I accidentally settled in one of the city's most conservative districts (sadly, I'm just a few blocks out of one more congenial to my politics), and we have a supervisor who reflects those values. Elsbernd has pretty much never net a business he didn't like, and his big initiative this term is breaking the contracts of the municipal transit workers. We know this particular contract guarantees drivers the second-highest salary in the country, but since no one can tell us what that salary is, I can't in good conscience vote to change it, especially without also being sure we're lowering the salaries of Nat Ford and his cronies.* You couldn't pay me enough to be a MUNI driver in San Francisco, that's for damn sure. But this post isn't about politics or issues that genuinely have two sides. It's about this article in the Times. This embarrassing feature brings to light the fact that while public funds for bottled water were banned for city employees back in 2007, many supervisors have decided that didn't apply to them. Only three supes, David Chiu, John Avalos, and Ross Mirkarimi have phased out bottled water in their offices. Eric Mar was shamed enough by the investigation that he is switching over too. Looking at the list, people who know the city will realize that that means the remaining offenders are from both sides of the political divide: conservatives like Michela Alioto-Pier and leftists like Chris Daly.** At least most of the board, while taking part in this hypocritical practice, had the decency to not try and defend themselves. Elsbernd went on the record whining about how it's "nice" to provide cold water to people who come to the office and there are no sinks. It's like those scenes in The Good Wife where people from less rich law offices show up and marvel at the array of free food that's just sitting out every day. If he decides that this luxury is necessary (because lord knows it's so hot all the time in SF), surely Sean can consult with his fellow supervisors about how they made the transition. Or he can buy a gross of iced tea in glass bottles. Or he can install a water fountain. Or I'm sure there are water coolers which you can use with the municipal system. See how I just came up with several possible solutions in a few seconds? Leaving aside that it's against the law for the supervisors to be doing this, there's no possible justification in an urban environment for the moral wrong of bottled water. The city of San Francisco destroyed John Muir's favorite part of Yosemite, the Hetch-Hetchy valley, in order to provide ourselves with water. The least we can do is actually use it.
*Not, sadly, the guy from Leverage. The head of the SFMTA.
**I think Chris Daly is kind of crazy and I would rather not claim him, but it seems impossible to avoid.
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