November 27, 2002

By Savannah Blackwell

MAYOR WILLIE BROWN is trying to distance himself publicly from his former aide Bevan Dufty, who is in a runoff race for the District Eight supervisorial seat against progressive Eileen Hansen. But it's clear from Dufty's campaign contributions and the makeup of his volunteers that the runoff is essentially a repeat of the 2000 San Francisco Board of Supervisors races, which pitted the machine's interests against those of neighborhood activists and progressives.

Among the signs of machine interest in the race:

• Numerous current and former city employees who are working or have worked for the mayor are helping out on Dufty's campaign.

• More than half of the $53,000 Dufty has raised comes from individuals connected to real estate and landlord interests as well as to the Brown administration and registered political lobbyists, according to research by Service Employees International Union Local 250. Research by the Bay Guardian confirmed that at least $1,200 came from lobbyists – which directly contradicts the assertion on Dufty's Web site that he doesn't accept money from lobbyists.

• Brown owes Dufty, who worked hard on the mayor's 1999 reelection campaign. Dufty helped organize a meeting of queer leaders in the arts community at which, some attendees told us, they were pressured to write checks to the mayor's campaign (see "Muscling In," 12/8/99). And he was known for tracking down staffers who weren't pitching in enough time and/or money to Brown's reelection bid. In 2000 he also volunteered on the campaign of former school board member Juanita Owens, the mayor's pick for District Five supervisor who took a beating from Green Party member and current supervisor Matt Gonzalez (see "Around City Hall," 4/14/99).

Friends in high places

P.J. Johnston, the mayor's press secretary, insists Brown isn't going all-out to defeat Eileen Hansen. And Dufty doesn't make a big deal of the mayor's support in his literature or campaign pitches.

That's for good reason: In 2000 almost every candidate for district supervisor who was tied to Brown and his pro-development policies was soundly defeated. In District Eight, incumbent Mark Leno, a Brown appointee, went out of his way to distance himself from the mayor – and only narrowly survived a challenge from Eileen Hansen, who is now Dufty's opponent.

The last thing the Dufty campaign wants is to have this race defined as the machine against the neighborhoods.

But in fact, that's exactly what it is.

Among those who are volunteering for Dufty: Johnston, Karin Carlson, who serves as Brown's liaison to the Board of Supervisors, and Rebecca Prozan, a former Brown staffer. Other workers in the Mayor's Office have been spotted walking precincts and handing out literature.

San Francisco Public Utilities Commission general manager, Pat Martel, who was appointed by Brown, has given money to Dufty. As have Eleanor Johns, the mayor's chief of staff; Steve Kawa, the mayor's deputy chief of staff; and Kandace Bender, a former mayoral spokesperson who now works for the San Francisco airport. Indeed, donations from employees of the city and county of San Francisco amount to at least $10,800.

Dufty has also received money from some of the mayor's biggest political supporters and a few lobbyists. Steve Besser, a Brown ally who as recently as 1999 was one of the most prominent lobbyists at city hall, gave $100, as did his wife, Jacqueline, who has had a contract with the airport. Rev. Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church gave $100. Brown's old friend Terry Goggin also gave $100, and former SFPUC commissioner Victor Makras and his wife donated $200. Lobbyist Barbara French gave $100. Brown himself contributed $100.

Two former machine-friendly supervisors have contributed: Leslie Katz and Barbara Kaufman. So did Kaufman's developer husband, Ron. And who could be closer to the machine than Kimiko Burton, the current public defender who lost her bid against Jeff Adachi in a race that was defined as a machine candidate against an independent. Burton and her husband, Emilio Cruz (formerly Brown's Muni director), each gave $100.

Hoping for backlash

Backers of Hansen say they hope Dufty's connection to Brown will turn off voters. And just in case anyone might not have gotten the message, some 400 signs have appeared throughout the Castro District announcing, "Willie Brown endorses Bevan Dufty for Supervisor." Dufty didn't put those signs up; Hansen's supporters did.

"They funny thing is, some people think Bevan put them up himself," tenant activist Robert Haaland said. The signs don't say that the Harvey Milk Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Democratic Club paid for the printing. Club president Debra Walker told us she was planning to include a disclosure until she found out she wasn't required to by law.

"We followed the rules," she said.

Both sides are planning to spend significant amounts of "soft money," independent expenditures that aren't covered by campaign spending limits. Walker says the Milk club plans to spend about $9,000 in soft money on behalf of Hansen. And if all goes well, some $30,000 to $40,000 more will come from union coffers, consultant Jim Stearns told us.

Meanwhile, Mark Mosher of Barnes Mosher Whitehurst Lauter and Partners, a campaign consulting and lobbying firm with strong ties to the machine, is handling the independent expenditure campaign for Dufty. It's not yet clear how much money is involved, but it's likely to be, at the very least, competitive with soft-money efforts behind Hansen.

Dufty did not return numerous by deadline.

Big difference

On the issues, there's a significant difference between Hansen and Dufty.

Both the San Francisco Examiner and the Bay Area Reporter have devoted columns to Hansen's opposition to Proposition N (Care Not Cash ) – saying only Dufty can be trusted to help implement the measure. Examiner columnist Frank Gallagher called Hansen out of touch with her district because voters there supported Prop. N. He failed to point out that Proposition R, the measure that would have ended rent control on as many as 85,000 units in the city and was supported by Dufty, failed by the same percentage by which Prop. N won.

Indeed, tenant activists who fought Prop. R are now working the phones and walking the streets for Hansen.

"Between the volunteers she already had and those from the [anti-] Prop. R campaign who've been able to come on, she'll be really, really strong on the grassroots part," said Ted Gullicksen, head of the San Francisco Tenants Union.

Media outlets supporting Dufty, including the Fang-owned Independent and Examiner and the Bay Area Reporter, say Dufty's experience means he will provide good service for the district. But his insider status also detracts from Dufty's claim that he will be an independent voice on the Board of Supervisors.

"Dufty's been part of the woodwork, and we need someone who can challenge the powers that be – especially with a big challenge over the city's budget coming up," said Tom Radulovich, the former BART director who came in third in the District Eight supervisor race. Radulovich has thrown his support to Hansen. Some of his key backers, including Sups. Aaron Peskin and Sophie Maxwell, have decided to support Hansen as well.

"I'm a progressive and an environmentalist, into group planning and good government," Radulovich said. "I think on all of these issues, Eileen's values are close to my values – much more so than Dufty."