Ramp Skirmish a Prelude to Newsom-Supes Budget BattleRandy Shawbyline‚ Mar. 24‚ 2008The recent fight between Mayor Newsom and the Board of Supervisors over funding a $1 million ramp for Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier was less about the civil rights of disabled persons than about political warfare. Consider the timing: Board President Aaron Peskin has not used the inaccessible podium for three years, the city is so short of funds that the mayor is requiring city agencies to make mid-year cuts, and San Francisco has been unable to provide full funding for many critical disability programs like accessible pedestrian signals, which benefit thousands of disabled persons and many more who are not. The ramp fight was a proxy war between Newsom and the Board majority, a conflict that should really burst out in June when the Board considers the mayor’s 2008-09 budget. Unless Mayor-Board relations suddenly improve, expect the upcoming budget battle to be nasty. |