No Daly Machine Politics
October 31, 2003
Last week, an Asia trade mission benefiting San Francisco’s economy was interrupted by acting Mayor Chris Daly’s putsch. By taking advantage of Mayor Willie Brown’s absence, Supervisor Daly anointed an environmentalist and an Asian Pacific American architect to succeed two APAs on the powerful Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
The move illustrates problems that arise when the Board of Supervisors goes on a power trip.
Proposition H is another case in point. The Nov. 4 ballot measure would politicize police oversight by giving the Board of Supervisors de facto control of the Police Commission. While Prop. H ostensibly splits the panel’s appointments between the mayor and supervisors, the supervisors can essentially veto mayoral appointments.
Daly was elected three years ago on a platform for more open and democratic government. Instead, Daly has become the practitioner of the machine politics he campaigned against.
Daly is no stranger to hardball politics. Arrested for civil disobedience in a demonstration last year, the supervisor allegedly threatened the job of the arresting officer and his union’s labor contract. Before his 2002 re-election campaign, Daly held up the funding of a nonprofit run by a major contender for his supervisor seat. In 2001, Daly and Brown nearly came to blows over the supervisor’s shelter legislation.
Bringing hope after a checkered past, Daly and Brown’s recent collegiality balanced the city budget. The mayor signed into law Daly’s homeless alternative to Care Not Cash.
The PUC appointments estranged Daly and Brown’s relationship. It was a relationship similar to that of Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez and Supervisor Tony Hall — they may not agree on issues, but they agree to work together. Gonzalez has let Hall speak his mind, even though he falls on the opposite side of the political spectrum.
To prove he would be a mayor who respects colleagues and upholds democratic ideals, Gonzalez should reject Daly’s undemocratic appointments. And he should allow the mayor to nominate two people. Then, the supervisors would be free to accept or reject them, or negotiate for better appointments.
If Gonzalez permits the Daly appointments to stand, then he will be just another machine politician who overlooks the democratic process.
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