Bulldog 2007 Article 114

(7-27-07)

So, I’m officially in the race for Mayor. That’s not good news for San Francisco’s Left because it means that all of their ‘leaders’ chickened out on a run against Newsom.

Yeah, I cashed my big check from retirement on Wednesday and plunked down $4915.00 in cash to pay the entry fee. Within 24 hours I had confirmation from the Department of Elections that my signatures had cleared and I was set to go.

So, here I sit on my hands with a hundred bucks in the bank waiting to see what Matt Gonzalez does. At least, unlike most of the Left, I’m not depending upon him. I may not be able to put up a big fight, but Newsom will have a fight this Fall. And, I’ve put all of my money where my mouth is. I challenge Gonzo to do the same.

The first thing District 2 supervisor, Michela Alioto-Pier did when she was elected to the Board was to take away the Board President’s right to sit on the podium. Then, she bumped D-5’s Ross Mirkarimi from his seating position and took it herself (it’s nearer the press – like those photos they posted of your online gossip, Michela?).

Now, she wants to have supervisors who argue removed from not just Board committees, but from any regional agency where they are a part of decisions regarding money.

It’s clear that the usually tardy and often absent Pier (all of you home owners keep in mind that her absence on the matter increased your water rates alone and not those of big property owners) … Pier is simply a stooge who gleefully screws around with everything Progressive on behalf of greedy Downtown moguls.

This is about money and influence and overriding the mandate the Board’s Progressive majority won in 2000. Fisher, Shorenstein et al will do anything to seize every square inch of this City and Michela is their willing pawn.

For a newspaper that can’t write the word ‘steroids’ enough on their sports page, the absence of the drug anywhere there is a story regarding police brutality is amazing.

Once again the public is treated to a front page story about a brutal cop attacking a citizen (this time in front of 40,000 fans) and the paper doesn’t even consider the possibility that steroids could be involved.

Despite the fact that the cop has already cost the City a quarter of a million dollars in lawsuits. According to their just-passed union contract, the police chief and indeed any ‘credible’ person can request that an officer be drug-tested.

Well, I want officers Anton Collins and Robert Serna tested for steroids. Yeah, I’m not afraid of these pumped-up gangsters. I don’t fear them, their cowardly command staff or the political structure that protects them like coveted Pitt Bulls.

You can’t request the cops be tested without identifying yourself. That means that if you’re another cop getting the blood of another of Collins’ victims sprayed all over you and you bitch … he gets to know about it along with the POA and they will ride your upright ass until you’re gone. Well, I’m not afraid of your drugged-up asses, boys.

Foot Patrols

When the cops tell you they don’t have enough officers to man foot patrols they are lying in their teeth. There are plenty of cops. They are simply assigned in a manner to protect them from any possibility of harm and unfortunately that means they don’t want to do like you and walk up and down the street by themselves. So, while things get safer for them, they are more dangerous for us. And, they do not give a shit.

There are more cops now then at any time in San Francisco history. They are better educated, better trained, better armed and better paid that at any time in San Francisco history. And, they do less than cops have ever done at any time in San Francisco history.

The San Diego Police Department is 34% civilian workers. That puts more officers on the street. The San Francisco Police Department is 9% civilianized. That means there are 300 San Francisco cops hiding behind desks who should be on the street.

San Diego cops fly helicopters (in fact, every single major city PD flies except for the SFPD – they think it’s too dangerous). San Diego cops man kiosks in tourist areas (SFPD says they’re too dangerous). Other cops are required to ride municipal transport to deter crime (in SF, it’s optional).

So, we have this huge force and crime is up and arrests are down. The murder rate is through the roof and Mayor Newsom has forgotten his pledge to sign a petition for his own Recall if that happened.

Newsom’s foot patrol legislation is pure bullshit. It mandates absolutely nothing. It’s up to the chief and the district captains whether or not you get a single cop walking the beat in the City. Given that this same force has retreated from every single dangerous assignment, the discretion of the cop brass will only give you status-quo and worse after Newsom is re-elected.

I want to do an officer-exchange program that will enable the chief and POA head Gary Delagnes to take officers Anton Collins and Robert Serna to get out of the country and see an exotic place.

Yeah, Baghdad is nice this time of year. Fong and Delugnuts can patrol the road to the airport and Serna and Collins can straighten things out in Sadr City.

Hell of a gathering at the Club Etiquette on Market at 7th last evening. Assemblyman (and State Senate candidate) Mark Leno was there and made certain to sidle up and tell me that he got Julian the job as he’d promised me he would. I replied that I’d believe it was a serious position if Julian was still employed on November 7th (after the next election). I’m always suspicious of everything. I do that for you cause I know it’s not in your nature.

“Give me a building!�

I said that to both Julian, who is Executive Director of the newly formed Tenderloin Economic Development Project and Arthur F. Evans who sits on its Board. We need a new Press Club for traditional and online journalists and I’m just the guy to build it.

“Put the International Woman’s Museum in the Hibernia Bank!�

I’m just a fountain of great ideas for people who are really serious about improving the City and not just exploiting it. Evans just bought the YMCA’s towering flagship building on Golden Gate Avenue with money from some sap’s pension fund and I suggested he put the Press Club downstairs and put a couple of hundred musicians from all over the world upstairs on scholarship. Let’s see what really happens. I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Evans will build market-rate condos in the ‘Y’ and the Hibernia will go to a neocon corporation.

Julian has a lot of friends and deserves them. Bruce Brugman was there (they’ve worked together on the Josh Wolf case amongst other items). Terrance Allen and I talked about gay male porno and promised to do a piece together for my campaign. Kevin Epps who is one of my heroes was there and said the ‘Out of Hunters Point 2’ is in the works. I told him his first one should have won an Academy Award and it should have.

John Rizzo talked up the Community College Board or wherever it is that we just helped get him elected to. Debra Walker and Michael Goldstein have scheduled surgery to become Siamese twins. Luke Thomas got great pics (fogcityjournal.com) while his Plus-One stared daggers at a prominent politico’s arm candy.

Jens Nielsen poured down one pomegranate marguerite after another as the ‘room slipped away’ (Whiter Shade of Pale). Otto Dufty chatted with Jerry Jarvis and I scrunched over on the huge oval couch to make room for Marc Salomon and Joe Lynn (who showed us how to do ‘sensual push-ups’ when I told him I was working out?). Christina Olague is nothing but brilliant and I wish someone would put her into the race for mayor.

Michael Strickland took photos. Dave Snyder and I sized up the ladies and spoke at length about feminism and the American experience.

I gotta go walk and do a few calisthenics.

The rubber chicken circuit awaits.

Salon today 1-3pm.