By Hope Johnson
April 30, 2009
FCJ felt right at home, like family even, at last weekend’s State Democratic Party Convention in Sacramento.
Family, Sopranos style, that is.
Larry Mazzola, Jr. took his childish resentment over his failure to qualify for the Golden Gate Bridge District Board on a road trip to Sacto, distributing anti-Chris Daly propaganda paid for by Mazzola’s daddy using precious union funds.
Flyers falsely claim the refusal by a majority of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to appoint a poorly qualified Mazzola is an “attack on labor.” But keep in mind, a lower Rules committee olive branched an unrequited request to labor leaders for submission of qualified applicants when Newsom allies maneuvered, instead, to force Mazzola’s appointment by recalling the item to the full Board.
A kumbaya moment with BOS Prez David Chiu,
Local 38 leafletter Larry Mazzola Jr. and Supervisor David Campos.
No reference is made in the flyer to the appointment of an extremely well qualified applicant, continuing the attempt by political opponents of the progressive Board majority to concoct an imaginary wedge between Progressives and labor.
Willie Brown joins in that propaganda machine in his Sunday column last week. Brown states: “fewer than 50 crossed the picket line” at Tuesday’s Democratic Unity Luncheon in protest to the Board’s appointment of another “supporter.”
FCJ photos reveal Brown is outright fabricating the truth, showing close to 200 attended the lunch. Brown purposefully mischaracterizes the actions of those attending lunch as confusion continues over the official status of the Construction Trade Union’s information line. Additionally, Brown’s reference to the qualified new Director, Dave Snyder, as “a supporter” is unreasonable. Snyder has been judged a transportation expert by Brown’s own conservative standards, hired by the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) as its first Transportation Policy Director.
Refusing to be left out of the propaganda fun, the Examiner ran a public relations piece Sunday benefiting SPUR director Gabriel Metcalf. The article reveals little about Metcalf except that he is “a radical at heart.” C’mon, now, everyone in San Francisco is radical to the Examiner – they endorsed the ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin for the Presidency! It’s all most likely an attempt to repair damage done to Metcalf’s image when he admitted to the San Francisco Bay Guardian that, at labor’s request, he pressured Snyder to withdraw his Bridge District application.
Those opposed to progressive policies are clearly worried by growing progressive power, gearing up their moneyed public relations media hacks. Yes, FCJ was right at home. So much so, in fact, we joined Progressive activist Rick Hauptman on a tour of the State Capitol Building graciously provided by Senator Leland Yee’s office.
Sen. Leland Yee aide Jordan Curley,
Rick Hauptman and Hope Johnson.
San Francisco was indeed in da house, even on the State Senate legislative chambers floor.
Brown v. Bored of Edgy Newsom
Attorney General Jerry Brown hasn’t officially declared his intention to run for governor of California, but most of us assume the game is on. Why else would he choose the Governor’s manse to receive his guests and supporters? Plus he told FCJ he would announce “in a year.”
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced he’s a candidate for governor in every electronic way known to man.
The convention provided opportunity to observe emerging campaign style trends of the two well-known politicians. Newsom’s campaign feels insincere. A group of youthful sign-carrying campaigners maintained a constant wiggling vigil on the corner outside the convention center. Organizers with earpieces choreographed the cheerleaders, lending a contrived vibe to the clamor.
San Francisco First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom,
who told FCJ she is expecting a baby girl, joins Newsom sign carriers
outside the Californa Democratic Party Convention in Sacto.
Brown, on the other hand, was understated, traveling with a very small staff, mixing casually with anyone who wanted to say hello.
Their convention floor speeches went much the same direction. Brown used specific examples and spoke in a natural tone. Newsom stuck to the traditional generalities, claimed credit for ideas not his own, and lined the floor with his teenybopper sign-carrying entourage while Newsom spokesperson Nathan Ballard poodled after Newsom campaign conductor Eric Jaye.
 
Newsom koolaid teenyboppers busting some ear drums.
“I’m here to start taking on the big problems the Republicans want to ignore,” Newsom said. “I’ve had enough of politicians who say they care about liberty and then fight to take our freedoms away. I’m done with the excuses. I’m over the finger pointing.”
Newsom, over the finger pointing while refusing to admit
he’s bereft of original ideas.
“I say thank God that our President has brought out into the full light of day the horror of torture under George Bush,” Brown said. “I’m also sad to say that one of the authors of the torture, the legal craftsman who violated his oath as a lawyer to create the justification for these tortures, is now teaching at the University of California. That’s not the role model that I want to see for the lawyers of tomorrow. We want honest advocates for people.”
California AG Jerry Brown
On education, Newsom touted San Francisco Promise, a proposal to provide college grant and scholarship funding for low-income students. Brown offered across the board reform, with less focus on standardized testing.
“You know they talk about no child left behind,” Brown said. “I don’t want any creative spirit left behind.”
Most revealing was listener reaction. Newsom’s staged sign carriers screamed on cue their approval during every pause while a slumping audience responded with polite applause. When Brown spoke, the audience awoke and broke into loud cheering, standing several times.
