SEIU Protest and Budget Update - Updated!

Constant Readers,

I was at City Hall yesterday to watch the Muni Crime hearing, and stuck around for some others. At 5 p.m., I moseyed out to see the SEIU budget protest.

Carlos Rivera, (adorable) media dude for the SEIU and I chatted as I soaked up the excitement in the air. Rivera said there were 1000 people in attendance - I actually figured it at 500 - but an impressive showing nonetheless. 

After a few fiery speeches by Campos, Daly and Avalos, the purple clad mass, armed with kazoos (really!) and SEIU signs lined up behind a truck, on whose flatbed a man with a bullhorn stood.

The purple people leader chanted, "They say go away, we say no way!" "Go away" (Crowd: "No way!") "Go away!" ("No way!").

"Get up, stand up," played loudly from the truck. Then "We are Family." The mood was upbeat and festive. Movie file here: Download SEIU march Nov 23.

I turned to Rivera, "You realize Sophie Maxwell is not going to change her vote, right?"

"We are hopeful she'll change her mind," he smiled.

Uh-huh. "And even if she does, the mayor is not going to spend the money," I added.

"You never know," he said.

Yeah, I do. It was a good show, but a futile one. 

UPDATE: At the Board meeting, Campos proposed that we change the $8 million to save the jobs to almost $2 million to buy 2 extra months while we...I dunno...pray...push coal together real hard in the hopes that a diamond will appear... check the cookie jar one more time...

Elsbernd pointed out that everyone in the room knows Mistermayor won't spend that  $2 million and said it's not right to give false hope to folks about to lose their jobs. 

Nevertheless, Maxwell agreed to the temporary measure so it got 8 votes, with Elsbernd, Chu and Alioto-Pier voting against.

UPDATE AGAIN: The fine folks over at SFWeekly got confirmation from Mayoral spokesman Joe Arellano that the Mayor will not authorize the $2 million expenditure. 

-Melissa

Comments

[gdewar]

I think SEIU would have a better time selling their story to a recession-weary public that does not get benefits or pensions if they would perhaps point out where exactly they expect this money to come from, perhaps from cutting expensive top managers who make 100k/year and don't do anything. But I suppose that would mean doing some homework.

BTW, bonus points for actually attending the meeting. I watched it at home, I couldn't bring myself to actually show up because I know I'd have end up testifying, and those of us with a face for radio shouldn't be on SFGOV TV!

[kwk]

Figure most of these SEIU protesters aren't SF residents/taxpayers, they come from down the BART trail, Daly City, San Bruno, Oakland, Fremont, etc, but they can be counted on to campaign for Avalos, Campos, Chris Daly, etc, when elections roll around because they know they'll be on the receiving end of even bigger salaries and benefits, etc, courtesy of the SF taxpayers.

And if, as Campos, Daly, Avalos, etc, claim the layoffs and demotions affect women and people of color the the hiring and promotions were preferentially given to women and people of color.