San Francisco/unscripted

On the International Film and Arts Festivals

SAN FRANCISCO, CA --  We've featured both the San Francisco International Film Festival and the San Francisco International Arts Festival.

The staffs of both of these festivals came through for our program.  They provided clips that enlivened the discussion. They scripted the programs.

We wanted to capture the innovativeness and depth of their programs.  The executive directors -- Graham Leggat of the Film Society and Andrew Wood of the Arts festivals -- showed why the Bay Area has to be proud of these events.  It starts with the powerful mix of dedication, passion and knowledge.  And their teams who help to bring hundreds of artists to the delight of the Bay Area's savvy audience.  We're pleased we could highlight their efforts and their excellence.

Ports Air Problem

SAN FRANCISCO -CA .  Diane Bailey, scientist, with Environmental Defense Fund, is certainly focused.  The Port of Oakland has decided to join the Southern California ports in mitigating diesel pollutant discharges. It's going to be expensive, and someone must pay.  But if big trucking companies are going to get help buying big new cleaner rigs, is that a subsidy? Paid for by.... the importers like Wal Mart, Target.

But there's No free lunch.  To cleanup the planet, or the ports, someone is going to pay.  Namely, average Americans when WalMart adds a few pennies to each product to pay for the new charges which pays for new trucks which results in cleaner air.  Only the beginning of what's coming for the American consumer....

Cinnamon Stillwell

SAN FRANCISCO-CA.  Cinnamon Stillwell writes for the SF Gate, the Chronicles online journal.  She is a dangerous writer because her style is fluid and narrative intellectually seductive.  labeled by the Gate...a 'conservative with an edge'-- she's more independent than that. 

Her viewpoints are just that:  View and points. She sees and narrates.  She doesn't derive her views from hard and fast principles.... as many conservative writers do. She doesn't pound you over the head with witty, weighty arguments.

She told me she was an English major, not a journalism major..  Good!  That accounts for her prose and her vision.

I was moved by her homeless essay.  Her "Summer of Love" comments hit home...

Central Subway Boondoggle

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- After reviewing the data I had concluded the Central Subway could be the nation's most expensive, poorly conceived transportation project in recent history.  The people of Chinatown deserve better.  I wasn't impartial in this interview. I admit it. In My opinion, the people of Chinatown will not use this monster when built.  I live near Chinatown.  I have experienced the congestion.  This interview with Gerald Couthen confirmed my thoughts. Facts he brings out:   Only one Chinatown station to be built!  You must descend five stories beneath the service by escalator... travel only one mile, rise up from the subway Nine (9) stories and walk three foot ball fields to catch one of the Market street lines.  Only one Chinatown station?  Absurd.  You think the elderly will move up and down five-nine stories of escalators.  And it doesn't even connect with BART and Market Street lines.  That this earmark has gotten this far is a testimony to what's corrupt in Washington DC, and the total ignorance of city planners in San Francisco.. I was not impartial on this one.

Online Revolution of Political Campaigns

SAN FRANCISCO. Ca -- Bob Brigham took us right smack into the middle of the online revolution of campaigning.. including the Obama phenomena... you don't pack 17,000 supporters into an arena (like Obama did last night in Wisconsin) without "something happening there"... Facebook, YouTube, texting, mini feeds, all create instantaneous action and reaction.  Hillary knows this now. Towards the end of our interview, Bob reads off his iphone.  We're getting direct news on the day's activities in Maryland and Virginia through his political consultant's group.. "voter contact" will never be the same....

Artist Mike Kimball

SAN FRANCISCO, CA --  It's good to see stable, viable artists still working and living in San Francisco, and translate what they see in the city and the Bay Area into appealing and meaningful images.. on canvas,  in this case.  I worked to enhance the maritime industry in the Bay Area.  I have a special affection for containerships and container terminals.  So, Mike Kimball's portrait of the industrial yards of containers and cranes naturally drew me in.  I hope you enjoyed spending 15 minutes with a sensitive artist and image maker.

Fred Martin and Our Mental Illness/Homeless Series

SAN FRANCISCO, CA --    Fred Martin has always been blunt and passionate.  I've known  him a long time.  In his interview he took on the Mayor and especially "Dr." Katz, reminding viewers that Katz, who heads the $1 billion San Francisco Health Department is no medical doctor.  Yet it's Katz and Newsom who are cutting acute psychiatric care beds, refusing to enforce Laura's Law (court ordered treatment for mentally ill), and feign the existence of "supportive housing".   From listening to our recent guests on the subject, there should be criminal penalties to charge the Board, the Mayor, and the Health Department.. at the very least, civil penalties.  CW Nevius (Chronicle writer on homeless and other subjects)  is doing his part to uncover the fraud of care in this City of St. Francisco.  We'll do the same.  Sorry, but I'm partial and opinionated here.

NOTES on the Duf Sundheim Interview - Former Chair, California GOP

SAN FRANCISCO, CA-- Duf Sundheim.  He's a colleague, I admit that.  But, I was personally curious what he had learned riding herd over the divisions within the California Republican Party. He's neither a from the right or left. He mirrors the GOP California governor. Then you have the head of the Christian Coalition, Pat Roberston,  endorsing Rudy Guiliani.  That's impossible, but it happened.  In other words, the Republican party is going through major changes, what Duf Sundheim calls a new paradigm -- almost beyond partisanship.  We did a frank assessment of next year's races, when the GOP is predicted to lose seats in the House, Senate, and possibly the White House, and what may come from that.

Post Production Notes: Warren Hinckle, Holloween in the Castro, Open Studios

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- Before Tuesday's taping, I didn't know about Warren Hinckles relation with Hunter S. Thompson. They gave birth to  "gonzo journalism."  You'll enjoy Hinckles stories about Thompson, and others.   Hinckle also was editor of RAMPARTS during the sixties. Scanlon, and  served as editor or columnist for the Chronicle and Examiner..   He knows San Francisco politics. So, we did the full half hour.  His stories will be a feast for political junkies. 

We're going to have more canvas artists as guests.  It began with artist Sue Averell.  She invited me to open studios in Sausalito's ICB studios.  I spent three hours wandering from one studio to another and talked to about 15 artists.  Can't tell you why I chose one studio over another.  But met incredible people.  I collected postcard representations of various artists.  That's why we decided to feature San Francisco's Open Studios and Threrese Martin, executive director of the sponsors.  We're going to have more artists as guests.

Canvas artists represent the original artists.. as on cave walls.  They have a special responsibility and ability, and capture the times in form and color....  But so many more visual media has overpowered canvas art.  We need to nurture our San Francisco Bay Area artists. We'll do our part by inviting artists as guests.

And Holloween. I pushed David Perry. I never got the answers I sought:  politics. It has to do with Supervisor Dufty and his opponents.. But there's another story there that David wasn't willing to discuss.  Sorry about that;  as you know, I don't let up when I smell an hidden story.

The Gruel Interview on Ed Jew

SAN FRANCISCO, CA ---- The pile on continues.  In my questioning of Steve Gruel, it's clear the Mayor overstepped in suspending Supervisor Ed Jew.  First the Mayor used the FBI complaint (Only a Complaint), then resorted to the Residency question.   BOTH are allegations.  BOTH are in legal proceedings. There have been no trials, no convictions.  So where's the basis for removing a sitting supervisor elected by his district?  Not the Mayor, not the DA or City Attorney has the power to decide the truth of the allegations.  Juries do that in this society, and even in this city.

Other questions:  In the Federal complaint, they deliberately leave undisclosed, who went to the FBI?  And how could a supervisor's aide go down the hall and tell Ed Jew's supervisorial aide, "your boss is going to jail"...  weeks before the sting.  Who knew what and when?

More important why the pile on?  Could it be that Ed Jew was getting too popular.  And he had some serious questions about the monster projects at Hunters Point, which has links to the highest elected and formerly elected officials, here and in D.C.?  That Jack Davis, the city's most powerful political consultant supposingly suggested to Ed Jew to consider a run for mayor?

I didn't read the Federal "complaint" prior to the Gruel interview.  I Wish I had.  It's more ambiguous than reported. And the FBI is basically saying this:  Since the Planning Department MAILED notices to owners where Quickly wanted to lease, Ed Jew is liable for Mail Fraud.  As if, Ed Jew could have stopped the Planning Department from MAILING what they were required to mail.

My thoughts...