It looks like Dems are in the mood for some substance over style in this campaign.
FCJ ran into Jerry Brown as he spoke with San Francisco’s own Supe Eric Mar at Brown’s Governor’s Mansion party. Brown agreed to a photo op but had one condition: “I expect to see this online with a pithy caption.”
Pithy caption? Aw, Jerry’s been reading FCJ!
Jerry Brown with Hope Johnson and Supervisor Eric Mar
at the Governor’s manse.
Close Encounters
Local public affairs specialist Gary Gartner works for Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi’s controversial campaign to replace Ellen Tauscher in Congressional District 10. Controversial in that Garamendi’s residence is located directly on the borders of both District 10 and District 3.
Gartner introduced FCJ to Garamendi as the politician exited a meeting with bloggers. Garamendi was the lone speaker to specifically endorse single payer health care reform as opposed to using phrases such as “access for all,” a subject of particular interest to FCJ Editor Luke Thomas. The two discussed Medicare overhead costs and Garamendi explained his belief the main challenge was educating the public on health care tax replacing high insurance premiums. No one likes to hear “new taxes.”
Garamendi campaign manager Gary Gartner
Lt. Governor John Garamendi
FCJ also bumped into Assemblymember Tom Ammiano as he and I realized we were both bolting from the frighteningly long Progressive Caucus. Those progs had at least 400 people attend their caucus only to crossly insist on an endlessly long parade of chair reports before voting.
True to form, Ammiano couldn’t resist a few jokes at their expense while several passersby yelled out, “Hey, didn’t I see you in Milk?”
Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, Eric “Doc” Smith and Hope Johnson.
Stay tuned.
Fun Fact
Oh, yeah, some officer elections took place, too. Here are some local winners:
John Burton: California Democratic Party Chair;
Hilary Crosby: State Controller;
DCCC Regional Director August Longo: re-elected;
Local District 6 Supe candidate Debra Walker: Northern California Vice Chair, Women’s Caucus;
Redevelopment Commissioner London Breed: Legislative Chair, Women’s Caucus;
San Francisco Labor Council “Head Honcho” Tim Paulson: Chair, Labor Caucus.
Luke Thomas contributed to this article.
The Hunger Site
May 5, 2009 at 4:31 pm
The dumb tenants have all been driven out of the city. The only tenants left now are tough mean and radical. We already learned the hard way so bring it on you ignorant plumber rednecks. Make it a choice of us leaving or you leaving and you better thank the evil gods you worship for disability insurance because that is all you’ll have left….
May 4, 2009 at 11:33 am
marc, if you are still reading
Let me just comment, the UPS strike of about ten years ago gave me hope for unions, that hope again was beaten back.
You seem a bit conflicted, you state that SEIU has been there for progressives then you lament that they don’t offer the average Joe anything.
I think the problem is that the leadership is radical and the rank and file are not. You also mention that the SEIU is packed with 20 somethings and that seems true, that also will not play well with the average Joe. Being talked down to by a 20 something studied in college radicalism offers less than nothing to your average Walmart worker who has to raise a family on money not good intentions.
Those good intentions divorced from reality are a major hurdle towards unionization on a broad scale, and one of the reasons I would never join a left wing crack pot organization like the SEIU unless I was forced to by a closed shop.
Put it this way, if you were a middle American who saw meatpacking go from a job where you could make a decent living thanks to the union go to a minimum wage job thanks to illegal aliens, would you join a union that advocates for illegal aliens? The condescending radicals only answer to this is that these people who are concerned about their economic well being are stupid and racist.
Unions may get card check and sign up a few million but in the long run the progressive radicalism will not entice many of the lowly peasants these 20 radicals love to hate.
May 2, 2009 at 9:36 pm
I know a lot of tenants who are seriously sick and tired of getting evicted. You all at local 38 are still not on the radar screen and if I were you I’d want to keep it that way.
May 2, 2009 at 1:49 pm
“Rob, you’re just cranky because a Bicycle Person was appointed. In a few months time, the compounded incompetence of the Bicycle People will succumb to the inexorable inertia of CEQA timelines, and your moment of relevance will dwindle to a close. But Dave Snyder will still bring San Francisco’s transit first values to bear at the Golden Gate Bridge Board, hopefully having learned a tough lesson from the Bicycle Plan experience.”
I’m not talking about the Bicycle Plan here. The point is that the appolntment had nothing to do with transportation expertise, as Hope and Luke keep saying. The members of that board have to have to transportation expertise and in fact have none. Appointing Snyder was strictly a political play by city progs.
Snyder’s going to bring “transit first values” to the board? What do you think that board does now, with a fleet of buses and ferries? Snyder brings nothing but years of BikeThink and deviousness to the board, since he was the author of the sneaky, failed strategy to illegally push the Bicycle Plan through the process without any environmental review. Some expert.
http://district5diary.blogspot.com/2007/05/guardian-gives-history-quick-rewrite.html
May 2, 2009 at 9:13 am
Chris, the fact that new luxury housing is being built that does not cover its costs to the public is a huge subsidy granted by politicians to the developers who employ you.
