Marin’s favorite governor, Gavin Newsom, has a big decision to make — with whom to replace U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris when she becomes vice president?
A lot of “smart people” like the idea of Gavin appointing himself. I get that.
But Gov. Newsom is a white guy (in case you have not picked up on that) and Kamala Harris is a Black woman. There will be a sizable number of Californians interested in maintaining that gender and racial profile.
The New York Times floated these names: U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine and State Senate President Toni Atkins; grass-roots progressives such as U.S. Representative Ro Khanna of Silicon Valley, U.S. Reps Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Barbara Lee of Oakland.
And then there’s Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla who will make the short list, despite their biological plumbing deficiencies.
The pick I find most interesting, however, is former Gov. Jerry Brown. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? Send him to Washington as a place keeper. Then let the voters decide.
Postscript: Governor Moonbeam is one of the few politicos left in California old enough to give the new president advice on the way we used to do it in the 70s.
Postscript II: If I may be allowed the impertinence to remind everyone that Sen. Dianne Feinstein is 87 years old, the governor may want to vette two names.
POLLSTERS SPECTACULARLY WRONG, AGAIN
American pollsters should just close up shop after their horrible performance in the last election. Yes, weirdness abounds in 2020, but it was only five minutes ago that they predicted a big blue anti-Trump wave. Biden was going to win going away, Democrats were going to gain House seats and take over the Senate.
None of that happened. One poll published in the Washington Post had Biden winning Wisconsin by 17 points. 17 points? How about 1.7 points. The Washington Post should seek a refund.
NOT THE BLACK MAN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
So, based on what we think we know, San Rafael police in the aftermath of a carjacking stopped a Black man in a car similar to the car involved in the crime. Guns drawn, they ordered the man out of the car, handcuffed him, and kept him detained until police realized that this was not the Black man they were looking for.
The man, Karl Bracy, a 55-year-old postal worker from Fairfield, has filed suit.
There are details we don’t know at this point (I freely admit this). But, the police response looks way over the top to me. Taken out of his car, handcuffed at gunpoint and detained because he was driving nearby in a similar car? Body-cam footage will give us a better sense of how this all went down, which reminds me: Why hasn’t the footage been released already?
In the meanwhile, the offer by the city for Bracy to participate in a “session of healing, mutual understanding and restorative justice” doesn’t seem to cut it, does it? I suspect a big check will be involved in the healing process.
INN MARIN WINDFALL
Some of the numbers bouncing around over the possible purchase of Inn Marin should trouble taxpayers in the extreme. County records show the facility’s estimated value is about $10 million. It was purchased for $12.4 million in 2017 by Dipak Patel and Rita Patel. They want $18 million from the County of Marin, which is using “free” money from the state’s Homekey Program.
I don’t blame the Patels for trying to turn an investment crippled by COVID-19 restrictions into $6 million profit in 36 months, but our County moms and dads would be dumber than a sack of rocks to do it.
I don’t think there’s any other way to see it?
DON’T PATRONIZE SENIORS
Dinah Mattos, a loyal reader of the Novato Advance sent me this picture of her as a way to send a personal message to government road czars who say one thing, but do another. She complained about confusing lane lines (or sometimes no lines) on the Rowland Boulevard overpass. She was told it would be taken care of, but it wasn’t. So she took to the street in protest. (See page 1A). In the meanwhile, all you public servants out there, fear the t-shirt.
ONE MORE THING
And with that, I’ll pick up my knitting and let myself out. If we don’t have a president by the time you read this, I say we install Dinah Mattos as the interim. Stay safe. Mask up.
Sherman R. Frederick is the founder of Battle Born Media, a journalist-based, family-owned company dedicated to the preservation of intensely local community newspapers, such as this one. You can follow him for his daily musings on Facebook at facebook.com/sherm.frederick/. He may be reached at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
If you don’t get the Novato Advance delivered to your doorstep every Wednesday, you are missing out. Call 415-898-0784 and get it started right away. Still only $59 a year.)
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