GOLIATH WINS AGAIN

I can’t think of a TV commercial more unsettling than the recent “Viva Viagra” effort--a bunch of middle aged men strumming guitars and singing the praise of the little pill that could. And how they’ll be departing (soon) to go home and screw.

You know, they don’t give a shit about elections, they’re all gonna get erections!!!

Anyway, the election results from Nov 6, presumably official now, are depressing enough.

It was the first test of this blog’s ability to influence voters. My consultants gave it a positive spin. SFWILLIE’S BLOG, they tell me, had zero influence on the outcomes of any races. Which, they say, establishes a “good baseline.”

I suspect worse. Judging from the results, many voters could have taken sfwillie’s recommendations and voted the opposite.

That’s the way I used to vote when I didn’t have time to study the propositions—I’d clip out the Chronicle’s recommendations and vote the opposite.

Lessons:

Mayor’s Race: It’s better to have a constituency than not.

Propositions: People who turn out to vote for an unopposed mayor will probably vote with the mayor on the propositions.

D.A.: There is hope! One thousand seven hundred fifty-six people voted write-in. We are not alone.

Not on the ballot was a raise for Muni-head Nathanial Ford. According to the Chron, Ford is now the highest paid city employee.

Remember, Ford gave us the T-Third meltdown, which brought unnecessary real-life pain to thousands of San Franciscans.

Either Ford was unaware that the T-Third rollout wouldn’t work, in which case he’s incompetent. Or, he knew it wouldn’t work, but he rolled it out anyway, for “political” reasons, in which case he’s malicious.

Either way, the fact that bogus Muni-reform Prop A passed, and that Ford was given a big raise AFTER the election, tells us that San Francisco’s de-facto Transit-Last policy will remain in effect for the foreseeable future.

Woe is me.

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ANYONE BUT CHICKEN

This shameful election morning Nevius column supports h. brown’s paranoia: that Chicken John is on the Newsom team.

Wannabe-eccentric John Rinaldi is being used by Newsom and his downtown backers to typify, and thus trivialize, the opposition to Newsom and his feed-the-rich regime.

Rinaldi’s platform IS his anti-conventional fashion statements. So amusing.

h. brown early in the race pegged Rinaldi as a Newsom “plant” and predicted that Rinaldi would be the recipient of Newsom-directed public funding of some sort—jobs, grants—as soon as the election is over.

Basically Nevius’ column says:

- Newsom is a shoo-in,
- His main opponent is a guy named “Chicken John.”
- Wouldn’t it be “so San Francisco” if Chicken John got a lot of votes!

Meanwhile, candidates such as brown, Sumchai, and Mecke who have raised serious questions which the Mayor refuses to address in open discussion, aren’t even named in the article.

The only other Newsom opponents Nevius mentions are “Grasshopper and the nude guy.”

Nevius refers to, or quotes others referring to, the field of opposition mayoral candidates as:

- offbeat
- midget
- fringes
- freaks
- ridiculous

At the downsizing Chronicle, Nevius must feel that it’s better to be a shill than to be unemployed. The janitor who empties C.W.’s wastebasket has, at least, an honest job.

The results of this Mayoral vote won’t make national news, UNLESS Chicken John comes in second. If this happens, right wing pundits will use the Chicken-vote to further trivialize and vilify San Francisco.

If you like Newsom, vote for Newsom.

If you dislike San Francisco, vote for Chicken John Rinaldi.

Elsewise, any other candidate will do.

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SF PROPS: VOTE NO (MOSTLY)

When I think of this year’s line-up of local ballot measures, I see an image of Mayor Newsom and Aaron Peskin in a naked, passionate embrace.

Like, way yuck!

Anyway, here are sfwillie’s blog’s official recommendations on this ugly assembly of mostly putrid moves.

Prop A -- NO Fake Muni Reform
They tied this nonsense with a green ribbon—non-polluting buses. The problem with Muni is not pollution, it’s reliability. As to reforming Muni—Prop A was concocted by the same people who brought us the T-Third meltdown, then threw a party to celebrate. Vote no on fake reform. Vote no on incompetence. Vote NO on A.


Prop B -- YES Appoint/Re-appoint Commission Members Timely
I’m guessing a mayor-appointed commissioner who serves past the appointed term does so at the mayor’s pleasure, and can be removed without cause. Commissioners during their appointed terms are more difficult to remove. Makes sense. Vote YES on B.


Prop C -- NO Favoring private ballot initiatives
Requires supervisors putting initiatives on the ballot to “show their hand” many weeks before the election. This allows private (read downtown) interests to put countering propositions on the ballot at the last minute, sight-unseen by anyone but themselves. This is important. Vote NO on C.


Prop D -- NO Reduces Library Hours, Promotes Capital Boondoggles
Voters established a property tax set-aside to fund library operations. The effort was a failure. Now they want to extend the arrangement for another 15 years, and allow the property tax money to be used to pay off bond debt (read crony-contracts). If you want your libraries open more hours, vote No on Prop D.


Prop E -- YES “Question Time for Mayor”
This is stupid inside politics, spurred by short-term jostling. But, it might provide some fun political theater. For some reasons we the public don’t know, this is our current mayor’s biggest nightmare. Vote YES on E, maybe we’ll find out.


Prop F -- NO More benefits for cops
SF has many problems. Fringe benefits for public employees ain’t one of them. This is a simple giveaway. Vote NO on F.


Prop G -- YES Money for horse stables in Golden Gate Park
This is probably a ripoff, but it might give SF kids more of a chance to see horsies. YES on G.


Prop H -- NO More cars in downtown SF
This one is simple. If you are a Republican, vote yes. Otherwise, vote NO on H.


Prop I -- NO NO NO More crony appointments
Assist small business? This should be part of the mission statement of every City department. Creating a new “Office” is an admission of management failure. Make current departments do their jobs. Vote NO on I.


Prop J -- NO Public/private internet ripoff
This is one evil offspring of Board President Peskin’s and Mayor Newsom’s perverse acts as political bed partners. This is such a joke even the Chronicle agrees: vote NO on J.


Prop K -- YES Less advertising
Advertising as a public revenue source is pathetic. Vote YES on K.

With the uncontested races for city offices, voter turnout could be very low. If you care about anything on this ballot, your vote could actually mean something.

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