Adding extra burden to government over what development fees and property taxes will cover over time is clearly not in the interests of existing residents who are already receiving substandard services.
Many of us prefer a full life cycle analysis of public entitlements such as development rights rather than a narrow perspective. Construction jobs should be union jobs, but since the lifespan of most construction is measured in decades while the work hours are measured in months, public policy cannot view construction as a job producer as much as it needs to view it as a long term infrastructure commitment.
I’m sure that we can count on the Controllers’ Economic office to perform a full life cycle analysis of housing proposals, because they are not corrupt.
You all are but one small part of the picture, and the investors have been able to deploy you all as sympathetic at best, thugs at worst, to generate gargantuan profits and interest streams of which you all are allocated a mere sliver. In the big picture, its not all about you.
-marc
May 2, 2009 at 8:47 am
Marc,
Can you site any specific instances of corruption and land use? I am not sure what is wrong with someone who want to build something going through all the appropriate steps at the planning commission?
As far as elections go there is a myth that no union members who work in the building trades live in the city. That is not true there are several thousand building trades union members residing in San Francisco.
There is an old saying that, “special interests is any interest that is not mine”. In that vein of thought the labor movement is like any other constituency in the Democratic Party. Labor overall has very overarching goals: Universal Healthcare, the right to organize(EFCA), basic safety at work and so on.
Within Labor as within or between corporations there are goals of each union. This is where you get into which organized industry you are talking about. At the root every union wants the company they are attached to to succeed so that their members can work and provide for their families. Labor and capital will forever be entwined in this manner. The difference is whether you have a union to mitigate capital running roughshod over Labor.
The nature of construction makes the union’s roll in this relationship more visible. People end up targeting the union it seems as if they are the company.
May 2, 2009 at 8:40 am
Rob, you’re just cranky because a Bicycle Person was appointed.
In a few months time, the compounded incompetence of the Bicycle People will succumb to the inexorable inertia of CEQA timelines, and your moment of relevance will dwindle to a close.
But Dave Snyder will still bring San Francisco’s transit first values to bear at the Golden Gate Bridge Board, hopefully having learned a tough lesson from the Bicycle Plan experience.
Again to beat up on labor, we’re seeing official unemployment rates of 13% in California which translates into a real rate north of 20%. Yet on May Day, labor was talking about immigration rather than on how to change the game so that Wall Street is not running the economy as a battering ram against working Americans, forcing us into bonded indebetedness. If labor cannot provide resources to appeal to and organize one fifth of the labor force which is getting screwed royally right now, then they might as well just hang it up, because there is no hope.
-marc
May 2, 2009 at 8:40 am
The dyslexics at Local 38 can’t seem to shake the ‘duh’ factor that hovers over nearly everything they do. If Mazzola could have spent just one hour becoming familiar with the issues facing the board he wants to be appointed to we wouldn’t be reading your fabulous column now.
Can Larry Mazzola not read, or has that excuse already been used to much at the mayor’s office?
May 2, 2009 at 8:27 am
Mr. Monk,
I live near you as well maybe we should get a cup of coffee sometime. I will say that I have been a working person my whole life. I love the labor movement and have been a part of it for many years. Unions are one of the key elements counterbalancing corporate power. Collective bargaining also bring democracy into the workplace, where without a collective bargaining agreement an individual basically has no/or extremely limited rights. Organized labor is a force for creating a more equitable society.
May 2, 2009 at 7:55 am
“Mr Anderson, Your spiel is tired and worn, and reaching at best. Local 38 does not represent all working people. Mazzola and those who stubbornly refused to compromise on a mutually acceptable (yes, qualified) applicant, have no one else to blame but themselves.”
My “spiel”? The reality is that “qualifications” have nothing to do with this appointment, which is to a “public at large” seat on this board. The rest of the members are elected officials. Please name a single member of this board who is a transportation expert. When you insist on repeating an untruth, it eventually becomes a lie.
http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=4709
May 1, 2009 at 8:24 pm
I’m so happy for you that you have a job – many dont. You are blessed to be living in what remains of the city of St Francis and can afford to support and raise a family – many cant. Incidentally; how long have you lived here; do you rent or own; if you own are you in a TIC that was ‘liberated’ through an Ellis Act eviction etc..
Please feel free not to answer. Congratulations on having been a ‘union organiser’ for a few years; what union; what is your function; what have you done for ‘us’ lately ? Many of ‘us’ have been union/labor/peoples activists for more decades than we can remember, even with Geritol and Aricept.
I hope that your ‘union job’ is as a working man, not a gladhander like Paulson and Mazzola. Are you, and the other ‘anonymous’ contributers to this conversation, honest and open enough to put your real monikers where your mouths are.
While i wont openly publish my address or phone number here, its easy to find cause i have nothing to hide. I am currently a Hospice Home Visit RN. My name is Patrick Monk. I live in Noe Valley, -still – after 30+years thanks in large part to Tom Ammiano and rent control. Among other things I have been an itinerant fruit bum; a deep sea fishing trawlerman; a logger and log cabin builder; an actor/producer/director; a teacher: a drunk and a junkie: a carpenter and owner of a small residential remodeling company, blah, blah, blah.
