31 December: Members of the Yale University Baker's Dozen a cappella singing group are kicked, slugged, and assaulted after singing the national anthem at New Year's Eve party in San Francisco's Richmond District. One of the victims required 4 hours of reconstructive surgery when he returned to the East coast on New Year's Day.The SF Police Department have dropped the ball on the investigation and a battle royale is on between the SFPD, the singers' and their lawyers, the office of Mayor Gavin Newsom, and the lawyers of the alleged attackers - who include the sons of some "prominent San Franciscans."
10 January: LaShuan Harris is found "not guilty" of first-degree murder charges in the drowning deaths of her three little boys (aged 6, 2, and 1). Harris said "God told her" to take the boys to the San Francisco Bay, strip them of their clothing, and throw them in the chilly waters.
Instead, the jury found Harris guilty of secondary assault charges.
Two of the three boys remain in the bay. Searchers have given up on ever find their remains.
14 January: Two men are shot and killed in San Francisco's Lower Haight neighborhood. This double murder takes place just two days after a woman's charred body was found on a boat ramp at Candlestick Point.
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Yet, despite these three horrible crimes, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom defends his two vetos of legislation passed by the city's Board of Supervisors that would greatly increase police foot patrols around the city. (The Board over-rode both vetos.)
Moreover, Newsom refuses to acknowledge the non-binding ballot measure, passed overwhelmingly by San Francisco voters the past November, that urged him to make a monthly appearance before the Board of Supervisors (ie: city council) to answer their questions (similar to the British tradition of the Prime Minister taking questions from Parliament). These appearances would force the Mayor to defend his veto decisions for the public record, not to mention explain his police department's lackluster investigation into the Baker's Dozen incident.
Uhh...memo to Mr. Newsom: You're up for re-election this November (should you chose to run again). You started strong, naming opponents to key city posts and giving gay and lesbian couples equal protection under the Constitution of the United States. But make no mistake...this gay voter will weigh all the facts on all the issues. And if the crime rate within the city limits, which is already way too high these first two weeks of the year, continues to climb unchecked...well...the buck stops with you my friend.
Don't take our votes for granted because you stepped up to the plate in a big way a few years back. My vote for or against you will be based on the overall picture: What you did in 2004, as well what you do in 2007.
