McGoldrick to challenge Fang for BART Board?

07.21.10 - 5:47 pm | Tim Redmond |

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The calls are already going out: former Supervisor Jake McGoldrick ought to challenge James Fang for BART Board. Bruce Balshone reported enthusiastically on the draft Jake effort in the Examiner, and when I called McGoldrick tonight, he seemed open to the idea. After all, Fang has been on the board 20 years, is the lone Republican elected official from San Francisco -- and frankly, hasn't done much of anything important in terms of improving transit (or controlling the BART police).

I called McGoldrick tonight to ask about it, and he told me he's open to the idea. "I'm just juggling and weighing parts of my life," he said. "I'm a teacher, the president of a union, the president of the Richmond District Democratic Club and a grandfather." But he added: "The one thing that's absolutely true is that James Fang need to be replaced. It doens't have to be me, but I'm giving it serious consideration."

Of course, he said (in typical McGoldrick fashion) that his family has to sign off: "I finally got home after eight years at City Hall and made some soup instead of being a supe," he said. "I asked my wife about it, and she thought I was talking about Bart Simpson or something."

Stay tuned.

BART

Comments

McGoldrick

Wasn't he recalled?

Posted by Guest on Jul. 21, 2010 @ 9:16 pm

Ridiculous Recall Attempt Failed Miserably

There was an attempt at a recall, but it was such a joke that voters saw right through it and refused to even give it enough signatures to get on the ballot. It was organized by some nimby crybaby property owners and businesses who didn't like McGoldrick working to expand public park use for pedestrians and establish Bus Rapid Transit.

Posted by Eric Brooks on Jul. 21, 2010 @ 10:17 pm

would this public park thing

be where the voters turned down those hilariously named Golden Gate park closures twice, and then the board of supes just did it anyways? Is that what you are talking about?

Posted by matlock on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 10:24 am

Really?

Didn't Jake OK the walgreens on Army st after the devlopers donated a huge amount to his recall fight?

Posted by Guest on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 2:49 pm

Yes...

I remember hearing something about that too, money talks and bullshit...

Posted by Guest on Jul. 23, 2010 @ 10:19 am

Go Jake!

I've often wondered how Republican James Fang can keep getting re-elected without any challenge from local Democrats.

Third party people with no campaign behind them keep running, and they keep getting about 40% of the vote. With a real challenge, Fang is toast.

I wish the rumor weren't so open, though. Now that the cat's out of the bag, the Newsom-Feinstein machine will probably nudge this jerk to retire and run one of their own Chamber of Commerce flunkies with a "D" behind his/her name, lest the seat go to a real progressive (who actually believes in public transit).

Posted by Greg on Jul. 21, 2010 @ 10:33 pm

Somebody with some fiscal sense, por favor

Can we get someone who knows math to replace James Fang please? I dunno if that is Jake or not ... But Jake is right on to say Fang needs to be shown an exit from public office.

Posted by Jamie Whitaker on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 12:43 am

McGoldrick was bounced from the DCCC this June

But since he views himself as the second coming of Christ I'm quite sure he'll be interested in sacrificing for the people of San Francisco and returning to elected office. He's really giving - that Jake.

Posted by Lucretia Snapples on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 8:31 am

I am stunned by the whiners

I am stunned by the whiners who decry saturday GGP partial road closure. Get off your soft butts and walk! As a park neighbor, I hail that change. The vote was on a full shutdown of the park. As it is now, it sets aside a small area and cars can still go through the concourse. FYI, McGoldrick was the only one of the Board who ran numbers to save the City some bucks, eg, the routine renewal of Clear Channel's bus shelter contract. Hammer out the best deal for the City, I say! It is ludicrous that bloated New York City can do that better than we in making money from contracts. McG also was instrumental in getting Doyle Drive funds to rebuild that killer approach to the GGB. I am a progressive, but see the City's support of illegals and ruffians on Haight St (sit/lie) as plain wrong-headed. That said, McG would challenge Bart's buffoonery far more thanFang, who seems to sit on his hands.
Fay

Posted by Guest on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

har

I pointed out that the bike whiners lost two votes and then went crying to the board of supes and the board members just did it anyways. I also don't own a car, I ride a bike.

I love how democracy to a SF lefty is just getting their way and then just wrapping it in buzz words.

Posted by matlock on Jul. 23, 2010 @ 10:54 am

Run Jake Run! McGoldrick is

Run Jake Run!

McGoldrick is an enthusiastic supporter of mass transportation.

Posted by Guest Bruce Lee Livingston on Jul. 22, 2010 @ 4:48 pm

Tell me Tim

Is it english that McGoldrick teaches, can you get him to correct the following sentence

"that James Fang need to be replaced", hilfuckingarious

Posted by Guest on Jul. 23, 2010 @ 10:26 am

SoMa History Lesson #1: Jake McGoldrick and Better Neighborhoods

In response to legislation creating a SoMa Community Stabilization Fund proposed by Supervisor Chris Daly, then Superviosr Jake McGoldrick offered SoMa 25% of the Rincon Hill fees. That's how he felt his "Better Neighborhoods" plan worked.

When the Geary Boulevard neighbors decide to impose higher fees for increased density along the corridor, did SoMa residents show up to argue that we deserve 75% of them?

There was absolutely no honor on Jake's part attempting to sabotage the SoMa stabilization fund legislation.

Posted by Natoma Nick on Jul. 23, 2010 @ 12:09 pm

To those who want to pick apart Jake's record...

I just want to remind you that every candidate is judged against the other candidates in the race.

When you've taken thousands of votes in the course of 8 years in office, you're bound to make some bad ones. On the whole, I think Jake did a good job, but I could certainly find stuff I disagree with. In fact, I've told him on occasion.

But if you compare Jake's record on transportation to the record of James Fang, who has been on the BART board for... well, forever... and done absolutely zilch for public transit, Jake would be infinitely better.

Posted by Greg on Jul. 23, 2010 @ 6:38 pm