The “only in SF” mayoral race
SF Mayor Gavin Newsom may have surprised most of America with his decision to allow same-sex marriages (the Hell with the law), but he’s downright normal compared to some of the people on the slate:
Blogger Josh Wolf, a video journalist who was imprisoned for 226 days for refusing to turn over recordings of a 2005 protest, is heading his mayoral campaign under the motto, “A Bold Alternative to Business as usual.”
Wolf promises to wear a video camera while performing any mayoral business to promote transparency of office.
Wolf’s platform focuses on eradicating homelessness, providing clean energy and renewable resources and increasing community policing. He also promises to look into offering a county marriage license so that same-sex couples can “formalize their love through marriage.”
“The most important aspect of my campaign is the lack of real democracy in the city,” Wolf said. “I would like to revise and modernize the community congress in order to empower people who feel they are not really represented by elected officials. I want to give those people a voice.”
Another strong candidate in the mayoral race is Dr. Ahimsa Porter Sumchai. A graduate of University of California, San Francisco Medical School, Sumchai is known as a “vocal proponent” of universal health care and is an advocate of environmental health and justice. Sumachi would like to stop privatization in San Francisco and improve renewable energy sources.
If elected Sumchai hopes to halt construction activities of the Lennar Corporation in the Hunters Point shipyard. She has been endorsed by the Green Party, Peace and Freedom Party and by former Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia.
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An additional mayoral candidate is “Chicken” John Rinaldi. Rinaldi is a self-proclaimed instigator and artist, as well as being a mechanic.
According to Rinaldi the two most prevalent problems facing the city are homelessness and crime. Rinalidi states on his campaign Web site that he is using the campaign as “an opportunity to examine the political apparatus of San Francisco.”
Alec “Grasshopper” Kaplan, taxi driver who lives in his vehicle, has called for the legalization of marijuana and amnesty for all undocumented aliens. Kaplan is running his campaign for mayor out of his taxi, which he operates within San Francisco.
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Candidate George Davis, nudist and author of “Naked Yoga” is more commonly known as “Naked Yoga Guy” in the Fisherman’s Wharf area. Davis has stated that he will establish Golden Gate Park as nudist-friendly if elected to office. Powers states that he is “reasonably well informed” on issues such as urban planning and public transportation.
The final candidate for the mayoral race is Michael Powers, owner of Power Exchange Sex Club. He has based his platform on his opposition to the new Transbay Terminal. Powers would like to see historic San Francisco preserved for tourists and residents alike.
There are some other candidates running who sound normal-ish, at least by San Francisco standards, but I’m really not sure how they can compete in the City that no longer knows how. (For those of you unaware of it, famed San Francisco columnist used to call SF “the City that knew how.”)
