- Attorney General candidates Steve Cooley and Kamala Harris got down to it yesterday in their only scheduled debate. A couple of stand-out moments: Marisa Lagos of the Chronicle writes
Perhaps the most surprising moment of the hour came when Cooley was asked whether he would "double dip" if elected AG -- that is, accept the $151,000 annual AG's salary on top of his L.A. pension (He currently makes about $350k as L.A. County's top prosecutor). Cooley didn't hesitate to answer yes, and made no apologies: he said he's worked hard for his money and intends on collecting. Harris apparently didn't think she needed to respond to the question ("You go, Steve" was her answer)...
And Rina Palta on KALW's The Informant blog noted Cooley's response to a question about Proposition 19, which would legalize and tax marijuana.
“My instincts say it’s unconstitutional,” (Cooley) said. If the voters approve the measure, Cooley indicated he may not defend it against federal challenges.
- SF Board President David Chiu is proposing restricting loudspeakers on those tour buses that take sightseers through San Francisco neighborhoods. (Personal note: I used to live in The Castro, where some bus tourists liked to gawk at us locals like they were on an expedition led by Margaret Mead.)
- The SF Board gave a thumbs up to the city's bid to host the 34th Americas Cup. Chris Daly and John Avalos were the only "no" votes. Quoted in The Examiner was Avalos, referring to Larry Ellison, who as the last Cup winner gets to choose the site: "I feel like we are jumping the gun on this to roll out the red carpet for one of the largest billionaires in the world.”
- A dead whale has hit San Mateo County, and that's no metaphor. AP reports a blue whale washed ashore at Pescadero last Saturday.
- The San Jose Mercury wonders aloud whether the "Governor Moonbeam" tag still applies to Jerry Brown. (This anti-Brown site called No Governor Moonbeam! thinks it does, apparently.)