Candidate Promises, Citizen Mayor Delivers?

In his 1991 campaign, Jordan accused then-Mayor Art Agnos of an "Anything Goes" philosophy, stating in one speech that "[r]ather than enforcing the law, Art Agnos has forced police officers to look the other way."

As mayor, Jordan called in the police -- on his political opponents. He asked the district attorney to investigate one of his own former aides, and he asked the city attorney to investigate Supervisors Carole Migden, Susan Leal, and Angela Alioto (with possible sanctions of being barred from office for life) because they disagreed with his nominee for Health Department director.

But when it came to Jordan's friends and political allies, the police chief mayor adopted an "Anything Goes" philosophy. In 1993, he asked a Superior Court judge to give a lenient sentence to porn king Jim Mitchell after Mitchell murdered his own brother, saying that now Mitchell's brother's children were orphans and needed a custodial parent. Jordan refused to criticize Fire Chief Joseph Medina when Medina crashed his official car after having consumed (by his own admission) two margaritas. Jordan also claimed to be insulted when it was suggested that a fire commissioner with three drunk-driving convictions shouldn't be serving; later, that same commissioner, Larry Griffin, was charged in a hit-and-run. (Jordan expressed sympathy for his pal while saying nothing about the woman and her daughter who were actual victims.) Most recently, Jordan has refused to act against a housing commissioner who took a homeowner's tax exemption in Alameda County, claiming it as his primary residence, while also registering to vote in San Francisco. Fraudulent voter registration is a felony. Last week, Jordan refused to comment on his own press secretary, Noah Griffin, who also claimed a homeowner's tax exemption elsewhere while registering to vote here -- even though Griffin later admitted he made a mistake.

Next week: Jordan on Muni.