Newsom Plays Politics With Question-TimePaul Hogarthbyline‚ Dec. 08‚ 2006San Francisco voters easily approved Proposition I last month, making it official city policy to have the Mayor appear at a monthly Board meeting to answer questions from the Supervisors. Prop I is modeled after “Question Time” in the British Parliament, where Prime Minister Tony Blair (unlike our chief executive in Washington) must appear once a week to answer unscripted questions from the legislative branch. But because Prop I is not a charter amendment, it is not legally binding – only a policy statement that says it is the “will of the voters.” In a vain attempt to pre-empt the Supervisors and begin his 2007 re-election campaign, Mayor Newsom has refused to attend a Board meeting – instead proposing to hold Town Hall forums in each district where he would answer questions from constituents. But Newsom’s plan defeats the entire purpose of Question Time, and the Mayor appears to be transforming Prop I into an excuse to hold re-election events in the neighborhoods. |