John Rizo is the Green on the City
College Board. He likes being elected, and is proud of the work he is
doing to enhance the energy efficiency of the college, and also to
train students to do the same thing to the surrounding community.
Ross is all smiles, but he has an infant at home and claims he hasn't
slept since she was born.
Hope is a blogger with the Fog City Journal, and was introduced as
somebody with "the smartest political mind in San Francisco" according
to some authority whose name escapes me. Anyhow, she was smartly
dressed and more of a listener than a speaker. I'm going to be looking
for the byline Hope Johnson when browsing the press in San Francisco,
just to find out more.
Mark Sanchez didn't stay that long.
Somebody told me later that he has become a Principal at a high school
where he used to teach, and is doing well at the job.
EriKa and John Mark's kid is walking
now. Erika finds life "crazy hectic" but seems to be handling it well.
I didn't get much of a chance to talk
to Joan before the speaking section of the meeting started.
The guy in the blue shirt is on the County Council in SF. He explained
that they are proud of the growth in their Green Party's incumbents,
and today's event was to celebrate that. Then he turned the stage over
to Ross Mirkarimi.
Ross said that Mark Leno had given his nomination to the Coastal
Comission a big boost. He talked about being on pins and needles during
the interview process waiting for someone to ask about the Green Party
connection, but nobody said a word. Then when they introduced him as
commissioner they said "Green Party Member Ross Mirkarimi". Then he
explained that the Coastal Comission has twelve members, four
appointed by the Senate, four by the Assembly, and four by the
Governor. The comission has a lot of influence over development
along the coast.
I mainly remember Dave Snyder's talk
as being pro-transit, pro-bicycle, and somewhat anti car. I think it
was Ross that said Dave (the Greens) had just gotten the seat that
traditionally went to a representative of organized labor.
Then Susan talked about how the Green
Party is the only political party in San Francisco that keeps an office
open on an ongoing basis. The rent was due the next day, and the money
isn't in the bank to pay for it. She asked us all to dig into our
pockets for money to help out. Then Sue Vaughn took the bucket and we
all dutifully dropped something in it.
Then musicians took over the stage and
some time was spent schmoozing.
I remember watching Ross talking to
someone about how he can just see the day coming when he will hit the
glass ceiling, that being where how high he can go in the political
system is limited by the fact he is Green.
Katherine was the only one there that
talked about shopping in the bar back when it was a drug store. She was
glad the place is still serving the neigborhood, and still not a
corporate chain. Me, I thought it was quite apropos to have a Green
Party fundraiser there, in a found art kind of way.