Chris Daly and the Seven Dwarves

by Paul Hogarth, 2006-10-16

“Of the seven dwarves, I am Happy,” exclaimed District 6 candidate Robert Jordan at last Tuesday’s debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Jordan is both right and wrong. This year’s field of candidates in District 6 can truly be called “Chris Daly and the Seven Dwarves.” The seven challengers to Supervisor Daly don’t have much of a chance of winning and are running on a similar anti-progressive platform, but they each have distinct personalities. But with his diminutive stature, stocky build (he’s a former boxer) and advanced age, Robert Jordan is clearly “Doc.” The title for “Happy” instead goes to Matt Drake, who never fails to keep a sunshine smile throughout all the tedious speeches. Rob Black is “Grumpy” because of his sour demeanor and mean-spirited, downtown-funded campaign. George Dias is “Dopey” because he looks a bit dopey. And Davy Jones is definitely “Bashful” because he failed to show up to the last two candidates’ forums. I can’t decide which of the two remaining candidates (Viliam Dugovic and Manuel Jimenez) is “Sleepy” or “Sneezy,” but Dugovic’s speeches did make me feel a bit tired.

Friday’s forum at Hastings Law School featured all candidates except Jones and Dugovic, and allowed for another spirited exchange in what has been a turbulent race. The location at Hastings was noteworthy, given the tenuous history that the school administration has had with the Tenderloin, where Daly has played a prominent role. In June 2002, Hastings attempted to build a 9-story parking garage on a lot that used to have low-income housing. Only after neighborhood activists disrupted the Hastings Board meeting did State Senator John Burton force school administrators to listen to the community – by cutting off their state funding. Daly was arrested at the demonstration, and the infamous photo of him yelling at a police officer to stop twisting his arms has been widely disseminated throughout the District this season.

With three lawyers running against him, Daly reminded the crowd of law students that he’s “not an attorney, but I have been a defendant.” He defended his prior row with Hastings and the act of civil disobedience, explaining that “sometimes when you stand up, that’s what you need to do to get results.” Daly went on to say that he’s willing to take any hit politically for what happened four years ago, and that if he could do it all over again, “I would do it in a heartbeat.”

But Daly was conciliatory in his approach on how Hastings has worked with the community since that momentous protest. He explained that Hastings is now working in partnership with the YMCA to create a new project with less parking, more housing units, and better pedestrian access for Golden Gate Avenue. He publicly thanked and acknowledged Hastings CFO David Seward for attending yesterday’s forum. “Hastings is now working better with the community,” said Daly.

For Rob Black, a Hastings alum, the Candidate’s Forum was more of a homecoming event. “Hastings is one of the great institutions of San Francisco,” he said, as he then proceeded to criticize Daly on quality-of-life issues in the Tenderloin. “The District in this part of town is dirty and dangerous,” he said, “and the City has failed us. We need to put in more security cameras.” While he came out for Daly’s proposal on foot patrols, Black argued that it should be funded by the Mayor’s increase in the police budget – which Daly has opposed in committee. Black also strongly supported the Mid-Market Redevelopment plan.

Of all the candidates, Matt Drake may have the most conservative platform. “We have to agree that Downtown is good,” he said. “Downtown brings jobs. We are Downtown.” He opposed a City income tax because it would drive jobs out of the City, and “we need to make ourselves attractive so that businesses come here.” Drake also opposed increasing the relocation assistance for tenants, as he passionately argued against rent control – arguing instead for a “means test.” When the moderator asked all candidates where they stand on Proposition H, only Black and Drake opposed it (the others all supported it.)

Manuel Jimenez is probably the least conservative of Daly’s opponents, as he argued for more park space in District 6, a more equitable distribution of taxes, and making Golden Gate Avenue a two-way street. But he supported tax incentives for businesses to move to Golden Gate Avenue (how has having Channel 7 in the neighborhood helped us?), and said what the street needed was a real diversity of housing that will attract “young urban professionals.” Jimenez also said that he was motivated to run because his car had been broken into five times.

While the moderator took questions from the audience on index cards, he failed to ask one question for Rob Black that was turned in. This week, Local 38 of the Plumbers Union sent out an independent expenditure to District 6 voters that promoted Black and attacked Daly. While these pieces are legal if separately produced, they are illegal if Black’s campaign coordinated with them. Rob Black’s campaign office is at the Plumbers’ Union Hall, which raises a serious question about how “independent” the expenditure really was.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Prior to joining Beyond Chron, Paul Hogarth endorsed Chris Daly for re-election this year and contributed $100 to his campaign. In June 2002, he was one of the seven activists who got arrested with Chris Daly at Hastings Law School.