Page 2 of 2

Tuesday, Aug. 18

11 a.m. - Government Audit and Oversight Committee

Once again, there's only one item on the committee's agenda. It's almost like we're phoning in the things we're not thinking through.

Even worse, you can't watch: This hearing is a closed session so that the committee can hear a briefing from the City Attorney on the proposed State Constitutional Initiative requiring a two-thirds vote to establish local public electricity providers.

It's a pity I can't attend the briefing, because I'm sure the legal arguments are very (yawn) interesting. 

My question about this issue isn't exactly a legal one, but it's one that the backers of this constitutional amendment haven't satisfactorily answered yet: In exactly what way is democracy better served by limiting the power of municipalities to provide electricity to their citizens?

Long answer: well, you see, electricity is a commodity, and when the government provides commodities that the free enterprise system can also provide it limits the ability of enterprising people to compete for the opportunity to move goods and services around the economy, thereby reducing the generation of wealth for private citizens. Without the additional wealth generation created by the competition of energy commodities on the free market, the total economic pie (the economy is a pie) will shrink, thus reducing the total social good.

You see. Also, something about Milton Friedman, and how your mother is a socialist for offering lemonade to the neighborhood kids for free when a private investor could have done it so much more efficiently. I've seen your mother's birth certificate: She was born in Kenya.

Short answer: it doesn't. Democracy is in no way enhanced by limiting the ability of municipalities to provide energy to their citizens. Given the recent performance of energy utilities, it's doubtful that efficiency is served by limiting governments' ability to get in the game, either.

I will admit however, given the performance of our city government on almost any issue in which efficiency is prized, that if we are to have government-run power in San Francisco, I would prefer it to be run by the government of Sweden.

They seem so competent.

Is that an option? Could we get that on the ballot?

2 p.m. - Full Board of Supervisors

This meeting could be more boring, but the Supervisors would have to work at it -- and they don't seem to be working very much this week.

Most items are repeats -- finally voting recent legislation through and approving grants and lawsuits and blah blah blah.

There is a measure "Reaffirming the Board of Supervisors' support for the expeditious completion of the Mexican Museum Project at the Yerba Buena Garden site" that has an un-vetoable supermajority.

Can I just say it's beautiful how politicians from across the political spectrum can get together, despite their philosophical differences and personal dislikes of one another, to pander?

That's all the government for this week, folks -- and it's all the government for the next three weeks, too. The Supervisors are in recess until after Sept. 8 ... suspiciously, the same day that everyone gets back from Burning Man.

Hmmmmm.

Have you ever wondered if some of the supervisors have more interesting personal lives than they let on?

Me neither.