Willie Brown Warned About 9/11?

LORIE VAN AUKEN, WIDOW OF 9/11 ATTACK:  We also know that people stopped flying domestically.  Ashcroft stopped flying.  Pentagon officials stop flying the day before September 11.  They were warned not to fly on September 11.  We think San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was told not to fly.  That’s all domestic.  You know, everybody keeps telling us how they were focused outward. 

MATTHEWS:  You’re talking about before 9/11 they were warned? 

VAN AUKEN: Yes.  Yes, right. 

What next for Terry Baum?

This morning I attended the third Terry Baum press conference in as many weeks. At the last two, reporters turned out from KPFA and the San Francisco Examiner. This time the Examiner's Adriel Hampton -- who has done a yeoman's job reporting this story while the Chronicle and local television stations have ignored it -- passed us by for another story. It dawned on me that the press has done about all it can for this humble crusade for democracy. It's time to take this message to the people, and in a big way.

But how?

I've told Terry's story to many friends, mostly Democrats, and they all seem to get it. But no one reacts with shock or disgust, let alone surprise. One friend, who swims in larger political ponds, said, "Sounds like there was political pressure (from Nancy Pelosi)." That's it, c'est la vie, such is politics in the City.

I ran into Matt Gonzalez at El Buen Sabor on Valencia today. He saw my "Baum for Peace" button and asked, "How is Terry doing?" I said that she's hanging in there, but added that I'm getting discouraged. He said not to worry, that he knew we'd win, that courts have always ruled in favor of voters' intent. I wish I could be so optimistic, based on the way that Arntz, Moll and the press have treated this story so far.

And then I received a message from Arianna Huffington. She reminded me that it was bloggers who made the Trent Lott story stick. Maybe bloggers could make the Terry Baum story stick, so that the press and the City sit up take notice?

Terry has launched a citywide petition drive that would give us a chance to tell her story, but this will take a lot of volunteer hours. Is San Francisco's progressive community up to the challenge?

What can we do as concerned citizens? How can we move this thing forward? Democracy is at stake, people. It doesn't get any more important than this.

How Much Do You Make?

I'm in the wrong business! Thanks to Willie Brown, civil service pays damn well.

In 2003, 2,693 employees earned more than $100,000, up from 952 in 2000. About half of those earning in excess of $100,000 last year did it by working hundreds of hours of overtime. They include police officers, firefighters, public health and transit workers and sheriff's deputies.

That amounts to $269 million in payroll for less than 10% of city workers, and not quite half of the increase in overall payroll from $1.3 billion to $2 billion. I think some city workers should be paid well for their efforts, but this is ridiculous! Notice that teachers didn't make this list.