The Dawning of a New Era

Commentary by Patrick Goggin

February 2, 2009

Two weeks on since the US and the world let out a long, pent up sigh after former President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were finally wheeled off stage, the nation distracted itself yesterday with the Super Bowl. Make no mistake though, our attention will quickly return to the steepening economic crisis and the developing state water crisis resulting from three years of drought.

In Washington, as President Barack Obama glows in stratospheric mid-70s favorability ratings, the intensifying and fierce Bush-era storms he inherits do not provide him the luxury of taking stock. Instead, he must take action – and he is. That first day when we awoke feeling a profound weight lifted from our collective shoulders, Obama immediately moved to shutter Guantanamo, re-define torture, institute new government transparency rules, and suspend pending Bush regulation changes. With each Executive signing, Obama literally began writing the Bush-era legacy into the history books.

Last week, the House took the first critical step in advancing Obama’s $819 billion economic stimulus package by passing it on to the Senate. Yet while the legislation, seen by many experts as critical to jump-starting the economy, is one step closer to becoming law, it is not entirely clear where all the money will go. There is grave concern that not enough of the  funds, as previously indicated, will go to infrastructure spending and green technology investment, both greatly needed to put sufficient numbers of folks back to work and to attack climate change head on. And, no, nuclear energy is not the answer.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, our own new political phenom, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, has been on the job for just three weeks yet it is clear a new era, too, has dawned at the Board. Chiu has eschewed former President Aaron Peskin’s confrontational style replacing it instead with a consensus driven and solution-oriented approach. Indeed, like Obama, the urgency of the City’s daunting $576 million budget deficit Chiu inherits requires him to remain focused on the task at hand, not his remarkable achievement, to adroitly address the crisis.

Unfortunately, Mayor Gavin Newsom, in this his sixth year in office, has not gotten this all-important message. Just as the new Board goes to work on tackling the City’s historic budget crunch, our globetrotting mayor is clearly fixated on his run for governor rather than the City’s budget crisis. Word to the Mayor: as the gubernatorial campaign heats up, state voters will want to know what you did to lead the City in confronting the crisis.  Your frequent flier account may be impressive, but your accomplishments and focus thus far are not.

Chiu on the other hand is engaged and leading by example. Last week, after Board of Supervisors Clerk Angela Calvillo indicated she would work free for 12 days and forego a 5 percent raise next fiscal year, Chiu, Supervisor John Avalos, and their staffs quickly followed suit. While this is only one small step by Chiu, it is indicative of things to come. Yes, like Obama, Chiu deserves our confidence because up until now he has done more than enough to show even-keeled leadership. Within the City, however, lie many political fault lines. President Chiu, mind your step, keep your cool, and continue displaying strong leadership and you too can earn your City’s approval like President Obama has thus far won the Nation’s.

Board of Supervisors President David Chiu
and Clerk of the Board Angela Calvillo.

FCJ Editor

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