Guardian Must Rescind Endorsement
The Sunshine Ordinance Task Force (SOTF), is a civic body that hears complaints from citizens when city employees and agencies potentially violate San Francisco's good government laws and regulations. Lately, the SOTF has come under attack led by Sup. Scott Wiener and his downtown business allies, and the Bay Guardian has provided excellent coverage of conservative Supervisors eviscerating the SOTF here, here, here and here.
A key opponent of the SOTF is Matt Dorsey, the spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera who is gay and running to retain his seat on the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC). I've started calling him Matt Dracula because of his staunch loathing of the SOTF.
Here's what he told the New York Times in March 2011, bolding mine:
Matt Dorsey [...] said in an e-mail, “The task force has degenerated into a rogue, lawless jury that beats up on city departments and tries to get conscientious public employees fired.” Mr. Dorsey and other city public information managers said they spent an extraordinary amount of time and resources complying with the ordinance. They described task force hearings as a tedious kangaroo court.
Since he has plenty of power at his City Hall perch from which to undermine the SOTF, I see no reason to keep Dorsey on the DCCC where he could do more damage to good government. I won't be voting for Dorsey, or Wiener, for the DCCC and have persuaded eight friends to also not cast ballots for them because of their vehement opposition to the SOTF.
Nine votes aren't much in general elections, but they could matter tremendously in the June 5 primary when so few San Francisco voters are expected to vote. This my way to doing something to send a message Dorsey and his ilk who want to do away with the SOTF or render it inconsequential.
Inexplicably, the Guardian has endorsed Dorsey in his DCCC race and he's making good use of a 2006 quote from the paper:
Of his tenure, in fact, the San Francisco Bay Guardian wrote: "Dorsey's done more for promoting open government than anyone who has ever worked for the Office of the San Francisco City Attorney."
Last night, I emailed Guardian publisher Bruce Brugmann and editor Tim Redmond requesting that they rescind their backing of Dorsey, and reminded them of his noxious quote to the NY Times. It's not too late for them to do the right thing and send a strong and clear message to Dorsey and every anti-SOTF person at City Hall that the paper will do nothing to give further influence to political hacks on the wrong side of good government. When I hear back from Brugmann and Redmond, I'll share their replies.
If you're a San Francisco voter able to cast a ballot in the DCCC race, please vote for anyone but Dorsey and Wiener.
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