Disaster Plans

Face it -- Props K and L both stink as ways to manage growth. But we have another option.

A A A Comments By John Mecklin Wednesday, Nov 1 2000

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There is one major reason that the professionals in the city's Planning Department have not been able to exercise proper judgment in regard to the boom-time development of San Francisco. The reason has a name. It is Willie Brown. Short of a recall, there is nothing anyone can do about Brown's addiction to dealing for dealing's sake, his contempt for the basics of municipal planning, or his lack of regard for the special place known as San Francisco. But voters do have a chance to rein in his thoughtlessness, re-establish some sort of check on insane office building locations, and push for real balance between commercial and residential needs. They can strip the mayor of his toady-filled majority on the Board of Supervisors. I've already given you the names of some Willie Brown incumbents who desperately need to be sent sailing into the political sunset; here they are again: Michael Yaki. Mabel Teng. Alicia Becerril. Amos Brown. But don't forget all those aspiring toadies, the first-time supervisorial candidates who've accepted piles of soft money from Willie's machine, and are therefore compromised beyond consideration. Come Tuesday, they'll be needing a boat to the Farallons, too.