Huge Trash Pickup at BART's 16th Street Plaza

Last week, I made another in a continuing series of service requests for removal of any and all debris from BART's public spaces at 16th and Mission Streets. I want to nudge the agency to fulfill its maintenance responsibilities, since it's clear to me cleanup is more frequent when complaints are lodged with management.

As Mike and I exited the 16th Street station last night, coming home from a wonderful afternoon seeing "It Can't Happen Here" at Berkeley Rep, we chatted with this friendly BART janitor.

She explained the large bin of debris in the plastic bags contained the garbage collected just on Sunday afternoon. It's trash from all of the station's trash cans and whatever boxes and such left at the plazas.

We thanked her for doing her duties and providing sanitation upkeep, and for taking a few moments to have a productive conversation.

1st Amendment Shredding to Silence Petrelis at City Hall

A free speech showdown takes places on Monday, October 17 starting at 1:30 pm at City Hall in Room 416 when the Ethics Commission meets. I'll be attempting to exercise my First Amendment rights by holding up a Petrelis for BART Board sign and offering my thoughts during public comment.

Without any public scrutiny and certainly no agendizing at a commission meeting, one person, Jessica Blome, deputy director for enforcement at the commission created these Meeting Decorum guidelines:

"The Ethics Commission encourages and promotes integrity in government by education and example and is committed to treating all staff, members of the public, and colleagues with courtesy, respect, objectivity, and fairness. ...

"In accord with the Board of Supervisors’ Rules of Order 1.3.1, signs, regardless of content or message, are strictly prohibited. This prohibition does not apply to clothing, which includes signage pinned to clothing, messages displayed on clothing, pins, hats, or buttons. If the Chair is unable to obtain voluntary compliance, he may seek assistance from the Sheriff’s Deputy on call."

However, there is no statute granting the Board the privilege of infringing upon my free speech rights. Saying speech via signage worn on clothing is allowed and but a hand-held poster is unconstitutional and childish.

Here is what the City Attorney's Office has to say about actual laws stopping me from holding a sign during a hearing, which we, the taxpayers, are funding:

 "Even if Mr. Petrelis had done so, there still was no violation because the City Attorney's Office was not and is not in possession of a written policy prohibiting political signs in hearing rooms, other than the policies already provided to Mr. Petrelis by the Sheriff."

Well, now isn't that special! But it's not all. Speaking of the Sheriff, one Vicki Hennessy, she writes:

"I have reviewed the security items I have and do not see a prohibition. The only thing mentioned is, 'Signs mounted on sticks or poles are not permitted in City Hall. … Small paper or or cardboard signs no larger than (11” x 17”) that can be carried by hand are allowed.'"

There you have it. The City Attorney and the Sheriff both say there are no laws keeping me from displaying a Petrelis for BART sign at City Hall meetings and on taxpayer-funded SFGovTV.

Count on objections from the ethics commissioners tomorrow. They did their damnedest to silence me without any legal authority at the Sept 26th meeting, called me names and constantly interrupted my public comment time as if the proceeding were taking place in their imaginary courtroom.

My campaign sign assuredly appeared on City-funded TV and other media platforms.

Tune in to SFGovTV tomorrow and watch me go up against the ethically-challenged San Francisco Ethics Commission.

If you're voting for me, or don't live in the district but are supportive in any way of my BART campaign or sanitizing crusade at 16th and Mission Streets, please show me the digital love with retweets, shares, likes, forwards, original blog posts or tweets or awareness via Facebook,

Election season is upon us and I'm not raising any funds for this campaign, tho donations for my personal expenditures are more than welcome via PayPal to MPetrelis@aol.com, so I can't afford ads and such.

I'm dependent on social media - AND YOU - to promote voting for zealous Petrelis!

Look who took in the chest-thumping political theatrical extravaganza of "It Can't Happen Here" this afternoon, at Berkeley Rep. This queer San Francisco couple enjoyed a date together, lasting into the evening.

Mike and I hitched a ride on BART from the ever-improving 16th Street Station to downtown Berkeley for some live culture.

There were a few too many cliches and a hopscotching narrative driving "It Can't Happen Here" to make for a truly satisfying time.

What was terrific were the brief arguments and speeches about economic and social inequality, wonderful sets and creative staging, and an earnest cast hitting all the right notes.

Mike and I used my BART campaign posters and Berkeley Rep's props at their photo booth in the lobby for this great picture of two pansies still here and queer, and in love.

Ugandan LGBT Activists in the SF Chronicle Today

Mike and I were quite pleased to see this huge centerfold photo of our friend Jacqueline Kasha in the Sunday edition of the San Francisco Chronicle's travel section.

She's a brave LGBT activist in Uganda and she's seen at last year's Entebbe Gay Pride Parade, along with other activists.

The entire section is devoted to gay travel and tourism around the world and the photo of her accompanies a piece by LGBT reporter Michael Luongo.

We can't think of a better way to start our gay day than reading about courageous LGBT folks celebrating their queerness and standing up for justice.

IRS 990: Robust Salaries of Human Rights Campaign Executives

They're the semi-official LGBT wing of the Democratic Party and very much part of the Washington and Clinton Inc establishments. The Human Rights Campaign recently posted their latest IRS 990 report and the pay scale of the top leaders is as robust as ever.

President Chad Griffin, who worked in the public affairs office of the White House during Bill Clinton's first term and is from Hope, Arkansas, is sure to receive a high-level appointment when Hillary Clinton is elected Commander-in-Chief.

Notice I say when, not if, not because she's a great or inspiring candidate but because that maniac Donald Trump is sure to lose his quest for the White House. Big loss looming for him. Finally.

