DOLED OUT COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS (11/19/10)

At the Land Use on Thursday, November 18, 2010 to begin with there were only two Board of Supervisors in attendance, David Campos and Michela Alioto-Pier, Eric Mar the third Supervisor on the Land Use Committee was excused because he was sick. At this meeting three Commissioners were to be confirmed one to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission, one to the SF Planning Commission and one to the SF Port Authority. There was also the confirmation of the City Administrator Edwin Lee who was an easy shoo in. Agnes Briones Ubaide is known to me from the early years when she worked for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice and then as the Director of SF Small Business. The Mayor has appointed Agnes to the SF Redevelopment Agency when she has no experience what so ever comprehending the Housing Element, the Final Historical Radiological Assessment Report to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, less evaluating the many Environmental Impact Reports and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), transportation documents, and so on. Rick Swig the SF Redevelopment Agency Chair came to bat for Agnes Briones Ubaide and made a fool of himself. Other Filipino supporters were glad that the Mayor had appointed a Filipino to the SF Redevelopment Agency but not one of them spoke how qualified she was for the job when it comes to evaluating some of the many factors that I have mentioned above. Mayor Gavin Newsom could have appointed some one from the Bayview Hunters Point but has not. Large areas over 1800 acres are planned to be developed and we have folks that are NOT from the Bayview making decisions. Agnes knows less about flooding, liquefaction, AB32 and a host of other relevant and pertinent laws and elements that someone in her capacity must first understand and then use as part of any adjudication when such matters come before her. The SF Redevelopment Agency is a quasi-State agency that is corrupt, favors Rogue Developers like Lennar and has NOT been audited in a long, log time. The SFR Agency continues to foster ineptness and corruption of the highest order. This is one more example before Mayor Gavin Newsom leaves office, hastily making appointments - good riddance of very bad rubbish. Rodney Fong was just appointed to the SF Port Commission in June, 2010 and now the Mayor has chosen to appoint him to the SF Planning Department that is ripe with corruption and plagued with the firing of a number of Senior Planners, including the Land Use Czar Larry Badiner. Larry, was fired for sending pornographic materials while at work which speaks volumes about standards, work ethics, and simple decency and more. Rodney Fong could do well if he remained at the SF Port but Gavin Newsom wants him at the SF Planning to help push for the America's Cup if San Francisco is chosen and I feel, that is a long short and one that must be decided after a through Environmental Impact Report is vetted. Rodney Fong is not a bad person, he is fairly decent, and though he has greeted me and spoken to me - I cannot judge his character as the others because I really do not know him. Also, I have had no reason to investigate him using proven methods as I do those that are dubious in nature, because once you have the facts there is little that one cannot disclose - fairly. At the Land Use Meeting both Agnes Briones Ubalde and Rodney Fong were hastily recommended and sent before the Full SF Board of Supervisors for approval and appointment. David Campos the Chair is progressive but fails again and again to notice the ploys and machinations, of certain group that are not for the people. At the start of the meeting he did not pay attention to the caption as projected on the television screen that people at home pay attention to. I had to remind him that the caption was completely wrong and once he noticed it, admitted it to the public at large and had the situation ratified. Edwin Lee has been the City Administrator for some time now and he is well respected. In 1995 Willie L. Brown Jr. through a Charter Amendment clipped the wings of the City Administrator, something David and Michela were not aware off. Jim Lazarus who is one of Gavin Newsom's cronies spoke about how he was instrumental in the formation of that dubious Charter Amendment that has serious repercussions because there is no real buffer as before when the City Administrator had clout. Today, the City Administrator works at the will of the Mayor and that is a crying, shame. Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. for those that have very short memories, not long after, ordered William Lee better know as Bill Lee the former City Administrator to be on the Planning Commission when there was some debacle that lasted months. Bill Lee served both on the SF Planning Commission and was City Administrator. This could not have happened before the City Charter was changed linked to the City Administrator. Francis X. Crowley is well known in the Labor circles and has been an excellent Commissioner on the SF Public Utilities Commission. Mr. Crowley experiences negotiating with the various projects, city wide and beyond, and on difficult Labor Project Agreements amongst them has given him some unique insights. At the SF Public Utilities Commission his loss will be deeply felt. At the SF Port Authority Commission where he will be appointed, subjectively speaking I do not think he will have much to offer. Mayor Gavin Newsom continues to use corruption, nepotism, ineptness, and blatant defiance to appoint folks that he wants to use like a dirty rag. This has back fired before and it will back fire in the course of time and that is shortly. Prior to these appointments Gavin Newsom, appointed one Commissioner from the SF Redevelop Agency go the Fire Commission and he had another Commissioner from the SF Port Authority also go the Fire Commission. Gavin Newsom messed up the Treasure Island Development Authority Board making hasty appointments and forgetting to appoint a resident from Treasure Island in the bargain. This matter was raised by Chris Daly and others - but the matter has fallen on deaf ears. The so called Progressives bark a lot but when it comes to decisive action - they fall short. Incompetent members were appointed to the detriment of Treasure Island its sound development and operations. Behind the scene we have the San Francisco County Democratic Committee which is disgraceful and has again and again proved to be corrupt and impotent. You still have folks like Jim Lazarus who worked for Diane Feinstein trying to influence and make deals behind close doors. His wife is a Port Commissioner. Why would the Chairs of the SF Redevelopment and SF Planning Commission, Rick Swig and Ron Miguel come to the Land Use Meeting, to vouch for candidates that have NOT be vetted, less chosen with discernment and without having the necessary qualifications? Time will tell. This City has gone down the drain and during Gavin Newsom's administration into the cesspool of Gavin's creation. We, in this City and County of San Francisco have many astute candidates. However, Gavin Newsom will stay away from them because these candidates have morals, are decent, and cannot be bought and used like a dirty rag. Recently, Commissions and Commissioners have had sitting Commissioners who will pass anything because decisions have been made behind close doors. We saw this with Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. We saw this with Treasure Island. The Democratic Party has tentacles and corrupt influences that have adversely impacted San Francisco. San Franciscans stand for decency and fairness. Most folks do not want to speak up and too many are just plain fed up with the dirty politics and corruption. At one time we thought the so called Progressives would step up and get rid of the Willie L. Brown Jr. dirty politics; guess what it is all over the place, deeply rooted like fungi sucking at the very fabric of fair play with corruption showing its ugly head all over the place.

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