My girlfriend works for one of the prominent hotels on Nob Hill and, with being Pride Weekend, the place is very busy. A few minutes ago, she called to tell me that the lobby was decorated with balloons and flavored condoms. We had a nice chuckle, but after the phone, I felt like something is wrong with this scene.
Perhaps, because I am not a member of the GLBT community I am missing something, but if I WAS a member, I would be insulted. My understanding of pride was about the freedom to be who you are and enter into the relationship with the person your heart desires, not indulge the stereotype of fucking around. This city was hit hard by AIDS an surely everyone by now knows the consequences of risky activities. Ohhh maybe I’m just being a prude. Have fun everyone, but please be safe.
Is Art Agnos plotting a comeback? According to the San Francisco Examiner, it’s not out of the question.
Politics is such a bruising sport, you have to wonder how many people would jump back into it 16 years after leaving office.
But that’s where former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos finds himself these days, with a chorus of people urging him to go into a battle against a man 30 years younger, if only for the reason that nobody else will.
Wow. My memory of Agnos is limited to the days of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which seemed to have been a sucess. But I also remember that he was faulted for his handling of the homeless issue. Regardless, this could be an exciting match. Stay tuned.
I just found out this afternoon that Elizabeth Edwards is coming to town as the featured speaker at the annual Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club breakfast fundraiser.
Pride Breakfast
Please Join
San Francisco’s Elected Family
And
The Alice Board of Directors
for the
Annual Alice B. Toklas Pride Breakfast
Sunday, June 24
8-10 a.m.
Sir Francis Drake Hotel in Union Square
450 Powell Street, San Francisco
[Availability only through Wednesday!
Click here to buy your ticket now!http://www.alicebtok…]
After Wednesday, email [email protected] to be placed on the waiting list.
I got my ticket tonight right under the wire. Hopefully anyone else who wants to go can get a ticket, join the Club for breakfast, then head down to Market Street with me for the parade!
Not only was Kamala’s timing in charging Ed Jew interesting, but it looks like her investigators knew exactly where to go.
Sources close to the case said Tuesday that evidence collected included interviews with Jew’s neighbors — both on 28th Avenue and in Burlingame, where his family lives — as well as voter registration, Department of Motor Vehicle, utility and other records that would show where Jew had actually resided.
The conclusion was that Jew had owned property on 32nd Avenue in District 4 when he first ran for supervisor unsuccessfully in 2002, but that he had sold it soon afterward. By the following year, he was allegedly creating a paper trail for his subsequent run — among other things, registering to vote at the 28th Avenue address owned by his parents.
Yep, Kamala knew where those breadcrumbs were a long time ago. Everyone did, because Jew left them for everyone to see.
Kamala Harris is not waiting for the FBI file charges related to the truthfulness of his residency in San Francisco.
San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris filed perjury charges and obtained an arrest warrant for Supervisor Ed Jew today, saying the freshman lawmaker lied about his residence when he became a candidate for District 4 supervisor last year.
In a written statement, Harris said Jew lied under oath and falsified documents when he claimed in candidacy papers that he lived in a house owned by his father on 28th Avenue in the city’s Sunset neighborhood. Jew was elected last November and took office in December.
I’m off to the Obama event. Hopefully I’ll hear more details there.
In what I expect to be the first of possibly three Republican retirements in California, Robert Novak is reporting that Jerry Lewis will not seek reelection.
(Cross-posted on Daily Kos)
Republican sources on Capitol Hill and in California say Rep. Jerry Lewis, ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee who has been criticized on ethical grounds, will not seek a 16th term next year.
Lewis came under fire last year for pouring millions of dollars worth of earmarks into his heavily Republican southern California district. He has not apologized and vigorously defended himself behind closed doors in the House Republican Conference.
Before we celebrate I should note that this is a pretty red district and we won’t have an embattled Lewis to run againt, but with California likely to go blue for President next year, perhaps we can score sn upset with a strong candidate. The trick now, is to find the candidate. Any suggestions for that candidate?
Forget about Tapiocagate. Forget about rumors of arson, tax fraud, illegal evictions, and activity surrounding the pot club in one of his buildings. Forget even about questions surrounding his own residency is San Francisco. This alone proves that Supervisor Ed Jew is a liar.
Ed and Lisa are raising their 8 year old daughter in the Sunset District.
Jew claims to live in San Francisco, while his wife and young daughter, a spokeswoman for Jew said, reside at a one-story home in Burlingame. Jew’s neighbors in San Francisco reportedly assert that his home is vacant.
So, which is it Ed? Are you saying that the city you work, hold office and claim to live not good enough for your family? Is it good enough for mine? At the very least Ed, don’t make up stories about your kid.
This is a huge win for Hillary and a major blow to Bill Richarson. CNN is reporting that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will endorse Hillary Clinton for president.
Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton has won the endorsement of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a rising star in national Democratic politics and one of the nation’s top Hispanic elected officials.
Villaraigosa was set to announce his endorsement Wednesday, joining Clinton at a campaign rally at the University of California-Los Angeles, two Democrats familiar with the planned endorsement told The Associated Press.
They spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the official announcement.
Clinton campaign officials have actively sought Villaraigosa’s backing, even enlisting former President Clinton recently to woo Villaraigosa over dinner at a tony New York steak house.
This really comes as no surprise to me that he would do this. He may be a progressive mayor but he likes to ride the winning horse. My prognosis: Richarson has been dealt a severe setback as Villaraigosa will be able to persuade a lot of Latinos to vote for Clinton. And this also sets up what could be a split between Northern and Southern California with Barack Obama, since Hillary is not very popular up here. Even within LA, we could see a similar divide if Obama can motivate African American voters. The problem for Obama is, the bulk of voters are in the south. It should be a fun January!
An Ocean Avenue building owned by the family of embattled Supervisor Ed Jew houses a medicinal marijuana dispensary, as a deadline nears for such facilities to obtain Health Department permits.
The NorCal cannabis club, at 1545 Ocean Ave., operates in a building owned by Howard and Anne Jew, according to city records. An employee at the club Tuesday confirmed that the club deals with Howard Jew, Ed Jew’s father, as a landlord..
The ownership of a building housing a medicinal marijuana club, although legal, could create problems for the Jew family as legislation goes into effect at the end of June requiring permits for the operation of such dispensaries.
Under legislation passed by the Board of Supervisors on Nov. 30, 2005, cannabis clubs in San Francisco have until June 30 to obtain San Francisco Health Department permits.
Medical cannabis dispensary owners have complained that the June 30 deadline is unrealistic because of city permitting delays. On May 16, Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier introduced legislation that would extend the deadline.
It does my heart good to read that one of our own delegation has the cajones to [seek a vote of “No Confidence”http://rawstory.com/…
“It is our belief that Congress and the American people have lost confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and the Congress should formally express no confidence in his continued tenure as the head of the Department of Justice,” wrote Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Artur Davis (D-AL) in a so-called “Dear Colleague” letter to other Members of Congress.
They added, “Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has failed to adequately and properly manage the Department of Justice and faithfully execute the duties of his office, as reflected in his mismanagement of the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys, the conflicting and incomplete testimony before Congress by the Attorney General regarding his actions, and his demonstrated inability to reassure the public that our laws are being enforced in a nonpartisan, judicious manner.”
Nancy Pelosi has not yet committed to it, but let’s do whatever we can to get out folks on board.