Her chances of winning go up daily, every time he tweets or opens his mouth.

Griffin's latest salary is $438,000 and his cohorts are equally handsomely compensated. Read HRC's entire new IRS 990 filing here.

Ballot Arrived & First Vote Received!

Hubby Mike is a longtime vote-by-mail citizen and he received his ballot this week from the Department of Elections, via the U.S. Postal Service. Letter-carriers sure keep busy in the fall delivering political flyers and ballots.

Mike voted for me with a thick black line connecting the arrow on the ballot, for the BART board of directors. He also cast his ballot for Hillary Clinton for president. He'll mail his votes back to City Hall on Monday.

I'm feeling an extra something - pride, civic engagement, grassroots patriotism - not quite sure how to best describe what I'm feeling, because I'm on a ballot during an incredibly effing freaky presidential campaign.

In a small way, I'm making history just being on the ballot regardless of total votes I may receive. Feels good.

Vote for zealous Petrelis!

Public Works' Major Bird Poop Removal, ADA Mats Cleaned

We all have Darryl Dilworth to thank for a tremendous scrubbing of pigeon poop from the four corners at BART's 16th Street Plaza, and the grime removed from the ADA bump mats. 

He's a supervisor with Public Works' street and environmental services, who promised us on our group walk-through yesterday that his crew would power-wash the sidewalks and street pavement near Muni's bus shelter, and hose down the disabled mats.

Dilworth and his crew delivered these services in less than twenty-four hours after the promise was made.

This is one more terrific example of how the managers and crews of Public Works are taking care of their property and responsibilities at BART's plaza, and taken to do BART's janitorial tasks that the transit agency is not providing.

I learned yesterday that every inch of sidewalk surrounding the BART entrances in their land, except for the red lip curb which is City property. 

In other words, the areas around the Muni shelters are supposed to be power-washed by BART but they have not been doing that, as we all can plainly see in recent months and years. 

The side-by-side photos document the major improvement for public health and public safety, thanks to Darryl Dilworth and other workers and managers at Public Works. I'm all too happy to give praise to any public agency and it's personnel when they pitch in to make BART's 16th Street Plazas better environments for all users.

Now, if only we could get BART to do it's fair share of maintenance and scrubbing,  and regularly too, these vital public spaces would be more inviting and safe.

Vote for zealous Petrelis!

Fun & Successful Campaign Outreach at BART Plaza

Two friends and volunteers joined me on Tuesday afternoon to build eyeball awareness of my campaign of folks exiting the BART subway at 16th and Mission Streets.

We gave out nearly 100 business cards, engaged a few dozen individuals about voting for me and my record of improving public health at the plaza, and signed up two new voters.

I expect to be back at this location next week, so say hi if you pass by.

My gratitude goes out to pals Rusty Mills, on the left, and Eric Lonowski on my right. Thanks boys!

Productive Public Health Tour of 16th St Plaza, BART = MIA

Let's give a round of applause to the eleven folks who participated in my public health tour today of BART's 16th Street Plaza. It was a very productive 45-minutes.

We had three representatives from the Department of Public Health, one from Public Works, three from the police department, one from the SFMTA's signage division, two from Clear Channel and a supervisor of the Pit Stop program.

Also present was reporter Joe Rivano Barros from the Mission Local news site, who should a story up in the coming days.

Public Works is power-washing BART's property, because the agency is derelict in maintaining their plaza, creating a schedule of regular scrubbing of the yellow ADA bump mats at the corners and the layers of bird crap on the sidewalks and street pavement nearby among other sanitation tasks.

The health officials took lots of notes and photos, asked for suggestions promising a followup meeting to move good ideas forward.

Clear Channel is committed to frequently washing the bus shelters and of course would have less to do if the birds weren't defecating by the hundreds. Netting they placed on top of the bus shelters is not keeping the poop away and makes it harder for them to be washed.

The police brought up enforcement issues related to feeding birds and folks who pee or poop on the plaza. One officer suggested trying pigeon reflector device on or near the cables. That's how pigeon abatement is practiced at the new SFPD headquarters, they said.

The SFMTA rep said they're looking at installing pigeon spikes on their lamp posts, making for fewer spots for birds to land.

Please note that BART didn't participate and claimed, without any proof, that they are supposedly under-staffed.

This was the same excuse BART management used in September to avoid an inspection tour just for myself their customer service director Julie Yim. She today said she may, no firm commitment, schedule a tour in late November.

The failure of BART to send anyone and not make any commitment to joining this collaborative effort, which will continue, is sadly emblematic of BART's overall approach of disengagement regarding sanitation at this transit hub.

If BART managers decide to change and work with myself and the six agencies, we'd welcome their new approach. It is, after all, their plaza we are trying to make better for all users.

I feel a major step forward, building on months of my advocacy, was accomplished today that will lead to greater sanitation at the BART plazas. Big thanks to all the folks who joined the tour and are working toward better public health and public safety at 16th and Mission Streets!

In the photo from the tour, starting on the left is Darryl Dilworth of Public Works, Karen Cohn and Tomas Aragon of DPH and yours truly. Appearance of these public servants in the pic is not and does not imply an endorsement of my campaign for the BART board.

Civic Center BART Escalator Out of Service Till Dec 1st

For about six weeks, the up escalator at BART's subway entrance in front of Burger King at Market and Grove Streets, has been broken. The down escalator has been pressed into service to move folks from the concourse level up to the street.

There is no down option at this busy entrance, inconveniencing hundreds of folks daily.

Yesterday, BART taped a service info sign on the barrier on the busted elevator saying it would be repaired by December 1st. At least we know a projected date for when it should be working again, making the frustration a bit easier to bear.