Respectfully(?),
I ask you to be a mensch, come clean, own your shit, put up, or shut up.
************************************************************
h,
how do you like them apples !!! back me up here buckwheat.
May 1, 2009 at 8:05 pm
The major sources of corruption in San Francisco center around land use and housing issues. As a result of that corruption, entitlements fail to cover the costs of the impacts to San Francisco’s taxpayers.
If you put your own family’s interests before the right of San Franciscans to enjoy honest and non-corrupt government, then you’re going meet resistance politically, because people don’t like for those with a direct financial interest in political outcomes intervening in their elections.
Solidarity is a two-way street, remember? San Francisco’s remaining working class communities get nothing but kicked in the teeth by the BCT. Work with us for a change rather than downtown and you might receive a different reception.
-marc
May 1, 2009 at 4:32 pm
On another note I do live in the city and have a family and a union job.
May 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Marc,
At what level does it constitute best interest? I know for a fact several thousand Building Trade members live in the city. I know many do not but it could be said of the thousands of commuters that live in Marin and work in the financial district. Our people tend to live in Daly City, Richmond and other working class cities. I am not saying it is bad or good it is economic reality. San Francisco is expensive to live in. Nevertheless, the trades still have thousands of members who are residents. The reason these citizens have the ability to afford the city is largely do to collective bargaining agreements with good wages and fringes.
May 1, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Marc,
What about Hope? Is Hope a resident of SF? Or does she hop on Caltrain, or the Golden Gate, or Bart, when she heads home? Does she speak as a SF resident?
May 1, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Citizenchris, we’re at odds because most of you all don’t live in San Francisco and support candidates and measures which are not in the best interests of many San Francisco residents.
-marc
May 1, 2009 at 3:03 pm
h
keep posting brother.
It’s a conundrum. The last thing anyone wants is more restriction of freedom expression, even from wackos like me. Along with reporting on important local stuff that the Kronikle and MSM ignores, FCJ also provides a valuable outlet for uncensored commentary and diverse opinion. I guess my opinion is that if someone doesnt have the balls to stand up and take ownership of their words, they should sit down and shut the fuck up. But that probably wont happen. Hiding behind masks and hoods has ever been a practice of the weak and witless
May 1, 2009 at 12:45 pm
What happened to this Blog? This article was poorly written and has given every wako the oppertunity to pick holes in it
May 1, 2009 at 10:52 am
I have been an union organizer for a few years. I am still flabbergasted at the attacks on construction unions.
All we do is try and provide men and women with good wages and better working conditions. The only reason I believe we are so vilified by the “Progressives” is that it is immpossible to organize construction unions from the bottom up. In fact the only feasible way to organize construction companies is by providing the highest level of skilled craftspeople. In doing this we partner with our companies to supply their labor needs in return they gives Labor good wages and benefits.
I still do not know what is wrong with trying to get projects built union in the city. There are plenty of good local developers as well like Webcor.
May 1, 2009 at 7:31 am
jabber_jabber:
This is not a downturn. Downturns are when supply and demand go out of whack and reach into depression and recover into equilibrium again. This is a case where the finance system has melted down because since Reagan, Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) have merged into one symbiotic economic sector. The recovery will happen once finance reconfigures itself to the point where it can reach equilibrium again.
The BCTs have been part and parcel of the Reagan economic revolution by this measure, as their participation in the Real Estate leg of the FIRE stool has led to building out to unsustainable economics and sprawl.
You all are essentially the rat in the cage which has pressed the red bar and been fed cocaine since the late 1990s, but pressing the red bar reveals no more cocaine and you all are starting to jones for it. All the cocaine is now reserved for Wall Street, sucka!
Low income lending requirements and the rise of imprudent mortgage standards are two different phenomenon. The former did not lead to the rise of Alt-A or subprime mortgages. That was a function of historically low interest rates, the voraciousness of Wall Street in pursuit of additional interest streams and the failure of organized labor to effectively raise wages, forcing folks to maintain consumption through home equity loans.
Don’t make the mistake of watching FOX News for anything other than entertainment value. In politics, once you believe in your own shit, you’re toast.
If the BCT unions had a better grasp of economics, they they would not have built themselves out of jobs by riding the bubble, tapping that red bar for more blow. A prudent organization would have realized that their position is inherently unsustainable, that we can’t build out forever, and leveraged their position accordingly. But greed won out, you all sided with Reagan economics and conservative local policies, and now we’re all screwed.
I agree with you on SEIU, that their culture is offensive, levels of hubris that cannot be sustained by their record of accomplishment, more time wearing the shiny purple jackets than caring about the people they represent, itinerant twenty something interns without grounding in policy making political calls for thousands of responsible long-term resident adults. See Prop A MUNI 2007 for a great example of this.
That said, SEIU has been there time and again with progressives both on candidate campaigns and ballot measures, ponying up real resources, people and money, with the BTCs invariably on the other side of that political gap. In partnership with SEIU, progressives have changed the law to make life better for hundreds of thousands of people and you can take that to the bank.
