CITY HALL
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San Francisco boasts one of the most beautiful and well-maintained City Halls in the Nation. I often go there when I have a point to make. It does make a difference when you go before the full Board of Supervisors and state to our elected leaders and representatives important issues - follow up with the other Department Heads and get the job done.
The Southeast Sector of the City and County of San Francisco does not get the attention it deserves. We call it the Bayview/Hunters Point. There is the aging Sewer Plant. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has plants that should have been mothballed a long time ago, lots of diesel toxins spewed in the air, very poor air monitoring, and City Hall knows next to nothing. So, some one has to go to bat for the constituents. City Hall has the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch. I deal with both. The Supervisors who deal with the Legislative Branch and the Mayor and his office who think they can handle the Executive Branch and do a poor job. Children are foremost on my agenda - so they get all the help they need. Some times one goes to City Hall to testify and explain to the Legislative Branch, cronies of the Mayor who do not do their job. One has to take a stand and this is very difficult. It is a good feeling when the Legislative Branch listens and something positive is achieved. Like one rotten apple taken out of the barrel and then one says to oneself "some more to go". Many of the City Department Heads have been there for years. Many of them have a lot of experience. I often meet with them and share with them my experience and they often agree to work as a team so that we can make good stuff happen. Our City is great and as you know it is called San Francisco. Often times I remind the City Officials in jest that: "this City was named after me". This joke kind of sticks in their mind - for one thing they never forget my name. Next time I meet them - they say "you are Francisco they named the City after you". Our City has the Sunshine Ordinance, which grants us all to attend Public Meetings and express our concerns. This is critical especially when our City faces a Budget Crisis and many youth, health, safety programs and others have to be cut. One can attend the critical meetings and take it from there. We have 11 districts in our City. Each district has a Supervisor. I know them all and often it is great to hear the Supervisor support you on a common issue. Recently, we introduced a resolution in City Hall support the Muwekma Ohlone and their struggle to be put on the Federal Register. The entire Supervisor said "right on"and offered to do their best to support the Muwekma Tribe. This resolution will be introduce July 1, 2002. I will be there at City Hall to offer my comments on this issue and some others. As one stands before the Full Board of Supervisors when they are all there - one is given 3 minutes to express oneself. I often use 2 minutes and make my point. At other times one appears before other Boards - where you may have 3 or 4 Supervisor - these Boards are kind of fun too. Many youth in our great City march often to City Hall to make a point and this is good. We have some great activists one of them is Espanola Jackson she often accompanies me to City Hall to make a point. We go to bat together and often win. I am very proud of San Francisco and of our great City Hall. |
