The Crisis Over Whether We Are In A Crisis...

Constant Readers,

Yesterday there were several stories about this statement made by Mistermayor to someone on the editorial staff over at the Chronicle:

"We're not in a crisis, but we're acting as if we are," Mayor Gavin Newsom said in a phone interview over the weekend. "We're paying our bills, there's no threat of IOUs."

And Supervisor John Avalos was all: crisis is now an understatement. We are officially looking at a "catastrophe."

And I'm all: wait a damn minute...let's get back that we-ain't-got-no-crisis bit...'cause I was watching his December 9 speech at the Board of Supervisors and I seem to remember something like...

For those of you who are counting, that's FIVE uses of the word "crisis." Which is that thing we're not in anymore.  (Ahem.)

So, what do y'all think caused Mistermayor's apparent decrease in the threat level from red to yellow? Some possible answers (feel free to add your own!):

1.  DiFi and Pelosi have arranged for a tanker full of bailout money to spill in our Bay. Shhh...seriously.  Everyone act surprised. And bring your fishing nets. 

2.  That pesky freshman Supervisor David Chiu is making the Mayor look bad by both   (1) being physically in San Francisco for long stretches at a time, and (2) treating the budget situation with urgency. So, here's the plan: remove the urgency.

3. The application of the word "crisis" to the colossal mess in Sacramento has changed the definition of "crisis" forever. Before, it just meant: "wait until Friday to cash that check." Now, it's like: "In exchange for your hard work, Ima give you a thank you card on a used napkin. You can't buy food with it, but it's from the heart."  So, yeah. If you look at it like that, we're not in a crisis. Yet.

4. Now that we have Mistermayor's financial rescue package, which will cost the City at least $30 million dollars, that projected $570 million dollar deficit for FY 2009-2010 will disappear.

And to think I was worried there for a minute...

--Melissa

Comments

[gdewar]

Thank GOD for Gavin Newsom. He provides an endless supply of blog subject matter. We'll miss him when he leaves office.