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Yahoo!The word of the night among the attendees of Gavin Newsom's Friday night lecture at the Veterans Memorial Building was "curiosity."
Area residents Art and Judy Stevens, for instance, said their main reason for coming to the event was to pursue their budding interest in Newsom. "He's a new face, and we're curious to hear how he thinks California can generate more revenue. Like Obama, he seems progressive, and we're excited to hear him speak." Tawny Crail said she was similarly inquisitive and expressed as much when she said that she was "curious about Newsom and his potential run for governor. I'm also curious," she went on, "about the changes he brought about in San Francisco as mayor. It'll be interesting to hear him speak live, as I've only heard sound bites, so I don't have any expectations."
Paul Wellman
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd when he entered the room, Newsom began his town hall-style speech by thanking the political notables who were in attendance, including Mayor Marty Blum, Supervisor Janet Wolf, and former State Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson. Newsom's talk - and his platform for the 2010 California Governor race - centered on three specific issues: healthcare, education, and energy.
A brief summary of Newsom's stance on each topic follows:
According the governor hopeful, Californians need to concentrate on "investing in health, not treating sickness." The first step in accomplishing this ideal, Newsom said, is to provide universal health insurance on the way toward establishing a feasible and workable universal health care system. Newsom pointed to San Francisco's success in this area by citing the more than 30,000 individuals in the universal health care program Healthy San Francisco. If San Francisco can do it - that is, move toward a collective system - Newsom argued, all of the other counties of California can do it too.
Paul Wellman
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom speaks to crowd at the Veterans Memorial building
Shifting gears, Newsom next spoke on the issue of public education. "Human capital is the most precious resource California has," Newsom said, and emphasized that preparing California's future workforce is the most important development strategy of all. Newsom went on to underscore the idea that, in order for California to pick itself up out of its economic slump, the state needs to stop simply talking about the issue of public schooling and realize that "education is the fundamental key in harvesting talent." This mindset, Newsom said, will allow California's workforce to become more competitive and desirable in the world market.
Paul Wellman
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
Newsom wrapped up his three-pronged discussion by addressing the need for further development and implementation of renewable energy. As before, he drew attention to San Francisco's accomplishments in the area under discussion by speaking about the recent installment of wave and tide energy "harvesters" and citing the city's overall reduction of carbon emissions. According to Newsom, the green technology that is attempting to move California toward energy independence "is real - it's not science fiction."
In his closing statements, the San Francisco mayor, for the first time in his talk, explicitly stated his desire to assume the governorship of California and requested the audience's support by stating, "I need your help-I don't just need your money, I need your sense of spirit, your ideas, and your time." On his way to creating a new social network of supporters, Newsom asserted, he is establishing online contact groups via Facebook and Twitter.
Paul Wellman
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom speaks to crowd at the Veterans Memorial building
The crowd seemed upbeat and jovial as it filed out of the Veterans Memorial Building, and Crail, who was interviewed pre-talk, expressed that she was, "very, very impressed" with Newsom's speech. She went on to say, "If he can explain his accomplishments in health care that well, I'm looking forward to see what else he can do." Glenn Jordan and Bill Cornfield echoed the positive sentiments by describing Newsom as "very knowledgeable" and that California "needs someone like that. He has his finger on all the issues. He's such a personable guy, you can't help but like him."
Tyler Hayden is an Independent intern.
Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.
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"After recieving a standing ovation from the crowd when he entered the room, Newsom began his town hall-style speech by thanking the political notables who were in attendance, including Mayor Marty Blum, Supervisor Janet Wolf, and former State Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson. Newsom's talk - and his platform for the 2010 California Governor race - centered on three specific issues: healthcare, education, and energy."
They don't mention crime, and here are some comparative statistics on crime between S.F, and L.A. as well as San Diego:
http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Die...
http://www.city-data.com/city/San-Fra...
http://www.city-data.com/city/Los-Ang...
