Randy Shaw: A Flip-Flopping Hypocrite?

BeyondChron.org Publisher Randy Shaw. Photo by Luke Thomas.

(Uses City-funded BeyondChron.org to attack Public Defender Jeff Adachi)

By h. Brown

July 19, 2011

It’s always nice to see deadly enemies finding a common ground for cooperation in advancing toward a mutual goal. Unless that objective is to spread lies and half-truths. Which is what Shaw’s BeyondChron online publication and Tim Redmond’s Bay Guardian have been doing in their anti-Pension Reform attacks on Jeff Adachi for the last year. Let me summarize this as best I can.

The Guardian was founded in 1966. In 1976, publisher Bruce Brugmann crushed a union organizing effort by the International Typesetters Union and the Newspaper Guild. It took an 8-month strike that sometimes turned violent but the Guardian was able to divest themselves of the added, but fair, expense of dealing with a union.

Then, of course, they became rabidly pro-union. But, only on paper. Bay Guardian City Editor Steven T. Jones told me that he was very much in favor of there being a union at the Guardian but that only around 4 people would be eligible to join.

Naturally, that’s total bullshit. When I asked him about the 150 names under their weekly masthead and the drivers who deliver the rag, he fell silent. The Guardian is all about you having a union, not them having one.

A view from libcom.org:

“After six months of table-pounding negotiations, the Union reduced its demand to 25 cents per hour across-the-board. Employees also wanted one week notice of termination, an agreed grievance procedure, limited sick pay, and pay for overtime. But the BG refused these demands, and in June of ’76, 21 employees, both full-time and part time walked out. The bitter strike–marked by vandalism and sabotage–dragged on for eight months. Recently, Bruce Brugmann has described this struggle as an attempt by ‘the unions from the local newspaper monopoly…to impose their standard contract on a struggling, competitive, independent small business ‘* (Bill Mandel’s column, SF Examiner, Oct. 29, 1986). The concerns of the workers thus disappear, they become non-entities. Funny how he was no less opposed, in 1982 to District 65, which has no contracts at the “monopoly” dailies.”

Shaw and his BeyondChron are even worse. Here’s a YouTube video (2 ½ minutes) of a demonstration at his City-funded Tenderloin Housing Clinic (outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom blessed Randy with an $82 million, 4-year contract on his way out – THC’s contracts had been for 1 year only to that point).

Here’s a nice shot of an SEIU 1021 demonstration inside Shaw’s offices at THC. Note the front and center appearance of D6 supe candidate, Debra Walker. Following this demonstration, Shaw recruited and campaigned heavily (often illegally – sponsoring forums that shut out other candidates for instance) … Shaw put THC’s resources behind Walker opponent, Jane Kim (hooked her up with Willie Brown and Rose Pak) …

And, you want to see flip-flop? Read this comparison between what Shaw wrote last year about Adachi and what he wrote yesterday:

What Shaw said on July 18, 2011:

“It is hard to understand why Jeff Adachi has gone out of his way to alienate virtually every major city constituency over an issue that has nothing to do with his life work in the criminal justice system.”

“But since 2010, Adachi has focused on a new quest: eroding benefits for the city’s public employees.”

“It takes courage to fight for the rights of those arrested for drug dealing, rape or murder. But fighting for unpopular causes takes no particular strength when you are serving big moneyed or right wing interests.”

Here’s what Shaw wrote on July 7, 2010:

“Having spoken with Adachi, I know he is driven by his deep concern that, absent immediate action, San Francisco’s fiscal crisis will soon get much worse. He has no desire to encourage a nationwide stampede of extreme anti-public employee measures, with proponents arguing that “if they went for it in San Francisco, it’s obviously needed here.”’

“Many progressives, particularly those employed by city-funded nonprofits, are troubled by the steadily widening gap between city employee compensation – particularly in the police and fire departments – and that available to non-city employees. For example, city contracts with nonprofits offer no pension contributions for employees, so nonprofit employees would be thrilled if the city began paying 90-91%of their pension costs.”

“But some progressives will support a measure that promises more funding for social programs and nonprofits, even though the initiative includes no specific earmarks.”

“Labor’s campaign will correctly argue that Adachi should have exempted lower-wage city employees, that his measure does nothing to address often ridiculously high salaries for city manager, and that blaming city employees for budget priorities their unions opposed is unfair.” (This is now exactly what Adachi’s measure does, while the mayor’s measure treats workers who earn $100K the same as those who earn $50K!)

Bottom line here is that the Guardian and Beyond Chron gave us faux-Progressives David Chiu and Jane Kim who in turn gave us Ed Lee as Mayor. Now Shaw is busy kissing Lee’s butt as he has kissed every mayoral butt for the last couple of decades. It’s good for his business.

And, the Guardian stumbles merrily on their way praising anti-tenant candidate Leland Yee and running a handsome cover of David Chiu begging him to come home.

Adachi for Mayor!

Unless Buster Posey runs.

Editor’s Note: Views expressed by columnists published on FogCityJournal.com are not necessarily the views or beliefs of Fog City Journal. FCJ supports free speech in all its varied forms and provides a forum for a complete spectrum of viewpoints.

Harold Brown

h. brown is a 62 year-old keeper of sfbulldog.com, an eclectic site featuring a half dozen City Hall denizens. h is a former sailor, firefighter, teacher, nightclub owner, and a hard-living satirical muckraker. His other FCJ articles can be found here. here.

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