As one who’s partner is represented by SEIU and who has worked in the public and private sector unrepresented, labor needs to realize that it is on the ropes because it does not speak effectively to most working San Franciscans, Californians or Americans. There is nothing within organized labor that speaks broadly to the middle of the road. And organized labor appears to most content to maintain its franchises, to augment its position within those franchises, and is not serious about putting the interests of working people ahead of those of any given union.
Had labor not gone AWOL on single payer in favor of EFCA, we might have seen labor putting the best interests of working folks put before the best interests of unions which would increase public support for unions which would lead to improving the position of unions.
Absent public support, unions will remain marginalized caricatures of the extremes of society, you all on the right, SEIU on the left, neither able to speak broadly to the critical issues facing working Americans–Wall Street wins again!
-marc
April 30, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Luke and Hope,
You have been totally co-opted by the Wall. If you do not require verifiable identities I will no longer post on your site. Right now you’re an arm of Michael Ege.
h.
April 30, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Hope and Luke, you sure are getting the dregs of weird, reactionary trolls at this site lately. When is the perfectly aliased “Ruth R. Snave” going to stick her snout in?.
My issue, Ms. Hope Johnson, is that you plagiarized me without attribution. On Monday I wrote on my “Civic Center” photoblog: “San Francisco Mayor Newsom doesn’t seem to have had an original idea in his life, but he’s definitely a magpie when it comes to other people’s initiatives, which is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Your writing is a wonder and a surprise, Hope, and is a real pleasure to read. There’s nothing strident and it’s filled with honest observation. By the way, your “Sopranos” joke about the Steamfitters and Plumbers Union was completely apt. If anyone disagrees, all they have to do is go to the union’s website, click on “Board of Directors” and look. They could easily all be extras for a new HBO series, “Sopranos Go West.”
April 30, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Hope, anyone who would consider themselves progressive would be Hoffer’s true believer.
A “theory of everything” never works, be they “put people first” progressives who ramble on about the constitution of the USA then insist that “no one is illegal” or that they can ban guns because they know best, or a religio conservative who wants to get the government out of people’s lives by banning abortion.
April 30, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Hope,
um…now confused. You answered question posed to Chris Daly and do not answer question posed to you. Am I to understand that CD will answer the question posed to you? Let me remind you of the question you carelessly overlooked:
“What is your opinion on CD and his behavior towards women e.g. his threatening behavior towards Supe Alioto-Pier…or do you just care about women with similar views as you?”
You see, it is this laissez-faire attitude to “journalism” that again undermines the FCJ. btw you can contact me at jerryschwartz09@hotmail.com. Got nothing to hide. But anonlmity does allow people to express opinion without fear. And lets be honest, CD is an unhinged individual that trys to make life uncomfortable for people who express contrary opinions. How do I know? As I said previously, I “worked” for CD back in 2000 and witnessed his disproportionate rage on a couple of occasions. Not to ,me, but others who were stunned, upset, disappointed and humiliated by the experience.
So, to my question again in case you missed it: “What is your opinion on CD and his behavior towards women e.g. his threatening behavior towards Supe Alioto-Pier…or do you just care about women with similar views as you?”
Be brave Hope…as you have no bio I assume you are new to FCJ and therefore even more wary to ensure you dont get cast adrift by Daly’s sinking raft.
April 30, 2009 at 5:36 pm
hopefloats — har, loved it
I would add that internet opinion columns and blogs only come from the extreme, so much far left and far right white noise makes sane people meaningless. You will likely never see an internet self appointed admit that they are as jejune as the rest of us.
As the opinion of all the amateurs, cranks and wing nuts (like you and I and the entire fog city journal staff) across the internet is really either just; static from the other side or soothing “I agree with your outrage” feel good Opraisms I named myself jabber_jabber.
April 30, 2009 at 5:28 pm
marc, there is plenty of blame to go around.
There is a downturn every 7 – 10 years, sometimes the downturn gets a boost down the cliff from capital. The recession of the early 90’s under Bush 1 and the late 50’s under Ike were pretty natural.
Others are made worse by capital scheming with the help of government often times, for instance Barny Frank and other democrats demanding that loans go to those on the economic border, or well away from it. The recession is worse then what it would be naturally by result of scheming by capital and progressive government intrusion… and many people are just stupid. All of these banks in a mess should be left to go the way of Arthur Andersen, they are parasites.
As to government unions vs trade unions. Having dealt with both from both sides I can say that trade union reps have a far firmer grasp of reality than government union types.
My dealings with the SEIU leave me to believe that they are all ethical black holes. Having been an SEIU member as an employee of an SEIU shop for about five years I would never willingly subject myself to them again.
Having been in a trade union when going to college I would say that they were useless but they never outright lied to my face and recreated reality like the SEIU types did.
The philosophical difference between the two was also very different, the trades unions wanted everyone to get ahead while the SEIU was full of miserable unhappy people who blamed the government that they were in the hopes of ruling with an iron fist as the problem. Like a Reagan in reverse.
April 30, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Hope,
First, a compliment. The boots look is fantastic.
