The Civil Mayor

During last weekend’s inauguration fetes, San Francisco’s self-deprecating Mayor Ed Lee frequently described himself as “boring” while “being determined to bring a new level of civility”…“I don’t mind being called boring,” he admitted while calling a monthly mandated “question time” mayoral appearance at the Board of Supervisors “a little boring.” Now, did you catch that? Without slamming pugnacious ex-Supervisor Chris Daly or raising his voice, the Mayor subtly ju-jitsued Daly’s QT gamesmanship once intended to draw Mayor Gavin Newsom into a publicly televised confrontation with Daly and his progressive colleagues. Meanwhile, Lee’s quiet collegial style has, for example, avoided turning pensions into a Wisconsin “wedge issue.” As Lee said, “Pension reform reminded us that we can solve big problems if we can set aside small differences and focus on what we agree upon”….

Mayor Edwin Lee and SF First Lady Anita Lee descend the City Hall grand staircase for the inauguration on January 8. Daughters Brianna and Tania Lee follow their parents.

LOW KEY LEE: Mayor Lee in a public setting is hard to notice unlike the charismatic Willie Brown or statuesque Newsom or Dianne Feinstein. He’s a contrast to the pre-2010 in-your-face politics punctuated by former Board President Aaron Peskin and Daly who can equally point to role models in SF’s legendary and effective legislators in Phil and John Burton. But non-APA residents will have to get use to Lee for the next four years as they did with Newsom’s equally low key Heather Fong, the first APA and woman police chief criticized for not being the stereotypical leadership style of old-time chiefs. Lee’s more in tune with mostly low key APA politicians and community leaders unlike preachy, podium stomping Long Beach Assemblyman Warren Furutani, Chinese Chamber of Commerce’s Rose Pak and ASIAN Inc.’s late Harold Yee, subscribers to Patton’s tenet – “When I want it to stick, I give it to them loud and dirty”….

US Senator Dianne Feinstein (right) swears in Mayor Edwin Lee (left) on January 8 with SF First Lady Anita Lee (middle) holding Bible. Chief of Protocol officer Charlotte Shultz and daughters Brianna and Tania Lee stand in the rear.

UNDYING LOYALTY: Unlike their testosterone colleagues, Supervisors Jane Kim (District 6 – Little Saigon/SOMA), Malia Cohen (District 10 – Visitacion Valley/Bayview) and Carmen Chu of (District 4 – Sunset) were singled out to Mayor Lee by Sunday mayoral inaugural emcee Willie Brown as, “The three women that are always undyingly loyal to you and support almost everything you do”… ON THE RISE: During last inaugural weekend, Cohen was praised by US Senator Dianne Feinstein and Mayor Brown. As the board’s only African American, she represents the historic African (20%) and emerging Asian Pacific American (36%) District 10…

ormer San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (left), guest and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attend the January 7 mayoral inaugural dinner in honor of Mayor Ed Lee in San Francisco.

"Boring" San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee addresses inaugural dinner guests on January 7 at the Palace Hotel.

US Senator and former SF Mayor Dianne Feinstein introduces Mayor Ed Lee at the January 7 inaugural dinner.

WOMAN BOARD PRESIDENT: The Board’s caucus of women is now four as Mayor Lee added Planning Commission President Christina Olague, District 5 supervisor (Haight-Ashbury, Western Addition, Japantown) last Monday.  The four, if they galvanize into a bloc and pick up two more votes, could demand that one of their own be the next Board President after the Nov. 2012 elections…Since 2000, SF district elections have relegated women to minority status on the board with men holding the high profile Board of Supervisors Presidency which likely led to credible mayoral runs – Tom Ammiano (ran for mayor in 1999), Matt Gonzalez (2003), Aaron Peskin and David Chiu (2011). Only under citywide elections, Barbara Kaufmann was the last female President in 1998 and women last controlled the Board during 1994-96 with a slim 6-5 majority…

