More "lies that Newsom would like you to believe about Matt Gonzalez"

On Thursday I decided to send an email to many of my friends in San Francisco, addressing some of the buzz I had been hearing about Matt's Green Party affiliation, whether it would be a mistake for San Francisco to elect a non-Democratic mayor.

I told my friends: "It takes a journalist in Wisconsin to explain why San Francisco should elect Matt Gonzalez, even if he isn't a Democrat." I included an excerpt from John Nichols's op-ed in Madison, Wisconsin's Capital Times, titled "Why partisanship over progressivism?" (John Nichols is also Washington correspondent for The Nation.) Nichols answers the questions as follows:

In contrast to Gonzalez's background, Newsom's spottier record is that of a political careerist who has made his name taking cheap shots at the city's homeless population. Newsom has raised $3.3 million for his campaign from corporate givers such as Bechtel, the defense contractor, and prominent Republicans such as former Secretary of State George Shultz. And he is using the money to attack Gonzalez for being too progressive. At the same time, he is calling on Democrats to rally 'round the party banner.

So why are top national Democrats like Al Gore going out of their way to fly to San Francisco to campaign for Newsom? Why is the Democratic National Committee working to beat Gonzalez?

Because, despite his corporate and Republican ties, Newsom proclaims himself to be a Democrat and Gonzalez does not. Forget about the fact that this is a nonpartisan race. Forget about the fact that Gonzalez has far more potential than Newsom to emerge as a national leader on urban issues. Gore and national and local Democratic insiders are choosing partisanship over progressivism.

Most thanked me for the email, while some shared their concerns with me about possible damage to the Democratic party resulting from a Gonzalez victory. I tried to assuage their fears. But one email caught me completely off-guard, and reminded me that not everyone gets the same information or reacts to it the same way. This email probably says something about what the Newsom camp wants its supporters to think they know about Matt Gonzalez.

Let's review Gonzalez's record:

Triple My Pay--Cut Yours

When Gonzalez wanted a huge pay raise to six-figures, he could have been honest with voters. He could have said, "Hey, I think all 11 of us are worth around $110,000 each. Please vote to give us that raise." This happens all the time all over the country. Instead, Saint Matt the Clever wrote up a ballot measure that had no salary figures at all! He knew that the language of the measure ensured a huge raise, but by pretending that it was just the Civil Service Commission "setting"Supervisor pay, he reaped a 300% pay increase for himself and his colleagues while at the same time he forced rank-and-file City employees to take a 7.5% pay cut.

Care Not Cash

Gonzalez‚ glossy, carefully worded campaign mailers make it look like he's been working on some pretty normal policies as Board President. The reality of his heavy-lifting work is quite different. He opposed the 60% winner Care Not Cash (from the 2002 ballot) and he was the deciding vote against--and the chief opponent of--Care Not Cash implementation at the Board. Good luck finding "Led the opposition to Care Not Cash" in any of his mailers.

Aggressive Panhandling

To slow the scourge of aggressive panhandling, last month 60% of San Franciscans voted for Proposition M. Gonzalez has been honestly unflinching in his opposition to this or any reform - no matter how modest - of our laws that would restrict street thugs from aggressively panhandling San Franciscans. Is progressive Saint Matt like Senator John Burton, proudly opposing the measure at every opportunity, damn the politics? No chance.

Daly's Dirty Appointments

You all remember when Supervisor Chris Daly decided to make some dubious appointments during his reign as Dictator for a Day - after his longtime foe, Mayor Brown, offered him an olive branch and made him Mayor for a day. When asked how he would vote on Daly‚s power grab, Saint Matt the Honest said, "I didn't like the process, I don't believe the way he did it was right.'" And then he provided Daly with the deciding vote to uphold the action--despite the opposition of a majority of his Board colleagues. Intellectual honesty? How about Saint Machiavelli's top student in Poly Sci 401: The ends always justify the means.

Party Labels Don't Matter

And then there is the coup de grace - Saint Matt's double-standard on Party Affiliation. You've heard Gonzalez and his supporters downplaying his Green Party identity, because they know that it's the kiss of death in a largely Democratic town. "He'll be a great Mayor first, and a great Green second," says one of his taxpayer-funded campaign workers, in a familiar refrain. "It's not about party identification, it's about ideas," says another. And when Democrat Gavin Newsom says that Democrats should not support a Green, Saint Matt preaches the Gospel of Non-Affiliation.

But wait! In the closing days of the campaign, party affairs suddenly matter to Matt, and he does a 180-degree reversal.

"Gavin gave money to George Bush!" alleges Gonzalez. "He must be a secret Republican!"

In reality, Newsom's $500 contribution in 2000 was his pro-rated share of a slate card mailer to members of the Republican Party--a common practice amongst all candidates for public office. But that doesn't matter to Saint Matt the Honest. When his first smear campaign (that Newsom is somehow Schwarzenegger-like) was a pathetic flop, he recently resorted to labelling
Newsom "Republican"--in the same week that Al Gore and Bill Clinton came to San Francisco to endorse him. [Note: I recieved this on Friday, so I'm not sure why the author stated that Clinton "came to San Francisco" -- wishful thinking?]

Saint Matthew's is not the campaign of "Integrity and Honesty." It is just the opposite. From his dirty smear of Tom Ammiano's progressive credentials, to his unethical use of the Bay Guardian banner, to his pathetically contradictory "'Green' is a smear, but 'Republican' is fair game" mantra, Gonzalez wants you to listen to what he says, not watch what he does.

The Matt Gonzalez website has "responses to five lies that Newsom would like you to believe about Matt Gonzalez." The email above shows that they missed a few.