Petrelis Files

Campos for Assembly Event Disguised as a Techie Happy Hour?

If you have not had your fill of Assembly candidate David Campos at the Board of Supervisors' weekly general meeting or the committees he chairs or sits on, or at the SFMTA board of directors meeting on the Google bus fee where he played the privilege card and didn't have to wait for public comment and also didn't have to keep his remarks to just two minutes like everyone else, or one of the many bodies where he's a director or has a seat and a vote including, at the Democratic County Central Committee, Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the SF County Transportation Authority, or at the Harvey Milk Democratic Club or his recent debate with David Chui or one of his many campaign events and photo-ops, you have one more opportunity to hear what the gasbag has to say.

Well, this Tuesday, Feb. 25 starting at 7 pm you can participate in a Tech Workers Against Displacement Happy Hour, bolding added:

Sick of being blamed for SF's housing crisis? Want to join the effort to stop evictions, displacement, and skyrocketing rents? Come join fellow hackers, coders, and makers for an informal happy hour with housing rights activists and Supervisor David Campos (City Supervisor of District 9 - The Mission, Bernal Heights, and Portola). The goal of this event is to create an open discussion on how improved communication and collaboration can affect reforms needed to stop involuntary displacements of longterm San Franciscans and ensure sustainable, cohesive and diverse communities.

Based on the messages at that Facebook page, where no techies have posted notes saying they'll be attending, I'm not sure it's a genuine tech workers against displacement event but we'll see how many techies show up.

It's all being organized by Gustav Feldman and Rolla Selbeck, and Gus is a member of the Milk Club and supports Campos' for assembly. The happy hour happens at Virgil's Sea Room at 3152 Mission Street, and the club is owned Milk Club co-president Tom Temprano. Nothing wrong with Milk Club folks organizing this event, but they've done an early endorsement on behalf of Campos and electing him to Sacramento is a top priority for the club this year so I'm not at all surprised that the only announced speaker is Campos.

Why is his granted this privilege? What's so special about a happy hour with him making remarks, as he just happens to be campaigning for higher office? Will Campos be limited to only two minutes, the same amount of time allowed for each speaker at public comment at the Board of Supervisors and the various other public bodies he sits on?

Frankly, I don't see advancing Campos' political career as really compatible with starting a conversation at an event springing up from the anger of the recent class war skirmishes in San Francisco. He's a sloppy and ambitious Democrat who flew under the radar for years as the eviction epidemic exploded in his district, and now he's trying to get out in front of the grassroots organizing to stop displacement.

How about a happy hour on Tuesday, Feb 25 without any politicians getting special privileges?