Secondly, it’s pretty clear that I disagree with the style your “opinion” takes, because it does nothing to move forward the dialogue. If you have beefs with Mazzola and the way he goes about his business, is it not more beneficial to your cause to point out those issues in a more professional manner?
Third, the stated purpose of this blog is “We are proponents of free speech in all its varied forms and welcome all political voices for the benefit of discussion and readership consideration.” I give you my political voice and you attempt to marginalize it by calling it a distraction technique. I disagree with you. Sorry if that is distracting.
Fourth, you use the word “column” in reference to your diatribe. I don’t care if you think it is an opinion column, even opinion columns attempt some decorum. You wouldn’t know that. You prod anonymous posters for speaking out, yet your own political ties are not on display.
I will finish with this, part of the shame of the slow death of newspapers is that we are as a society suddenly overwhelmed by herds of inexperienced and underdeveloped bloggers such as yourself. You have no standards, and revel in attacking people and groups who have worked and lived their entire lives to improve this city, and their families. The thing about opinion columns in real newspapers is they are written, and people get a chance to respond if they disagree. You, and Luke Thomas, have both shown an amazingly small threshold for criticism…at least for people who appear to thrive off of criticizing others.
April 30, 2009 at 4:58 pm
jabber_jabber, just as it is easy to be a construction worker getting paid by Wall Street investing other people’s money down a real estate sprawl rat hole.
Be careful what you call the “real” economy, because the greed and short-sightedness of your sector lies at the root of the current economic collapse.
-marc
April 30, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Dear Jerry Schwartz:
It is customary to respond to questions directed to you, especially when you’ve received responses that you demanded.
It is clear you are not interested in dialogue on issues but here to waste time and create misrepresentations.
Dear jabber_jabber:
Which of the theories you listed would Jerry Schwartz fall under?
April 30, 2009 at 4:51 pm
The difference between trade unions and the various service/government unions like SEIU is that trade understands that the economy runs on something called supply and demand.
Trade union leaders often time come up after doing real work while government union leaders come up after living off the work of others as an example the view of SEIU leadership during this latest downturn.
Millions of trade workers have been laid off while SEIU carps about not getting a raise.
It’s easy to be “progressive” when your living off of and spending other peoples money.
April 30, 2009 at 4:28 pm
The Building and Construction Trade Unions have rarely supported progressives who have won, there has never unity, this is not a split, progressives are there for labor when labor’s moderate electeds are not.
I find it amazing that someone pimping for the BCTs is calling Daly on rubbing elbows with the developers in the RBA as if that were somehow pejorative. I’ve got standing to say that, they do not given the ruinous sprawl they’ve visited on the region and economy.
We’re stuck with either Wall Street building firms that hire union or locally owned businesses that do not. How about a moratorium on construction until we can figure out how to root construction in our communities and allow workers to organize?
Basically, if we’re alienating a largely commuter union that is politically at the far right end of San Francisco politics, then progressives are probably on the right track and their howls are a nothing more than a sign of their weakness and our strength. That said, Peskin and Daly only took the DCCC because they had the element of surprise on their side. Not so in 2010.
And that weakness is going to continue, as the era of perpetual growth and sprawl on steroids is over. We are all going to have to learn to make more with less, and this will come faster to most of the BCTs because they’ve built themselves our of work for a while.
As far as Metcalf and SPUR go, this is the guy who believes that tract housing sprawl like the BTCs build in the exurbs competes with housing in San Francisco, and that if we don’t build the latter, we’re party to the former. Any pretenses that Metcalf has to socialism stop at the vanguard, in that he and his developer friends know the right answer and we should all be grateful that they’re dispensing their grace unto us and get out of their way.
-marc
April 30, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Dear Jerry Schwartz, formerly known only as schwartz:
Your post references a separate FCJ article (Politics As Usual Defeats Daly in Race for Region 4 Director) and is only tangentially related to this column.
Many of your questions are directed to Supervisor Daly personally and I cannot answer on his behalf. Below are my responses to you.
“1. Regarding the e-mail to Smith at the time of the DCCC chair debate…on reflection would you have sent the e-mail?â€
Pay closer attention, Daly responded in the previously referenced article: “You reference a single email that I sent– that stand by to this day.â€
“2. Are you happy with the way you distorted a mailer in the Leno/Migden race to give the impression that the Guardian supported Migden?â€
Your assertion is vague and ambiguous, and a response would require speculation on an opinion. Please clarify your meaning of “distorted†and “happy with.†(It is unclear if your question is whether or not Daly was pleased with the look of the mailer, thought it achieved a goal, was embarrassing, etc.)
