Page 2 of 2
Update, 1:30 p.m.: Ross Mirkarimi returned our call. He reminded that he was the sponsor of the public finance law (this is true) and said this move made him "uneasy." However, "During decision time when all this was flying fast, we were fighting a rearguard battle to transfer funds in order to bolster public finances that were not delivered based on the promises of Supervisor McGoldrick following his negotiations with the mayor last year." Ouch.
While Mirkarimi said he thought this task had been accomplished, "the convention facilities bureau made it clear that [the money] was not going to material cuts but staff cuts." Mirkarimi says this revelation was made "way after" the decision to put the $1 million on reserve for either the convention bureau or public financing.
"It would have been a better move on the budget floor if we took [the money] from some of the other areas of the city than where we took it from, but I don't think the political will was there among members of the board," he continues, citing Newsom's pet projects, the police department, and city agencies "with a lot of fat on top" as better places to go.
"I want to see the legislation I sponsored grow, but I don't plan to do that on the backs of people who are front-line workers like janitors and other folks."
Update, 3:38 p.m.: John St. Croix of the Ethics Commission returned our e-mail. He says that the public financing pool's current balance is $3.969 million -- the exact amount Arnow figured and used in all his calculations.
St. Croix adds that the balance is down $6 million from June of last year. Since that time, $5 million was transferred to the General Fund in June of '08 (this is the "McGoldrick's promise" transaction); $2.29 million was transferred to the General Fund in May of this year; and in July $1.3 million from the General Fund was sent back to the public financing pool.