Interesting crime comparisons between these three cities. It seems S.F. seems to have pretty big crime problem. (501.7 crime index compared to 356.8 for L.A., and 339.8 for San Diego) For those not familiar with the search feature, hold down the "Ctrl" key on the lower left of the keyboard while also holding down the "f" key and in the search box that comes up type in "crime" and hit the search arrow to wade through all the other stuff that comes up on these pages.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 22, 2009 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Does the Independent really need two puff pieces about Newsom? (I'm making this comment twice in the same spirit.)
http://www.independent.com/news/2009/...
Will anyone speak out about the insanity of giving driver's licenses, city-issued ID cards and free health care to illegal aliens?
Perhaps the Independent can ask what's left of the Bologna family how they feel about Newsom's sanctuary policies.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article...
revisionist (anonymous profile)
March 22, 2009 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Doesn't Newsom have a history of infidelity? (like certain high-profile Republicans--I'm an equal-opportunity cynic) If his wife and good friend can't trust him (he has since been divorced) why should we?
"He's such a personable guy, you can't help but like him."
That's what politicians are. Of course, I won't throw the baby out with the bathwater by dismissing all of Newsom's ideas, but there are other issues that need to be weighed before making him the New Messiah.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 22, 2009 at 6:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wouldn't vote for that guy if you paid me too, and there's not much I wouldn't do to make a buck.
He's the kind of guy that would give the state of California back to Mexico in order to right "historic wrongs."
NEXT!
Lars (anonymous profile)
March 22, 2009 at 7:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Crime is horrible in SF, but as liberals know they don't mind it at all. They believe humans only commit crime out of need, like to steal a loaf of bread for a starving family and the real wrong is the oppresive system of government. We should all be on government assistance and everything should be free, or at least that is Newsom's message.
InTheKnow (anonymous profile)
March 22, 2009 at 10:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jerry Brown of all people is now attacking Newsom over the Edwin Ramos case (murder of Tony Bologna and his two sons by an illegal alien.) If even Brown thinks there are instances where illegal immigration is unacceptable things are really changing
Independent -- live up to your name and don't just parrot the Progressive Democrat party line as in your two Newsom articles.
revisionist (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 7:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wow, I had no idea that Republicans were so well represented in the Independent readership. Cool!
I just think it's sad that his unfortunate soundbite--"Whether you like it or not"--tanked prop.8. With friends like that, who needs enemies. :/
LV (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm not a Republican -- I'm registered as a decline to state, i.e. independent voter. Believe it or not, opposition to the lawlessness of San Francisco-style sanctuary policies and concern about mass population growth is found among both Democratic and Republican voters.
revisionist (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 9:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What an "alternative" weekly in San Francisco thinks of Newsom's visit to Santa Barbara, as reported by the Independent:
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2...
binky (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wasn't it Newsom that ruined it for "no on 8" w/ his "It's gonna happen, whether you like it or not!" gloat? :) henry
hank (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
LV (Lucky Venus?) I haven't voted for a Democrat nor a Republican in a presidential race since 1988. Furthermore, our individual party affiliations don't change the fact that this man betrayed his wife and close friend, and also the statistics show a very high crime rate for the city that he has run.
Given this facts I don't know why all of a sudden he's the new shining star who people actually think is going to be a man they can trust who will pull California out of the doldrums political incompetence has created.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 2:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The more desperate the socioeconomic situation becomes in a given place the less likely critical thinking and a breakdown of issues will matter among the masses when it comes to choosing a leader.
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 23, 2009 at 3:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gavin Newsom in SFO is a hypocrite, as most politicians are. While wrapping himself up in a flag of self righteous indignation about the evils of plastic, he and his people dole out thousands and thousands of plastic syringes to drug addicts--on the taxpayers tab. Now he has a bio hazard that finds itself on the playgrounds and in the public bathrooms of his progressive sanctuary.
azuresees (anonymous profile)
March 24, 2009 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Wow, I had no idea that Republicans were so well represented in the Independent readership. Cool!" -LV-
LV: I've been called many things by fellow bloggers; I've been called a jackass, an idiot, a moron, and even a racist, but I've never been called a "Republican".
billclausen (anonymous profile)
March 24, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)