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Two bottles of champagne and a rift
By: Joshua Sabatini
07/02/09 11:24 AM PDT
Supervisor John Avalos struck what most say was a commendable budget deal with Mayor Gavin Newsom. But his political mentor, Supervisor Chris Daly -- who Avalos worked for as a legislative aide before being elected in November as the District 11 supervisor -- had sharp and emotional words for the budget chair during Wednesday’s final committee hearing on Newsom’s budget proposal.
Daly said Avalos needed to more forcefully pressure Newsom to not cut the budget restorations the committee made -- all $44 million.
Avalos said he had Newsom’s word.
That didn’t sit well with Daly.
“I know you better than the comments that you have previously made,” Daly said.
Daly continued: “So to say that you got the mayor’s word when you know that we’ve previously got the mayor’s word and it’s not worth anything because he broke that word and to accept that word as fact, that is foolishness.”
Daly, who is termed out and had seen nine budget cycles, seemed to take things personally.
“I don’t know if it was the sheen of the hair or what it was that you spent more time with Gavin Newsom during this budget process than you did with me. And that’s fine if the end product is good. I am not going to be personally hurt. But the reason why the numbers are so big that they have presented in front of you is because they are not real.”
Daly said Newsom would just turn around and cut all the restorations.
“I hate to rain on parades. But I got two bottles of champagne in the balance and I’d like to pop them and have a real celebration ’cause these numbers are big but they are not real unless we make them real.”
Well, Avalos stuck to his deal and apparently didn’t lose his cool or sense of humor during the emotional ribbing. He stood up from his chair, vacated the legislative chambers at City Hall as the budget hearing continued, and then soon after returned with two bottles of champagne. Avalos was in the celebratory mood.
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