Sup. David Campos plans to put measure on ballot

by Brian Leubitz

Sometimes there are some legislative ideas that just make sense. SF Supervisor David Campos hit upon one such idea when he suggested renaming San Francisco’s International airport “Harvey Milk San Francisco International Airport.”

Now, the idea is not without its detractors. In an editorial against the change, the SF Chronicle actually gives a fairly reasonable argument against.

“San Francisco” is a name with meaning and magic. It stands alone as a place of natural and architectural beauty that attracts and accepts people of uncommon imagination and unconventional lives, like Harvey Milk, in pursuit of dreams that can take flight only here.

It should stand alone, simply and proudly, on the name of San Francisco International Airport. (SF Chronicle)

As a San Franciscan for nearly ten years, I don’t necessarily disagree with the sentiment. Just the name San Francisco has some outstanding connotations as a place of freedom. Heck, we’ve been a bastion of progressiveness (in both good and obnoxious forms) for over a century.

And I get their point elsewhere in the editorial that Milk wasn’t involved in the construction of the airport. But, as we’ve seen with John Wayne in Orange County and others, that hardly seems important. But while the Chronicle dismisses that point, I think it is actually more important. They argue that Milk has received plenty of attention. And perhaps that is true, but the airport has a greater level of acclaim. It is more noticeable in random lives. Or, as Sup. Campos said:

“There are already a number of things honoring Harvey Milk, including schools, but nothing of this national and international scale,” said Campos, who is gay. “It’s time to send a message that members of the LGBT community are treated with dignity and respect. … In places all over the world, including Europe and Asia, people of all walks of life look up to Harvey Milk.”(SF Chronicle)

Now, there will be haters. Jon Fleischman of the FlashReport has dubbed him the “FlashReport Idiot of the Week.” Honestly, if I were Campos, I would consider that a pretty big honor. Apparently Fleischman doesn’t like that it “takes up time” or some such nonsense. He throws out some nonsense about waste of money as well, but the fairly minimal expense should be pretty easy to cover through private contributions.

Interestingly, I don’t recall Fleischman calling out Sen. Mark Wyland (R-San Diego) or Asm. Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad) for the rather similar concept of renaming the Coronado bridge the “Ronald Reagan Coronado Bridge” back in 2011. Wonder why that is?