MORE NUMEROLOGY: Lucky 8’s (see last weekend’s column) with Mayor Lee who became 43^rd Mayor, avoiding the dubiously unlucky 44^th…

FOGGY LENS: Seeing the usually apolitical photographer (and occasional AsianWeek contributor) Frank Jang shooting inaugural dinner festivities at the Palace with city insider Walter Wong …

TING BLITZ: Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, rocket fueled by a public financed 2011 mayoral campaign, has picked up support for his 19^th District bid to succeed terming out Assemblywoman Fiona Ma from some California API Legislative Caucusmembers – including Chair and Assemblyman Furutani and local Board of Equalization member Betty Yee. Meanwhile key APA politicos like Ma, State Senator Leland Yee and Asian Pacific Democratic Club have not weighed in… Ting’s rushing to organize local Democrats as delegates to win next month’s coveted California Democratic Party convention endorsement. Win the June primary, and he’s the best shot to win the November election in what’s considered a “safe” Democratic seat …

AND CARMEN “PROBABLY….”: District 4 (Sunset) Supervisor Carmen Chu wouldn’t absolutely rule out a run herself at Mayor Lee’s inaugural dinner last Saturday as she said “probably not” to a 19^th District candidacy as she dined with fiancée firefighter Scott Hua. When asked when she would make it final, Chu just reiterated “probably not”…

THREE-QUARTERS OF A CENTURY: In contrast to the lavish Palace Hotel inaugural fete for the mayor, Hoover Lee was celebrating his 75^th birthday in a Richmond District restaurant in a longevity moment prized in APA and LGBT communities. Replete with Lion Dancers, the retired MUNI employee and long-time LGBT and APA community leader and partner Richard Ty Hing threw a bash with emcee and College Board member Lawrence Wong, State Senator Mark Leno, Superior Court Judge Lillian Sing, San Mateo County Harbor Commissioner Robert Bernardo, Supervisor Eric Mar (who later ran to the inaugural bash), Gay Asian Pacific Alliance alum, Chinese American Democratic Club President Eddie Chin, and founding members of the original Asian Pacific Democratic Club, whose LGBT and progressive members had split in the early 1990s from a more moderate, pro-business CADC…

Richard Ty Hing (left), State Senator Mark Leno (center) celebrate the 75th birthday of APA and LGBT community leader Hoover Lee (right).

HEIL HEELS: Good advice from the American President’s daughter -“Yeah, and compliment her shoes. Girls like that.” No fetish-inados here, but a couple ladies ogled Supervisor Kim’s swanky shoes on Sunday as she walked from Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi’s inaugural at the Veterans Building back to her City Hall office.  Jane’s unique heels looked like a pair of wedged pointless spurs each capped with a silvery ball bearing…

WORK TOGETHER: Still working to mend feelings from the mayor’s race, Lee’s inaugural dinner message this weekend to the supervisors, including mayoral runner ups John Avalos, David Chiu – “I will work my rear off to make sure we come together for this City. … It needs all of us to signal we want to work together…It’s not putting politics aside. It’s about getting the best out of politics to serve our ultimate boss, that’s the people of San Francisco”…

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (left) and MC Hammer (right) meet at the January 7 inaugural dinner for Mayor Ed Lee.

TOO LEGIT TO RUN: After his cameo in “Too Legit to Quit” pro-Lee campaign music video with 49ers Jed York and Ronnie Lott, Giants Brian Wilson, will.i.am and a background image of Jason Chan of AT&T snuck in, Willie Brown joshed he’s been “trying like hell to get MC Hammer to run for Mayor of Oakland, if the opportunity presents itself.” Hammer last October had dusted off 20-year old lyrics for a viral video deflecting critical counter moves or attacks from Lee’s opponents like State Senator Leland Yee, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, Chiu and Avalos in the final days of the Nov. 8 mayoral campaign. That assumes if Oakland topples Mayor Jean Quan in a recall….

MISS ME?: Email Samson Wong at potsticker@prodigy.net.