“3. When you stood back in 2000 it was clear that we all know that the developers in the City were not progressive or family friendly. How come you are now courting the support of the Residential Builders Association?â€
Your assertion is vague and ambiguous, and a response would require speculation on my part. Please provide a more factual explanation of your claim we all know developers were not progressive or family friendly. Please also clarify your meaning of “courting.â€
“4. In all the elections you participated in why did you think there was no one else who could have done the job?â€
Your assertion is vague and ambiguous, and a response would require speculation on an opinion. However, again, pay closer attention, Daly responded in the previously referenced article: “My name on every ballot? In 8.5 years, I have been on the ballot 5 times. Supervisor 4 times including my first run-off and DCCC once. (I had to be convinced to stand for reelection the final time.) I have run in 2 internal partisan races for Obama Delegate and Regional Director. I actually won the Delegate race (although an Alternate, I was bumped up to voting Delegate for the actual nomination.) You should also keep in mind that if I didn’t run for Regional Director, the incumbent would have been named with no election held.â€
“5. If you are a progressive, why did you not allow your supporters to support Quinten Mecke in the mayoral election? Afraid he might become a rival?â€
Responding to your assertion would require speculation on my part. Please clarify your meaning of “if you are a progressive†and provide specific examples of how Daly did not allow his “supporters to support†Mecke.
“6. Why have you become a stooge for Peskin? Have you wondered how he became President of BOS and chair of DCCC?â€
First question: Your assertion is an opinion and you are entitled to your opinion.
Second question: Wondering is unnecessary, Peskin received a majority of the votes.
“Luke Thomas and now Hope Johnson must answer if they walked past the picket to attend the Unity lunch.â€
This statement makes two assumptions. One, the sign carriers constituted a “picket.†Labor leaders have not disputed that this was an information line, not voted on by the union. Two, it is unclear why FCJ is required to respond to you. However, there was no line when I entered the lunch. I was a volunteer, helping with set up, and arrived an hour prior to the lunch.
“Do you understand what a picket line is?â€
Yes, and believe you are mischaracterizing the line that day and dishonoring the intention of a sanctioned picket line, much like using a child as a shield.
April 30, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Mr Anderson,
Your spiel is tired and worn, and reaching at best. Local 38 does not represent all working people.
Mazzola and those who stubbornly refused to compromise on a mutually acceptable (yes, qualified) applicant, have noone else to blame but themselves.
April 30, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Hope,
What is your opinion on people who walk past a picket line?
What is your opinion on Luke Thomas walking past the picket line?
What is your opinion on CD and his behavior towards women e.g. his threatening behavior towards Supe Alioto-Pier…or do you just care about women with similar views as you?
April 30, 2009 at 4:11 pm
“…or you may be paid to waste my time. ”
Ah… Hope, the conspiracy isn’t that immense. Also “distraction technigues” is that a euphemism for not agreeing with you?
There are many books out there that deal with these types of things, Seymour Martin Lipsetts, the Politics of Unreason or the Political man, Hoffstadters essay from Harpers and the book by same name, the Paranoid style of American Politics, Longshoreman Eric Hoffer’s book the True Believer.
These books in general dealt with the fringe right, but these days they cross the spectrum as the revealed wisdom of the left matches that of the right.
In many ways sociology has regressed from the 60’s, Hoffstadter and Lipsett would likely be black balled for not being post modern enough or toeing the proper mono-cultural line. For an example of that I would suggest Sokol’s book Fashionable Nonsense.
Lets all stop
Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity
April 30, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Hope: You should stop referring to the appointment to the Golden Gate Bridge District Board as if there are any “qualifications” involved for anyone. All appointees are now and forever either elected officials or political appointees. Mazzola wanted to be appointed to a seat that has traditionally gone to labor; it went to a bike guy. The moral of the story for labor: bikes are more important to SF progressives than working people.
April 30, 2009 at 3:40 pm
My opinion is that comparing unions to the mafia undermines the whole Labor Movement.
April 30, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Dear hopefloats:
My Stay Tuned column is and always has been an opinion column, and is clearly represented by FCJ as such. The writing style is noticeably different from a “report†and FCJ purposefully categorizes it under “opinion.”
You are well aware FCJ prints news that matters and that is why many new anonymous posters such as yourself have recently appeared in the comments section, using common distraction techniques.
This is the main reason I generally do not respond to anonymous posters. You may be truly concerned or you may be paid to waste my time. However, I do thank you for the opportunity to provide explanation.
April 30, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I must say does anyone realize that the construction industry is suffering a 25% unemployment rate? I know of several building trades unions that have endorsed Daly. However, he has turned his back on these workers in their time of need. The split is not imagined it is real. Labor is beginning to abandon Daly and his “progressive” agenda. There is deep internal strife and Labor leaders are feeling the rage of the rank and file as they begin to lose their health care benefits, their houses and their dignity. I do not think people understand what is going on literally thousands of men and women are out of work in the trades. The Bridge issue and the Daly/Peskin version of hoe the Historic Board is going to be implemented are two seperate issues. They do tell Labor though that their needs have been abandoned in the midst of the worst downturn in construction in our lifetimes. These are real people not philosophical positions. I hope the Board of Supes realizes that. Mazzola is not what is happening in this divide between Labor and the Board of Supes, all that is is a simple way to dismiss the needs of the Building Trades.
April 30, 2009 at 2:52 pm
ah… wow… Newsom is hilarious.
