Three of the seven directors on the high-profile Municipal Transportation Agency board were informed by the Newsom administration over the weekend that their services are no longer needed.
One of those told she was being shown the door was Leah Shahum, executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, one of the most politically active advocacy groups in the city.
Since she was appointed to the post about 1 1/2 years ago, Shahum hasn't been shy in voicing her opinion - at times at odds with the administration's positions. Two examples: the closure of certain roadways to private automobiles in Golden Gate Park on Saturdays and issues regarding litigation over the city's Bicycle Plan.
"And it's been made clear to me that the mayor has been none-too-pleased that the Bicycle Coalition didn't endorse him" when he ran for re-election last year, Shahum said Monday. The coalition did not endorse any candidate in the mayor's race.
"I'm disappointed that somebody like myself who has been an effective advocate for sustainable transportation would be asked to step down," she said.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I bet he wishes he could fire the Board of Supervisors, too
From today's San Francisco Chronicle, we learn that mayor Gavin Newson has forced out three members of the Municipal Transportation Agency, including the head of the San Francisco Bike Coalition, Leah Shahum. As an independent voice who spoke her mind, Shahum obviously needed to be replaced by a Newsom crony who would rubber stamp his policies and parrot the Newsom party line. According to the Chronicle,
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5 comments:
I am shocked Gavin would do this. He didn't strike me as that type at all. Are you sure this is an accurate description of the situation?
I didn't see your reply, but that's what I mean, does the Chronicle know Gavin? I don't think so. I interacted with him personally three times and the way the Chronicle portrays him is not how I experienced him. I think the Chronicle has an agenda. It sounds to me like Gavin could use a letter of support.
I deleted my reply because I was going to go into more detail, but there is really no reason to be surprised by this. Newsom is, in my view, a sleazy politician, and this is par for the course as far as I'm concerned, which is why I didn't vote for him in the last election. There is further discussion of this in the SF Bike coalition email list.
I am surprised by your opinion of him as well. I don't think that way of him at all. If its because of his affair, so what. What he does on his personal time in his personal life is his personal business not ours. I live in Marin now, and I didn't vote in our last election because I just didn't care. I don't care this time either, but, I am going to force myself to at least look at the issues. I have very little faith in the political system if any at all. Someone in my life had a very bad influence on me. And I am not involved in the Bike Coalition anymore either.
My opinion of him has nothing to do with his affair.
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