Supes Torpedo Newsom Sunshine Veto

Legislation authored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi
intended to expand City Hall sunshine and transparency
survived yesterday when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors
voted 8-3 to override a veto issued by Mayor Gavin Newsom.
Photos by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

May 14, 2008

For the fourth time since his election to Mayor of San Francisco, the Board of Supervisors yesterday shot down Mayor Gavin Newsom’s latest veto of legislation that would expand City Hall transparency and sunshine.

Authored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and co-sponsored by Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Chris Daly, the legislation mandates all City Hall meetings be video or audio recorded and made available on the City’s website.

“Common sense prevailed as it had the three previous times when we delivered a veto override to the mayor,” Mirkarimi told Fog City Journal following the vote. “I’m pleased that my colleagues and I were able to marshal the wisdom to take this course of action.”

Mirkarimi said the legislation would expand video and audio recordings to “sixty commissions, advisory boards and task force” meetings.

“It was something the City should have done years ago,” Mirkarimi observed, “especially as a preventative tool against any litigation or charges that we haven’t been operating with full disclosure.”

Newsom vetoed the legislation May 2 citing budget constraints.

“I support open government and believe the goal is laudable,” Newsom wrote. “However, it is extremely difficult to justify expanding our City Watch Services at this moment when I have directed other departments to make cuts to vital services and reductions in staff.”

The cost of the program includes a one-time new equipment cost of $55,000 and a recurring annual labor/administrative cost of $76,000. According to documents obtained by Fog City Journal, the equipment cost would be funded by a capital grant already negotiated in the City’s Cable Franchise Agreement with Comcast.

Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who initially voted against the legislation citing a need for budget related items to be vetted though the Budget and Finance Committee, cast the eighth and deciding vote required to override a mayoral veto.

Supervisors Michela Alioto-Pier, Carmen Chu and Sean Elsbernd – all Newsom appointees – dissented.

It remains uncertain if Newsom will respect the Board’s vote and spend the monies as required to implement the program’s expansion. According to Mirkarimi, Newsom has the “authority to not include in the budget the monies appropriated” and may, instead, request the Board to  finance the program with “add backs.”

“He [Newsom] has ignored veto overrides before,” Mirkarimi said.

Luke Thomas

Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

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