Reply #15: Newsom hatred [View All]

[drumwolf]

I didn't know he owned liquor stores, but I know he owns at least one restaurant, and yes, he comes from a fairly wealthy and well-connected family.

Between his spoiled-rich-kid image, his homelessness initiatives which many SF progressives saw as mean-spirited, and his ties to Willie Brown (by far the worst of all in my book), Newsom was reviled by the San Francisco left-wing and progressive community before and up to his inauguration. In fact, it's no exaggeration to say that many people here hated Newsom just as much as they hate Bush. In the weeks before the election I saw lots of anti-Newsom signs, some witty and some over-the-top and all of them pretty venomous (like "Gavinstein" or "Gavin Newsom is a racist liar").

I personally have never shared most of my friends' intense dislike for Newsom, largely because I feel that Newsom is doing the right thing by tackling the homeless problem here in SF. I voted for his opponent, Matt Gonzalez, but I voted more FOR Gonzalez than AGAINST Newsom. Gonzalez is an extremely dynamic and exciting politician who is very well-liked among his constituents.

Since he became mayor, though, he's pulled quite a few surprises, and not just his issuing of marriage licenses to gay couples. He's proven to be a very assertive, take-charge mayor, and he's also done other things like visiting crime scenes in inner-city neighborhoods. A good article on Newsom's performance since taking office can be found right here:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/02/22/MNGEO53L67119.DTL