Proposition J: Eh, Why Not?

Constant Readers, I am not devoting much to the two policy statements because they are, well, policy statements. Officially, the only effect of a policy statement is found at Section 2.113 of the Charter which states: "Upon approval by the voters, the Board of Supervisors shall within 90 days of such approval take such actions within their powers as shall be necessary to carry such declarations of policy into effect."

Prop J - The "Declaration of policy supporting a wireless broadband network that provides free high-speed internet access for all San Franciscans and protects user privacy." Catchy, huh?

Now, the fact that this Mayor wiped his ass with a policy statement passed last year and is proposing is own policy statement this year is a hypocrisy not lost on me. And that's why I'll vote for it. I want to see the Mayor, voting results in hand, indignantly declaring that pursuing a WiFi agreement with a private company is the will of the people who voted for this policy! Preferably at one of his town hall meetings. LOL!

I'll also vote for it because, as much as it amuses me to watch Supervisors of a certain age declare that "Fiber is the Future," the truth is that by the time a municipal fiber-optic network is put into place, we'll all be surfing the 'net through chips in our corneas. In the meantime, if some company wants to come in and provide free WiFi by attaching boxes to lightposts that know I am checking out the lies my exes are telling on Match.com, so be it. The need for internet access in parts of the City like the Bayview is too great to wait, and with a Board busily debating Blue Angel flyovers and their own code of conduct, I'd just as soon the professionals handle the business of actually bringing us WiFi.

So vote for it. Or don't. The best part is that it doesn't really matter!

--Melissa

Comments

[R.S]

now that the election is over, and I've vented my spleen, I feel sort of drained. now, gear up for the next one, I suppose. this comment doesn'have anything to do with anything. it's a reflexive response. r.s.

--No worries, Robert. Feel free to write whatever you like here. I feel pretty drained, too. Researching and churning out these posts was exhausting! (I don't know how you do it.) I'm kinda glad no propositions will be on the Feb ballot. -Melissa

[BrianLeubitz]

Well, it looks like J passed, but seriously, I wish we could just get rid of these ridiculous policy statements, or at least substantially reduce them. They just waste the time of voters and the elections department for a very ephemeral political gain.

--Brian, I couldn't agree more. I, too, am sick of being pulled into petty personal political problems via policy statements. -Melissa

[R.S]

Melissa, I'm not really inexhaustically prolific. I have a ghost writer in Cyclopic, AZ. r.s.

[(NotSFist)Jeremy]

Wow, you've been busy. I was off running around passing out the League of Pissed Off Voters' voter guide while you were doing all this research, but I just wanted to posthumously say great, great work. You're practically a one woman SPUR! And what do you know, looks like we (the Pissed Off Voters and you) agree more than we disagree. And yeah, what a relief that there are no measures on the February ballot.

--Thank you so much! You guys over at the LOPOV do great - and increasingly important work. You should see me trying to explain to my mom in Alabama why being called a "one woman SPUR" is an amazing compliment! - Melissa