Bored of Supervisors - 4/15/08

Constant Readers,

Today's Board of Supervisor's meeting is over and here's what happened:

1. This Plan Seems Kinda Mean

The Board considered two resolutions decrying, urging, and generally finger-wagging at the California Department of Food and Agriculture for its plans to spray the City of San Francisco in August with pheromones designed to control the Light Brown Apple Moth. (The plan is to confuse the moths with pheromones so they can't find a mate and die out. Dang.) One was spearheaded by Supervisor Mirkarimi and one was put forth by Supervisor Dufty in conjunction with Mistermayor's office. Both passed unanimously. That's TWO nonbinding resolutions - oh snap!!

2. Speaking Of Things That Are Kinda Mean...

First, Supervisor Alioto-Pier wisely packed the hall with Teamsters and members of Local 16 who loudly supported her ordinance to incentivize movie production in the City through bigger tax rebates. The ordinance passed 6-4 (Supervisors McGoldrick, Peskin, Sandoval and Daly voted "no"). Supervisor Ammiano recused himself on account of the fact that he is a movie star - and recently had a role in the movie "Milk". He thanked the Academy. I shit you not.

Second, Supervisor Alioto-Pier also had a number of people from the Bayview come out who, during public comment, supported her resolution calling for a new study on the building of two peaker plants in the Bayview. (A peaker plant is a power plant that runs only when there is a high demand, known as "peak demand", for electricity.) The construction of two combustion turbine peaker plants is part of a plan approved by the Board in 2004. Since that time the Board has also approved the plan for the Transbay Cable - which would provide the City with 400 megawatts of power. Alioto-Pier's resolution calls for a re-examination of whether and to what extent the peaker plants are needed now that we have additional energy alternatives like the Transbay Cable project on the way.

But, not so fast! Supervisor Maxwell (whose district includes the Bayview) rilly rilly rilly wants the construction of the peaker plants to go forward and made a motion to have Alioto-Pier's resolution sent to a committee (so it would not be voted on today - which will give Maxwell time to introduce a competing measure). It only takes one Supe to get an item sent to committee so off it went...

RIGHT after she had Alioto-Pier's resolution sent to committee, she did something pointedly and hilariously bitchy:

She called for a re-vote on Alioto-Pier's movie production ordinance. (Mind you, it's like, 45 minutes after the first vote and all the union folks are gone.) Only this time, Maxwell and Mirkarimi voted against the ordinance, so it ultimately failed by a vote of 4-6.

Pass the popcorn, y'all, 'cause I love parliamentary drama!!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

"I felt it was rather flippant and condescending."

-Supervisor Mirkarimi describing this article in today's SF Chronicle about the spraying for Light Brown Apple Moths. (snicker) Really, Ross?

--Melissa 

Comments

[Greg]

Ms Pier has been talking and talking about this lovely sounding ordinance of hers for years. Too bad it will do nothing to actually BRING GOOD PAYING PRODUCTION to SF. But it does make people feel good, and say things that make folks happy - which seems to be a guiding principle of politics in SF today.

I have blogged incessantly about this since it's of interest to me (I love seeing Our City on TV or at the movies) and I've worked as a film producer and worked with SAG where I learned more. I actually tried to suggest several times some easy to implement non-pricey ideas to Ms. Pier's office over the years but her staffers ignored all my emails. So I snark on blogs instead:

http://www.gregdewar.com/2007/06/la_is_in_like_with_sf_on_tv_we.html

[isabelle]

Re: LBAM aerial spraying

Up for vote in the Agriculture Committee of the CA assembly are 4 bills and one resolution addressing the many problems with this ill-begotten plan to spray whole cities for a moth that does not seem to cause any harm (ask your famer on farmer's market -even the CA Dept. of Food and Ag admits there has been no crop damage).
One of the bills would actually give us a VOTE on the issue. Needless to say the AG committee serves big AG and will vote these bills down -unless we create massive public pressure tomorrow!

Come to the big show-down in Sacramento:

Wednesday, April 16

10:00 AM take the bus FOR FREE from the Ferry Building (1 Ferry Building on the Embarcadero) in San Francisco
12:30 PM press conference on the West steps of Capitol with Bay Area legislators
1:30 PM Hearing Assembly Ag Committee, Room 4202, Capitol

FREE BUS RIDE< SNACKS & LUNCH

more info http://www.stopthespray.org

[Fredo]

Any sense of what Alioto-Pier is doing with the peaker plants? Is the Supervisor from the Marina supposed to, by definition, not give a damn about what happens in the Bayview? What's the real play about?

[Sweet Melissa]

Fredo - All I can tell you is that, when this was discussed before at the board, Mirkarimi accused Alioto-Pier of acting in the interests of PG&E. I am not entirely sure what he meant by that, though. Nor do I know if it's true.

[Joshua Arce]

The peaker power plants project is opposed by the Sierra Club, the San Francisco Green Party, San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association, our organization Brightline Defense Project, and most groups and individuals who have taken the time to become well-versed on the proposal simply because we oppose the construction of unnecessary new fossil fuel-burning power plants, especially in environmental justice communities.

The plan to build these power plants might have made some sense in 2004 when the plan was drafted, but in 2008 the state is telling us that some or all of the power plants are unnecessary to close the old Mirant Potrero Power Plant.

The rush is on for one or two Supervisors to bulldoze the $223 million power plant contract through to approval before their dazed colleagues can comprehend that they are on the brink of committing a colossal environmental injustice.

[Michael Medema]

This blog just makes me want to wet myself I laugh so hard and Miss Melissa is far and above one of my absolute favorite people - EVER!!!! Now I want my picture in here with one of my witty quotes. God knows I must give you some good ones!!!