Watching City Hall #355, (3-22-05)
“This is the first time I’ve heard of anyone running the flag DOWN the pole to see who salutes.”
(Anthony Faber has last word)
If you want to see where Gavin Newsom’s next ‘new’ idea is coming from, check out any Green Party manifesto. Newsom simply waters down the ideas put forth and claims them as his own. And, … that’s excellent politics. Some examples.
Last weekend Newsom came out against the war in Iraq. … On paper. In reality, he supported the war by refusing to support the massive anti-war march that occurred beneath the very balcony of the Office of the Mayor. … That’s past.
This week, Newsom came out in favor of regulating the SF pot industry which Green point-man, Ross Mirkarimi had suggested last month. Furthermore, the powers of Gavin’s office allow him to assemble a room of department heads & a couple of token mouthpieces from the richest entrepreneurs in the industry quickly enough to present legislation a week before Board President, Aaron Peskin was even able to schedule a Board Committee hearing. In fact. And, … this is very interesting. This morning’s Chronicle had already placed the Green supe’s efforts THIRD in line of the reform efforts. Suzanne Herel obediently noted Newsom’s newly birthed concerns first, followed by the Board efforts, listing “Michela Pier-Alioto and Mirkarimi’s efforts” … in that order.
Speaking of cheap pot
I’ve got a pot club card. Unfortunately, due to my particular financial circumstances, I don’t get to use it a lot. However, I have used it enough to realize that the proliferation of clubs has brought the price down up to one third over the past year alone.
Yeah, clubs that charged $60 for an 1/8th ounce for primo pot a few months ago are now charging $40 for the same amount. Now, call me an old silly, but I like that. The free market at work. Clearly, the older clubs were responding to the cheaper prices the new clubs are charging and, tightening regulations wouldn’t change this trend. That’s what I figured anyway.
Then, ‘Granny Gears’ spoke
“The clubs don’t want the competition!” That’s roughly what Terrie Frye said in her public comment before the Full Board at Tuesday’s meeting. Ammiano stalwart, Frye was the first I’d heard broach the subject from that direction and it made sense.
“I don’t think there should be any more than 17 clubs!” Thus spoke Wayne Justmann, definitely the most powerful lobbyist in the medicinal marijuana movement. It got me to thinking.
No matter who gets the most positive or negative publicity or blame or credit for whatever the hell happens next at my local pot club, my question is simple. Is Frye right and the price of my 1/8th ounce is gonna be set by collusion amongst a small cartel? Is it gonna cost $60 an eighth once the smoke clears? I just hope they approach the issue the way the Israeli elders are recorded to have gotten their heads right for making such decisions as going to war
“They took up their censors
and a great cloud of smoke went up."
Yeah, the elders went into a tent and got totally ripped, then came out and made their prophecy/decision/praise of herb … some things never change. Or, as one of the supervisors put it the other way: “I’m sure we can hash this thing out.”. … I’m gonna enjoy covering this issue.
What do we conclude from this?
Ross Mirkarimi has taken up where Matt Gonzalez left off and is beating Gavin Newsom like a drum. Newsom has no original ideas. He’s late to medicinal pot just as he was late to the issue of Gay Marriage. He steals and rewrites. He reacts. All that saves him from looking any more like an utter fool is the fact that the major dailies refuse to credit the original sources of all of these ideas.
“There must have been some magic
in that old silk hat he found
for when he placed it on his head,
Frosty began to dance around.”
Do the Greens have an ‘old silk hat’? Could be. They are certainly a lively lot. As I wrote a couple of years back, you can put a Green in room alone and they’ll be in a fight within minutes.
A week or so back, Green master mind, Marc Salomon published the opinion that Matt Gonzalez should not be allowed to represent me (or, anyone else in San Francisco) in any scrapes past and present with the cops. For a year. He also opined that perhaps I shouldn’t have a press pass. … And, he’s on OUR side!
I got an email from the Call this morning with a promo on a piece in today’s 1st back-from-vacation ( http://www.sfcall.com ) … first edition has piece from Kim Knox challenging a Green inner-circle move of some kind to cut out the super-lefty Frontlines people who donned Green a couple of years ago. … Now, I’ve been listening to Greens complain that Carlos Petroni and Chris Finn and Lucretial Burmedez and “those people” from Frontlines were trying to seize control of the local Greens. .And here, Knox is defending them.
Think about that. These are the people from whom Gavin steals virtually every single idea he has. These are people who attack their leaders and chief supporters while giving comfort to those attacking them.
“Gavin … steal this idea!”
Has it just been last week that I went to see the Green Party’s formal response to the Terminator’s state budget? Green numbers guru and past gubernatorial candidate, Peter Camejo gave two sets of numbers before the gathering before SF’s Commonwealth Club.
“Did you know that people who make $11,000 a year
in California pay taxes of 11 ?%
and that people in the Governor’s tax bracket pay 7 ?%?
And, that if the people in the Governor’s bracket
agreed to just pay 9 ?%
that the deficit would turn into a surplus?”
And Camejo further noted
“The average growth of the American economy
for the past 75 years has been 3%.
If we maintain that average for the next 40 years
the Social Security system will remain solvent.
However, Bush projects growth at 1 ?%
for the next 40 years.
He simply cuts the real figure in half
to get the number he wants.”
Grab the Green, Gavin. Go grab virgin gold. Tax the rich. I’ll put in a good word for you about getting a room at my Care Not Cash, SRO. You follow my advice, you’ll need it.
Little paper for your shoes?
Ahhh, rain:
