Cops center stage today

(Gascon shields car potatoes)

(2-18-10)

Rules Committee (10am)

Chair: D-9’s David Campos

Vice Chair: D-1’s Eric Marc

Member: D-2’s Michela Alioto-Pier

Items #5 and #6 and #7 Bodyguard bling, walking the walk, up in smoke

Police Chief George Gascon had an opinion piece in the morning Chron launching a
pre-emptive attack on likely Green Party mayoral candidate Ross Mirkarimi. Say what
you will, this boy with the reverse comb-over is not the shy and retiring type.

And, he’s as full of shit as the next lawyer. Take Item #5 where Mirk wants to find
out just how much it costs to send unneeded cops all over the country as a layer of
celebrity bling for vain politicians. Ross isn’t even asking them to stop the
practice. He just wants to know how much it costs. The chief says asking such
questions endangers the Gavin and the Kamala, one of whom gave George his job and the
other whom he has endorsed for State Attorney General … this kind of information
can be dangerous says the chief. Yeah, dangerous for the politicians and the chief.
Ooooh, overtime … yum, yum eat-em-up.

Gascon can play politics with the best of em. He weighed in on Item #7 also.
That one is yet another attempt to get the cops off their asses and out of their patrol
cars to walk the streets with me. And you. George says forcing cops to walk
beats or get on the buses is a dangerous idea. No shit? He should try walking
my Tenderloin or riding the 14 Mission without a gun. Look, a big part of the job
of police officer is to put yourself in harm’s way to protect people and property.
Our cops don’t do nearly enough of that and everyone in the City knows it. And,
they commit fraud regularly to cover their negligence. As in turning in false
reports regarding their time on the pavement and MUNI.

Item #6 is Chair Campos taking the reins of the legislative chariot that is the San
Francisco pot industry from, again, Ross Mirkarimi. Again, the cops consider pot
arrests to be a legitimate way to fatten their totals. Even if they’re illegal
arrests.

One thing on this item, please dear God don’t let this be an attempt to put the Jim
Jones cloned Axis of Love in charge of the local pot scene. This is looking more
and more like an attempt by Campos to reward this group for campaign work by giving
them a majority vote on a soon-to-be-impaneled BOS pot advisory group.

Side issues

I’ll give the cops their tasers. If they’ll agree to be tested for steroids. I
know there are some mean mother fuckers out here on the streets. Shit, they’re my
neighbors. So, I’ll give the cops tasers which can be used selectively. Roid
rage ain’t selective.

And, no more power for the chief. That’s a change in my position. At first I
thought it was a good idea to let this chief clean house. Then I realized that the
next chief would use the power to fire the best cops who make them look bad. People
like Andrew Cohen. The fact that a violent and insane prick like POA VP Kevin
Martin has a job and that Joe Dutto and Andrew Cohen are forced out is an outrage.

Go Giants!