Friday at 5PM was the deadline for registering as a candidate for mayor in San Francisco's November 6 elections and thirteen challengers to the incumbent signed up and either paid $5,000 or offset the sum with citizens' signatures.
Cecilia Vega in the San Francisco Chronicle wrote a remarkably condescending article the next day that was headlined "Newsom lacks serious challengers, but lineup is full of characters" (click here) which basically called all of the contenders clowns.
Unless you are the beautiful Beth Spotswood (click here) or actually making money off the current administration, I can't think of a single reason to vote for Gavin Newsom for a second term. His disastrous first four years have been marked by a total sycophancy to the wealthy of San Francisco and an inability to accomplish much beyond photo-ops, and why anyone would think the situation will get any better is beyond me.
So no matter what your political leanings might be, there really are at least three other candidates you should be able to vote for that doesn't include the empty suit that is Gavin Newsom.
For instance, there is Ahimsa Porter Sumchai (above) who announced her candidacy at noon on City Hall's stairs in front of a small crowd.
Both Josh Wolf and h. (stands for Harold) Brown, seen here looking over the candidates' paperwork at Friday's Burrito Salon, are both smarter and braver than the current mayor...
...and though Brown is an alcoholic, at least he's honest about it, unlike Room 200's current occupant.
If you're on the rightward spectrum politically, there is Tony Hall, Harold Hoogasian and Wilma Pang for your voting pleasure, not to mention "nudist activist" George Davis (above).
Also filing at the last minute was an earnest young activist, Quintin Mecke who's articulate and looks good in front of a camera.
Four years of ballooning budgets, corrupt municipal departments sinking even further into muck (Department of Public Works and Rec & Park anyone?), a lazy and inept police department, declining public services, the privatization of every public resource imaginable, not to mention a constant barrage of lies makes voting against this administration not just a responsibility but a pleasure.
So, in the coming months, I'll be trying to interview all the other "characters" with their visions of San Francisco, and I encourage my online colleagues to do the same.
8 comments:
You go for it! Off the bat, I'm deciding between Josh Wolf and Ahimsa, but there may be other contenders.
Was phone-banked for voter ID by the Newsom camp on Saturday morning. NO thanks! Will be interested to see whether they manage to get me off their lists for further contacts -- it was perfectly clear I cannot be persuaded.
My domestic partner snored all night on Friday to the point where it was either going to be a murder/suicide or a fitful sleep on the couch, and I decided on the latter. Finally, in a morning deep sleep, I was awoken around 9AM by the telephone and somebody named Maria or Marcia or Marina saying, "Hi, I'm M- and I'd like to talk about Gavin Newsom's re-election," and I yelled at her with something close to a primal scream, "Fuck off!" before hanging up. These people are insane.
I have left SF before I reached voting age, but my family still lives there. I'm going to make them read your blog!
You can say whatever you want about my boyfriend as long as you call me beautiful!!!
newson, newson..man , even his name sounds like some shampoo brand..
"Gavin Newsom's shampoo, aromatic mint for oily hair"! mm, mm, ghastly business!
You rag on the rich, but every time you boost Beth Spotswood, you boost the rich. She lives in a "Ghetto" condo that Mumsy and Daddy bought. She loves the curried chicken salad sandwiches at the "O" Club, and charges them to Daddy's or her brother's account at the same Olympic Club. She went to the same private, rich high school as Gavin. You describe gavi as an empty suit, then how would you describe beth ? But then again, you are a man!
Dear anonymous: What does being a man have to do with anything, other than the fact that I'm gay and Beth is something of a fag hag?
As far as "ragging on the rich," let's get one thing clear. I grew up working-class mostly in the Santa Barbara area where I personally knew plenty of rich people who ranged from the Good and Charming to the Totally Fucked-Up just like any other class of people. What I'm not amused by is rich people using their money/power in ways that aggrandize only themselves and their narrow economic group while exploiting everyone else in the world. For a perfect example of the latter, check out Don Fisher and his nightmare family, who literally "own" Gavin Newsom and his handlers. Hope this clears things up, and next time you're going to lecture someone, don't be anonymous or I'll delete the comment.
Oh, fabulous!
Dear Anonymous,
If I weren't slightly scared that you would beat the shit out of me, I'd give you my cross streets and you could check out my ghetto for yourself. My parents didn't buy my condo. I did. I suffer the mortgage payments monthly. It's furnished with the cast-offs of dead grandparents and things I found on the sidewalk. If you weren't such a hippie asshole, I'd invite you over for cocktails. I drive a 2003 base model Honda Civic. I don't have a tape deck, air conditioning or automatic windows. And I barely make the car payments, but I make them myself. The only aspect of my life my Mumsy and Daddy fund, other than our fabulous vacations, curried chicken sandwiches and my live-in servant, Yolanda, is my Fast Track. I have a real job, real bills and a real hobo that lives across the street.
Oh, and Gavin went to Public School. Redwood High, in Larkspur. Back when he was po'.
I attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory. Like Daddy, Gavin's dad, Jerry Brown, Mike Farrah, Sean Elsbernd, Joe Alioto Veronese...ugh, so you have a point there.
Oh, and hand to god, I had Top Ramen for dinner last night.
Call me an empty suit all you like. As long as it's well made.
I'm now off to berate Yolanda for serving caviar at room temperature.
See you 'round the Club.
Warm Regards,
Beth Spotswood
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