FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET
QUICKER THAN A PLANE
More truthful than a supervisor
losing his reign

Sentinel founder Pat Murphy
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Pat Murphy

Commentary

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

It was, in the end, landing with a thud, de minimis.

De minimis - only a pauper's pence was spent for the city to investigate the Sentinel, sum total less than $5.

I'd never heard of the phrase, myself - de minimis.

But I smiled as I gathered it was relayed in connection with that great lump of a fool who set the whole thing off.

Please forgive my name calling, as it was only hours ago Supervisor Chris Daly called the best photographer in town - and my friend -- Luke Thomas (and myself) "pieces of shit."

Fuck. Shit. Fuck you. Punk ass bitch. Get out.

Now immortalized in public discourse, these are the words, the soul, and the heart of Chris Daly.

Daly doesn't have a good heart.

Daly doesn't do good things for people.

Daly battles for the sake of battle, and for release.

That's the sum of the man.

Please forgive still, if you even will, another sketch of how Daly came to cause city pence spent.

He blustered, on the people's dime, that the Sentinel is an entity crying out for government regulation.

"The Sentinel is clearly a political committee and San Franciscans deserve to know who funds them as required by State law," Daly said for sure on chamber floor of the Board of Supervisors.

Yet, squint your eyes, his formal written request for state-power gumshoes had no bluster:

"Specifically, given the fact that the San Francisco Sentinel hosted a political fundraiser on April 1, 2005, and had previously filed as a political committee, are they in fact a committee under the definition of State law, and are they required to file reports under State and local law?"

What a difference, and what a fool because he knows…that we know…he could have aimed his cell phone at the Ethics Department and gotten an answer in minutes.

The City Attorney, in fulsome disclosure, promises to send Daly a copy of the laws Daly mentioned…at de minimis cost, whew for you.

The San Francisco Ethics Department disclosed it tossed -- de minimis -- the whole thing to the City Attorney.

Poor bruiser, it was Daly who spent the five bucks, maybe less, on photocopying.

Prior to that bluster, he blistered me personally, backhanded.

He did so with all he had, with all his personal knowledge of me, and with all that he knew to do.

I feel the defiance that Quentin Crisp tossed to fag bashers just before they throttled Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant -- "My worst has already happened."

Anyone sticking with Daly assures their worst is yet to come.

Daly hurts the progressive realm, and someone illuminating emperor nakedness could rescucitate that kingdom.

"What's the point!" Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi displayed empty hands right after Daly bluster.

And for all his talent to shimmy this way, then shimmy that way before the eye can catch it, Board President Aaron Peskin looks hobbled deadpanning Code of Conduct to Daly as Daly continues harangue.

Peskin deference will truncate Peskin dreams.

If Peskin can't preside effectively over ten strong willed people, how could he ever be trusted with $5 billion staff?

Yet, Daly's insular battles need not, not really, be accepted by the lefty bloc.

With Mission Bay development, demographics will continue to shift away from Daly's base of the unable.

There is a maxim, contrary to common San Francisco holding, which contends that without property rights, there are no human rights.

It's a maxim I've pondered as an unusual belief, never quite thinking I got it enough to think about it more.

The actions of people like Stalin and Daly keep that maxim running through the generations, I think.

State power. Enforcing the proper. Eliminating the improper. Licensing speech, approved wholesome not from within but from without.

I'm convinced that's the stuff of Chris Daly, and his stuff makes private property seem sanctuary.

The Sentinel is mine, I create it, and I'm not available to be questioned.

As for Stalin, I don't know.

I'm not sure I ever met that other asshole.

Fill Mission Bay NOW!

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