“I’m here to start taking on the big problems the Republicans want to ignore,†Newsom said. “I’ve had enough of politicians who say they care about liberty and then fight to take our freedoms away. I’m done with the excuses. I’m over the finger pointing.â€
Wouldn’t Newsom be the same guy who complains about the 2nd amendment and tries to take it away from the citizens of the city of San Francisco? The same mayor a few years ago helped in harassing some pro life marching clowns, you know, from his position as city/government official? The same mayor who wants to dig through peoples trash to make sure they recycle?
The left and right want to use the constitution as toilet paper and Newsom is just standing up to wipe.
We in SF get the worst in government, we had years of right wing nuts in the White House full of selective views on rights and we have these tolerant(tm) progressive/liberal wing nuts running the city.
April 30, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Hope,
At the top of this page is a catch phrase that says “News coverage that matters.” I assume, maybe incorrectly, that the use of that phrase means you hold yourself to some sort of journalistic standards.
I note that Chris Daly is a contributor to this site. I note that you personally have acted on behalf of Peskin.
http://vimeo.com/1401862
I note that Peskin was protested by the Local 38, along with Chris Daly, and I note that your “article” above takes some shots that simply have no place in an “article.” The childish comment strikes me as, well, childish from some one who appears to be in bed with Peskin and Daly. The mafia stuff is great, for the simple minded. The daddy stuff…really? Come on. I think you can probably do better. I hope you can.
And no, this isn’t hallandoates, a mediocre band at best. Just another anonymous reader who thinks that potshots are uncalled for. Give us the facts, let us decide. If you spin it any harder your going to get dizzy. Leave your personal slant on the side of the road, or change that catch phrase to “News coverage kind of”
April 30, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Ms. Johnson,
“unlevel playing field of your anonymity” ?? Ha! I think your blank bio says everything there is to know about you. Empty and devoid.
Anyways, we have noticed that Chris Daly has gone quiet again. He surfaces only to acknowledge praise. Too bad. He still needs to answer the following questions:
1. Regarding the e-mail to Smith at the time of the DCCC chair debate…on reflection would you have sent the e-mail? Honestly, that’s the day my support for Chris Daly ended.
2. Are you happy with the way you distorted a mailer in the Leno/Migden race to give the impression that the Guardian supported Migden? I supported Migden strongly in that campaign but had to turn my nose away from the stench created by that underhanded act you organized. Progressive politics is about PRINCIPLE….you lost yours. Leno supporting Longo was not an accident. As Peskin says, payback’s a bitch.
3. When you stood back in 2000 it was clear that we all know that the developers in the City were not progressive or family friendly. How come you are now courting the support of the Residential Builders Association? Even Frank Jordan walked away from them.
4. In all the elections you participated in why did you think there was no one else who could have done the job? You are paid to be a city supervisor, not paid to take a vacation in Denver.
5. If you are a progressive, why did you not allow your supporters to support Quinten Mecke in the mayoral election? You made a couple of appearances for him, but did not get out the progressive vote for him. Afraid he might become a rival? We think so.
6. Why have you become a stooge for Peskin? Have you wondered how he became President of BOS and chair of DCCC? because he has people to do the dirty work for him e.g. you.
Also, Luke Thomas and now Hope Johnson must answer if they walked past the picket to attend the Unity lunch.
Do you understand what a picket line is? Did you assume a progressive position when you arrived in our City?
Show your citizen journalist bravery and address the issues. Thanks.
April 30, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Dear hallandoates,
Would be interesting to respond to your truthiness, but not on the unlevel playing field of your anonymity.
As such, you are entitled to your opinion of my classiness and I’m entitled to my opinion of your anonymous shield.
April 30, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Is that a tribble on the Lt. Governor’s back?
April 30, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Dearest Hope,
I love that you use the words childish resentment to explain Mazzola showing up in Sacramento to oppose Daly. Isn’t Daly’s childish resentment towards Local 38 what started this whole feud in the first place????
What’s the matter? Your boy Chris doesnt like it when other people use his tactics against him? Why dont you try being just slightly less slanted and alot more professional instead of throwing out racial slurs assuming that all italian americans are somehow involved in the Mafia…
In fact if Fogcityjournal had any scruples whatsoever they would remove a reporter who made comments of this nature immediately.
You stay classy Hope Johnson!!!!
April 30, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Campers,
Adriel Hampton in CA 10 for Congress. On the Steamfitters, they are a very traditional American union sending all their dues payer funds to gambling interests. The Mazzola’s are into Indian casinos and their family oddly enough seems to always own adjoining property.
On the Civic Center Hotel? Really funny situation. These guys are steamfitters, right? That means they do sprinklers. Well, they backed Newsom whose only serious piece of legislation made the Patels and their ilk put sprinklers in all the SRO hotels. That was absolutely, positively guaranteed union wages and jobs for their boys.
Turns out that the only hotel that didn’t do it was the Steamfitters own property … daaaa daaaa! … the Civic Center Hotel. When pushed to the edge and sued by Daly and the City Attorney, it is said (I don’t know this to be true but I believe my source) that the Mazzola’s and their union used scab labor to install the sprinklers at the Civic Center Hotel. If I’m wrong, I’m sure that Larry and his boys will document my error.
h.