about why the local Green Party should be expelled from the State and National ‘Chapters’ … or, whatever they call it. …
Is Hinckle finally sober?
I don’t know Warren Hinckle. … But, he’s no John Kennedy! … wait … (got the wrong speech – that was something I was writing about Gavin) … Hinckle has suddenly started to write great copy. … This could be a very bad thing for me. … Hinckle at his best, is the best around these here parts. At my best? … I reach out upwards … toward last place. … Seriously folks, Hinckle is making sense.
Eileen considers hiring Robert McCarthy to represent her in a suit to prove she exists …
“You are nothing but a CYBER CHICK!!”
“I AM REALLLL!!!”
“Let’s see you get out of this keyboard.”
Ahhhhh, my sweet San Francisco. … Where all the loose nuts and bolts settle, or something like that … It’s why I came here, anyway. … Can you believe that I’m considered weird at ‘home’? … Here, I’m a warily respected advisor … or, … something like that. … Anyway, … I get lotsa free booze and weed.
Ever read ‘The Man Who Died’? … No one but me did. … I think it was banned or soething. … Might have even been by Camus or Sartre … one of them, for sure …
In the story … Jesus dies and is resurrected and realizes he missed out on the real essence of being human and gets married and has a family … … but, the Church prefers him dead and murders him. ….
That’s what we do to our best … we stand in line to shoot them dead …
Anyone still listening?
I’m drunk. … Well, maybe not … but, if I’m not, … I wasted a lot of bourbon. … But, … I don’t feel drunk. … Have that happen to you? … I’m certainly stoned … But, I don’t feel stoned. … My place was full of friends (as usual) … hmmmmmm … Board stuff …
Ammiano and Jake – Dumb meets dumber
Would you like 116 million dollars to spend? … totally unsupervised? … no competitive bidding? … no Board review? … at a, say … 1 hour notice (time, Willie allowed before documents hit Ammiano and McGoldrick before their hearing- Maxwell absent)? I mean, as a bidder for a hundred million in work for bond fund cash … to contract out work on the new Golden Gate Park Concourse’s Science Museum … to outside sources while City Engineers sit at their empty desks, cause Willie gave away all their work? … can you live with those terms? … Wellll, the new comedy team of Ammiano and McGoldrick took in the treble hook all the way into their bellies on this one … They came a hair from passing it on to the full Board with approval. … If it hadn’t been for the cute little APA Local #21 rep who showed up (the union was, of course, not noticed about Willie’s intent – which Newsom supports fully) … Doubt me? (you be smart, then) … But, this one is true. … Just check the tape (cd now) of the 8-18-03 Land Use Committee hearing. … Let me bottom line this.
Table or Continue to Call of Chair
The rep from Local 21 made a good point. … Essentially, she said that the City has been contracting out so much work that City workers with the same jobs being handed out to Willie’s friends, have little to do. … She suggested that this particular item be ‘tabled’. … Ammiano chuckled. … Too radical … Maybe continue a week. (He’s given in to Hellman? – I doubt it … he’s just tired) … Here’s what the Board should do. …
If the new mayor … even if it is Gavin Newsom … is to have any initial effect whatsoever, they are going to need to have some power over some funds. … Now, Willie has controlled 99% of the money spent in this City over the last 8 years and he has done a shitty job of everything except getting more money into the hands of the rich.
What Willie is trying to do is to tie up every single dollar in every single bond measure (billions) … every single parking meter, for God’s sake … every piece of vacant property … trying to tie them up for a hundred years. … He has these little nasty people he recruited from all over this nasty world who stand up and lie to the Board and hustle them and try and screw the average citizen on behalf of the rich. … People like Park and Rec Czar, Elizabeth Goldstein. … She leaps on them when they’re tired (because Willie orchestrated enough testimony or ignorance to keep the Board for hours extra while he sipped champagne with Gavin Newsom) … … that’s enough … suffice to say … the Board should continue every single item related to expenditure on capital items until after the election for mayor is over in November. … If Newsom wins … let em all go … everything will be privatized anyway.
Governor Bustamente’ & Mayor Gonzalez
Over a hundred years since a Latino rose as high as Cruz and Matt have risen within the last year. … Now, suddenly, … fate hands them each a chance to send a message to Latinos across America. … And, moreso, to George Bush. … You don’t get the Latino vote because you are a red-neck oil man who knows how to say ‘adios’ … you get the Latino vote … by being a Latino. … Imagine, if both of these guys win? We are in exciting times. … All the Latinos have to fear is the Democratic Party and the Green Party.
These parties are large groups of white men and women who do not like to hand power over to men or women of color. … Is that so hard to believe? … Well, Bustamente’s own party (the Dems) and Gonzalez’s (da Greens) have both suddenly gotten shriveled up little things when it comes to going to battle on behalf of their leading Latino candidates. … Not white enough for you boys and girls!? Orientation a bit too mainstream? Ta’ fuck’s up with that? … Especially, in San Francisco. … Cruz and Matt should dump the Democrats and the Greens, respectively. … They’ll win anyway and … they won’t have to answer phone calls from dickheads who tried to sabotage them.
… Hmmm, should I publish this? … sure, why not … it’s just drunken babble, but lots of times the truth comes out that way. Ya never know.
Be true to something:
