Supervisor Yee endorses Props. F and I                                          
 	 		 		
Going public | September 12, 2001 | SFBG News
 		 		 		 		
Going public

By Rachel Brahinsky
 						
Public power advocates gathered Sept. 8 at the Sunset Recreation 
Center to drum up support in one of the city's more conservative 
neighborhoods for four energy-related ballot initiatives.
 						
"The energy crisis has mortgaged our future," Sup. Leland Yee, 
who represents Sunset residents in District Four, told the crowd. 
Yee announced his endorsement that day of the two pending public 
power measures – Proposition I (the municipal utility district) 
and Proposition F (the water and power agency). He is not 
supporting the two solar power initiatives on the ballot, 
Proposition H and Proposition B.
 						
This is the first time Yee, who voted against putting Prop. I on 
the ballot last year, has lent his support to public power in San 
Francisco.
 						
"People are hurting really badly, [especially] low-income people 
and seniors," he said. "You've got to go with public power." Yee 
said he was influenced by the devastating financial impact of the 
state energy crisis on his district.
 						
Other attendees included the Labor Council's Walter Johnson, city 
attorney candidates Steve Williams and Neil Eisenberg, several 
MUD board of directors candidates, and Sup. Tom Ammiano, who 
called on voters to "pull the plug on PG." Advocates said they 
had gathered there to head off the slick, well-funded media 
campaign against public power that is expected from Pacific Gas 
and Electric and its downtown allies.
 						
The public power campaign, which is endorsed by the Bay Guardian, 
also announced last week that the Green Party's Ralph Nader will 
headline a rally and fundraiser Oct. 11 in support of the four 
energy initiatives at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. 
Performers are to be announced.
 						
In related news, PG's Coalition for Affordable Public Services is 
demanding that the Local Agency Formation Commission break the 
contract signed with energy consultant E.J. Simpson to complete a 
public power study, which is expected to be released in early 
October. On Aug. 16, CAPS attorney Jim Sutton wrote to LAFCO 
saying it shouldn't be released because it will be biased toward 
public power. That's because Simpson is a longtime public power 
advocate who has worked with the pro-MUD coalition in San 
Francisco. Paying Simpson to do the study, Sutton argued, is 
equivalent to using taxpayer funds to influence the election.
 						
LAFCO denies Sutton's charges. "The bidding process was done 
appropriately without any flaws," said Eisenberg, who is also the 
LAFCO chair. "I'm confident the report will be released."
 						
For more information on the Nader rally go to 
www.democracyrising.org [http://www.democracyrising.org] or call 
Democracy Rising at (415) 864-6078. For regular updates on 
candidate forums, mobilizations, and new endorsements go to 
www.sfbmud.org [http://www.sfbmud.org] . 
						
E-mail Rachel Brahinsky at rachel@sfbg.com [] .
 						
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